When you speak of upgrading "my Dell computer", you're not speaking of installing an upgrade over top of XP are you? If so, I misunderstand, so disregard the rest of my post. :) So I'm assuming you intend to purchase a retail version of Windows 7 and do a clean install. In the first line of your post you mention 512 MB of RAM, a date, and then 2.00 GB of RAM. Does that mean it now has 2.00 GB of RAM or maybe 2 1/2 GB of RAM? Either way, I'm no expert but I'd think 512 MB is less than enough, but either 2 or 2 1/2 GB would be fine. I don't know much about Office, but wasn't Office 2003 was the last version that had the old style menu, before the newfangled ribbon came along. According to this, your Office 2002 would not be compatible but according to this, Office 2003 would be. Would your 2002 macros work in 2003? I don't know. Would it be worth the expense of buying a retail version of Windows 7, as well as Office 2003(or at least Word)? To me, probably not, to you, only you can decide. Personally, since it works, I'd probably just continue using it. Continue running a good real-time AV, occasionally scanning with a couple on-demand malware tools(Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware come to mind), use Firefox or Chrome(lie detected), using the WOT add-on(trusting it somewhat less than fully), and being careful what I open(email) and what I install. Just my opinion though. Edit: GrammerGrammar Edit2: Spelling This post was edited by chuggerguy on Thu, Jan 23, 14 at 3:10

Ginny wrote:_ I am just very concerned about learning W8 when I don't have anyone nearby to help with that learning curve. That's a very big issue for me. Ah but you do have huge helpings of assistance really. Here is a link to eightforums where they deal with nothing but Windows 8, plus you can come here for help. Google is also a valuable friend when you need an answer right now instead of waiting for someone to reply on a forum. As Mickie notes above, once the initial screen is gone it is very much like Win 7

My knowledge is limited so take the following with a grain of salt. I'm going to throw out some thoughts based on a hunch that could be wrong. Hopefully others will help direct the conversation. I think your issue is a router issue and not a Windows one. It's software question not a hardware one. Not all routers have the firmware to host a printer. Maybe the printer has it? I don't know for sure. If your router can handle the job, and if so it would need some installation steps and be unlikely to be plug and play, the printer becomes visible as a Network Printer to other PCs on the network. Just the same as if the printer were connected to a PC and you designate it as a Network Printer and not a Local Printer through the Printer Setup Wizard. The PC stations on a physical network need not be "networked" in a MS sharing system or group sense to use a Network Printer. If your connection (software setting wise) is effective, using the "Connect to Network Printer" option in the Printer Wizard on each PC will show this new printer as an option. Each PC may need to have printer drivers for it to work. A printer connected to a PC can always be shared, and the mix of Windows versions is a non-issue in my experience with the same setup. But, the PC the printer is connected to needs to be on for the printing to work. If it's off, the queue is held until it's turned on. Thoughts from others?

Nice to see "Happy Campers".. was was hopeful as the load, long time as it was, seemed to load everything, all my history and some rather old drivers, e.g., Palm Desk Top. But over a short time, must be about the start of this thread date, the whole computer has bogged down, not just browser, both Firefox and IE, I'm not using the newer whatever-browser, but even the WiFi interface. I try to remember to shut down my WiFi when I am done, but leaving the computer on. Then I click on the wireless Icon and click connect. It is not a click, click, click operation, long (what 5+ seconds or longer) delay getting to each click. Wasn't that way in the beginning. I use a password as that is port of the IE security for saved passwords, I use a master pass word on Firefox.. suppose that's the problem? Wasn't in the beginning. Just before this exploration and gripping Firefox forgot all, I mean all, its personal data. I did a refresh on Firefox, then a restore on Windows 10, still total amnesia for Firefox. I have backup on a flash drive, but haven't plugged that in to recover. Seems houzz log on survived, must be something at the houzz end, not Firefox memory. On Linux, I used the Ubuntu GRUB to set up the dual boot, and right now I don't recall what the problem is... maybe it too slowed down, maybe there's something wrong with my mental clock too high an expectation. That possibility noted, I did some blogging on the Ubuntu forum, now a member, and there was some agreement on the problem. I have considered using XUbuntu to resurrect a XP Dell desktop that is very sick. But rather than dual boot, thinking using a USB Hard drive as the boot for XUbuntu and leave the Windows boot loader in tack. I think that leads to my too slow peeve. I suppose I may have problems with drivers too with Ubuntu.. I want to run my laser printers for one thing. The one dual boot I have worked "out of the box" with my WiFi.