With the ending of Security Updates for Windows 7 ending in January 2020 what do our experts think we, that have 7, should be preparing to do? Any advice, suggestions?
Windows 7 Ending

As most of us have already done, upgrade to Windows 10. Supposedly, Windows 10 will be the last version of Windows with it simply being updated periodically. You can no longer get Window 10 free, but will have to purchase it. I scored a Windows 10 Pro key for $80 just before Christmas, but it will normally be about $150 with Windows 10 Home being about $105.

Hi Tomato Queen

Have all the plants ready to go?

Thanks for the info on Win 10, I hate change. Will I have to re-install all programs and loose everything on the computer now or is there an Upgrade Version of 10 that will save everything without re-formatting the whole drive? Are there going to be compatibility issues do I need more Memory (have 8192mb)? I also have Win 7 64bit do I have to find a Win 10 64bit? What year does Win 10 expire and might there be a higher version in the works or a chance they will extend Win 7? Sorry for all the questions.

As I said above... Windows 10 is supposed to be the last version ever. They will just update it periodically. it will never expire and there is absolutely zero chance they will extend support for Windows 7. It's already been on extended limited support for 4 years.

There are no longer any versions of Windows except for 64 bit, so no worries there.

Since you have a fairly high end computer as I remember, you won't have to worry about any compatibility issues. I'm still running 8 GB of RAM myself. Tried to upgrade to 16 and got a bad stick. After 2 days of boot loops, I gave up and just went back to 8 and haven't gotten around to it yet. But I need to.

When you install Windows 10, one of the options will be to keep all you personal files, applications and settings. Do make sure you have any driver discs on hand if they are needed. I just did a clean install of Windows 10 Pro on a new 1 TB SSD and the only driver I needed was for my WiFi adapter inside the case and for my printer. Windows 10 installed all the other drivers and then I went to manufacturer websites to check for any driver updates there.

Yes, it will be different, but there is plenty of help out there. Window 10 itself even has a really good "help" option. Plus, I can do Window 10 in my sleep, so just holler at me!

EDIT: I'm putting my seeds in their little germination trays today! I'm about a week behind...

I'd suggest putting a second hard drive in the computer and putting whatever OS you want to use for Internet on that.
You can choose some version of Linux (which is free) or use a "fresh install" of Windows 10 if you want to go with that.
That way you don't lose your old Windows 7 installation and you don't need to worry about potentially losing game activations (especially if bought from sites like "Adventure Shop" that are no longer around and can't be re-activated).
Web archived version of Adventure Shop, if you don't remember what it looked like:
https://web.archive.org/web/20130204224719/http://us-adventureshop.gamesplanet.com/

When booted to the Windows 7 hard drive, you can disable the network connection, or uninstall the drivers for the network connection so it won't go online anymore.

Modern Linux installations seem to create a boot menu if they detect Windows installed on another hard drive, and a Windows 10 installer would probably do the same. So you may not even have to go into the BIOS/Setup and choose which drive to boot from.

That's actually a very good idea and what I've done in my computer. I have Windows 7 on a small SSD with storage on an old 500 GB HDD. It's a little trickier to install to a new drive when you have an existing Windows 7 installation because you have to get into your BIOS to tell it to boot from a USB or DVD or whatever in order to install a new OS on a new drive. If you are installing on top of an existing Windows installation, then you don't have to do that. You just pop in your disc or USB and go on your merry way to setup. Since you would need to do a full installation on a new drive, not an upgrade, I would not trust it to overwrite your Windows 7.

While Linux is a great free option, the problem with it if you are a gamer is that very few Windows based games will play on it. My grandson used it and he loved it for a lot of the old school Linux based games. I tried it and had an utter nightmare with the Linux Grub Loader boot manager - finally had to get rid of it and even that wasn't easy. After uninstalling Linux, the Grub Loader STILL wanted to be the boss. There were tons of complaints about it in the Linux forums. Maybe things are better now. Windows just makes a nice blue screen with your options of which drive you want to boot into - I actually like their boot manager.

Decisions! Decisions!

Hi GreyFuss. I also, do not like change and am dreading this. I'm going to keep my Windows 7 computer and buy a new computer with Windows 10. Not looking forward to this at all!

That's why you keep your Windows 7 around.
The only problem is if you play games that have to be online all the time.

