Vista shouldn't prevent you from transfering data to a TASCAM Portastudio. The instruction manual shows how to connect the Portastudio to a computer using a cable. The instruction manual can be found on the internet and is called ps5_ref.pdf

If you have a CF card reader you can put the card in that and it will show up in vista as removeable disk. You then use Explorer (windows file Explorer, not the browser Explorer - who knows what fool at Microsoft gave the same name to two different programs) as normal to move the files FXPATCH.PKT, PATTERN.001, and SYSINFO.PKT onto the CF card. You use the same method to transfer your recordings and MP3 files from the Portastudio to the computer if you want to. Just remember to stick to the 8.3 naming convention - that's up to eight letters, a full stop, and three letter extension such as .MP3