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Hi Milt.
You seem to be dealing with a number of different issues. I'm not sure if this is any help, but:
1) iTunes has its own backup to removeable media. Periodically backing up to a CD is pretty cheap; I think it also allows you to backup to DVD-R's. If you had previously sync'd iTunes to an iPod, you can sync your iPod to your computer to move the songs back onto the computer.
2) I have had mixed results with XP's restore utility over the years. So, I found that cheap insurance is an external USB hard drive. 300gig drives are pretty cheap these days. I do two kinds of backups. I use a simple backup utility to backup changed files rather frequently. About once a week I use Norton Ghost to create a drive image.
To start with, once I have my basic programs on the computer and all seem to be functioning well, I do a backup and save that on a "permanent" basis. Then I create a series of folders for weekly backups--just adding folders until the drive is mostly full. I then go back to the first folder and just keep going through the folders in sequence. That allows me to restore my drive to any point in the last six+ weeks -- or completely go back to the beginning when all the primary software was on the computer and was working well. Later backups will still allow me to recover later work.
Anyway, with this approach you can pretty fearlessly add, remove & configure software knowing that you have a variety of fall back positions.
Sometimes after I add a new program and all seems to be working well, I'll save a specific restore point or file--and just save it, giving me an additional point to go back to.
Good luck.
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James
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