The solution is this: Before installing any new driver, codec pack or software you just had to make a backup copy of the whole registry.
That's not much help for someone who didn't know that before installing. And while I would argue that these days, any editor really should also be something of a computer geek, the fact is that's not always the case. We often don't know the level of a users technical ability, so the recommendation to wipe and reinstall the OS is often the best suggestion when things have gotten too far out of hand.