I am trying to create a shortcut in Powershell from one server to another

Question

$PrivateDrive = "Sharedrivepath1"
$ScanDrive = "ScanDrivePath2"

New-Item -Itemtype SymbolicLink -Path $PrivateDrive -Name ScanDrive -Value $ScanDrive

I am trying to create a shortcut from the ScanDrive to the PrivateDrive, I have a full filepath and have access to both locations.

These both exist.

But I get the error "New-Item : Symbolic Links are not supported for the specified path"

EDIT: This is how I declare my Private and Scan Drives

$SamaccountName = ($name).Givenname + '.' + ($name.Surname)
$PrivateDrive = '\\SERVER1\private\home folders\' + $SamaccountName
$ScanDrive = "\\SERVER2\Shares_2\" + $SamaccountName

Show us exactly how you define `$PrivateDrive` and `$ScanDrive`. In PowerShell version => 6.2, the target of the symbolic link can be a relative path. Prior to PowerShell v6.2, the target **must be a fully-qualified path**. — Theo, Sep 04 '21 at 09:13
@Theo I Added it to the bottom, I cant figure out how to lay it out like normal in comments — Fluffarmy223, Sep 05 '21 at 05:43
Your path for `$PrivateDrive` has a space in it You need to use quotes around it when calling the `New-Item` cmdlet. BTW. Are you sure users SamAccountNames are in the form of `GivenName.Surname` ? A SamAccountname should be 20 characters or less.. — Theo, Sep 05 '21 at 10:48
@Theo it still gives me the same error, "New-Item : Symbolic Links are not supported for the specified path" and yes, that is the SamAccountName, thats the standard my location has set and am required to use. — Fluffarmy223, Sep 05 '21 at 11:36
Can you do it using mklink.exe from within a PowerShell console (run as admin)? `mklink /d "$PrivateDrive" "$ScanDrive"`. What version of PowerShell are you using? — Theo, Sep 05 '21 at 13:16

mklement0 · Answer 1 · 2021-09-20T17:28:57.860

The error message is PowerShell's, in response to the underlying CreateSymbolicLink() WinAPI function reporting error code 1 (INVALID_FUNCTION).

There are two possible causes that I'm aware of:

A configuration problem: R2R (Remote-to-Remote) symlink evaluation is disabled (which is true by default.
- To query the current configuration, run the following:
```
fsutil behavior get SymLinkEvaluation
```
- To modify the configuration, you must call from an elevated (run as admin) session. The following enables R2R symlink evaluation:
```
# Requires an ELEVATED session.
fsutil behavior set SymLinkEvaluation R2R:1
```
(Less likely) A fundamental limitation:
- The remote link path (the target path too?) is not exposed vie one of the following technologies, which are the ones listed as supported in the linked WinAPI help topic:
  - Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 protocol
  - SMB 3.0 Transparent Failover (TFO)
  - Resilient File System (ReFS)

I tried changing the R2R syslink evaluation and it didn't change anything. I know you said its Less Likely, but how can I check these? @mklement0 — Fluffarmy223, Sep 20 '21 at 07:08
@Fluffarmy223, unfortunately, I don't know - perhaps you can ask whoever administraters the networked drives. — mklement0, Sep 20 '21 at 17:28

I am trying to create a shortcut in Powershell from one server to another

1 Answers1