So I have this Acer laptop. It came with Windows 7 professional. I use the 64bit version of Ubuntu as my main OS. I sometimes use windows for games or testing.
So of course the first thing I do is make the Acer backup DVD's and then re-partition my laptop.
I make huge linux partitions and shrink the windows one, but keep it there so I can still boot into it.
6 months later and during an update windows starts freaking out and I decide a clean install is the thing to do. My Acer recovery disks only have an option to hose the entire drive back to factory. Not Cool!
So I search the internet for a solution and end up being forced to download a pirate copy of Windows 7. When I complete downloading it turns out to be a copy of Windows 7 Home and packed full of pirated software, trojans and virii. Better than gay porn, but still instantly deleted.
I was just starting to hate Acer and Microsoft for putting me in this position, when OMG I somehow managed to hit the exact search string to bring up a post on the Microsoft site with a link to the actual real downloadable images of their Windows 7 DVD's that you can use with your genuine product key.
Of course even though I try similar searches again and again it refuses to show in search most times, so here is the link.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/replacement-windows-download/83dc99b3-b15e-4d7e-98c2-91c29b6c32dc