>>>>>I am considering upgrading my Windows 7 PC (which I use for all my development) to Windows 10.
>>>>>I bought this Dell PC in 2013, replaced the hard drive to SSD drive some years later. So, as far as the hard disk, I know it has enough for the upgrade.
>>>>>The PC has 16 GB of RAM.
>>>>>Processor: Intel Core (TM) i7-3540M CPU @ 3.00 GHz.
>>>>>
>>>>>Two questions:
>>>>>1. What do you check on this notebook to make sure it is compatible to Windows 10?
>>>>>2. I I choose to reformat the drive and install Windows 10 from zero, does the pc/notebook have enough power to run it?

>>>>Don't think you'll have problems -- I upgraded my rig with I3 2120 CPU at 3.30GHz and 8GB of RAM. The one thing I'm not sure is if you'll end up with a fully activated copy of Windows 10 if you try to do a "clean install". If you perform an "in-place" update (i.e. install Windows 10 as upgrade over the existing Win 7 installation), it should be fully activated -- once you've got the instance of Windows 10 installed and registered, the electronic registration should allow you to do a "clean install" that will be activated once the computer is able to connect to the activation server, That's the route that I took on my computer -- I first imaged the existing harddisk (just in case something went wrong during the update). then ran the Windows 10 install as an update. I did have a few scary moments as I needed to update the BIOS for certain things to "take" properly (the scary bit came after re-flash of the BIOS and the machine went into a reboot loop --- it partially booted, then sent into reboot -- repeating it several times before it eventually "settled in" -- Not sure how many cycles it went through this, but after the first couple reboots, I'd got interrupted with a phone call, and by the time I'd finished with it the computer "settled in").
>>>>The one thing you may find is that the update may remove some software (the Windows 10 install determined that this software was not compatible with Windows 10) -- some of that software could be re-installed (and some could not). What was annoying was amongst the stuff that got uninstalled was the copy of VirtualPC and the VMs installed under it (one of which was the XP Mode VM).
>>>

>>>What program did you use to make an image of the old (Windows 7)?
>>>As far as updating BIOS, I would need to get them from Dell, right?
>>
>>I only needed to reflash the BIOS on my desktop due to the age of the computer (the motherboard dates back to the days of Windows XP) -- there were some settings for hardware virtualization that weren't working properly (and when I was using Win 7 on the rig, it was using the software-level emulation -- but this selection isn't normally available under Windows 10 due to performance degradation, and since the OS detected that the CPU could handle it, it enabled the hardware-level mode -- but the motherboard that I had didn't support it unless I'd reflashed the BIOS to newer version).
>>I do have an older laptop (bought as a refurb which I'd purchased only as temporary measure to have a mobile rig to use, but it ended up being usable for more and I ended up putting off the purchase of newer laptop). It's old enough that it has a sticker on it that reads "Built for Windows XP" and the "Windows Vista capable" sticker. When I got that laptop, it came with Windows 7 installed (special edition for computer refurbishers). When Windows 10 came out, I tried the upgrade to Windows 10 to see if it would "take" -- and was somewhat amused that it *did* install and work. Not bad for a $100 purchase. OK, I'd spent a bit more on it as I'd one of the first things that I'd replaced was the HDD (which turned out to be a good thing -- the HDD that came with the laptop failed after six months). Since then I'd replaced the HDD with a SSD (which noticeably improved its usability -- in the beginning it was usable but a tad slow, but after several Windows 10 revisions, it became unbearably slow -- after switching to SSD it's now back to usable albeit a bit slow). The decision to switch to SSD came when I'd noticed that I could get one for around US$30.
>>
>>Had also upgraded my main rig -- a desktop -- to SSD as well. Decision came about when I'd found need to increase size of boot partition. To do that required me to shuffle stuff on the other partition to make room for that, and installing a new HDD would be faster (just image the boot partition, write that to new HDD, set the new HDD as primary disc, and current disc as secondary, and I'm pretty much done). Since I was adding a new HDD anyway, then why not SSD? especially when I could find a "good enough" SSD for pretty cheap (especially since I'd be using SATA connection).
>>
>>To image the HDD I've been using Acronis TrueImage. However, I believe there may be free software available that runs off a "live" distro of Linux -- you just boot from the CD/DVD or thumbdrive (and if not mistaken, that's basically how the Acronis product appears to be doing -- when booting from the CD, it looks like it's booting into a Linux distro that's been configured to automatically run the imaging software).
>>
>>Aside from any potential BIOS updates, the other thing to grab off the Dell site would be the device drivers for Windows 10. That way if the generic drivers that come with the Windows 10 install disc aren't sufficient to get your rig running fully, you've an option to install those missing drivers (it pretty much sucks if you find yourself in situation where the drivers you need to have are the ones that prevent you from making network connection and/or prevents you from reading USB thumbdrive).
>
>I will buy Windows 10 Pro Download (from Amazon) for $180 and see it takes me. I will create an image of the C: partition first.

Before shelling out to MS I'd check if the free update from 7 to 10 is still available - esp. as W11 threatens.
Follow Tores advice for a new SSD, but twice original size.

I am also VERY fond of Acronis TrueImage. Bundling a simple version with Crucial MX 500 plus their great results was reason for me personally to go "all Crucial" when every machine went SSD here and siblingswhere - after testing the SSD waters with only 1 machine first, as I was afraid of loosing data.

If you only have 1 or 2 machines and your current SSD probably offers Backup/Clone option, stay with that brand unless greatly disappointed.

my 0.22€
thomas