Hi gravener. :smileyhappy: Are you running a 32 or 64-bit version of Windows Vista? If you are running the 32-bit version and the software is Vista compatible then it shouldn't take nearly that long to install your software. If it's the 64-bit version there may be other things to consider. Is it just the Nero and the HP programs that are having problems or is this happening with everything that you are trying to install? If it is all programs then the first thing that I would recommend is running the Dell Diagnostics to see if there is a problem with the system (yes, even though it's new). Look in the index of your manual under Dell Diagnostics, follow it through and first run an Express Test. You may then want to follow that up with the more extensive Extended Test. The Express Test runs without you having to interact with it but with the Extended you may have to do some things. If you are trying to install the programs from the hard drive or from CDs/DVDs then it sounds like there may be a memory problem. Did you install the Windows Updates and activate any Anti-Virus programs when you first started the computer? That should have been the first things you did (or at least the first things that the computer should have recommended).