Upgrade Window 10 or New Computer?

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I have several computers with Windows 7 Pro that I can update with OPatch (not sure how to do that yet) that I am perfectly happy with.  However, in order to be able to use a desktop version of TurboTax 2020, I need to install Windows 10.  Concerned about upgrading my computer and having something go wrong.  What I am wondering is which of these alternatives is best:

• Get a new, refurbished or used laptop from Ebay with Win10 Pro installed
• Set up a Virtual Computer on Windows 7 and install Windows 10 Pro – not sure how do that but I have heard it is possible
• Convert one of my computers to Windows 10.  Not sure if I can upgrade with no additional license fees.  Dell Laptops (E6540) are from 2013 purchased in 2013, 2017, 2018.   All have I7, one has a 250GB SSD (16GB Ram)  the others 500 GB SSHD (8GB Ram)

 

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Frankly, I have never had problems when moving from Win7 to Win10 (years ago, as Win10 got rolled out). Please note, that you can always revert back to Win7 if you don’t like Win10. But even without that – I would suppose being able to use TurboTax 2020 is worth taking some risk, since risking fall-out from the IRS is the last thing to prefer 😉

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ECWS

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Thanks – if I have the Win 10 1909 ISO do I just place the file on the computer on the desktop and install?  How did you install it?

Also – how long would I have to be able to revert back?

Last – can I upgrade to Windows 10 Pro?

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You can install Windows 10 and activate it w/o having to buy a license using the Windows 7 Pro key from the computer you you are installing on. Be sure to backup any important files then follow this guide by Ed Bott at https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-still-get-a-free-windows-10-upgrade/

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Shelly, ECWS, woody

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You need to do a full disk image and a separate file backup of your data BEFORE you start.
Because: You have 10 days to roll back to your previous version BUT the rollback doesn’t always work. And, the install might not succeed and you could lose everything, And……

You need to do the upgrade OFFLINE (disconnected from the Internet and your network) if you want a LOCAL account.
If you stay connected to the Internet, Microsoft will force you to create a Microsoft Account which means you will log in to MS every time you use your computer. And, it will upgrade you to the latest version during the install no matter what ISO you use. You need to go through all the settings (particularly Windows Update) before you connect to the Internet. Win10 will activate with the Win7 license key once you go online.

There are lots of threads with information on how to do this on this site. Read them BEFORE you start so you know what to expect.

3 users thanked author for this post.

FL Jack, woody, ECWS

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Thanks.  This is valuable information since I would not have thought to do any of it – particularly upgrading offline.  Is there a comprehensive list or thread that provides a step by step process or does the (Ed Bott) link above cover it.

Given all the complexities of upgrading, would you get a new computer w/ Win10 Pro on it? How could I be assured it had a local installation?

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If you set up a new computer from first run (never been booted before, no IDs on it) you need to do it the same way – OFFLINE.

There is lots of discussion on this site about it. You just need to look at topics on that subject. Use the “Forums” at the top of the page. Click on Windows, look for similar topics, click on Windows 10, then Questions Windows 10, then some of the later versions like 1809 through 2004. Use the search box in the right woodgrain panel.

You will get answers here. Ask them how-to questions.

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ECWS

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When I downloaded the 2004 version from the Microsoft Site it put this folder on my computer:$Windows.~BT.

• If I copy the ISO folder to a USB drive to upgrade a different computer, do I need that file?  If not, should I delete it?
• Same computer – what happened to the $Windows folder when I downloaded the 2004 version after having downloaded the 1909 version?  Does it change the folder or add a new folder
• When I get a copy of the Windows program from heidoc does it download the $Windows.~BT folder or the Media Creation tool?
• Last – Should I delete the Media Creation tool?

 

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anonymous wrote:

When I downloaded the 2004 version from the Microsoft Site it put this folder on my computer:$Windows.~BT.

Microsoft uses that folder to contain the Media Creation files. The folder is named the same no matter which version of Win10 you are dealing with. Those files are used (depending on what you choose) to install Win10 on your computer OR create an ISO OR create a bootable media installation device. It is a “holding tank” for the temporary operations. After it finishes whichever operation you choose, it usually removes the temporary folders.

The ISO is a single compressed file that contains the installer for the OS. The Media Creation Tool is used in the download from Microsoft and the temporary setup for creating the ISO on your computer. If you use the MCT, the only ISO you will create is the current Win10 version (2004 now, soon to be 20H2).

