Before doing anything be sure to back up anything you do not want to lose including your contact list for emails. Make a note of installed programs and find the needed CD/DVD for each.

I think you will have to do a fresh install of Vista, not positive but I doubt they included the ability to move backwards.

The advantage would be that everything is squeaky clean. Use the Vista CD/s you have but when it requires the 25 digit authentication code use the one fixed to the computer now. If you go with a fresh install you should allow the computer to format the drive, select NTFS to make the best use of the hard drive.

You should go to the Dell site, download and save all the drivers you will need before proceeding. Save these on a thumb drive or CD if the DVD player problem has been addressed.

DVD player is very easy to install. simply shut down and either switch off at the rear if provided or remove the power cord. Remove both sides, remove 2 screws each side of DVD player, remove wide (2 inch) ribbon cable, flat power cable and skiiny sound wire. Slide defective DVD player out then reverse the procedure to install the new DVD player. done.

I understand the advantage of "squeaky clean", but in addition to not having original Windows disks, I don't have MS Office disks either, so it wouldn't be practical to reformat the disk. I assume (hope) there is a way to 'just' reload a Windows version?? Also, you mentioned using the original tag 25digit code. I was assuming that would be used. However, I see that the Vista upgrade disk package also has a sticker on it.

Your problem Chas is you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. If your Office program was provided by the same vendor as the operating system it may also be a pirated program. Did you ever have the CDs for Office?

As MS has flagged your operating system you will likely be forced to make a decision. You could consider Open Office which is free, you also need to assess how much of Office you actually used. If only the word processor then there is Wordpad on every PC or there are free alternatives out there.

Why I suggested using the 25 digit key already attached to the computer is because this is perfectly legal and it leaves you with another legal version of Vista on the CD/DVD. There would be absolutely nothing to gain by using the code on that CD

Thanks re the ticket number issue. I think that I am probably ok re my office validity although admittedly I don't have disks. The computer person I have used for 8 years installed a new and probably valid copy of office2007. He said he has a bulk license for office 2007 and other stuff presumably. He often upgrades old computers for people. In the past, he has done a couple of previous machines for me, that gave no validation problems for years until I upgraded for other reasons. He is highly regarded in this area.

I suspect that the original win7 upgrade done by the previous owner was sleazy in some way, and the original 2010 Office was probably a workstation or business, year by year contract deal that ran out.

Is there likely to be an easy way to use the Vista upgrade to just remove win7 and install the vista upgrade??

You cannot go backwards like that, the installation will keep throwing the error that a newer version of Windows exists and simply not proceed. It's either purchase your own licensed copy of Windows 7 and Office (whatever version you like) or do as Owbist suggested and perform a clean install of Vista.

I would not trust a 'bulk' license with this computer already flagged.

edited to add: I just noticed that Vista is an upgrade disk. Do you have the full version of XP (maybe even an earlier version like 98) to pop in for a moment to upgrade from? You would not be installing the earlier version, just validating that you have it.

This post was edited by pkponder on Sat, May 11, 13 at 10:25