Yes, the Windows disc can work, but more often than not it doesn't for me, and I need my Macrium rescue CD, which always works. I sometimes bork my mbr by resizing partitions and installing linux. Then windows won't boot. The rescue cd works every time. There are other rescue cd's as well, but I have found macriums' to be fine.
The advice about using a live linux dvd/thumb drive is sound, but does involve some time. Not to mention figuring out how to use linux. I think everyone should do this, but in an emergency it's maybe not the best time. but definitely everyone should get to know linux, it is a great os in itself, just not for what we do. But it's much safer to surf the net with. I am currently using Kubuntu, which is Ubuntu with the KDS desktop environment. It looks and works very much like windows 7. I use a dedicated win7 rig for my music, offline 90% of the time, and do everything else with linux. The partitioning tools in linux are much easier to use than window's. It is too bad that music software makers won't bother to make drivers for linux, it is a much better os than windows.