How to install windows 7 to c:\winnt folder?

Hi all,I am trying to install windows 7 to c:\winnt or any other folder names,any idea?
Default,windows 7 will install to c:\windows,how to change the default folder?
Thank you.

 

Why would you want to change that?

 

long story,currently xp is installed to c:\winnt,so for win 7,we want to retain same folder(c:\winnt).
I searched online,can not find anything,so any idea,thanks.

 

that's the default setting for OS, not like a software that you can choose a destination to store the core program files.

maybe u can do this with the help of another computer, paste the system files into the specified folder. I haven't try it before so u should backup your system before doing this, or use vmware.

I doubt that is it necessary not to move the boot files from C:\ to C:\winnt?

 

...and the benefit of this change would be????

 

thanks everyone!
what I want is install the windows 7 to c:\winnt,just like windows 2000(just the %systemroot% would be c:\winnt,not default c:\windows).I know windows 2k/xp/2k3 can change the %systemroot% name during the setup,but how come windows 7 can not,not sure about vista.

 

I know that in win95 setup (probably also win98) you could chose, but don't know for win7/vista.
Anyway, when the windows folder is somewhere (even just in one place) hardcoded than it's not possible

 

besides the visual thing is anything other that can help you with that change?

 

Could be he has some badly-written apps or scripts are hard-coded to the old path.

Regardless of *why* he wants to do it, it would be good to allow users to select the installation path if they wanted to.

--
SC

 

You could Vlite the install disc, changing nothing but the directory that the Windows files are installed to

 

Well the problem is that u need to change all references from C:\WINDOWS to e.g C:\WINNT on ur complete system and that manually coz I don't believe that there is any tool available for this job.

EDIT:

for example u have to change the following:

* BCD Store
* Any registry keys directing to C:\WINDOWS\*
* Environment Variables

and so on..

 

yep, and from somewhere external like a dualboot windows or winpe disk, it's not possible to do that with a running windows

 

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Maybe you could install W7 in its default path and then set up a hard link (junction point) between c:\windows and c:\winnt.
Like the ones already set up between C:\Users and c:\Documents and settings
Try with dir /a c:\ and see if hard links can be your solution.
You would end up with a standard W7 install, but older programs will be happy.

 

If it is for older programs then open the cmd with admin rights and right

you created a virtual link for the older programs

@Stormcrow

For everything a "why" exists

 

the reason you cannot put win 7 in the folder is because win 7 is totally different to older windows

from win 95 up till xp you have to install the os where as win vista and win 7 are images that are written to your whole hard drive a bit like Norton ghost imaging or acronis imaging so technically you cannot put it in a folder on your hdd drive and install win 7 in that folder.
but on another note you could always partition your hdd using partition magic split the hdd and then install win7 on the partition that way you would get dual boot - but look into this first google is your friend there