[formatted, then fresh install on laptop]

The biggest thing, which makes it hard for me to do anything, is that I am unable to connect to the internet. I've tried multiple times to connect to my home's wireless network, but I can't. It doesn't give me the option to connect to any networks. I'm worried that maybe there is a driver problem, but as don't have the cd's that came with the laptop, I'm stuck. This is a fresh install of XP Pro SP3. Any other info you need, ask away. Thanks!

Plug your laptop into your router with an ethernet cable. With XP SP3 you should have default drivers installed for your controller, and you could just wait for a while (Make sure you have windows updates set to automatic), and after a while windows update will probably alert you that there are updates that need to be installed. Click on the little gold shield on the notification bar, then update your system. Also go into your Device Manager, and go through and double click on any of the devices that pertain to any of your hardware devices or controllers, then click on the driver tabs and then click "update". Even if there is no yellow ? mark by them, there could still be an update, but it's probably not critical. Now this will of course only work if you can connect to the internet with an ethernet cable. I have a laptop that I had the same kind of problem on, but when it was connected with the ethernet cable I was able to get on the internet. But I was also using Vista, and I think XP SP3 still installs those drivers to get going.

[Acronis]

I use Macrium Reflect Free and Drive Image XML and don't pay a cent.

Are you able to clone your system drive onto a new HDD and swap them out, and use the new cloned drive immediately? Also can you restore a completely corrupt, unbootable system with the programs disaster recovery CD that you create? I have found those features most useful in Acronis True Image, And that is just the beginning of the backup and recovery functions it has to offer. Thanks!