your obviously a knowledgeable guy, tech-savvy.
I would think someone of your caliber wouldnt bother with FR, I certainly hope you have crossposted this to more than a few tech forums.
As to your solution, Vista is old, even if patched up it is vulnerable, turn off the updates , polish it up and send it back to your friend.
I actually don’t subscribe to many tech forums. Perhaps I should. I was hoping maybe someone here on FR might know where I can look for answers, but with ShadowAce out of the game while he rehabilitates from his accident answers are few and far between.