I don't know any adventure games that require Windows 10.
There are some online action games that do.


Having used Windows 10 for non-game things, I don't like it at all. It took me quite a while to get rid of the more obvious annoyances and get it looking more like Windows 7. For example, I had to look up how to force it to search my hard drive in the Start Search (like Windows 7) and not try to search the entire Internet when I'm trying to search for a file on my computer. There's a way to configure Windows 10 "only" to search your hard drive when you use the Start Search, but I had to look that up. I had to look a lot of things up.

I've read that installing Windows 10 is a much better experience if the computer is not connected to the Internet during the installation, and the default settings are more reasonable if you install while offline. I wasn't the one who installed it, so I don't have direct experience with that, but it's something to keep in mind for when you install it.

Like you, I probably won't have a computer with Windows 10 unless it comes with the computer. Even then I'll probably only use it offline.

And that's why I keep my Windows 7 drive updated! Once support ends, I'll just take it offline when I boot into it.

SO FAR new adventure games aren't requiring Windows 10. As support for Windows 7 ceases, I have to wonder if in the years ahead, new games will also drop support for it.

Many old games still work with XP.
Carol Reed games are supported back to Windows 98.
http://www.mdna-games.com/April/about.htm
I think it's really nice that they don't require more than a game like that really needs.

Games made with AGS also have low requirements, though they require XP as a minimum.
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/manual/ags3.htm

It depends on the type of games you play.

The newest 3D adventure games seem to use either Unreal Engine or Unity Engine.
For example, Quern used Unity and Obduction used Unreal Engine.
So any game made to run with either of those game engines would require whatever versions of Windows they supported.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_game_engine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreal_Engine

Oh good grief...I was so hoping this wouldn't be so complicated.

I don't have any games to those Online site only Steam or GOG

I am also very confused at all the offerings at Newegg for Windows 10

I have never been involved with multiple Drives, Boots or Operating Systems so all over my head.

OK... Kind of what I figured. So, barring getting a new computer with Windows 10 on it or taking your existing computer to a shop to have them install a new hard drive and put Windows 10 on it for you, then you will have to install Windows 10 on your existing computer. Of course, do a backup first, but then just tell Windows 10 to leave your applications, files and settings in place - essentially do an upgrade. This is what you need, but I would get it from Amazon.


Window 10 Home on USB Flash Drive

OR

Windows 10 Home DVD

A "how to" with my favorite... pictures! Ignore the stuff about the Media Creation Tool... that's if you download Windows 10 from Microsoft.


How to Upgrade Window 7 to Windows 10


Or this YouTube video shows how to upgrade from a USB or DVD drive.


Upgrade Windows 7 Using USB or DVD Youtube Video

Thanks Drac

How can one be sure in this day and age that what they buy Online is authentic and not some pirated or already registered product and one wouldn't know until later when they needed support. Its such a cheating world out there, it makes one long for the days of honesty, honor and integrity.

Whould leaving all applications, files and setting keep things like my massive saved web sites in FireFox? Sorry for more annoying questions.

Yes, it would. I have a Firefox account which backs up all my Favorites etc. When I installed Firefox on my new drive, I just signed into my Firefox account and they synced everything to the new drive.

These are all OEM or Retail versions and not pirated. There are special seals on them and everything.

Thank you so much Drac. I hope I have better luck with this switch than I have had the last few years trying to grow tomatoes.

Oh, no! One cannot go through the summer without tomatoes! If you are trying to grow in patio pots, that may be your problem. Tomatoes don't do very well in them unless they are the little ones made to grow in pots.

I think you will find this switch to be much easier than you anticipate. There is much that is different in Window 10, but also much that is very similar. I actually find Windows 10 much easier to navigate than Windows 7. And like I said, I'm just an email away!

Last years death toll...3 pre-ordered Brandywine plants from Burpee. 2 in containers 1 in ground. 1 pot spindly few tomatoes, 1 pot I cured blossom endrot, few tomatoes others eaten, 1 in ground few tomatoes others eaten. I am dying for a real tomato and not the hard hothouse flavorless ones. Even the ones sold at the Farmers Markets are from the Produce Terminals where all the stores get theirs too. I long for the days where farmers had a small roadside stand stand selling their home grown outside vegetables. They are all gone and replaced by condos and huge home subdivisions.

