Re: Copy reg & config between two versions of XP on the same machine?

"Palindr☻me" wrote:
Malcolm wrote:
Hi,

I have XP Pro installed on my machine and having display problem - been back to the supplier who say it could be the drivers on my machine and to reinstall the OS - which I don't want to do!

I want to setup my machine for dual boot - install another copy of XP - my question is how can i use the installed software on my machine with-out reinstalling can I copy the register from one XP to another?

1)Reduce the present partition size to free up enough space for another
2)Image copy the present partition
3)Restore the image copy to the free space
4)Edit boot.ini to include the new partition.


Don't do that unless you plan to keep both copies of XP until such time
that you switch to Vista (or whatever). When you "image copy" (i.e clone)
an OS of the WinNT/2K/XP family, you should hide the "parent" OS's
partition from view of the clone when the clone is started up for the 1st time.
This is most easily done if the 2 OSes are on different HDs - just disconnect
the "parent" OS's HD during the clone's 1st bootup. But when both OSes
are on the same HD, hiding the "parent" is much harder to do. The problem
of the clone seeing its "parent" during its 1st running is that it will form
links between randomly-selected file names in its file structure and the
identically-named files in the "parent's" file structure. The outcome is that
you won't know if you're editing the clone's file or the file in the "parent",
and when you eventually remove the "parent" HD, the files you thought
were in the clone disappear with the "parent". This can be bad for .doc
files and .exe files, and disasterous if it's in the registry.

*TimDaniels*

.

Relevant Pages

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