Despite everything Microsoft has said, do you still wish you had kept Windows XP instead of switching to Vista? As something of an outsider to Windows (my advice is, get a Mac) I'm a little perplexed - yes, there are aspects of Vista that are pretty annoying but it works and is seriously more secure than XP.

But if you feel stuck with Vista on your new PC, don't; instead, download Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 (microsoft.com/windows/downloads/virualpc/default.mspx) and install that for use whenever you really need an XP break.

I installed it because my 64bit Vista refused to run an old piece of 32bit software; the installation process was easy once the downloading was over, with a traditional Microsoft installation wizard managing the process. You are offered choices during setup as to what version of Windows you can install, or OS2, or "Other" which covers some but not all versions of Linux, the operating system whose name Microsoft will not utter.

Presumably you have an XP installation disk from your old computer lying around somewhere - you must have it on hand with its serial number.

If you want to make multiple virtual machines all running on the same PC, Microsoft allows you to create "differencing disks" based on the original installation without having to buy multiple copies of XP or whatever it is you are running. Is there anyone who really wants to run Windows ME? Now there was a Windows that really didn't work.

I found the most satisfactory use of Virtual PC was in full screen mode - it is possible to run a virtual machine in a window, so both XP and Vista are visible simultaneously, but to make this work well you'd need a bigger screen than the 19in model I have on my PC. In full screen mode you'd swear you were back in XP,.