Powershell: .LinkType and .Target properties of System.IO.DirectoryInfo instances do not correctly reflect system-defined junctions

[mklement0]

Windows Vista defined (hidden) junctions (essentially, symbolic links to directories) to redirect legacy folder paths to their modern paths; e.g, "$HOME/Cookies", "$HOME/My Documents".

The .LinkType property of such paths, as returned by Get-Item / Get-ChildItem should contain string 'Junction', but it is currently $null.

Similarly, the .Target property (the link/junctions's target path) unexpectedly contains $null.

Note that these junctions also have the Hidden and System attributes set (in addition to ReparsePoint).

However, even manually recreating a junction with all these attributes set does not reproduce the problem.

Steps to reproduce

Get-Item -Force $HOME/Cookies | Select Mode, LinkType

Expected behavior

Mode   LinkType
----   --------
d--hsl Junction

Actual behavior

Mode   LinkType
----   --------
d--hsl 

Note how the LinkType value is missing.

You can verify that the target path is a junction as follows:
cmd /c dir /aL $HOME | sls Cookies

Environment data

PowerShell Core v6.1.0-preview.3 on Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (64-bit; Version 1709, OS Build: 

[PetSerAl]

As far as understand, issue is caused by access rights of this junctions. Them prohibit content enumeration, but PowerShell open them with full read rights and get access denied.

[henrivdr]

I have 2 PowerShell 5.1 windows open, one returns LinkType and Target and the other doesn't. whoami /all returns the same result, so the Privileges are the same. Both windows are run as Admin.

[henrivdr]

Get-ChildItem C:\Users\Default -Force -Attributes "Directory+ReparsePoint" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | select FullName,LinkType,Target,Attributes

[mklement0]

@henrivdr:

It fails consistently for me in PowerShell Core 7.0.0-preview.4 / Windows PowerShell v5.1 and also in Windows PowerShell v5.1.18362.145 on Microsoft Windows 10 1903 (though note that this repo is not for Windows PowerShell).

If @PetSerAl's understanding is correct (which strikes me as likely), then even running as admin should _consistently_ fail.

However, your repro command made me just notice another, presumably closely related problem: see #10630

[henrivdr]

@mklement0
Noted regarding this repo being for PS Core.

I agree with @PetSerAl, because this works in the window where Get-Chilitem by itself does not work: http://chrisbensen.blogspot.com/2010/06/getfinalpathnamebyhandle.html
So it must be the way the directory is (not) opened with
CreateFile(...CREATION_DISPOSITION_OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS...)

It sill does not make sense why it behaves differently between 2 identical windows.

[mklement0]

(The link in your comment has the correct URL, but clicking on it takes you elsewhere.)

It sill does not make sense why it behaves differently between 2 identical windows.

Certainly sounds odd. If you have a reproducible case, please report it on UserVoice and/or here (as a new issue), as applicable.

[henrivdr]

Here's a proper link
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16926127/powershell-to-resolve-junction-target-path/16926224#16926224

I am holding on to the window which works, while I implement the C# Add-Type workaround :-)

Stack Overflow

powershell to resolve junction target path

In PowerShell, I need resolve the target path of a junction (symlink). for example, say I have a junction c:\someJunction whose target is c:\temp\target I tried variations of $junc = Get-Item c:\

[henrivdr]

Solved! I just had to Adjust the process Token Privilege to enable SeBackupPrivilege.
I had to do something similar for another project to take ownership of folders.

https://www.raydbg.com/2017/Token-Privileges-in-PowerShell/
and
https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/21202/Reparse-Points-in-Vista

RayDBG

Token Privileges in PowerShell

One common task in my daily work is to create a PowerShell script to modify the ACL(Access Control List) of Folders or Registrys on Windows. When I run some commands to take the ownership of the Folde

Reparse Points in Vista

What are reparse points, and how do we get their properties.

[msftbot[bot]]

:tada:This issue was addressed in #10662, which has now been successfully released as v7.0.0-preview.5.:tada:

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