help with Vista Home Premium Restore

It seems to be a rather problem intensive week (or so) for me and " The Mule". I seem to have found a fitting name for the most stubborn computer I've ever owned. OK the problem I am having is not being able to "reinstall" all of my programs and settings like all the books and materials say I should be able to do with EASE! We ended up doing a complete system clean up resulting in refurbishing the unit back to cave dwelling times. This project was working with a HP phone tech, I didn't even screw it all up by myself this time. Whew!! I had already backed up the "whole" system to DVD's (3 +) using the Vista Home Premium Backup and Restore program. I thought this would be a piece of cake to restore; however, after 4 days thus far I still have a fine running unit with a stack of DVD's next to her containing all of my files, short-cuts,programs that didn't come with The Mule, and basically 8+gbt's of very essential "stuff".
So far nothing I have tried from any one of 4 or 5 Vista "cookbooks", any online help, nor anything I"ve thought of, has put this info back where it belongs. PLEASE HELP!! (my wife is making me even Nuttier) TERRY