Using a real windows installation as a wineprefix

Evert7 · Post by **Evert7** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:53 pm

Hello everybody, i got a question. Could it be possible to use an existing real windows 7 installation (on a separate partition) as a wineprefix and run programs from it?

John Drescher · Post by **John Drescher** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 4:01 pm

Hello everybody, i got a question. Could it be possible to use an existing real windows 7 installation (on a separate partition) as a wineprefix and run programs from it?

No. Do not do that. This will break both wine and your real windows install.

John

FrÃ©dÃ©ric Delanoy · Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:02 pm

On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 21:53, Evert7 <[email protected]> wrote:

Hello everybody, i got a question. Could it be possible to use an existing real windows 7 installation (on a separate partition) as a wineprefix and run programs from it?

No. See http://wiki.winehq.org/FAQ#head-497f1a2 ... 2c7767afa2

ischou · Post by **ischou** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 9:52 am

There are two separate issues.

Never ever set WINEPREFIX to an existing windows installation, for instance if you have windows on a dual-boot separate partition. Wine will break that windows installation by "updating" Windows with Wine's DLLs.

However, if there are programs that you "installed" in windows that didn't really need to be installed, then you can invoke wine with the path to the application. Some applications come with installers, but don't really install anything outside of what it put into it's installed directory (no DLLs in \Windows\System32, no registry entries, etc...). I've run quite a few programs from my windows partition without copying them. That being said, I've also run into problems with those programs. For instance, I often run into a problem where the program is unable to write files because the partition is NTFS or FAT-32.

Evert7 · Post by **Evert7** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:31 am

well thats quite a clear answer, but if you are able to configure wine (or something else) to not overwrite any windows files, would there be any change that applications work (in wine)?

jjmckenzie · Post by **jjmckenzie** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:31 am

On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 1:53 PM, Evert7 <[email protected]> wrote:

Hello everybody, i got a question. Could it be possible to use an existing real windows 7 installation (on a separate
partition) as a wineprefix and run programs from it?

Not unless you want to reinstall Windows. The recommended (and most
useful) method is to re-install all programs in Wine. This insures
that appropriate registry changes are made to the Wine registry, which
is not compatible with the Windows registry.

James

Evert7 · Post by **Evert7** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:43 am

ok, but think of a abstract layer on top of all important windows directories, that contains all changes made by wine, but keeping the original windows files untouched. Could it be possible?

jjmckenzie · Post by **jjmckenzie** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:51 am

On Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 8:43 AM, Evert7 <[email protected]> wrote:

ok, but think of a abstract layer on top of all important windows directories, that contains all changes made by wine,
but keeping the original windows files untouched. Could it be possible?

No.

James

Evert7 · Post by **Evert7** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:05 am

I'll try it anyway

jjmckenzie · Post by **jjmckenzie** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:22 am

On Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 9:05 AM, Evert7 <[email protected]> wrote:

I'll try it anyway

You have been warned. You can try running programs, but not Windows...

James

L. Rahyen · Post by **L. Rahyen** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:39 am

I'll try it anyway

THE reason why it never will work is incompatibility of Wine and Windows
registry. Without such a compatibility using Windows partition is useless. None
of programs which require installation will work. But it's worse than this.
Wine will update your Windows partition and Windows will die. And because such
a "prefix" will contain lots of garbage Wine will not work correctly. If you
want to kill your Windows installation and create in its place large broken
Wineprefix with lots of garbage - feel free to go ahead.

All of above already was explained to you.

Alex_G · Post by **Alex_G** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:49 am

I can't just get what should it give to you if you use Windows partition as Wineprefix? )

What's the aim of it?

Can somebody explain? =)

Post by **dimesio** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:54 am

Alex_G wrote:I can't just get what should it give to you if you use Windows partition as Wineprefix? )

What's the aim of it?

Can somebody explain? =)

Probably to save disk space/time reinstalling.

Evert7: you've been warned. Don't come whining here after you trash your Windows install.

Evert7 · Post by **Evert7** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:31 pm

dimesio wrote:
Alex_G wrote:I can't just get what should it give to you if you use Windows partition as Wineprefix? )

What's the aim of it?

Can somebody explain? =)
Probably to save disk space/time reinstalling.

Evert7: you've been warned. Don't come whining here after you trash your Windows install.

Okay

L. Rahyen · Post by **L. Rahyen** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:06 am

Probably to save disk space/time reinstalling.

In reality any attempt to use Windows partition as Wineprefix will waste disk
space and time (with 100% probability).

I'm closing this topic, original question was answered multiple times and
nothing new can be said here.