I take it you have squirrels! I will have to find the picture a friend of mine took of the simple screened in area she made of PVC piping and chicken wire. She never lost a tomato! Last year Wal Mart had some beautiful Cherokee Purple tomato plants. I bought a few to replace some I lost and they did great.

Walmart...Cherokee Purple....wow...that sounds tempting

I don't want to totally hijack this thread to discuss tomatoes, so see your email for a pic of that PVC tomato cage! But where ever they are, they need a minimum of 6 hours of sun every day.

Actually it's easier to put a 2nd drive in the computer than it is to get used to a new operating system all at once -- and by "operating system" I mean a different version of Windows.

There's nothing that can drive a person to desperation quite so fast as having a strange interface they can't cope with and having nothing familiar to fall back on. The worst time isn't when you first use the new interface, it's when you really, really need to use the computer and you can't do what you need to do the way you used to do it.

One thing you might seriously consider is to get a 2nd computer just for Internet. It doesn't have to be a very powerful or expensive computer if you're going to be doing your gaming on your old one. Easier than installing any version of Windows yourself, and if you watch for sales you should be able to get an inexpensive little dinkus with Windows 10 to get you online for cheap. (By "little dinkus" I mean one of those "small form factor" computers that you sometimes see for cheap.) If you have Windows 10 on a separate computer, you can always go back to Windows 7 on your old computer for a while if Windows 10 starts to overwhelm you.

Some people adapt to changes in a computer interface very quickly.
Some just don't. You know which you are.

This is actually all sounding depressing to me. Up until now there hasn't been much difference in changing over from Win 98 to Xp to Win 7...this is...is...I can't find the word. At least I have a long time to get over it.

GreyFuss, it's actually not that bad. As I said, there are things that are different, but a lot of things that are the same. And I am always just an email away!

I thought it was depressing too. Microsoft's forcing it down peoples' throats, forcing their computers to download and install it without the owner's consent was a really stinky thing to do, and people are still having problems with Windows 10 deciding to do a Windows update right when they have to use the computer for a presentation, despite how they've scheduled updates.

But if you didn't have trouble going from XP to Windows 7 you may not have much of a problem. I actually had less of a problem learning to use the old Mac OS9 on a 1990's Mac I bought for vintage Mac games than I did getting used to Vista after using XP. So I don't want to minimize the problems anyone might have getting used to the changes, both in the interface and the behavior, between Windows 7 and Windows 10. I think it's important to have something to fall back on, which is why I suggested a second cheapie computer for Internet, or just to learn on while you keep the Windows 7 computer as is.

Well I know for sure I won't like them interrupting and installing updates any time they want and without my permission for sure. And I am sure that eventually I will learn any new ways that Win 10 has from Win 7 but its the hassle and worrying about programs that don't work or having to updates tons of program drivers or updates, losing information or finding that programs won't run with the information or items I do have.

Some of the Links I read from Draclvr keeps talking about Apps and I don't have anything like that or really even know what they are. Aren't they things for Apple Computers or phones or something? Not sure how they would be mentioned with a Windows computer.

I do want to take this time to thank jenny and Draclvr for always helping me out and for the help they provide everyone here at GB.

Apps are little programs that usually only do one thing.
For example you might have a weather app running on your desktop that tells you the weather forecast. Or you might have a clock app that displays an analogue clock on your desktop.


I think Apple coined the term "app," which comes from "application."


Windows has had that sort of thing for years. They just weren't called "apps."


That's one reason I suggested getting a separate el cheapo computer with Windows 10 instead of wiping out your Windows 7.

GreyFuss, they call them apps, but they mean your programs. It's just become "computer speak" over the years. I have my computer and my Window 10 Pro tablet set to automatically update. In over 3 years I have yet to have an issue with the updates interfering with me. I will get a notice that there is an update waiting and do I want to do it now or schedule it for another time. I've never had one just start updating without notifying me first. But then I am on my computer a lot every day and leave it on all the time except when I go to bed. I could see if I missed one of those notifications it might start doing the update. They also make allowances for people who are on metered connections and only critical security updates are downloaded. I prefer to have them all as it kind of defeats the purpose of never issuing another version of Windows if you don't allow it to update. There were some nightmare stories of an update which was rushed out and people lost a lot of photos... I was puzzled about that as if your huge photo collection is so important, why didn't you have it backed up? Like I said, in over 3 years, I've never had a problem with updates.

