transition from 8 to 10

[RetiredGuy1000]

ide 500GB 7200 rpm

 

[RetiredGuy1000]

could be sata...will know when i get the service tag

 

[Joep]

Well, admittedly, I am banking on the core speed. We priced a new Dell and it was quite a lot of money. New CPU but lots of cash compared to paying me $300 to put in a 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM and upgrading to Win 10.

When I get the PC in my possession I do want to make sure this makes sense from the core perspective you raised. How do I tell if the current CPU is inadequate for the upgrades? Do I check resource monitor and see if we are maxed? Perhaps there is a software utility that helps answer the question...

Well, I was thinking simpler and check system requirements for the software. I was just throwing it in. FWIW, if you look at something more heavy as PhotoShop (I just checked that) then I guess RAM and storage would indeed be higher on my list than more cores.
From info I quickly gathered anything over 4 cores wouldn't have significant impact. I guess that i3 will have 2 physical cores.

But if she's doing lighter stuff it should be fine. What you're offering will add plenty, noticeable improvement.

 

[gpg]

She really just uses it to put jpgs into calendars and to email her family. She scans things and likes to create interesting photo products. No photoshop, just light image use in apps that are also pretty light.

From the looks of it she is not a power user. You may find that installing https://elementary.io/ would be best. Linux has gotten much easier to use and is not spying on you. It's elementary, my dear RetiredGuy1000.

Ok, maybe not so elementary. Drivers for the scanner may be a bugger. At least think about it or spin up a VM of Elementary OS to try it out yourself. My boss gave me a couple of HP Stream Notebooks with W7 Pro on them. I put Elementary OS on them and will be giving them to my sisters. No time for Windows 10 and it's constant headaches.

gpg

 

[Porthos]

could be sata...will know when i get the service tag

It Is SATA. IDE's are long gone for the most part. 10+ years or so.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yeah, the youngest IDE enabled systems had Windows Vista on them. You had to jump through hoops to see Windows 7 on those old platforms, that's how long SATA has been around. I've never seen a Windows 8 system with an IDE controller even on the board!

 

[Porthos]

@RetiredGuy1000 When you have any doubts on these "home user" Windows 10 issues just remember WWJD (what would Jerry do) I am usually just a call away. Mon-Sat (turn off ringer on Sundays). You know the number. I have you in my address book so I don't send the out of area call to voicemail.

 

[fincoder]

She really just uses it to put jpgs into calendars and to email her family. She scans things and likes to create interesting photo products. No photoshop, just light image use in apps that are also pretty light.

Any i3 is OK for this, but preferably 2nd generation or higher.
Also, there's no need for more than 8GB. In fact you'll find with an SSD installed the performance increase over 4GB would be marginal for that usage.

Download the latest Win10 installer ISO, you should have a copy anyway.

Plug in the SSD
You could clone the current HDD to the SSD if you want to keep all apps and settings. Macrium Reflect can do that. Then you can do an in-place upgrade to Win10 using the downloaded ISO.

Or make a bootable USB with the Win10 install ISO.
Install Win10 to the SSD (with the HDD temporarily disconnected). The Win8 product key embedded in the BIOS will be automatically used and Win10 will activate.
Then reconnect the old HDD and transfer data and some settings using Fabs AutoBackup Pro (or manually). Format the old HDD if it's going to be used for extra storage, or just disconnect it and leave it as an archive of data up to that moment.

 

[RetiredGuy1000]

i think my client has grown cold feet as she is avoiding me it seems.

 

[Porthos]

i think my client has grown cold feet as she is avoiding me it seems.

What was the cost quoted the last contact with them?

 

[RetiredGuy1000]

Welllll,,,at first it was $400. Because I expected to have to buy Windows 10. Add to that a 1TB SSD and 16gb of RAM. There was $150 of profit which I think is reasonable for installing a new drive, ram, and a new OS. But then I dropped the price $100 when I learned she could upgrade for free from 8 to 10. She was pleased to hear the news.

