Can dual booting OS share a program directory?

[RangerXML]

I was just wondering if dual booting systems could share a program directory. For example XP and a Vista partition, could I install all the programs to the Vista partition? Or if I created a third partition that I could make sure always has the same drive letter just for programs that both XP and Vista could share? Wild shot, but still worth asking.

 

[craigbru]

I've been dual booting and sharing a Games directory (on a separate disk), and haven't noticed any problems, with the exception of some game saves not sharing correctly. Those games involved anything that wants to save to the Documents folder. I believe I can work around that, but I haven't checked into it yet.

That being said, I'm not sure how well it would work with 'standard' programs. Especially when a lot of information in Vista is no longer stored in the typical Program Files directory, but under User subfolders. Maybe someone else here can shed some more light on this, I make no claims of being an expert....

 

[djnes]

You have to install the programs twice, once under each OS, and re-apply all updates twice as well.

If you are dual-booting, there's a reason why you run both OSes...meaning you shouldn't need the same apps installed on both. One should be for testing, and one should be for regular use. If you are doing it to test apps, you'd want them in their own directories anyway, to eliminate any possible outside interference. You want things confined and separated to get an accurate view on how each OS behaves.

 

[digital_exhaust]

If you are dual-booting, there's a reason why you run both OSes...meaning you shouldn't need the same apps installed on both. One should be for testing, and one should be for regular use.

I agree with this 100%.

And if you do manage to make it work it's going to be more of a pain in the ass than useful..and I would think in most cases conflicts would cause some pretty annoying stability issues...