Using a cloned Win7 as a second system

[hugosz]

Hello SevenForums community !

Recently I needed to set up a second operating system on a few of the company's computer, I thought it would be an easy task, however I encountered trouble when i realised that the version of the OS the key is linked to is impossible to be downloaded. I decided to clone the partition, put the system on another partition, pin it to the boot menu and all would be fine and dandy. To my frustration, that was not the case. Everything was fine, the system was clearly booting from the second partition since, for example, when i changed the users they would remain different on both OS's. However the OS which i cloned to partition E: still uses all the files from partition C: (default desktop location, registry etc.) My question is, how do i tell my os to "search for its files" on another partition ?

In the BCDEdit i linked both the "device" and "osdevice" to E: but it didin't help.

The system in question is Windows 7 Home Basic

Thanks in advance.

 

[gregrocker]

You can either add the preferred User folders to the related http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/585-library-include-folder.html setting that folder as default http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/595-library-set-save-folder.html,] then delete the copies of those files in the other OS once you confirm they are all in the intended User folder. Keep both OS's User folders in the Library so you can monitor the Old as well as assure everything goes into the New.

Or you can actually move the User folders in the second OS to the User folders you want to use: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html. This results in only one set of User folders serving both OS's. The only downside in this method is that Windows imaging will want to include both OS's in the System image since System files are shared. But you can get around this by using another imaging app such as http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I which is more flexible anyway.