Well, it can be a pretty coepmlx process if you have never done it before. I disagree with Bowei above. Although swapping harddrives would preserve your old state the computer is in and the manufacturers system backup partition, it may not be cost effective for you and you may not know how to replace the hard drive. I think the easiest thing you can do is buy the software you need and install a fresh copy on your computer. I'll list any links to software or drivers you will need. You really should check the compatability of your computer with Windows 7 too and make sure it is capable of being upgraded. What do I need to order from MS to accomplish this? You will need: A retail copy of Windows 7 (any version which version is right for you? ..link included) and a retail version of Microsoft Office Professional 2007. You should also consider getting some antivirus software. I use Norton Antivirus 2010 NOT Norton Antivirus Internet Security Antivirus 2010 is a low resource program with great protection.First, click the compatability link I provided and make sure your computers hardware is compatable with Windows 7. Do this before purchasing any software.(Link posted below)Next go to Lenovo's support website and download the drivers for your particular computer as you might need them after the Windows 7 Install. (Link posted below)Finally make a backup of any data on the vista partition you will want to save pictures, media, documents, etc You can do this by plugging in flash drive or external hard drive and copying files to it. or make DVD backups or run your backup software and put the backup on a seperate medium than the laptop internal harddrive.Okay now the setup1) Insert Windows 7 disc into the laptop and restart the machine. At the Lenovo window (called the post screen) press F12 to go to the boot menu. Select the option that tells you to boot to the CD drive. This will start the WIndows Seven Installation.(if performing an upgrade, this is the same process. You will specify the type of installation during the setup process once windows seven installation starts).2) Agree to the license and terms of agreement and specify the type of install (upgrade or not). Once you come to the drive options page, you will select the Drive options link towards the bottom of the window and a few other links will appear that give you the option to delete, create, modify your hard drive partition. You need to select the partition that the Vista OS resides on. It is probably the one taking up the most space. Select it and delete. This will change the partition to unpartitioned space. Simply click next and Windows 7 will begin to format your harddrive, create a new partition and install the new Operating System. You do not need to create a new partition after deleting the old one as Windows 7 installation will do that for you. You should also know that you may only have one partition. That is fine too, just delete it and start your setup by selecting NEXT. (Note Lenovo and other manufacturers usually create a partition on the harddrive where they store a backup image of the original system state. You may not want to delete this if you ever want to restore the machine to factory settings. It is usually the smallest partition if multiple partitions are shown).3) After installation, Go to the Control Panel, select System and choose, Activate my copy of Windows . During the installation process you may have had to enter a product key, if so, you should be able to activate your product. If activation fails, you can select the change my product key link and specify a different product key. 4) Now install any and all drivers that you downloaded previously from Lenovo's website. (note WIndows 7 has a large driver pack so you may not need to install drivers). You can verify which drivers you need by selecting the device manager from your control panel (start menu control panel)This will show you any and all drivers that will need to be installed. 5) Run all Windows Updates. Very important to install drivers, Activate your operating system and update the OS. You can update your copy of Windows by going to your start menu and selecting Windows Updates. You may need to repeat this step multiple times until the machine is completely updated.6) Install your antivirus software. This is importnat to do before you go on the internet. If you don't have the software, highly recomend you go buy. as cheap as 9.99 at your local Best Buy.7) Insert your office CD and install. When prompted type your product key. (can be found on the back of the sleeve or inside the case).Well thats about it. Good Luck and Game on! Oh and please consider my answer as best answer. -thx