Now that I have a sparkly new SSD I'm going triple boot Win 7/Win 8.1/Mint 16. Is it possible for Windows 7 and 8.1 to share the same application? For example have one single installation of MS Office that both OSs use?

I have a feeling that it may end in tears but wonder why I can't install it in 7 and then just re-install from 8.1 in the same location.

Reason being is I don't have the space available to double up on all the applications that I use. The Win 8.1 install is just to play with so it won't be the end of the world if it's not possible or full of that many potential pitfalls as to make it unwise. It's more a nice to have than anything else.

One of those days at work where I'm not that busy so my mind gets thinking about other things.

You are asking for tears. I't wont work as office is registered against the windows reg key.

Why not just have Windows 7 / Mint 16 boot, but within Windows 7, install VM Player, this will allow you to create a VM of Windows 8.1 if you're only going to be playing about with it?

VM Player is free as well.

I could, would that let Win8.1 use any applications that are installed under Win7?

Nope

I don't think it's possible to do. You could install office from Windows 7 onto another HD, but I think you will find, it still creates a folder on the C:\, then if you installed Office under Win 8.1 and pointed it to the same HD as you did for Win 7, I have no idea on what it will do.

Not to worry, I'll go for the no tears option.

I may still install Win8.1 under a VM anyway for the simple reason that it's something that I've never done before.

Does the efficiency of the VM depend on the host OS? If that's the case then I might be better off running the Win8.1 VM through Mint as oppose Win7.

Had a look at this last night and it looks like doing it under Win7 will be simpler and more practical method due to aspects of getting at the graphics hardware under a VM.

Well my VM is in and after a while of playing around with that dogs dinner of an interface I'm very glad I did this rather than permanently waste a partition on it.

I may get used to it, I may never bother. I realise that I can switch the interface off (which is why I went for 8.1) but I'm not going to give up on it just yet.

I do however like the way it automatically syncs with the stuff on my phone though.