Roger has posted his recent experience with using TrueImage (the Wikipedia entry) to restore windows after a bad installation experience.
Taking a squiz at TrueImage has convinced me I need to get myself hooked up. It’s not very expensive, and the peace of mind it seems to inspire (see the newsgroup post, this Whirlpool thread, or many other google-related linkages) would far and away cover any concern over shelling out.
So Acronis, I think you have another customer.