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

If they did that they would have a TON of windows updates to do plus likely all 3 service packs to deal with. Any of those items you listed try doing a google search for them and you will quickly find out what they belong to, or use a program like free start up lite by the makers of malwarebytes. StartUpLite avg= your antivirus is AVG? you do not want to stop that for sure. you can use a process library to find what each one is and does, what ever you do, DO NOT use a registry cleaner! if this is a dell then the dsca is a dell file C:\Program Files\Dell Support Center\gs_agent\custom\dsca.exe DSCA is Dell's remote-support app. If you're relying on Dell's remote-desktop support, do not delete it. but it does not need to be in your start up list. msseces.exe (Microsoft Security Essentials) are you using both AVG and Microsoft Security Essentials on your pc for Antivirus? if so you need to fully remove one of them you should only run one full time AV at a time that will cause conflicts. smax4pnp.exe (SoundMax controls) you can look up the rest of them there at the pcpitstop library if you want. another good free program that can help you with this kind of stuff is winpatrol WinPatrol

I would suggest you registrycleanfix from http://www.registrycleanfix.info/ It keeps my computer in peak condition and I feel safe and comfortable in using it.

My whole problem started when I was running a sweep with Webroot Spy Sweeper. It stopped in the middle of the run and gave me the message, "The connection to the program engine has been lost or terminated." It told me to uninstall and reinstall it, which I did. Then I got the message, "Wrid.dll not found (or something like that). So I did a search and Wrid.dll was in the correct directory. I then got a message saying wrid.dll was loaded but the DillRegisterServer entry point was not found. Anyway, after two clean installations I tried running it again and it stopped right in the middle again. I still have no Spy Sweeper and I wrote Webroot support team and got three typed pages that do not say anything to a helpless old lady.