If your programs work on Windows 7, they will also work on Windows 10. Even the issues with games that use certain forms of DRM is part of Windows 7 now after one of the updates from a couple of years ago. And any games that are currently installed will continue to work. One of the things that Window 8 and 10 have really improved is driver support. It's nothing like the old days. However, once I get everything up and running, I always check with manufacturers to get any driver updates.

I have done at least half a dozen fresh installs of WIndows 10 and upgraded several Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers. Every single one has gone without a hitch and is so fast compared to the eternity it used to take to install Windows 7. Necessary drivers were installed and I updated where necessary. On the upgrades all programs (apps) and files were left in place.

Although an update would probably go just fine, if this is all too stressful for you, then plopping down $500 for a cheapie Windows 10 computer just for using the internet might be your best bet.

I do admit that I no longer am up on the 'computer speak' anymore. I don't have all the fancy gadgets and do dads like the rest of the world, in fact I just checked my Pre-Paid Flip Phone and it doesn't say App anywhere.

What would be the difference between a fresh install and an upgrade? Are they two different products?

I don't think I am concerned so much about learning how to navigate Win 10 so much especially since both of you (Jenny & Draclvr) has reassured me so well, I am so concerned that I will have a lot of work in recovering all the things that could be lost, broken or programs that no longer work. Except for a game that I would be playing (few & far between the last couple years) I do leave them on the computer once I have finished them.

The upgrade leaves all your programs and files in place... just the operating system is upgraded. The fresh or custom installation wipes you hard drive clean of everything and installs Windows 10.

It's a great way to start fresh, but not what want when you want to leave your files and programs undisturbed.

I would back up everything on the computer that you absolutely don't want to lose to an external drive before running the Windows 10 upgrade. Never trust Windows to back up all your stuff during an upgrade. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. And if it doesn't, it's best to have the information elsewhere so it isn't completely lost.

What to back up would include personal files (documents, pictures), game installers, installers for any other programs you want to keep, and any saved games you want to keep. Use a USB external drive that's large enough to hold all your important stuff.

Good advice Jenny. Is there any programs out there that would save everything on the computer except the Operating System? There is just so much more than the files I would be able to think of like Saves and Settings within my many Programs not games? How big are Flash Drives up to now?

I am still a bit confused about Upgrade and Fresh Install. Are these two different programs for Win 10? For example should I be buying a Windows 10 Upgrade kit and not a Win 10 Full Install Kit? Isn't that the way that the past Operating Systems came?

There are programs that will back up the entire hard drive including the operating system, so you can undo the Windows 10 install if you wanted. You need the hard drive space to back everything up on though. I've heard of backup software called "Acronis" but I've never used it myself. Finding software that's only going to back up specific things without backing up the entire hard drive might be difficult.


Amazon seems to have some that are 512 GB, and I even see one that's 1 TB.
The 256 GB drives seem to have better user ratings than the 512 GB.
You could get a USB portable SSD that's 1 TB for less than a flash drive that's 1 TB.
A portable spinning USB drive would cost even less.
I suggest getting one that's at least twice the size of what you think you need.

As I said in my first response, you should back up the drive you are upgrading. There is no "upgrade package" for Windows 10. You choose to upgrade or do a "custom/clean" installation. I just did it on my grandson's new build today. Since this was a new solid state drive, I chose the "custom"install. If you check out some of the links I provided, you can watch the process step by step.

Ahhh, now its becoming more clearer. They don't have different software for a Full install and one for just an Upgrade like in the past (the way past). The reason I didn't completly watch and read the Links you sent was because they mentioned early on a Clean Install and I didn't think it was pertaining to me. I should have known better as I read and watched all the way through and it does look easy...but still scary.

Now I just have to concentrate on how to back up the entire hard drive. Right now I have a 1 Terrabyte drive and have 671mb free of 931mbs.

Do you know what brand your drive is? If it's a Western Digital, they have free backup software from Acronis. I've used it several times when moving to a new drive. Once I even cloned the old drive and then transferred to the new drive. EaseUSTodo has good free backup software. I've also use that one. I think these are mostly paid backup software. If you are not already backing up, I'd sure recommend it! I backup my drive once a day with Carbonite.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3201971/best-windows-backup-software.html

It's always nerve wracking to do an upgrade! So far, all of the ones I've done have gone well.

