Windows 10 Dual boot - Use existing programs?

mahius · 17 Jun 2016 at 19:29

Hey there folks.

Here's my intended set-up first, before i ask the question. 1st SSD has Windows 7 on it. 2nd SSD will have Windows 10 on it (yet to install the SSD or Windows 10 though). A 3rd mechanical hard drive with a ton of files and programs already installed via Windows 7.

On my Windows 10, can I use the same programs on the 3rd hard drive as Windows 7, without having to install them twice? Or could I install them over the old ones and it will still work for both? I've got an awful lot of stuff like games on Steam and such that I want to use on both. I assume some of the the smarter software like Steam might detect the already installed games, but would I have to make a second seperate Steam directory to access the same games from Windows 10?

Best case scenario, I don't have to fill up my hard drive with 2 installs of most programs. Worst case scenario... well I might have to get another hard drive then. I know I'll be able to access the files from Windows 10, but what about the program installs?

And thanks to OCUK for the swift (and free) delivery of my new SSD. I plan to install Windows 10 on it on Monday, on my day off work.

jpaul · 17 Jun 2016 at 22:49

I am considering a similar setup with wn 10 on a separate ssd (get the win10 token while still free and see if win10 will run the apps/devices I need)
Since an install involves putting 'stuff' in the registry I had thought they would have to be installed twice, which this article seemed to confirm, so it does look as though storage will not have to be duplicated, but I will have to go and dig out the install exe's for all my existing win7 programs to repeat the install in win10.

Did you decide not to put both OS's on one partitioned ssd for a particular reason and have the other ssd to accelerate access to programs and data files ?

lurkio · 18 Jun 2016 at 12:27

A suprising lot of programs don't use registry (or create keys on first run)
I have copied over about 70% of programs from one install to another and they worked

mahius · 18 Jun 2016 at 20:50

jpaul said:
Did you decide not to put both OS's on one partitioned ssd for a particular reason and have the other ssd to accelerate access to programs and data files ?

My current SSD is 240GB and I prefer to have one OS per SSD. Even though I've not even filled half of it yet within a year. Extra SSD space is always a good thing.

lurkio said:
I have copied over about 70% of programs from one install to another and they worked

How exactly did you do this? Just run the program without installing it?

I want to know whether I have to overwrite the installs of the programs in Windows 10 (i.e. install them again in the same place). Or double up and install them again in it's own seperate space (what I hope not to have to do).

Once again, props to OCUK for great service. I ordered a few extra bits for this yesterday and they're arriving on time Monday. All with free delivery. Lovely.