A. A symbolic link is a file system object that points to another file system object. The object being pointed to is called the destination object. Symbolic links are transparent to users and are a standard part of the OS; the symbolic links appear as regular folders and files to the user. They're useful because they allow a single interface point on the file system to access data in multiple locations on the local and even remote computers without the user needing to know.

Windows XP and Windows 2000 had junction points, allowing access to folders and volumes on the local computer, but junction points were hard to manage natively and have been replaced with the new symbolic linking feature.