I've worked with similar microscopes. One of them, worked perfectly fine for the tasks it was assigned to, but the software would only work up to Windows XP. T

I've worked with similar microscopes. One of them, worked perfectly fine for the tasks it was assigned to, but the software would only work up to Windows XP. To make matters worse, the whole system was hostile to any changes or updates. We didn't have an installer for the program but disk images to restore the system with the controller software already installed. The computer also had a hardware key connected to validate its licenses. Finally due to some validation checks the software performs, the controller software can't be placed on a virtual machine. One way you can deal with this is by getting the longest service contract you can afford when you buy the equipment. We had a slightly newer microscope with a service contract that was still good when the XP to Win7 transition happened. It took some prodding of the vendor, but they eventually came down and replaced the controller PC free of charge. Eventually those service contracts run out, and you are left with a perfectly good microscope, and an aging computer.