About buying a new computer

Motim · 03 Jan 2024

Hello,
My computer is getting old, and windows 10 will soon stop receiving updates. This computer cannot be upgraded to windows 11.
So I started thinking to buy a new computer with windows 11 on it.
This time, I think, that the OS and office will be installed on a SSD drive, including some (not many) programs installed.
I intend to remove 3 good hard disks from the old PC and install them in the new one. Most portable programs and data are on them.
Now I have some questions, please:
1. Recommended size of the SSD drive.
2. One of the 3 hard disks has windows 10 on it (in a separate partition).
After installing those disks in the new PC, what can I expect when booting the Windows 11 ?
If everything goes well, then the windows 10 partition will be erased / formated.
Answers will be appreciated.
Any suggestions will be welcome
Thanks
Motim

OS Windows 10 pro, 19045.3803 22H2 x64

dalchina · 03 Jan 2024

Hi,
Just considering your old PC.. should you wish to continue using it..
a. Win 10 won't stop working after Oct '25 as I'm sure you know.
b. MS has said it will offer a paid means of receiving updates- including consumers.
c. You may have the option of transferring your license should you wish to buy a 'bare bones' PC.
That is only true for retail licenses-not ones inherited by upgrading from Win 7 or 8.1

As for the size of the SSD- probably 500GB is a reasonable trade-off in terms of price per GB and should give you more than enough space for Windows, Office etc - you can then create a partition on your SSD for e.g. personal data or whatever you wish.

No need for C: to use all that space.

Plan to keep personal data off C:

One of the 3 hard disks has windows 10 on it (in a separate partition).

Best remove that installation entirely before moving the disk to the new PC.

Plan your backup strategy for all disks so you have e.g. appropriate external disks for your backups.

Motim · 03 Jan 2024

dalchina said:

Hi,
c. You may have the option of transferring your license whould you wish to buy a 'bare bones' PC.
That is only true for retail licenses-not ones inherited by upgrading from Win 7 or 8.1
Plan to keep personal data off C:

Hello,
Thanks for the answer.
This 'old' computer was 'tailored' by me and a computer-shop technician, who did the work later.
In time I think to do the same for a new computer.
Installed Windows 10 pro and office home student have legal paid licenses.
About backups: If I make my user profile backup, can it be restored to windows 11, same structure ? (silly question ?)
Thanks again
Motim

dalchina · 03 Jan 2024

You can transfer a user account, selected installed programs, optionally documents (personally I'd stick to just the programs) using a 3rd party one-off license program - Laplink PC Mover, Easeus ToDo PCTrans.

Use a disk image of the original PC as source for the program running on the new PC for the transfer.
You hopefully already use disk imaging as you've been a member for a long time, so nothing new there.
Avoid transferring large programs e.g. Office by that means, also security programs.

Very useful if you've a lot of programs installed- huge time saver.

If only a few- save the money and set your new PC up manually, using disk imaging from the beginning and periodically as you configure it.

anubas · 05 Jan 2024

What about not connecting the OLD disks after inserting your new Windows disk (which will be an SSD disk).

That way, the system can do whatever it wants, and your data is safe on the unused disks.

When the new system, with Windows 11, is working fine, install the old disks and get data any way you want.
These disks will be data disks anyway.
If however one of them you want to boot from - the old Windows 10 main disk - that must surely be possible, but my multi-boot knowledge doesn't stretch to Windows 11, that stopped with Windows 7, or earlier even.

But I would NEVER do this without backing up ANY old disk to any backup system of choice. These days you even have 512GB thumb drives ... OK, they're slow, but cheap. Otherwise a 10TB USB disk.