Well first of all, I'd recommend you uninstall Vista and install XP. But annyyways, lol I'd recommend Visual Basic 6. You can torrent the full ISO, burn it onto a disc with ISO Recorder, and then install it via that disc, or you can just download Visual Basic 6 Portable and use that.
As for tips, check out The VB Forums. If you ever get stuck on something ask here. It's also a great reference. Other than that, Google is your friend. You can also come to me if you have any specific questions, as I like to think of myself as quite an accomplished programmer. ^_^