Can I run software from adjacent OS?

Hi. The title of the thread might be misleading. I'll explain it better now. I have Windows 7 installed netbook on which I managed to install XP on a separate drive. My question is "Is it recommended to use software that is installed on Windows 7 when I'm using XP OS?"

I tried Auslogics Disk Defrag last night which was installed on my C drive (Windows 7). It worked fine. I'm planing to use software from Windows 7 partiton such as Game Booster, IOBit Malware Fighter etc. Because they're already installed there. I don't want to waste space on my 10 gbs of XP partition. Do you think it would cause problems?

 

It won't cause any problems because you will find you just can't do it. You may be able to see the other partition, and its hidden folders if you unhide them, but you can't run any programs installed there.

 

Well, I can actually run software from Windows 7 partition when I'm on XP. I had stated that I could run and use Auslogics Disk Defrag last night on my previous post. I'm trying other software now. I can also see all the hidden files in Windows 7 partition though they are adjusted not to show on Windows 7 OS while I'm browsing through it on XP.

 

Just because Auslogics Disk Defrag worked doesn't mean other programs will work that way. In most cases, this approach to running programs will not work, as Earthling said.

This should be obvious, I think, if you think about a couple of common points regarding software. First, when you acquire, you generally need to verify it works with the OS you're running. Secondly, most software installations add some entries into the registry of the OS in which the program was installed, and that is usually necessary before the program will run properly. Portable apps are an exception to this; they are designed to run off a flash drive and do not need to be installed in the OS.