Record your own VHS tapes now

This advice is not given because it is so easy to to do now, but because your tapes are disintegrating.  The typical shelf life of a VHS tape is not that long, especially if they have not been stored under good conditions.  The quality will only get worse, so do it now.  This advice is given because I am in the middle of a conversion and I come to find out that my custom software from ION (probalby the most popular maker of USB turntables and VCR's) does not work in Windows 7, at least not without serious bugs.  As an alternative try Windows Movie Maker, it works just as well as anything on the market and it is free.  Keep in mind, you have to download Microsoft's Windows Essentials to get it and all the other programs that you will probably not use ( you can deselect programs in the package).  A second option is NCH's Golden Video which is also free and easy to use.