Thanks Drac, I will have to study those Backup software.

According to my aperwork for this ECollege Computer I have a Gigabyte Motherboard GA-Z77-HD3

I use "Acronis" and "FreeFileSync" for my backing up

I remember that build had a good Gigabyte board. I've used them several times. But does it say what brand your drive is?

oops for some strange old brain minute I had thought you were asking about the Motherboard...geesh. Nothing in my paperwork states the brand of Hard Drive only...
1TB 7200RPM 32MB Cache SATA3 6Gbps (Major Brand). Wow...I bought this in June of 2013..doesn't seem that long since Ive had this, maybe since I still have the Dell XP computer sitting next to it (that I don't use)

Also looking at my official Windows 7 Home Premium disk, it says "Includes Windows Anytime Upgrade" does that mean anything?

Thanks Mad, I am sure I started this way early as it gives me 10 months to learn and get it right.

My brain is older than yours and works only now and then, so I completely understand!

As I understood it back than, that anytime upgrade meant you could upgrade from Windows Home to Windows Pro. But I might be mistaken.

You'd have to open your case to see if you could see anything on your hard drive. But you may not be able to see anything anyway depending on how you case handles drives.

I would research some of those backup solutions. Acronis always comes out ahead in most reviews, but it also may have a lot of features you don't need. Mad uses it, so maybe ask her about it.

Hi Drac

LOL...are you sure about your brain being older than mine???

The next time I open the case for a dust bunny removals (varmints) I will see if I can read the info on the drive. You are probably right about the Upgrade on the disk as how would they know whats down the line to be able to upgrade to anything besides Pro. I actually tried to find out if I could pay for the 3 year extension for Win 7 as for me, it would be worth paying say $100 for an extra 3 years but its only available to businesses and....they have to pay a price each year and the price goes up each year.

So Mad...how easy is your back-up software and what do you back-up and to what device?

Mine is 70 plus, GreyFuss!

Hi GreyFuss.

Once installed the two programmes are BOTH very easy to use - but my "techie" Son in Law actually installed them for me.
I have no idea how to do such things myself

[I DO know my FreeFileSync backs up to a "double disk NAZ" external drive.]

However, I feel sure everything you might need would be covered by the two programmes because that's the way my Son in Law works.
He likes to have everything backed up !!

Is there anyway you could get help with such installations ??

Cheers.

Mad

Installing the programs is easy... the same as installing a game from a disk or a download!

Sounds like your SIL has set you up with a NAS which is "network attached storage." VERY nice setup for backing up! Greyfus, if you do not already back, I sure would suggest you start. You don't need anything that advanced, but even a good 1 TB external drive would be a good investment.

Please forgive me the late response as I have been out of town.

Thank you Mad for your experience and suggestions.

I guess what I have been thinking about is just backing up the System once when I do the Upgrade to Win 10 just in case the change over doesn't go well and I lose some stuff. I guess it didn't dawn on me about Backup Programs and drives that constantly backup the computer. A long time ago I had a couple of those with a separate drive but I experienced periodic Blue Screens of Death and I got away from it. Is there any way to just back up the whole system once on a separate drive that I disconnect and save in case of an emergency or is what you are talking about is the only way to do this?

Sure you can do what you say. But of course that will be a snapshot in time and will not reflect any changes after that backup. For your purposes in moving to a different operating system, doing a complete backup just before you change over is perfect.

Now, if you're talking about backing up on a regular basis, that won't work. I use Carbonite which is a cloud backup service which backs up everything once a day. But there are plenty of ways to back up to a separate hard drive once a day, once a week, once a month... whatever you are comfortable with.

Windows 10 even has a pretty decent built-in back up system called File History. You just set it to back up your files to a location you want. I use it for backing up our files on our American Legion computer. I installed a new hard drive on that computer a couple of years ago and yes, I had to reinstall all our programs such as our Payroll software, Office, Money etc. But then I just restored all the files and was up and running in no time.

Windows 10 also comes with I think it's 8 GB of cloud storage in One Drive. You can even set File History to back up there. Just remember that all this is files not programs. Programs need to actually be "installed" to create registry entries. You can also create an "image" which will include everything including your operating system, programs and files too. I've actually done that one and it worked quite nicely. Again, that's a "snapshot" in time.

