BootMGR is compressed :-(

Infidel

esuhl wrote: »

You can use ProduKey in Hiren's Boot CD to recover your Windows 7 product key:

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/
http://www.hiren.info/downloads/freeware-tools/produkey

Then download a Windows 7 ISO:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows7

Boot the Win7 image into the Recovery Manager and use bootrec.exe to write a new MBR (as I mentioned above).

Can anyone do that? Whether they have (ever had) official Windows software or not?
The problem I had (have) is that I only had the software key for Windows Vista (my only 'official' and provable link to Windows). Now the windows 7 I had I completely removed from my system as I formatted the drive in the early hours (after all else failed) and installed Linux (thread coming very soon).

Might give Linux a try for a day or so - though as it's not popular it seems I'll have big problems with getting most things to work...........anyway.............onto the Linux thread.............https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/69739128#Comment_69739128

NiftyDigits

Infidel wrote: »

Can <snip>

There is definitely a big problem...and it's not with the computer. You are babbling away, trying all sorts of nonsense, without a clue.
This would have been sorted yesterday if you had the ability to answer a few simple questions, instead of running around like a headless chicken going nowhere fast.
Now slap yourself in the face, take a deep breath and start again. Post #26....

psychic_teabag

Infidel wrote: »

Can anyone do that? Whether they have (ever had) official Windows software or not?
The problem I had (have) is that I only had the software key for Windows Vista (my only 'official' and provable link to Windows).

With the windows-7 installation disk you presumably got a new product key, which you would have had to have entered during the upgrade. That key was sitting in the registry - ie windows knew it, even if you didn't.