Can you completely separate the data from the OS in Win7?

[E-66]

Tried a search with a few different keywords but didn't find any posts about it. With WinXP I keep the OS and data (Documents & Settings) on separate partitions. I'm not in a rush to start using 7, but if I do get it at some point I was wondering if I could do the same thing and separate the data from the OS?

Is the data folder hierarchy in Win7 also called "Documents & Settings"???

If I can do this, is there any reason I shouldn't put the data from 7 on the same partition that I'm using for XP?

Thanks.

Edited October 29, 2009 by E-66

[@ravenman]

no , each different operating system eg. 7/XP use own directory hierarchy , some folders are same and after mixing the systems cause overwrite files and after its not possible to boot to one of them , best solution is creating own logical but primary partition , if you use primary partition for each Windows ,dont remember set desired(which os you want use) partition as active . If logical ,than second os will use bootloader of first os , thats all and sory for my english

[E-66]

I kind of assumed it would be next to impossible to try sharing the same hierarchy of data folders... no big deal.

Am I correct in saying the data folder in Win7 is called 'Users' ? Can I separate it from the OS and put it on a different partition like I can with XP? If so, is there any reason I can't put both XP's Documents & Settings and 7's Users on the same partition and just keep them separated?

This is how my system is set up:

C: Small primary partition with XP boot files

D: Logical partition - Windows XP

E: Logical partition (empty, for future use, possibly Win7)

F: Logical partition - XP's Documents & Settings

I'd like to put Win 7's 'Users' on F: too if possible, and have the paths to the data folders of each OS be as follows:

WinXP - F:\Documents & Settings

Win 7 - F:\Users

I'd prefer to do it this way if it's possible, just because I don't want to create any more partitions than I have to. Or would I have to create an additonal logical partition for Win 7's data and make the path G:\Users?

[jrf2027]

Here's my current setup on my notebook:

MBR 0 - Primary partition - XP partition, shows up as C:\ in XP, hidden in Win 7

MBR 1 - Primary partition - Win 7 partition (was Vista partition until August), shows up as C:\ in Win 7, hidden in XP

MBR 2 - Primary partition - Data partition, NTFS formatted, shows up as D:\ in XP and Win 7

MBR 3 - Extended partition - contains two logical partitions: Linux swap partition and Linux system partition, hidden in XP and 7.

I don't have the entirety of my Documents and Settings (XP) and Users (Win 7) folders on D:\, but I have moved My Documents, Music, Video, and Pictures to D:\ using TweakUI's "Special Folders" tweak in XP; Win 7 and Vista automatically allow you to specify a new location for these folders. XP and Win 7 share these folders without issue.

So yes, it is possible to dual boot XP and 7 with a common data partition. I've been doing it between XP and either Vista or 7 for over two years now. I don't know of any reason why you couldn't have a Documents and Settings folder and a Users folder on your data partition, as long as you redirected the folders correctly in each of the respective operating systems.

I use the Linux partition on my laptop frequently for some classes I'm taking, but even if I didn't I'd still use Linux for its incredible Grub bootloader. Grub allows you to set partitions as active, and hide partitions, on the fly; thus you can completely hide the XP partition from Win 7 and vice versa. This prevents Win 7 from corrputing XP's files, and XP from corrupting Win 7's files. For more information, see this post from a Linux forum: A Linux way to triple boot itself, XP and Vista.

Edited October 29, 2009 by jrf2027

[e-t-c]

Hi,

W7 req. many more install outlay than XP.

Therefore I would't install first XP in a Testing Partition - and than try to standard install w7 beside.

afaYk in XP is simple, to give own paths/names for the system folders in the WINNT.SIF (UNATTEND.TXT)

and install from CD or another Partition (x:\i386\winnt32.exe /tempdrive:f /unattend30:unattend.txt)

- in this case temptrive is XP-Install-Drive - e.g. (excerpt-example):

[Data]

AutoPartition=0

MsDosInitiated="1"

UnattendedInstall="Yes"

[unattended]

UnattendMode=ProvideDefault

OemPreinstall=Yes

Repartition=No

TargetPath=xp_w ;(= WINDOWS);

ProgramFilesDir="F:\xp_p" ;(= Program Files);

CommonProgramFilesDir="F:\xp_p\common" ;(= Common Files);

ProfilesDir = "F:\xp_d" ;(= Documents & Settings);

DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore

NonDriverSigningPolicy=Ignore

Hibernation=No

WaitForReboot=Yes

[GuiUnattended]

AdminPassword="blabla"

EncryptedAdminPassword=NO

AutoLogon=Yes

OEMSkipRegional=0

TimeZone=110

ProfilesDir="F:\xp_d"

ProgramFilesDir="F:\xp_p"

CommonProgramFilesDir="F:\xp_p\common"

cheers

Edited October 29, 2009 by e-t-c

[os2fan2]

You could make hardlinks using something like LINKD or JUNCTION, to move the directories wherever you want to.