TMI, right!!

Yes, though I've never done it on a removable USB drive as opposed to a 2nd hard drive I added to the computer.

You could also just remove the current hard drive and put in a new one, and the current Windows 7 drive would be the "backup" while you install Windows 10 on the new drive.

My two cents: I like Jenny's idea of putting in a new hard drive for the Windows 10 and keeping the Windows 7 intact as your "backup".

And keeping the Windows 7 drive in the computer and setting it up as a dual boot with Window 10 on one drive and Windows 7 on another was also my preference! But GreyFuss indicated he really didn't want to do that.

I think it was the "dual boot" part he was nervous about.
That's an option, but it's not necessary.

GreyFuss, If you get a new hard drive, and if you don't want the old drive attached, you can leave the old one in the computer and switch the cables over to the new one. Or you can take the old drive out and put it in a box. You can even put the old one in a USB caddy, so you can plug the caddy into a USB port if you want to transfer files off of it.

If you're really, really nervous about losing anything, look for a cheapie computer with Windows 10. There's no danger of losing anything on your Windows 7 installation at all if you do that, and no configuration necessary. Having more than one computer has advantages beyond being "easy" -- if anything happens to one of the computers you can always use the other to go online for help.

I know Draclvr, but if Greyfuss wants to back up and upgrade, I like what Jenny suggested. As I posted earlier in this thread, the option I'm going with is keeping my Windows 7 computer and buying a whole new computer with Windows 10.

The problem with removing the Windows 7 drive and just keeping as a backup is that he doesn't have the use of that Windows 7 hard drive any more. And his goal is to have all his games, programs and files available to use after the upgrade. If he simply put in a new drive and kept the old one as a backup, he wouldn't be able to do that. The Windows 7 drive is also a very nice fairly new 1 TB drive and it would be a shame to just put it aside.

There are lots of options including getting a new cheapie Window 10 computer, but if you ever wanted to play any modern games on it, it may not be capable of playing anything but Big Fish casual games. He's got plenty of time to decide though!

Got it! You're right of course! He doesn't want it just for back up. I am also not looking forward to trying to reinstall all my programs and especially not the internet.

But, I don't know about the "plenty of time to decide" part. Time is flying by, for me anyway!

I know what you mean! Especially the older I get.

Not sure what you mean by installing the internet... you don't install the internet. Once you connect to your modem or router, you just enter your password and connect with a browser.

Which would be fixed by putting the drive in a USB caddy.
Or keeping it in the computer and attached, but not in a dual boot.
Whether you want it external depends on how much room is in the computer case.


The object of getting a cheapie with Windows 10 is to have something for regular Internet use without any headache or worry about losing anything on the Windows 7 installation. If he wants to play modern games that are graphics intensive, he'll have the old computer for that. (I'm assuming it's not all that old). If he wants a 2nd "gamer" computer, that's going to bring up the price.

At this point in time, the "2nd computer" option would be my personal choice -- even though I'm capable of setting up a dual boot. I'll probably get a computer specifically for Internet later this year (or build one), and it will probably not be a "gamer" computer.

Drac - just setting it up - installing the server/modem whatever the 2 items are. I don't remember any password. I've been looking for my information from when I did this 8 years ago because I would like to change out my equipment right now as I am having a lot of connection problems and want to see if that would help, but so far, no luck.

Are you using wireless?
If you're using an ethernet cable you don't need a password.
Your computer would need a password for a wireless connection though.

I was remembering that you were using WiFi, but as Jenny says, it you use an ethernet cable, then you don't need a password. You just plug the cable from your router or modem directly into the back of your computer and you're good to go.

Changing out your equipment may have to go through your internet service provider. Just not sure what your setup is.

I have DSL and an ethernet cable. I had to install a Linksey (router?) that I think had a password but I'm not sure anymore, and then also a modem. When I tried to just change the modem only, it would not connect to the computer. It was all lit up properly but no connection to my computer for some reason. I really just probably need to read the instructions from start to finish again. Also though, I had done the original set up in my other computer and then I think this one is on a network or something. The other computer has not been working for 4 years. I don't really remember at all how it is all connected. And I know my internet provider does want me to upgrade the equipment. I kind of want to wait until I get the new computer but at the same time I'm not sure that's a good idea. We'll see!

