WSS 3.0 Backup Problems - Carl

I have a bunch of questions/problems with WSS 3.0 backup, so any help
would really be appreciated.  I'm using WSS 3.0 on Windows Server 2003
with the built-in WID/SQL Embedded database.  I have two site
collections, one of which is still at the absolute default, and the
other one I've added a few subsites and documents.

1.  Backups started from the Central Admin web interface never start.
I'm trying to backup my farm (any part at all) to a local drive (d:
\sharepointbackups) via the Central Admin "Perform a backup"
function.  The backups just sit in "Preparing current backup/restore
job" status forever.  No log is ever created.  The local directory has
Everyone - Full Control permission.  I've logged into WSS as a Domain
Admin, which is also a Site Admin of my two sites.  I've tried
creating a share and using a UNC path instead, but the backup just
hangs at "Preparing".  I can make backups to that directory using
either STSADM or the SQL Management Studio.  Any ideas here?
2. Microsoft's backup/restore documentation is unclear on whether
STSADM is enough to restore a site to a new server.  These two
documents:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/wss/2/all/adminguide/en-us/stsf20.mspx?mfr=true
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/wss/2/all/adminguide/en-us/stsf19.mspx?mfr=true
have given me the impression that I need both the STSADM backup AND
the configuration database to restore a site to a new server.  The
text from those documents says:
******
This [backup and restore] process is not intended for moving a site to
a new server.  If you want to move a site, use the Microsoft
SharePoint Migration Tool (smigrate.exe) instead.  [SMigrate doesn't
move permissions, so it's not useful to me as a disaster recovery
tool.]
AND
You have three options for restoring sites from a backup.
a. You can restore a site over an existing site.
b. You can restore a site to a new site on the same server.
[Confusing statement:] c. You can restore a site to a separate server,
with a separate installation of Windows SharePoint Services that uses
a copy of the original server's configuration database.
*****
3. I can't figure out a way to backup more than a single database at a
time from the WID/SQL Embedded database engine.  I also can't figure
out how to overwrite databases after x number of days.  I could solve
this by creating an individual job for each database on each day, but
there are six databases and seven days in the week,  meaning I'd have
to manage 42 separate jobs.
4. I can't back the databases up remotely with Backup Exec because I
can't figure out how to enable remote access to the WID/SQL Embedded
database engine.  It appears that you can run the SQL Surface Area
configuration tool with SQL Exrpess, but I can't find a download of
this tool for WID/SQL Embedded.  Is it possible to configure remote
access to WID/SQL Embedded?
5. How are other people backing up WSS 3.0 with WID/SQL Embedded?
6. Is the STSADM backup enough to completely restore a site to a new
server, or do you also need the configuration database?
7. Can anyone point me to documentation on exactly what needs to be
done to restore a DB to a new server?

Sorry for all the questions, but I can't deploy WSS until I'm
confident that I have a way to recover it.  Maybe it's just me, but
I'm REALLY disappointed in the documentation that's been provided.
Thanks in advance.