It's just a matter of pointing the folder to a different location.

[E-66]

I don't have the entirety of my Documents and Settings (XP) and Users (Win 7) folders on D:\...

I have to ask... why don't you have it/them there in entirety? Is there some advantage to the way you're doing it? Does it affect the backup of your data in any way? My goal when I installed XP was to have the data (Documents & settings) completely separate from the OS. I have a disk image of the XP install (Norton Ghost) on a separate partition, on a 2nd internal HDD, and on an external HDD if I ever need it. With Documents & Settings on a separate partition I make incremental backups of my data in seconds (literally) to the 2nd internal HDD, and then off to the external HDD every month or so. This would be my goal with a dual boot with Win7 as well, so that's why I want to know if I can completely separate the data from the OS in Win7 so I can back things up the same way as I'm doing with XP.

Whether we've been educated by taking classes in school or if we've educated ourselves by reading through various tech sites, we've all come to have our own personal ways of doing 'stuff' with our PC's, whether we're talking about multi-booting, backup strategies, or whatever. I read through the thread you linked to on the Linux forum about triple booting, and I've seen that method described before and it seems like a completely viable way to do things. I've read up on multi-boot strategies for over a year just to familiarize myself with them in case I ever wanted to do it, and the method I've settled on is the one that uses a small FAT primary partition with multiple logical partitions, as described here (and elsewhere):

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=581401

[Tripredacus]

A little warning. Microsoft does not support using a common Profile partition like this. Certain functions of either OS will not work properly or at all, or may damage the other installation. Some examples would be Restore Points, Repairs, etc.

[E-66]

A little warning. Microsoft does not support using a common Profile partition like this. Certain functions of either OS will not work properly or at all, or may damage the other installation. Some examples would be Restore Points, Repairs, etc.

Do you have any links to more info on this? I don't use System Restore and have never done a repair installation, so I'm wondering if it would be a concern or not.

[Tripredacus]

A little warning. Microsoft does not support using a common Profile partition like this. Certain functions of either OS will not work properly or at all, or may damage the other installation. Some examples would be Restore Points, Repairs, etc.

Do you have any links to more info on this? I don't use System Restore and have never done a repair installation, so I'm wondering if it would be a concern or not.

Oh yes, also forgot the important part, it blocks upgrades. This may mean some Windows Updates, but definately renders the inability to install a Service Pack. Info is included in the WAIK documentation, which is also available here:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library...177(WS.10).aspx

[E-66]

I read through that link, thanks for posting it. It states that it's possible to put the the entire Profiles directory on a separate partition or drive, as long as it meets the following requirements:

1. It must be on an NTFS volume. Not a problem.

2. It must not be the path of another operating system user profile folder. Not a problem. And I don't read this to mean that the Profiles from both XP and 7 can't share the same partition; they just can't share the same path.

3. It must not contain any serviceable components. I don't know what that means?

But then goes on to say that moving the profiles directory should only be done for testing purposes, and that you won't be able to install any updates, fixes, or service packs. WTH? If that's the case then what are the "testing purposes" under which you'd move it in the first place? Doing it just to know that you could?

Is this Microsoft's way of saying that they think the best way to set up a a PC is to have EVERYTHING on one big partition? You've got to be kidding me? Is this something that began with Vista and has now carried over to Win7? I've never used Vista and know nothing about it, XP is as far as I've gone and it's worked flawlessly for me with the way I've set up my PC as described in posts 3 & 7 above. I have ZERO problems, no system crashes ever, nothing. I have multiple copies of a disk image of the OS installation, and any time I want to do an incremental backup of my data it's literally done in 5 seconds or less.

Am I wrong in being ridiculously annoyed about this? How do Vista & 7 users back up their systems?

Edited October 31, 2009 by E-66

[jrf2027]

I don't have the entirety of my Documents and Settings (XP) and Users (Win 7) folders on D:\...

I have to ask... why don't you have it/them there in entirety?

Because the only files worth moving to a separate partition, IMHO, are true data files (the sort of stuff stored in My Documents in XP - word processor files, music files, picture files, video files) - the remainder of the stuff XP keeps in the Documents and Settings folder seems to me to be more related to the OS as installed with all of the programs - program settings, etc. I personally do not see the value of separating this data from the remainder of the operating system partition - to me it belongs with the OS partition.

Does it affect the backup of your data in any way?

Not at all. I do a full image of the OS partition on a regular basis, and use a batch file to copy my data partition to an external drive.

[Jadestar]

System restore is an essential repair utility when it comes to registry repair from missing or damaged registry files...also works nice when a program goes south or driver breaks windows. Just putting that out there...for the few gigs that it uses, it does come in handy

[charincol]

Both XP and Win 7 use the same Documents folder on my laptop E: Partition. No problems whatsoever.