You'd need a password to log into the router and configure it.
If the router was installed by the ISP, they'd give it a good password for you.
The routers you buy yourself usually have a simple password or none at all, but they strongly urge you to create a good password for it.

I don't know if your router would need a password to connect to the modem.
The ones I've used don't, but maybe some do.

Usually when you connect a new modem (or router/modem combination) to your Internet connection's wall jack, it will not be able to connect to Internet until the ISP's equipment detects the change. Last time I had to connect a new modem I called up the ISP to tell them about the change in modem and they told me it would detect automatically -- but it took over an hour before it was working. Nothing to do with a password though, unless the ISP issued it.

Ah, maybe I didn't wait long enough for the modem to be detected. I did wonder about that.

The equipment is from my provider but they did not install it. The modem is hooked to the router; the router is plugged into the wall jack. Both sets of equipment are from my provider but are equally old. This second set ended up not being used though, so I thought maybe it might work better even if it is still just as old as the one I'm using. (I had gotten the second set because I THOUGHT something was wrong with the first set but there wasn't.)

So many decisions

And to add to this, all the crazy problems that are happening with Windows 10 and the latest forced Update...geesh!


Question:
If I do go with a second Harddrive... can I back up the entire computer as it sits now with everything including all programs and Windows 7? If I did do this with a second drive, would everything still be on the current drive so when that drive was upgraded to Windows 10 all the programs would remain the same including the Browser Bookmarks and everything else?

Also if the current computer is totally backed up (if possible) to a second drive, would I have to Boot into that before searching on it if I do lose something with the Win 10 upgrade?

If you go with a second hard drive, you would simply install Windows 10 on it and leave your Windows 7 drive intact... as-is. When you boot up, you are presented with a screen listing Windows 10 and Windows 7. You select which one you want and boot into it. You can always disconnect from the internet once you boot into Windows 7. Nothing would change on your Windows 7 drive and you could continue to use it just like always, but you could boot into the Windows 10 drive to learn how to use it and start gaming and using the internet there. Kind of best of both worlds.

Remember how I told you this is supposedly the "last" Windows 10 ever and you won't ever have to do this again? Well, the reason is exactly this most recent update... Microsoft will periodically be updating the operating system. There are some very cool new feature in this new update, but I haven't explored any of them yet. This update was just released this week and I had zero problems with it on either of my Windows 10 drives.

Not that you're anticipating doing anything yet, but you can get a very nice 500GB Western Digital solid state drive (they are super fast!) for around $100 - $130. A license for Windows 10 Home is around $100. It's easy to install the drive and the OS, but I'm sure it would be nerve wracking for you - it always is for me! So, if you have a repair shop or something nearby, just have them do it for you. There are even places that come to your house. This wouldn't take more than an hour to do. It would still be less than a cheap new Window 10 computer and you wouldn't have two of them sitting around and trying to use the same monitor, keyboard and mouse. Or purchase new ones. Plus, you'd be using your excellent video card and other good components in your existing computer.

Really, if there is any way you can swing it, this would keep your Windows 7 just like it is and you could continue to use it off-line. Windows 10 would be there when you want to start using it.

Or, just bite the bullet and upgrade the Windows 7 drive to Windows 10 which would probably keep all your programs and files intact, but now you'd have only Windows 10.

EDIT: Just check my emails and saw that Newegg has a 500GB WD SSD on sale for $68! So, when it comes time to decide what to do, if you go the two drive route, watch the sales!

Yes. You need a 2nd drive that's at least as large as the first one.

I take it you want to do an in-place upgrade.


I'm not sure if it saves all your programs, considering articles like this
https://www.howtogeek.com/243581/windows-10-may-delete-your-programs-without-asking/

My guess is you may lose some older games during the in-place update -- especially lesser known ones that Windows 10 doesn't recognize as "legitimate software."

People have also reported losing certain settings, though I don't remember reading about browser bookmarks specifically. You can back up your browser bookmarks using your browser though, and restore them later. One user reported
That's from here
https://www.infopackets.com/news/9630/windows-10-upgrade-do-i-have-reinstall-programs


No you can access files on both drives. You could search the 2nd drive the same way as if you had that drive for storage. You might have to configure Windows 10 for where to search though -- as in which drive to search.