Once I enabled client-side less compilation, the entire page breaks. getting 404 errors for less files. I'm on developer mode. tried clearing var/cache, var/view_preprocessed, var/page_cache, pub/static folders, and deployed static content, but gets a similar error as of 404. I couldn't switch back to the server-side compilation mode again as the "save config" button doesn't work anymore.
D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme>php bin/magento deploy:mode:show
Current application mode: developer. (Note: Environment variables may override this value.)
D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme>php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy -f
Deploy using quick strategy
frontend/Magento/blank/en_US 682/2365 ========>------------------- 28% 6 secs
Compilation from source D:/xampp7.2/htdocs/mytheme/lib/web/mage/gallery/gallery.less failed
Magento\Framework\Exception\FileSystemException: A symlink for "D:/xampp7.2/htdocs/mytheme/lib/web/mage/gallery/module/_variables.less" can't be created and placed to "D:/xampp7.2/htdocs/mytheme/pub/static/frontend/Magento/blank/en_US/mage/gallery/module/_variables.less". Warning!symlink(): Cannot create symlink, error code(1314) in D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\Filesystem\Driver\File.php:359
Stack trace:
#0 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\Filesystem\Directory\Write.php(166): Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Driver\File->symlink('D:/xampp7.2/htd...', 'D:/xampp7.2/htd...', Object(Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Driver\File))
#1 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\App\View\Asset\MaterializationStrategy\Symlink.php(30): Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Directory\Write->createSymlink('_variables.less', 'frontend/Magent...', Object(Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Directory\Write))
#2 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\App\View\Asset\Publisher.php(79): Magento\Framework\App\View\Asset\MaterializationStrategy\Symlink->publishFile(Object(Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Directory\Write), Object(Magento\Framework\Filesystem\Directory\Write), '_variables.less', 'frontend/Magent...')
#3 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\App\View\Asset\Publisher.php(62): Magento\Framework\App\View\Asset\Publisher->publishAsset(Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\File))
#4 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\module-developer\Model\Css\PreProcessor\FileGenerator\PublicationDecorator.php(76): Magento\Framework\App\View\Asset\Publisher->publish(Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\File))
#5 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\Css\PreProcessor\FileGenerator\RelatedGenerator.php(55): Magento\Developer\Model\Css\PreProcessor\FileGenerator\PublicationDecorator->generateRelatedFile('module/_variabl...', Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\File))
#6 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\Css\PreProcessor\Instruction\Import.php(71): Magento\Framework\Css\PreProcessor\FileGenerator\RelatedGenerator->generate(Object(Magento\Framework\Css\PreProcessor\Instruction\Import))
#7 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\View\Asset\PreProcessor\Pool.php(77): Magento\Framework\Css\PreProcessor\Instruction\Import->process(Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\PreProcessor\Chain))
#8 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\View\Asset\Source.php(152): Magento\Framework\View\Asset\PreProcessor\Pool->process(Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\PreProcessor\Chain))
#9 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\framework\View\Asset\Source.php(121): Magento\Framework\View\Asset\Source->preProcess(Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\File))
#10 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\module-developer\Model\View\Asset\PreProcessor\FrontendCompilation.php(119): Magento\Framework\View\Asset\Source->getContent(Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\File))
#11 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\module-developer\Model\View\Asset\PreProcessor\FrontendCompilation.php(90): Magento\Developer\Model\View\Asset\PreProcessor\FrontendCompilation->processContent('mage/gallery/ga...', '', '', Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\File\FallbackContext))
#12 D:\xampp7.2\htdocs\mytheme\vendor\magento\module-developer\Model\View\Asset\PreProcessor\PreprocessorStrategy.php(74): Magento\Developer\Model\View\Asset\PreProcessor\FrontendCompilation->process(Object(Magento\Framework\View\Asset\PreProcessor\Chain))