Quick Installation Question

Ok so vista has screwed up on my bros laptop, it doesnt load past the logo and i cant do system restore and it doesnt detect any problems, so instead of trying to figure out whats wrong with it and stuff im just gna install my copy of Win7 on it.
Now the thing is that i want to be able to find some of the files that are currently on there now when im using windows 7.
When i installed windows 7 beta on my laptop (clean install) that had a broken copy of xp on it, it copied all the xp files onto the other harddrive(D) and went ahead and installed win7 onto the normal harddrive (C).
Now when i install windows 7 onto the laptop with the broken win vista on it, will it do the same sorta thing (copy the current files onto the other harddrive or a folder) so that i can access them when i load up win7 after its installed.

im asking this because on the clean install option it says that current files and settings will not be saved (something like that)

Thanks, any help would be appriciated, ask if i didnt make something clear.
THANKS

gregrocker said:

The only way to assure you will get the windows.old folder with all of the previous OS files in it is to start the clean install from that OS.

Try booting into the Vista DVD Repair console, click through to Recovery Tools list and run Startup Repair repeatedly.

If this fails, boot back into DVD Repair console, select Command Line and type:

Yeah thanks for the help, i didnt work.
Im gna just go ahead and install win7, i dont think there actually is any files on there that i need to get. if i dont get the windows.old folder i wont mind.
Thanks anyway, its just that i need it to be working tomorrow morning and trying to figure out whats wrong with the vista and fixing it mightve taken to long so just installing win7 sounds better to me. Bye

How many times did you run Startup Repair? Sometimes needs up to three reboot attempts to try its various fixes.

Did you select it from the list, or choose the repair offered when you booted in (rarely works).

So your files may well be there in the root (C) drive in a windows.old folder.

Just don't format when you do your install, although supposedly the installer does it for you anyway.

You should get the Windows.old folder if you boot the 7 dvd , when you get to the screen asking where you want to install, just highlight the partition and click Next - do not format it.

walker01 said:

gregrocker said:

The only way to assure you will get the windows.old folder with all of the previous OS files in it is to start the clean install from that OS.

Try booting into the Vista DVD Repair console, click through to Recovery Tools list and run Startup Repair repeatedly.

If this fails, boot back into DVD Repair console, select Command Line and type:

Yeah thanks for the help, i didnt work.
Im gna just go ahead and install win7, i dont think there actually is any files on there that i need to get. if i dont get the windows.old folder i wont mind.
Thanks anyway, its just that i need it to be working tomorrow morning and trying to figure out whats wrong with the vista and fixing it mightve taken to long so just installing win7 sounds better to me. Bye

Si, have been told if you don't format HD the installer does it anyway during Copy phase.

Wouldn't this preclude windows.old being saved, if correct?

logicearth said:

gregrocker said:

Si, have been told if you don't format HD the installer does it anyway during Copy phase.

Wouldn't this preclude windows.old being saved, if correct?

I've installed Windows 7 way too many times to count and it has never formatted the HDD unless I told it to do so. o.o

How would you know?

Have also installed Win7 more times that I can count, but have always formatted my HD on any OS I've installed which is why I asked.

Thank you.