For the past few years I have been dual-booting Ubuntu and Vista on an Acer Aspire 5220 laptop.
It only goes online using Ubuntu; I use Vista only to use accounting programs such as Simply Accounting or Quicken.
It is not my primary computer, and does not spend a great deal of time online in any case.
Recently (I think the last week or so) whenever it is started in Vista, a pop-up announces "Found New Hardware" and declares I need to install new drivers—usually for a "MultiMedia Video Controller".
There have been no changes of any sort to this computer in years, aside from updates to Ubuntu, and I don't think I have done that lately.
I tried removing the battery for a few minutes, but this changed nothing.
A couple of months ago the keyboard stopped working, but removing the battery cured that problem.
Does anyone know why this would happen, and, even better, have a solution?
Does this imply that the OS is getting senile, and should be reinstalled, or does it more likely mean that the hardware is on its way out?
Thanks.

Sounds like the hardware is on its way out. Updates to Ubuntu do not matter to Windows at all as it doesn't see it...

Are you able to boot either OS or has it affected both?
If only windows is affected then after selecting windows at grub you start tapping F8 key to boot in safe-mode ot you can run Windows-Defender-Offline to see if it's a virus.

Both operating systems boot (although I don't use ubuntu that often). Running Vista, the laptop has not gone online since 2009.
I went to System>Hardware and told it not to look for drivers upon starting up. For the moment the problem seems to have gone away.
In case it is the first signs of a hardware failure, I am being very careful about backups!
I have installed my accounting program on a second-string laptop that is also dual-booting. I can take the risk now of running this laptop into the ground.
If it continues to get hinky, and if it feels like it is the Vista OS has become corrupted, I might try installing XP, and then reinstalling Simply Accounting.
Or, I might cut the gordian knot, and try Gnucash. There are certainly options—now I just have to find the time.