What is the best way to do this?

Your customers Windows XP machine has become unusable due to some unknown cause. You want
to put the computer into a working state again. What is the best way to do this?

A.
Simply put the Windows Recovery CD in and the recovery process will start.

B.
Reinstall Windows.

C.
Use the Windows Recovery Console with the Windows Recovery CD to put the system back in
a working state.

D.
Simply uninstall any new software.

Explanation:
When your system becomes unusable and you cannot trace the cause, it may become necessary to
do a Windows Recovery. This will require the Windows Recovery CD and the Windows Recovery
Console.
Recovery Console is a command-line console that enables administrators to repair a computer. From
Recovery Console, administrators can start and stop services, read and write data on a local drive,
repair the master boot record (MBR), format drives, and perform other administrative tasks. The
Recovery Console can be run using the following two ways: In case the computer does not start,
Recovery Console
can be run using the Windows setup CD-ROM. Otherwise, the Recovery Console can be run from the
option in the boot menu.
Answer option A is incorrect. The CD will not work by itself; you need to use the Windows Recovery
Console also. Answer option D is incorrect. You do not know if the software is causing the problem

or if an uninstall will correct it. Answer option B is incorrect. Recovery is a better option and is
quicker and less disruptive than a full installation.
Reference:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654