SSD replacement and upgrading from W7 to W10 - how ?

[stevewestern]

As some (neil_g for one) will know from previous questions, I know very little about computers so please speak slowly, clearly and loudly....

My laptop is old and slow, and runs W7. I want to upgrade to W10, and at the same sort of time replace the SSD with a new and larger one.

So, how to best do this is my question.
Do I download W10 and install it, then replace the SSD or do I replace the SSD and do a fresh install. If I do the former, what is the process?
Please note that while I talk of such things as if I know what it means I do not.
I did build my pc, so can push cables into slots but remember that when I changed the HD for an SSD and did a fresh install I ended up in a bit of a mess, which is why I am leaning towards just installing W10 over the existing W7, but any simple advice and even better any links to a step-by-step guide would be wonderful.

Many thanks !

 

[realspeed]

if you installed a new SSD drive being completely blank you would need to buy windows 10 disc from someone like ( http://www.scan.co.uk/shop/computer-hardware/all/software/microsoft-windows-10) .

That would be my guess to be the easiest. Check if you need the 32 or 64 bit version as well or both on one disk. You can only upgrade on the hard drive you already use

 

[neil_g]

you could clone the drive either before or after the W10 upgrade.

Windows has built in drive imaging, shows up as "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" in Windows 10 search.

 

[realspeed]

you could clone the drive either before or after the W10 upgrade.

Surely that would take up more memory as you would be cloning both W7 and W10 ? with a slower startup speed?
Steve

A slow computer could also be down to amount of RAM and the processor as well.I have an SSD drive on my computer but also 16gb of RAM and an i7 processor so going from a disk drive to SSD drive was no problem but much faster.

 

[neil_g]

youre cloning it so you would still have the option to clear out the old W7 using the disk cleanup options, or wait the 30 days for it to be automatically removed. Or just delete the Windows.old folder. Like any W10 upgrade.

 

[Mikesphotaes]

My advice would be to clone your present disc to an SSD then see how much quicker it is.

You may find out that it is as not as quick as you hoped, in which case a new laptop will be on the cards.

 

[redsnappa]

My laptop is old and slow...I want to upgrade to W10

Sounds like you need a new laptop not a OS upgrade.

 

[stevewestern]

I was going to try out the upgrade on the laptop first, and then do the same on my desktop once I am more confident - as you suggest, the laptop could maybe do with replacing as it is about 6/7 years old..

 

[redsnappa]

With a laptop that old it would be very very wise to run the compatibility checker before performing the upgrade.

 

[stevewestern]

With a laptop that old it would be very very wise to run the compatibility checker before performing the upgrade.

I've been getting the MS message saying I should so assume it will be ok..

 

[Mikesphotaes]

I've been getting the MS message saying I should so assume it will be ok..

Yeah, I got that on my netbook too, it wasn't OK!

 

[stevewestern]

Yeah, I got that on my netbook too, it wasn't OK!

Ah.. Many thanks for that, I'll do a proper check. So glad I didn't just go ahead!

 

[redsnappa]

I've been getting the MS message saying I should so assume it will be ok..

Not necessarily that is why Microsoft have supplied a compatibility checker. Microsoft simply cannot check the compatibility of every single laptop on the planet that is why they supply the tool.