The setup process won't remove any files in the partition.
The setup process won't remove any files in the partition.
Choosing a partition for Windows to install on will either block the installation due to existing data or erase it completely.
You installed Windows 8 and 8.1 on one hard drive with several partitions, and you believe there wasn’t any unused space for the second installation. It’s unclear exactly how this was done, but it doesn’t seem to have been done via a VHD file.
I don't understand what you're referring to. If the drive already has a previous Windows installation, all data is stored in the windows.old folder. The installer will prompt about saving them. If the user doesn't want them, it will remove them. If the drive lacks Windows, the installer will ask if it can format the partition before installing.
It seems unclear what you're asking about. Could you clarify the details? Are you referring to bootloader options, partition selection, or something else related to installing an operating system?
Custom setup is recommended. Upgrading wasn't free or I wasn't aware of it at the time, so it probably wasn't the Windows Old folder. The system would start in 8 or 8.1 mode. The installer likely didn't create a new partition because it would have stopped immediately if it did. I'm not sure if it chose another drive on its own without deleting files there. But since I don't remember exactly, I wonder if it was installed on a different hard drive and dual boot was enabled.
I haven't tried this before. It's unclear whether the partition you mentioned only contains extra data without a Windows install. I might be able to check how the Windows installer processes such files.
I set up a virtual machine and partitioned the disk. I performed an installation on one drive, then created a large number of files on another. After logging out and running a similar install on the second partition with extra files, everything remained intact in the C:\ folder. This means your files should stay safe regardless of the version used. This test was done with Windows 10 Pro x64, but I expect other versions to work the same way.