A few questions for decision to upgrade

Currently, Win7 Pro on new laptop-

I purchased a refurbished Lenovo T530 (replacing a limping 6-7 year old T61), 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM built 2012, Nvidia card, 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) NO TOUCH, Intel Core i5 3320M (2.60GHz). The machine config I wanted is not being produced yet so I'm looking at the T530 as a temporary for a year, maybe 2.

1. Post upgrade process, Win7-->10, ~how much drive storage will still be consumed by Win7 remnants?
2. Would working with 10 w/o a touch screen but any more difficult/cumbersome than working Win7 w/mouse?
3. Does 10 use >, < or ~= the RAM as 7?
4. Are there any huge OS 'use a lot' modules (e.g. file explorer, control panel, system...) with unpleasant surprises in terms of a) not being intuitively located (Win7) or rebuilt necessitating a learning curve?
5. Is 10's speed >,<, or ~= to that of 7 in processing OS tasks?
6. With a primary SSD boot and shutdown times are no longer an issue. Does 10 make same even less an issue?
7. Is 10 significantly better at diagnosing a network or system problem than 7 (which really isn't much of a stretch)?

Well, that's it guys. Your answers will enable me to decide.

Mark

If you have an external storage location, such as USB hard drive, why not just make an image of what you have now with Macrium Reflect Free, upgrade to Windows 10 and see if you like it. If you don't like, just restore the image you made. To answer your question:

1. Depends on how much stuff you had installed on Windows 7.
2. No.
3. I would say Windows 10 uses less RAM than Windows 7.
4. Old control panel replaced with "settings" is the biggest change.
5. Windows 10 is faster, in my experience.
6. If fast startup works properly on your computer, Windows 10 will boot faster.
7. No clue.

I was unsure about the ability to restore a 7 image (with Reflect) thinking once upgraded to 10 MS would do something unforeseen like de-register the machine's 7 license that would impair my ability to then stick the 7 image back on if not okay w/10. Guess not, must be reading too many spy novels.

Let me rephrase #1. Applications and data aside (since they'll be left as is so whatever space they consumed under 7 would be the same with 10, just the 7 OS that is being replaced by the 10 OS) does the upgrade process delete all the 7 files/folders, compress and keep them on the machine or leave the 7 files/folders uncompressed in an obscure location?

I'll give it a shot:

1. It depends on how much you had before, but it can all be removed. Most people do a clean install right after the upgrade, though.
2. No, unlike Windows 8, Windows 10 is designed to be used with or without a touch screen. I use three computers and only one has a touch screen. All run 10 very well.
3. 10 may use more, but in a good way. The idea of using less RAM has died out around the time 7 became the OS of choice. You want your system using that RAM effectively, and 10 does this.
4. I'm not sure what you mean, but the learning curve is very small.
5. Some say 10 is faster and I can't disagree. On your system, it will run great.
6. Shutdown times have always been about the hardware and running programs, not the OS. An SSD will help with boot up and shut down times. See #5.
7. If you learn how to network properly, meaning no homegroups, not wizards, etc, then networking hasn't changed since 7 and that's a good thing. No OS is better or worse at troubleshooting. Windows 10 is the new, common platform, so you'll have plenty of resources such as these forums.

NavyLCDR said:

If you have an external storage location, such as USB hard drive, why not just make an image of what you have now with Macrium Reflect Free, upgrade to Windows 10 and see if you like it. If you don't like, just restore the image you made. To answer your question:

1. Depends on how much stuff you had installed on Windows 7.
2. No.
3. I would say Windows 10 uses less RAM than Windows 7.
4. Old control panel replaced with "settings" is the biggest change.
5. Windows 10 is faster, in my experience.
6. If fast startup works properly on your computer, Windows 10 will boot faster.
7. No clue.

DeaconFrost said:

I'll give it a shot:

1. It depends on how much you had before, but it can all be removed. Most people do a clean install right after the upgrade, though.
2. No, unlike Windows 8, Windows 10 is designed to be used with or without a touch screen. I use three computers and only one has a touch screen. All run 10 very well.
3. 10 may use more, but in a good way. The idea of using less RAM has died out around the time 7 became the OS of choice. You want your system using that RAM effectively, and 10 does this.
4. I'm not sure what you mean, but the learning curve is very small.
5. Some say 10 is faster and I can't disagree. On your system, it will run great.
6. Shutdown times have always been about the hardware and running programs, not the OS. An SSD will help with boot up and shut down times. See #5.
7. If you learn how to network properly, meaning no homegroups, not wizards, etc, then networking hasn't changed since 7 and that's a good thing. No OS is better or worse at troubleshooting. Windows 10 is the new, common platform, so you'll have plenty of resources such as these forums.

Most informative.
Answers with real substance. Something everyone can learn and benefit from.
Thanks.

After sleeping on these recent top flight responses as soon as I finish the last few xfers of settings/apps from the old lenovo to the new I'll run several Reflect images and then upgrade.

What I don't get is davidhk saying most of you, after the upgrade, do a clean install. Two questions:

1. If the purpose of an in place upgrade is the retention of data/programs, then what's the point of doing the clean install after. Why not just do a clean install in the first place?

2. I get doing the clean install on a machine that's been running OS7 for a period of time but since I'm just now installing data on a clean 7 and the only 'wear and tear' has been installing my programs, utils and data--and if 10 replaces all of 7 and if I then erase all that remains of 7's system that the upgrade left behind...I'm not seeing any advantage to a clean 10 install in my particular instance?

3. Regarding a simplistic home network: currently, my wife's desktop 7, laptop 8 and my laptop 7-->10--
Ever since Win2k when I've been retired and setting up a network myself no matter how many screens on each machine that I set every conceivable drive property to "'everyone' writes/reads/has super human capabilities" I still end up with multiple instances of blocking on a write attempt. Not happily, I've finally given up and do an auto homegroup with all its limited abilities. If someone has a link to a tried and true (no step missing or stone unturned because 'the person should have known to do this...'), I'd gladly give the real networking another attempt.

Mark