Okay, but you don't have a master's degree in programming, so how are you supposed to create this mythical Linux boot drive? It's easier than you might think thanks to an open-source utility called UNetbootin. By booting Linux from a flash drive, you get a full-blown operating system, one that can read the main drive and, usually, copy its contents somewhere safe (like the cloud, an external hard drive, or even a network drive). Just because Windows is hosed doesn't mean you can't access the files on your hard drive. (I did not, you'll be glad to know, take the opportunity to scold her about making backups.
She wasn't concerned about getting the system working again, but she desperately wanted to retrieve her business documents, personal photos, and the like. For example, I recently spent days troubleshooting a relative's malware-infested, effectively non-operational laptop.