Check if a file is real or a symbolic link

private bool IsSymbolic(string path)
{
    FileInfo pathInfo = new FileInfo(path);
    return pathInfo.Attributes.HasFlag(FileAttributes.ReparsePoint);
}

I have some source code for symlinks posted on my blog that will allow you to:

• create symlinks
• check whether a path is a symlink
• retrieve the target of a symlink

It also contains NUnit test cases, that you may wish to extend.

The meaty bit is:

private static SafeFileHandle getFileHandle(string path)
{
    return CreateFile(path, genericReadAccess, shareModeAll, IntPtr.Zero, openExisting,
        fileFlagsForOpenReparsePointAndBackupSemantics, IntPtr.Zero);
}

public static string GetTarget(string path)
{
    SymbolicLinkReparseData reparseDataBuffer;

    using (SafeFileHandle fileHandle = getFileHandle(path))
    {
        if (fileHandle.IsInvalid)
        {
            Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHR(Marshal.GetHRForLastWin32Error());
        }

        int outBufferSize = Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(SymbolicLinkReparseData));
        IntPtr outBuffer = IntPtr.Zero;
        try
        {
            outBuffer = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(outBufferSize);
            int bytesReturned;
            bool success = DeviceIoControl(
                fileHandle.DangerousGetHandle(), ioctlCommandGetReparsePoint, IntPtr.Zero, 0,
                outBuffer, outBufferSize, out bytesReturned, IntPtr.Zero);

            fileHandle.Close();

            if (!success)
            {
                if (((uint)Marshal.GetHRForLastWin32Error()) == pathNotAReparsePointError)
                {
                    return null;
                }
                Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHR(Marshal.GetHRForLastWin32Error());
            }

            reparseDataBuffer = (SymbolicLinkReparseData)Marshal.PtrToStructure(
                outBuffer, typeof(SymbolicLinkReparseData));
        }
        finally
        {
            Marshal.FreeHGlobal(outBuffer);
        }
    }
    if (reparseDataBuffer.ReparseTag != symLinkTag)
    {
        return null;
    }

    string target = Encoding.Unicode.GetString(reparseDataBuffer.PathBuffer,
        reparseDataBuffer.PrintNameOffset, reparseDataBuffer.PrintNameLength);

    return target;
}

That is:

• Open the file with CreateFile()
• Call DeviceIoControl() to get the reparse point data (NOTE: it could be a junction point!)
• Check out the returned data structure to inspect. The reparse tag will tell you if it is a junction point or symbolic link. This may be all you want to do.

Here is an example of differentiating files and directories from links to files and links to directories.

Links to either files or directories maintain their own attributes (creation date, permissions) separate from their targets.

File links can be deleted (e.g. using "del") without affecting the target file.

Directory links can be removed (e.g. "rmdir") without affecting the target directory. Take care when using "rd /s". This WILL remove the directory link target.

The key FileAttributes flag to check in both FileInfo and DirectoryInfo is FileAttributes.ReparsePoint.

static void Main( string[] args ) {
FileInfo file_info = new FileInfo(args[0]);
DirectoryInfo directory_info = new DirectoryInfo(args[0]);

bool is_file = file_info.Exists;
bool is_directory = directory_info.Exists;

if (is_file) {
    Console.WriteLine(file_info.ToString() + " is a file");

    if ( file_info.Attributes.HasFlag(FileAttributes.ReparsePoint) )
        Console.WriteLine(args[0] + " is a Windows file link");
}
else if (is_directory) {
    Console.WriteLine(directory_info.ToString() + " is a directory");

    if ( directory_info.Attributes.HasFlag(FileAttributes.ReparsePoint) )
        Console.WriteLine(args[0] + " is a Windows directory link");
}

It proves the above answers are not reliable. Finally I got the right solution from MSDN:

To determine if a specified directory is a mounted folder, first call the GetFileAttributes function and inspect the FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT flag in the return value to see if the directory has an associated reparse point. If it does, use the FindFirstFile and FindNextFile functions to obtain the reparse tag in the dwReserved0 member of the WIN32_FIND_DATA structure. To determine if the reparse point is a mounted folder (and not some other form of reparse point), test whether the tag value equals the value IO_REPARSE_TAG_MOUNT_POINT. For more information, see Reparse Points.