Best way to Synchronize Files Between 2 OS?

Not quite the way you might be expecting: I plan to dual boot both the Win7 Beta and Vista, and I want to have a way of maintaining only one set of files that I can access and edit.

My hard drive is currently set up into 3 partitions, one with a Vista install, one with a Win7 install, both 40GB partitions, and one ~200GB data partition. Currently I use the data partition to store my files and I have my own little organization system, but I would like to use the Windows filestructure instead if possible (Storing it all in the Users folder), as it would be a lot easier to find things. Is there any way to make point windows towards a new location for the User directory rather than C:\ Users?

And on a sidenote, if something should happen to either of my OSs, when I reinstall it, since all my Data is actually not in any default directories the OS uses, it should be fine right?

 

I use live mesh for this, www.mesh.com, it's a great way to keep your files across multiple os's/computers whatever. It also allows you to access your documents on the go. There is currently a minor graphical bug with live mesh on w7, but a new update should be coming out for it very soon. It's already done, just waiting for the release.

 

If you mean My Documents synchronization, you should be able to just go to Start->Documents (right-click), Properties, change the target directory, and click Move. Then go to the other operating system and do the same thing, pointing it to the same directory you pointed the first operating system to. Now both will use the same place for My Documents. They still won't for everything under Users, or with programs, but they will for My Documents.

I can't say for sure this will work, but I've tested it and had it working quite well with a dual-boot of Windows XP and Windows XP (no typo), and see no reason why it wouldn't with newer versions. It'll make things a bit handier since clicking My Documents in an Open/Save dialog will do something useful.

As for programs, some you'll be able to use without re-installing - just install them on one onto your data partition, and then create a shortcut to the executable in the other. In my exercises, about half of programs will let you do this. The other half you'll still have to install in both.

If something does happen to your OS, your data should be okay. Obviously a virus could still wreck havoc, but even if you have to reformat an entire partition, you shouldn't lose any data. There's also the additional safety net that is one OS gets messed up beyond all repair, you can just boot the other and evacuate any data that is still lingering on that OS'es partition.

If someone has a better idea on how to use programs in both without reinstalling them twice, please tell. The only thing I can think of that might work is registry editing, and it's easier to just install twice than to do that.

 

I am using File Synchronizer, free software small but has all the options i need, like clone folder, transfer only new files and so on. I recommend to try it out (google for "File Synchronizer" you will find it in first link

 

just retarget all the user folders onto the data partition.

 

I do what Apollo13 does with multiple windows OS's and/or Linux. Keeps everything simple and makes recovery easy if an OS need to be reinstalled.

 

I'm dual booting win7 and vista and have done the method appollo13 had said pretty easily, so now all my documents, downloads etc are all in one partition and can be shared between vista and win7.

 

This is what you're looking for: http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=29970

 

Thank for all the help guys. I ended up using Apollo13's suggestion and it worked like a charm, I didn't think it would be that simple .