Repair or rebuild?

[MRR]

Glad to see so many old faces still here.

Six years ago, under my old user name associated with an email I no longer have so I couldn't log back in, I built my first PC (http://forums.mysuperpc.com/showthread.php?1347-I-ll-make-it-official&highlight=p5kc).
case: Antec 900
motherboard: Asus P5KC
processor: Intel E8400
Processor fan: stock
memory: Corsair 4GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
HD: Western Digital Caviar 320 GB SATA 7200rpm
optical: Lite-On DVD+/-R w/lightscribe
PSU: Corsair HX520w
cooling: Arctic Silver 5
GPU: evga 7900GS KO 256 MB
Windows Vista 64.

This past weekend, I noticed an annoying virus and/or tracking program. I attempted to roll back to an earlier profile, but it killed my computer and I cannot boot in any mode. I think I found every disk and box from when I built the machine, but my Vista disk was not among them. I have no saved image, no disk, and no verification code even if I had a disk.

What should I do?
1) "Man. Um... Windows won't even support any of that old stuff any longer. Try to get a Vista disk and verification code" ($70)
2) "Setup is fine. Get Windows 7 and find all your drivers online" ($100)
3) "It's not worth rectifying, get a new mobo, processor, and memory" ($400 ish?)

Other info.
I built the rig for gaming (RIP, CoH). I no longer game. I've since been using the computer for streaming media to my TV. I built a HTPC to handle that instead, so this one will be pretty much just for browsing and playing Rocksmith.

Thanks
MRR

[Rob]

That's a pretty old rig (in computer years), but it may still be sufficient for what you want to do with it. If it were me then I would upgrade, but that's me. On the other hand, chances are it will work out fine for you if you re-load it with Windows 7, or even Windows 8 (shudder).

[MRR]

, or even Windows 8 (shudder).

No thanks, I'm not 12.

Are you somewhat confident that Windows 7 will work with that old equipment?

[Rob]

That's a good question. What you could do is look up the drivers now and verify there are Windows 7 compatible drivers.

[MRR]

Went with Windows-7. Works fine.

Thanks for the help.

[zburns]

This is an 'extra post' that supports the use of Windows 7. Your original Microsoft OS was Win Vista 64. My assumption regards Microsoft, is that Win 7 is compatible with Win Vista 64 (also Win Vista 32). Theoretically, Microsoft should sell more Win7 (Win 8?) software provided the later Win 7 is 100% compatible with Win Vista 32 or 64. It does not make 'marketing sense' to obsolete 4, 5 or 6 year old software in favor of new (+/- several years) Win software such as Win 7 or 8.

Another assumption is that the companies, that design and manufacture the hardware that goes into a 'home built desktop', are very careful to 'assure' that the 2013, 2014, etc. desktop hardware of today is compatible with the software used some years 'going back to 2007/2008'.

Assuming these rules are followed by both manufacturers and software companies would mean that the 'market' for home built desktops is greater than the case where 2014 software and hardware is 'NOT COMPATIBLE' with much older, ie 2007/2008 hardware/software.