Error Stopped On Symlink 681 (0x2A9): Fix it With 3 Steps

ERROR_STOPPED_ON_SYMLINK usually affects server administrators and it appears when the operation encounters a symbolic link in a context where it isn’t supported. This will prevent the said operation from running, so let’s see how we can fix that.

How can I fix ERROR_STOPPED_ON_SYMLINK?

1. Identify the problematic symlink

1. Open PowerShell.
2. Next, run the following command: Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\path\to\directory" -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.LinkType -eq "SymbolicLink" }
   
3. Check if the symlink points to a valid location: dir /AL /S C:\path\to\symlink
   
4. If the symlink is broken, recreate it: mklink /D "C:\path\to\symlink" "C:\new\target"
   

2. Enable symlink evaluation

1. Open the command line.
2. Run the following: fsutil behavior set SymlinkEvaluation R2L:1 L2R:1
   
3. Be sure to remove R2L and L2R as needed.

3. Other tips to try

1. Update operation configuration by using –follow-symlinks or -L parameter.
2. Convert symlinks to the absolute path or replace it with the actual path.
3. Ensure that the file system supports symlinks and that they are enabled.
4. Don’t use Riverbed Mobile Client with Enable SMBv1 Backwards Compatibility Mode feature, since it will break SMBv2 compatibility and symlink support.

In most cases, ERROR_STOPPED_ON_SYMLINK occurs if the symlink isn’t properly configured or supported. As for this error, sometimes it comes with 681 (0x2A9) The create operation stopped after reaching a symbolic link message, so it’s easy to recognize.

We cover similar issues in our Error Reparse and ERROR_SEGMENT_NOTIFICATION, so you might want to check them out for more information.