Why This Error Happens
Error 448 occurs when Windows encounters a reparse point (such as a symbolic link, junction, or mount point) that references a volume or directory the system does not recognize as trusted—commonly because the mount point crosses between an internal drive and a removable, network, or virtual disk (like a WSL or Docker volume) without proper reparse tag validation. This often happens after restoring a drive image, migrating a VHD/VHDX, or when third-party backup/virtualization software creates mount points that bypass the NTFS trust chain. Corrupted reparse point metadata in the Master File Table (MFT) can also trigger this error even on a locally attached disk.
Step-by-Step Resolution Guide
- Identify the reparse point: Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run
fsutil reparsepoint query <path>on the folder throwing the error to confirm it’s a mount point/junction and check its target. - Remove the untrusted mount point: If the target volume is unavailable or external, delete the junction safely using
rmdir "<path>"(this removes only the link, not the underlying data) rather than deleting the folder contents directly. - Re-mount the volume properly: Go to Disk Management (
diskmgmt.msc), right-click the target volume, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, remove the old mount point entry, and re-add it through Add using a trusted local NTFS volume rather than a network or virtual drive. - Run a filesystem integrity check: Execute
chkdsk C: /f /r(replaceC:with the affected drive) in an elevated Command Prompt and restart Windows to let it repair MFT and reparse point inconsistencies. - Update or reconfigure virtualization/backup software: If the mount point was created by WSL, Docker Desktop, or backup software, update to the latest version and reconfigure its volume mapping to use supported Windows 11 mount APIs instead of manual junctions.
Alternative or Verification Steps
- After remediation, re-run
fsutil reparsepoint query <path>— it should either return “not a reparse point” or show a valid, locally trusted target with no error. - If the issue persists, back up your data and recreate the folder structure from scratch without using junctions/symlinks, then manually copy files instead of relying on mount points.