I just like to call it a self-destruct button because it's a command of last resort: an auto-rebuild feature that fixes windows when you get some of Windows' most massive errors, which prevent your computer from booting at all.

Fred Langa writes about using the Windows "Rebuild" command to give your PC a new lease on life. The simple, streamlined instructions:

• Boot from your XP Setup CD and enter the Recovery Console
• Run "Attrib -H -R -S" on the C:\Boot.ini file
• Delete the C:\Boot.ini file
• Run "Bootcfg /Rebuild"
• Run Fixboot

Langa also offers a more detailed instruction that shows you, literally button by button, what to press to make sure your computer gets rebuilt properly. It's a great step by step explanation of something that can be a little frightening and daunting at first.