What does NTSTATUS 0xC0000265 (STATUS_TOO_MANY_LINKS) mean?

 
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STATUS_RESOURCE_NOT_OWNED STATUS_QUOTA_LIST_INCONSISTENT

STATUS_TOO_MANY_LINKS

The hard-link count reached a file-system limit

This status is a metadata limit, usually observed when creating another hard link to a file. On NTFS, hard links let multiple directory entries reference the same file record, and the file persists until all links are removed.

The fix is not to rewrite file data; it is to reduce link count, change naming strategy, or use a different file-system feature such as a reparse point or copy when hard-link semantics are not required.

What to inspect

  • Count existing hard links to the file.
  • Confirm that the target is a file, not a directory or unsupported file-system object.
  • Check build caches, package stores and deduplication tools that may create many links.

References


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