A: Someone accidentally compressed the C:\bootmgr file to save space. Boot to Command Prompt from recovery media and type: compact /u C:\bootmgr

do the following manual rebuild:

Have a successful repair story? Share it in the comments below (but no, I won't give you a direct download link – safety first)

If you have been searching for a , you have likely found a minefield of shady forums, fake "driver update" software, and malicious .exe files pretending to be Microsoft system files.

Boot to Command Prompt from the recovery media. Step 2: Launch DiskPart: diskpart Step 3: List disks: list disk (Select your main disk, usually Disk 0) Step 4: Select your disk: select disk 0 Step 5: List partitions: list partition Step 6: Identify the System Reserved partition (usually 100MB to 350MB, type = System). If you don't have one, select the partition where Windows is installed (usually C: ). Step 7: Select that partition: select partition 1 (replace 1 with the actual number) Step 8: Mark it as active: active Step 9: Exit DiskPart: exit Step 10: Reboot.

Wait. Startup Repair will automatically scan for missing or corrupt boot files (including BOOTMGR) and replace them. It may take 5–15 minutes. If successful, your PC will reboot into Windows 7 normally. Works 60% of the time. If it fails, proceed to Method 2. 6. Method 2: Manually Copying BOOTMGR via Command Prompt If Startup Repair cannot fix the error, you will manually copy the file from the recovery media to your hard drive.

If this succeeds, type exit and reboot.

The system will scan all drives for Windows installations. It will say: "Total identified Windows installations: 1" . When asked "Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All)" – type Y and press Enter.