Keep your sanity: create a system repair disc

I cannot stress enough the importance of having that magic CD labeled "System Repair Disc" (Windows 7 64-bit, in my case) readily available. This bootable CD will save you a big headache if something goes wrong with your system. Create one right now. Here's how:  click on the Start button (or simply press the Windows key), then type "system repair" and click on "Create a System Repair Disc". You will be asked for your system administrator password if you have UAC enabled (you'd better do). Insert a blank CD and follow the prompts. That's all there is to it. Extremely useful, a lifesaver. The beauty of it is that you can use the same CD to "rescue" another PC, but it has to have the same operating system. Caveat: this repair disc is only for the operating system, not for your data or personal settings. However, it is most likely that your data is safe and what needs fixing is the operating system.