Windows 7: Ready to start imaging-Data, Macrium, WD My Book - suggestions?

Mostly about backup and imaging, but need to prepare a couple things.
I've asked a few questions already and done alot of reading as I am new to this part. But was away and finally ready to start my backup plan
Any suggestion or changes before I start would be great.

My Laptop:
Windows 7 Pro - 32bit.
i5, 2.40GHZ, 2400Mhz, 2 core....
3G Ram

Partitions
16G - recovery
200M NTFS
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C: 140.95G
D: 140.95G ..Made one windows backup "image file" , it is in a My Recovery Folder on D: I did not have an external HD yet.
I made recovery and boot cds right away.
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My laptop is sitting as it was at the time I made the windows image file a while ago. Does this plan sound ok?

-Make data folders and save all my data and files on D partition. - not realted to "user folders" C:
Leave the My Recovery Folder made earlier there, or rename the inside folder with the image inside to "Copy 1" and copy or move it to the external below as well?

-Heres my kicker, before I get Macrium, I have at the moment the WD My Book 2T (with smartware). Hope to get a second external one day.
-Format it on the new Windows 7 laptop - some software going to install I am sure!!
- Plug in, let windows find it...save anything off it I may need? I will use Macrium instead.
- Format to NTFS to use as simple external drive
-Uninstalll any WD Software from Win 7 laptop..is it going to leave anything behind? This is the part I've been avoiding

-Download Macrium free for making image files and do all partions, watched the videos already
Once at least for the 16G recovery, and 200M. Yes?
Do regular system images of C, and copy or image D partitions on External Drive.

How does this sound? Did I miss anything?
Thanks so much for reading and any input, as I hope to get this right.
ss

The WD website (support) will give advice on uninstalling "Smartware" (terrible stuff IMO). I have had no problems formatting MY Book Essentials. WD will show you how but it's just the same as any HDD.

You really need backups/images on your external HDD. Just note: these HDDs are ok but they can "go to sleep" during a recovery boot sequence. If the drive isn't recognized and no data transfer is in place I find physically disconnect then reconnect the My Book will wake it up.

I would make a couple of images of the recovery partition.

thanks. Wish I could have found a diff reasonable prices extenal here. I saw to delete the WD volume in disk management (or such), then format it.
Will make a few copies of the recovery.
This is good to know..

"Just note: these HDDs are ok but they can "go to sleep" during a recovery boot sequence"If the drive isn't recognized and no data transfer is in place I find physically disconnect then reconnect the My Book will wake it up"

mjf, were you able to remove everything installed by the wd drive when you first plugging it in? Or does it?

I don't recall that WD automatically installed anything. Windows installed the driver.
My understanding was that WD had moved to self installed "Smartware". The HDDs came with the following on them

I never used the software.

I bought the WDs because they were $79 for 1TB USB 2/3 and quite well vented for cooling. The USB 3 speeds were just great for imaging.

Ok, that is what I wondered. Simple to just save it off the drive somehwere else if a person wanted it. I don't plan to use it. May even make images from both windows and macrium plus their respective boot disks..

will get started.
Thanks for the info and help mjf