Dual boot, and dual program use?

[tjr2010]

I currently have Windows 7 installed on my computer, I have a hard drive dedicated just for programs. I also created a virtual pc of Windows 8 on one of my hard drives, I was wondering can I use a single install of programs in windows 7, and also use those same programs in Windows 8 without having to have two installed copies of the programs? Thanks guys, just wondering

 

[LittleJay]

I have never had an OS on a virtual pc before, but unless I am completely mistaken, I don't think it would work. In any dual boot I have used, with both OSs on the same drive, I had to have the programs installed on each OS to work.

 

[Kari]

Hello Tjr2010, welcome to the Seven forums.

Short answer: No.

A bit longer: A virtual machine is an individual machine, like any other computer. All programs and applications needed on a virtual machine must be locally installed on it in order to be able to run them. A good example is an antivirus application: every virtual machine you have need their own AV application installed, they are not protected by the AV solution you have installed on your host system, they simply can and will not use the one installed on your host machine.

In your case this means for instance that if you have let's say Microsoft Office 2010 installed on your host system (Windows 7) and you would like to use those Office apps also on your guest system, the Windows 8 virtual machine, you'd need to install Office on that virtual machine, too.

Kari

 

[Pedroc1999]

No because everytime a program is installed on a computer it is recorded in the registry,it would just be recognised as bunch of folders, you best bet would be to dualboot, then with some software merge the registrys

 

[tjr2010]

How would I go about doing the merge?

 

[Kari]

Forget it. It will not work. You need to install your software on each computer, real or virtual.

 

[Indianatone]

How would I go about doing the merge?

If you "MERGE" you will need the reinstall windows 7 and 8 dual boot tutorial. You cannot do that it will screw things up like you would not believe.