What I was trying to say is use a Vista install cd with all updates streamed into it. It is faster/easier then downloading/installing the updates from the internet.

I said XP because I know the problem with old(er) systems. No W7/W8 drivers for the hardware the users have, slowing down the system etc. But at least XP is more reliable then Vista. And since XP support is about to end (2014) a license is really cheap now.