A serious problem, with a simple solution?

This is my plea to the Macrumor Community:
Please give me my Mac, back!!


THE GAME PLAN!: I am grateful for any input, ideas, or suggestions.

1. I intend to back up my external hard drive, using CrashPlanPRO (trial)
2. Then, reformat the external HD to *clone my Mac's internal HD
3. With all of my data safely stored on the external HD, I will perform a complete erase and install of the Lion OS, on the Mac's HD
4. When all is said and done~ I can pick and choose what I need from the external HD -- namely, User folders (Applications, Music, Photos, etc)

*I am not 100% what type of 'cloning' method I would use -- It seems that some options allow for straight up archiving, and others would make it so that there is nothing to do with the data besides use it in a restore attempt?​

THE PROBLEM!!: ......just trying to keep calm, and carry on =/

How can I install and use CrashPlanPRO without the use of finder?

I have tried manually mounting the disk image:

Code:

hdiutil mount CrashPlanPRO_3-1.5.3_Mac.dmg

Then copying it to Applications,

Code:

sudo cp -R /Volumes/CrashPlanPRO/CrashPlanPRO.app  /Applications

This resulted in only an "uninstall" application showing up in the Launchpad, but no client to trigger the CrashPlan application to open.​

I was also unable to open it manually in terminal, by taking shots-in-the-dark at what the client would be named >_>

I also tried turning it on with:

Code:

sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.crashplan.engine.plist
sudo launchctl start com.crashplan.engine

No such file, it says..

It seems to me that if I could get CrashPlanPRO to open, and discover my external hard drive, that I am pretty much 'in the clear' at that point.
So... any advice for getting me to that blessed point of step 2?

DIRTY-DETAILS: the 'why' of where I'm at now.
I started experiencing a "Finder Unexpectedly Quit"-loop, after my system mysteriously ran an update (I had explicitly asked my computer NOT to perform such updates).

I also have no access to the majority of my applications; I have been in a pseudo-safe-mode [only able to run Safari to research the problem, and StickyNotes to take note of my findings].​

WHAT HAVE I DONE!?: just about anything I have come across that others have tried who were experiencing a similar issue.

• Deleted the Finder.pref file
• Deleted the Finder.savedState file
• Created a new Admin account
• Repaired permissions from the Recovery mode
• Plenty of reboot's; one after each attempted solution
• Uninstalled NTSF for Mac
• Installed+Used Maintenance
• Downloaded, but was unable to Use PathFinder

(*may have omitted some small command line 'fixes', etc)

--In the past, I was a fool; I have now learned the importance backing up your computer--

 

sorry...

I posted this in desperation, but it really sounds like more of a specific issue of trying to install third-party software that should be brought up with their customer service, perhaps.

I will leave my original post up, just in case anyone has anything to add, but tomorrow I will contact CrashPlan and see what advice they have for me.

I am still looking forward to hearing back from any of you, however.
Thank you for your time <3