Using the same software installation from 2 Xp different installation

[sonnet]

Hi guys I want ask if can do this (and eventually how..):
I have a pc with a dualboot operanting system:
1)on partition C, I have installed Xp (with no application )
2)on partition D I have installed the application that I use with XP
3)On partition E I have installed Ubuntu.
Now within Ubuntu I have created a virtual machine with Windows Xp installed,so that I have not to reboot to use an application that is Windows ONLY.
Now what I want to ask is: can I launch from the Xp installed on the virtual machine, the applications installed on Partition D?
I know that's normally is not possible as when an application is installed under xp the register keys are modified, but if I export the register key from the native XP installation and import to the XP installed in the virtual Machine?If this is going to work ,which keys I have exactly to export/import?

 

[dgingeri]

I've tried something similar to this. I have a dual boot system, 32-bit WinXP and 64-bit Vista. I run World of Warcraft from the WinXP partition when booted from either OS and it works fine, other than the typical Vista issues, like WoW not willing to patch.

I suppose it depends on how complex the program is. If it has a bunch of files that integrate into the OS, and a bunch of registry entries, then it might not work the way you are supposing.

What I'd recommend is mapping a drive letter to an empty partition, installing the program there to the exact same path of the other installation, then remapping the drive letter to the original program installation. That should get all the registry entries in there. There might also be some settings to copy from your profile on the full boot XP to the profile on the virtual. Those would be in C:\Documents and Settings\<your user name>\Local Settings\Application Data and/or C:\Documents and Settings\<your user name>\Application Data, or maybe even in some other folder that I don't know about. It would depend on the app.

 

[Mithent]

Generally program-specific settings are in HKLM\SOFTWARE and HKCU\Software, but programs may require various other Registry entries to work, if they need to register objects for example. The more complex the program is and the more it integrates itself into the system, the more work you'd have to do to track down what it needs; some things will run without any Registry entries, a game like World of Warcraft just needs a couple of keys to configure the downloader and say where the game is located in order to patch properly, others may require their entry in HKLM\SOFTWARE or they'll give errors, and something like Microsoft Office would require such a huge Registry transplant that it would be foolish to try. Some programs may also need to install support files which may end up in the Windows directory hierarchy somewhere.

One possibility is to ensure that the applications drive has the same drive letter on both the real system and the VM, and to install the program into the same folder on both the real machine and the VM. Of course, settings you change in one copy of the OS may or may not propagate to the other, depending on whether the setting is in the Registry or elsewhere in a config file.

 

[sonnet]

Generally program-specific settings are in HKLM\SOFTWARE and HKCU\Software, but programs may require various other Registry entries to work, if they need to register objects for example. The more complex the program is and the more it integrates itself into the system, the more work you'd have to do to track down what it needs; some things will run without any Registry entries, a game like World of Warcraft just needs a couple of keys to configure the downloader and say where the game is located in order to patch properly, others may require their entry in HKLM\SOFTWARE or they'll give errors, and something like Microsoft Office would require such a huge Registry transplant that it would be foolish to try. Some programs may also need to install support files which may end up in the Windows directory hierarchy somewhere.

One possibility is to ensure that the applications drive has the same drive letter on both the real system and the VM, and to install the program into the same folder on both the real machine and the VM. Of course, settings you change in one copy of the OS may or may not propagate to the other, depending on whether the setting is in the Registry or elsewhere in a config file.

I was thinking there was a specific section of the registry where there stored all the changes made by software installation, if so I could just replace that part.
What if I entirely (or almost entirely if there is something that should not be changed ) replace the registry of the native installation into the registry of the XP installed on the VM?
Of course I will make appear the drive where the applications are installed with the same letter

 

[dgingeri]

I was thinking there was a specific section of the registry where there stored all the changes made by software installation, if so I could just replace that part.
What if I entirely (or almost entirely if there is something that should not be changed ) replace the registry of the native installation into the registry of the XP installed on the VM?
Of course I will make appear the drive where the applications are installed with the same letter

There can be many, many places a program installs registry entries. Office 97 installs over 11,000 registry entires. (Believe me, manually rooting those out is a big time PITA. I've had to do it.) Quicktime 1.0 had over 200 throughout the rigustry, including a dozen or so CLSID entries in each HKLM, HKU, and HKCR.

It really depends on the application, though. World of Warcraft doesn't add any registry entries other than the installer based ones. Some programs will only put entries in the HKLM hive, others will only put them in the HKCU hive. Some will put the entries all over the place. You may never know where all of them are.