Windows 10: How to edit and change the target path of an existing Windows 10 Junction link

I'm having a problem that appears to have stemmed from a fresh install of Windows 10. Somewhere during the install, user name "ars_n" must have been created. I researched how to change the User name from "ars_n" to "n8mdp" which I was successful at doing. Unfortunately, by doing this, I think it is messing up the junction links such that I can't install an older program that keeps looking for the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\n8mdp\..". This was how Windows XP used to install programs. I checked the installation of this software on other Windows 10 machines and it worked fine. So I'm convinced that it has to do with the Junction links on this fresh install on a new PC. Using NTFSLinkView, I see the following:

Name: Application Data

Full Path: C:\Users\n8mdp\Application Data

Type: Junction

Target Path: C:\Users\ars_n\AppData\Roaming


I really think the 'ars_'n in the Target Path is what is preventing my software needed to install correctly.


For what it's worth, other Full Paths such as Cookies, Local Settings, NetHood, PrintHood need to be updated as well.



Is there a clean way to edit the target path to change the 'ars_n' to 'n8mdp'? I absolutely can't afford to lose what is in the Roaming folder. I've been researching the use of mklink. I tried to delete the link and came up with errors. I'm hoping someone can help me, provide some guidance, and provide a simple way to correct this.




Thanks.

N8MDP

:)

 

Symbolic link (Junction/s), how-to mklink? Please help with Junction?

Hi all, having been a member at Seven then Ten forums for a fair while I'm hoping to find a straight answer here..? Apologies in advance if this is too verbose.
Windows 10 system booting from (UEFI) NVME with 2xSSDs + 2 MHDDs for storage...

An application (Xperia Companion) which will not let me select or personalise the location for saving backups of my cellular phone data...

Think I found a fair definition of the differences at the Computer hope site which would suggest it's a Junction I need:

I want Xperia companion to save backups to F:\Sony Backups NOT the default C:\Users\GD\Documents\Sony. Would the Junction (link) allow me to to fulfill my wants and could someone please demonstrate the mklink commands needed?

with thanks and regards,
Dave

 

Using/understanding junctions and links

Windows doesn't cope well with any kind of links so it isn't surprising properties are displayed wrong. I'd avoid them in future if you can. Anyway, junctions and symlinks are also not the same - see here

Assuming both directories are local though you could try dir /a.

If it is a junction it will tell you the path, if it is a symlink or hardlink it will just tell you the name which may be enough to find it.

As a test I made one of each... Code:

Here you can see path for the junction with dir /a
Code:

With powershell you can find the path for a hard link too Code:

I don't know how to identify symlink path but perhaps you don't need to.

 

How to delete a junction link where the target doesn't exist?

I have a directory junction whose target doesn't exist anymore and I want to delete said junction. Sounds easy enough but I get errors when I try:

How do I delete this junction?