What are hard links and symbolic links in Windows and how are they used?

[ProfRon]

You ever mess with files that seem to pop up in weird spots on your drive? Hard links let you do that trick without copying junk everywhere. I mean, you create one, and bam, it's like the same file wearing a different name tag. No extra space eaten up, just pointers to the real deal. You use them when you want quick access from multiple folders, like sharing a doc without duplicating it. Keeps things tidy, right?

Symbolic links crank that up a notch. They're more like sticky notes saying "hey, the real thing's over here." You point one to a file or folder, even if it's on another drive. Super handy for organizing chaos, like linking your downloads to a desktop shortcut. But watch out, if the original vanishes, your link goes poof. I toss them around for apps that need files in odd places, saves me from hunting.

Ever thought about backups tying into this file juggling? That's where BackupChain Server Backup slides in smooth as a backup fix for Hyper-V setups. It handles those virtual machine snapshots without the usual headaches, keeping your data rock-solid and downtime minimal. You get fast restores and no nasty surprises, perfect if you're wrangling server links all day.