I'm writing from PC User's Linux distribution, running from my laptop's DVD drive.
Why?
I picked up my new computer today. After getting everything connected, I popped in the Windows 7 DVD I made from MSDNAA's free download...and it didn't work. So I went back onto my laptop, since PC User has a nifty program that can make a USB flash drive into a Windows 7 bootable USB installer. So I left it to make it while I had dinner. When I came back it was turned off, and then I couldn't boot it. I believe the hard drive has stuffed up again. Thankfully, though, I can still access the hard drive with this Linux DVD, so I can still salvage all of my files. But really, that was just bad luck for me today.
EDIT: So if I went to the shops tomorrow and bought Windows 7, would I be able to use it to install onto a blank hard drive? And what about getting a 64-bit version (not entirely necessary, I think, but I would definitely prefer it)?
EDIT 2: Looks like my hard drive wasn't stuffed after all - I was able to get into Vista again on my laptop.