Would I be able to have the same view to my files after restoring the files to 98. I have heard that registry problems may be caused by memory that is going bad. There should be a program called microsoft backup under system tools, if not then you can add it by going to control panel add remove software and then to windows setup. If you cannot install Microsoft Backup then you will need to find some other software that will do the same thing. A 2 gig drive can be backed up using about 4 CD-R 650Mb times 4.
Most backup utilities allow for spanning multiple medias to allow for large backup jobs.
You should just be able to include those folders as part of your backup set. It would be a good idea to export the accounts by going into tools and highlighting each account and saving it to a location that you will remember when you restore. This way you will not have to reconfigure the login information for mail. If you just copy the old registry over the ne installation you may have the same problems that you already have. Include your Windows and system folders in your backup because these may have some files in them that would be difficult to find.