I asked her for the Dell express service tag a couple times. Maybe she thought I was clueless.

If only she really knew! Lol

 

[Porthos]

I asked her for the Dell express service tag a couple times.

Customers don't know what service tag is or where to find it. Many times it needs a magnifying glass to read for some. You confused HER.
I always remote and use UVK to get serials and service tags. Also I use the time to see what is going on with the computer.

 

[timeshifter]

I question the need for a 1TB SSD. Are you sure she's really maxed out on her 500GB? I've seen plenty of Windows 7 systems with 100's of GB or c:\windows\temp

 

[Joep]

I question the need for a 1TB SSD. Are you sure she's really maxed out on her 500GB? I've seen plenty of Windows 7 systems with 100's of GB or c:\windows\temp

I question a lot of things.

Cold feet? Yes I can imagine. You call with one simple issue, hard disk full, and before you know it you're $400 poorer. For that amount I'd also go look for an upgrade laptop.

IMO, these type of cases are either 1 of those 2:

- You work with that you have, tell customer this laptop will never feel like a modern one, but you can get it to run as when she bought it. Disk cleanup, defrag. On a full hard drive that can make a world of difference. Check startup items and all that. You can advise and external hard disk to move some stuff to.

- Forget the old laptop and get a new one.

 

[Umbra]

For what she does a tablet is more than enough lol

 

[RetiredGuy1000]

She just texted me. Says she has been in NY and will order the parts tonight. I am filing that under 'ill believe it when I see it'.

So, maybe I didn't scare her off. Good learning experience though(don't confuse the client).

Also, 1Tb seems fine as she only has maybe 500mb left on her 500GB hard drive. She saves lots of photos and does tons of photo stuff(calendars and the like), so I thought that I would give her room for growth. Heck, maybe she will discover video soon. But, now that I think of it, she will be keeping that 500gb existing drive, so maybe I should only put a new 500gb SSD drive in. That would make sense. I have an extra 500 gb so I can credit her the difference in cost.

 

[seedubya]

Most laptops don't have a second drive bay so you will need to upgrade her to 1 TB.
1. Remove old drive, put to one side
2. Install new drive and install Windows 10 from ISO - I have NEVER had this not activate from a Windows 7 Key
3. Hook up the old drive to the new installation using a docking station and use Fabs Autobackup Pro to transfer the data from her old drive to her new drive
4.??
5. Profit.

Alternatively
1. Clone old drive to new drive, resizing the main partition to make use of the extra space
2. Install new drive in laptop
3. Download the Windows Media Creation tool and use that to run the update to Windows 10 from Windows 7
4. ??
5. Profit

I prefer the first one because I like clean installations but I've done quite a few of the second and there's no issue either way.

 

[RetiredGuy1000]

Most laptops don't have a second drive bay so you will need to upgrade her to 1 TB.

She has a desktop, not a laptop. Did I accidentally say she had a laptop? My apologies.

No, its a Dell desktop. Still don't have the darn Service tag. I will get it when I pick up the PC with the new parts.

 

[timeshifter]

But, now that I think of it, she will be keeping that 500gb existing drive, so maybe I should only put a new 500gb SSD drive in. That would make sense. I have an extra 500 gb so I can credit her the difference in cost.

You would be doing her a disservice IMHO. Can't remember if I've ever seen an average user that had two drives in their PC and did not have the second drive totally empty. Even for the ones that know how to save to two different volumes, it's a hassle. Much better to have one C drive and keep it simple.

 

[fincoder]

Can't remember if I've ever seen an average user that had two drives in their PC and did not have the second drive totally empty.

That's why you re-locate the user library folders such as Pictures, Music, Videos, Downloads. Then the user automatically uses the second drive without even being aware of it.

Much better to have one C drive and keep it simple.

Agreed. It's still simpler to have a single drive and with today's SSD prices there's usually no need for two drives.

@RetiredGuy1000 the Samsung QVO 1TB SSD is a decent quality and affordable drive.