TSGL: Acronis Full HDD Backup Question

[Lee Bunyard]

Well, after my experience a month ago with the HDD failure on my desktop 
pc and loss of much of my key data, when I bought a new desktop two 
weeks ago, I also bought a SimpleTech 250 GB external USB HDD for backup 
purposes.  I tried running a full HDD backup of the HDD on the new 
desktop to the external HDD using the SimpleTech instructions but found 
it very confusing for a relatively casual pc user like me.  So 
yesterday, based on the recommendations from a number of you on this 
Forum, I bought the Acronis True Image V11 Home backup software 
package.  I actually ordered the CD Acronis package thru Amazon, which 
will take a few days to get here, then I discovered that Acronis will 
allow a free 15 day trial use of the software so I downloaded it and 
gave it a try.  By the time the 15 day trial period ends, I will have 
the Acronis CD package.  I found Acronis to be pretty user friendly 
actually.  I set it up to do a FULL HDD backup of the entire C Drive on 
my new desktop pc to be stored on the external HDD unit. The desktop HDD 
contained an indicated roughly 80 GB of data.  Acronis and the external 
HDD ran for about 40 minutes and when it was done, the external HDD 
shows that it has stored approximately 60 GB of data--I assume the 
difference between the 80 GB on the desktop HDD and the 60 GB stored on 
the external HDD is due to compression on the latter?? 

My question is:  the Acronis manual indicates that doing a full HDD 
backup will include ALL files on the HDD, including the OS (Vista 
Premium Home version is on my new desktop).  When I look at the files 
stored on the external HDD, how can I tell whether the Vista OS is 
included??  When I look at the files, I can't tell what is what.  How 
can I tell if the OS itself is included in the backup??

Also, the Acronis software indicates it can be used to backup up email, 
it has a setting called "My Email".  But when I check that box, it 
indicates it will backup and restore email for Microsoft Outlook.  I 
thought Acronis could be used to backup all email, not just Outlook.  Am 
I mistaken on that??  I use the Mozilla Thunderbird email client and 
really like it, and my wife uses IncrediMail and doesn't want to switch 
either.  I'm hoping that Acronis will backup and restore both of those 
email clients.

Any help appreciated.  Thanks in advance.
Lee in the Mountains of Northern California