Advice please!

My laptop HD sucks and required reformatting on two occasions, giving me 2 heart attacks. To prevent going through the whole XP reinstallation crap, I bought a USB HD + Acronis TI9 Workstation. Need help on basic questions:

1. If my laptop HD craps out, can I use Acronis + my USB HD to revive it, rather than reinstall everything one-by-one?
2. When I open up the Acronis installer, it gives me like 4 utilities to install. Which one(s) do I install?
3. If I create a backup, can I store it on my USB HD? Will I even be able to access a USB HD when my OS craps out? Will the "Boot CD" thingy enable me to access the USB HD?
4. What is this "secure zone" thing? Do I have to create it on my laptop HD or USB HD? or both?
5. Is this the right algorithm: Install Acronis -> defrag laptop HD -> create Acronis Boot CD -> backup laptop HD to USB HD ??

I'm sooo confused... Thanks!

 

Do not defrag the HD if it is flakey. Why ask for more problems? Forget about the secure zone.

 

1. Yes, that's the whole idea behind the software.
2. Just install the software like any other program. What utilities do you see?
3. Yes, the usb drive is the place to put the backup Image. By Boot Cd if you are referring to the bootable Rescue CD, make it and boot with it to test that it will see the usb drive.
4. You do not need the Secure Zone if you are using the usb drive for your images.
5. That sums it up ... just boot with the boot CD once you make it and be sure it sees your usb drive.

 

Thanks for your reply!

When I go to install ATI Workstation 9, there's 5 utilites:

1. Acronis True Image Management Console
2. Acronis True Image Agent for Windows
3. Acronis True Image Group Server
4. Acronis True Image Backup Server
5. Acronis True Image Workstation

Not sure which one(s) I need. This is for a personal laptop. Just need the basics in case my HD craps out on me again.

 

You only need the last one in your case:
5. Acronis True Image Workstation