to install on on older laptop... and I went right to the source... Microsoft. Every link that suggested a way to purchase, went right to Windows 7. There was no way I could purchase a valid Windows XP load for this older machine. Windows 7 may not work on this hardware. All I wanted was a way to reload the OEM software, and without the original disk (lost) I have no way to legally do this. (of course there are on line computer stores that still do carry it... )

This is a Dell machine, and Dell still supports it with a full set of available drivers... but for the OS... you either need the original disk or have to buy a new one... which you cannot do, at least from MS.

It was ironic, I followed the paths for Windows XP support, and saw links that said "buy" and they dumped me right into Windows 7 land. How much more deceitful can you be?

There are perfectly good computers out there that will run older OSs, and allow work to be done, but the insidious partnership of the software and hardware companies force you to upgrade... whether you need to or not. It doesn't take Windows 7 (or XP) to run a simple word processor. (can you say Linux... )