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"Pointer" Directories in Windows

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Deozaan:
So I've really been interested lately in something that has been mentioned a few times on these forums. I don't know what they're called, but basically you can create a "pointer directory" that doesn't really exist, but just points to another directory located somewhere else in your computer.

This way you can have something like:

C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Dropbox\Games\Diablo II\Saves\

Which really puts all the files in:

D:\Games\Diablo II\Saves\

As you can see from the example, one of the purposes I have for this is to back up/synchronize files from places that don't tidily fit into the normal DropBox folder.

Any help on what these "pointer directories" are and how to make them would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

f0dder:
NTFS Junction Points - there's no Explorer functionality for creating/modifying, and I can't remember what the commandline tools are named (nor whether they're included with Windows or require a resource kit/whatever). But powerful file managers like xplorer2 can manage them. Btw, be VERY careful when dealing with junctions in standard Explorer - deleting a junction won't just delete the junction, but also the folder it points to!

And when doing junctions, also keep in mind that it's possible to create circular/endlessly-recursive hierarchies... you really don't want to do this. Apart from juctions, there's also SymLinks - but those weren't introduced until Vista (whereas Junctions are Win2000 and later), and I frankly don't know much about how SymLinks work.

Junctions require NTFS filesystem, but obviously you're running that and not FAT :)

Deozaan:
Aha! Thanks for the info!

A quick Google of SymLinks and NTFS Junctions reveals the following information:

How-To Geek explains: Using SymLinks in Windows Vista (with commandline ... commands).
Microsoft explains: How to create and manipulate NTFS Junction points (with commandline tools).

From the first link it appears as though using SymLinks for a directory actually creates a Junction.

ewemoa:
I recently came across the following article and found it helpful:

  http://shell-shocked.org/article.php?id=284

One of the few non-portable things I've been using is:

  http://elsdoerfer.name/=ntfslink

I believe this tool helps (in some cases?) w/ the problem that f0dder mentioned about deletion.

(I'm thinking of applying some of this to moving my profile to another partition or drive.)

Deozaan:
One of the problems I'm having is that I install my programs on a drive other than C, and I told Windows to use my A drive instead for Program Files, but when programs install using the default information, they install to Program Files on C, but the shortcuts are made pointing to A, so I get a lot of broken shortcuts and things.

I'm trying to create a SymLink now, but it won't let me create one for a directory that already exists.

Another example is that I keep my documents and other profile information on my D drive, but Windows won't let me remove the C:\Users\ directory, all the real data is in D:\Users\

But I can't create a SymLink/Junction because C:\Users already exists. Any tips on getting this to work?

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