If you download the ISO from Heidoc, you are downloading the already-created ISO, and you can choose the version you want. You are not limited to the current version. If you use the ISO from Heidoc to do the installation, it will create the same temporary folders and the MCT created during the installation because it uses the same method. In other words, for a given version, the ISOs are the same no matter where you get them.

You can save the ISO once it’s made for installation on any machine. You won’t need the MCT again b/e it is just the mechanism for creating the ISO, and once you have the ISO, that’s all you need.

2 users thanked author for this post.

ECWS, FL Jack

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Appreciate all your detailed instructions – especially the comment on updating offline!

Should I delete the Windows ~BT folder and the Media Creation tool on those computers where I downloaded 2004 Win10 update directly from Windows before I update with the 1909 ISO from heidoc or should I just leave them alone?  I guess I should also remove the 2004 ISO from them and keep the USB copy only?

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It is OK to delete the ~BT folder and the MCT that was used by 2004.  You might also want to run Disk Cleanup as Administrator and clean up the system files before you start the 1909 installation.

You won’t need the 2004 ISO either if you have a copy on a flash drive.

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ECWS

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As PKCano says.  I would definitely run disk cleanup, including system files.  That’s one of the corrective actions for a failed upgrade, so might as well get ahead of the game.

Getting into the realm for Ford vs Chevy vs Ram, I’d upgrade to 2004 rather than 1909.   I understand there’s some concern about 2004-related issues, but I’ve got a couple of dozen machines Dell machines of various models (all corporate line) running 2004 and no problems with any of them.

BTW: the media creation tool that will make your Windows 10 flash drive will only make one for 2004 now.

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I personally would do a clean install of the newest version of Windows 10 on your 2018 laptop, or on your 2017 laptop. (In other words, I wouldn’t do it on a very old laptop due to possible compatibility issues.) If you want to save what you have now, copy it off first. Make sure you match the Windows 10 version to your Windows 7 version. In other words, if you have Windows 7 Pro, get Windows 10 Pro. (You also need to match on 32 vs 64 bits. With that much memory, it is almost guaranteed that you have 64 bit Windows.)

Download the Windows 10 ISO, and save it to the hard drive of the laptop you will upgrade. Double click on the ISO, then run the setup.exe file if prompted.

You will soon be asked if you want to save your files and apps, save your files, or save nothing. I suggest saving only your files, or saving nothing. Then proceed with the install.

Windows 10 should automatically activate, because Microsoft will use your existing Windows 7 license to activate Windows 10. This is how it has happened for me on several Windows 7 computers.

If you want to keep Windows 7 on this laptop, then I suggest installing virtual machine software, then installing Windows 10 in the virtual machine. (In this way, you’ll have both Windows 7 and Windows 10.) However, if you do this, it is doubtful that you will be able to use your existing Windows 7 license to activate Windows 10, because it is already being used for Windows 7. In other words, you will likely need to buy a Windows 10 license. Also, there are cases where you need to have Windows 10 as the host OS; it won’t work in a VM in those cases. I recently had this happen to me – I needed Windows 10 to run some test software, and the test software wouldn’t run if Windows 10 was in a VM. But those are rare cases; in 98% of the cases, running Windows 10 in a VM will get the job done.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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ECWS

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Thanks.  Did you do an Image Backup and if so, what program did you use?  I also need to purchase a 1TB portable hard drive to backup to.  Any suggestions?

Also – during the steps you listed was it done locally to avoid the problem the PK lists?  If so, at what point in your steps were you offline and when did you go online.

Last – did you upgrade with Win10 1909?  I have the 1909 64 bit ISO version.

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MrJimPhelps wrote:

Download the Windows 10 ISO, and save it to the hard drive of the laptop you will upgrade. Double click on the ISO, then run the setup.exe file if prompted.

Sorry but… that is not a ‘clean’ install, it’s an ‘upgrade’ install.

A ‘clean install’ (after backing up data) runs from a new external boot process and should wipe everything… all data, partitition info… the works (including RAM)… so cannot be carried out from within an existing OS installation. It’s a contradiction in terms.

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Rick Corbett wrote:

so cannot be carried out from within an existing OS installation. It’s a contradiction in terms.

… though if you’d trust the existing OS to be free from contagious malware, it’s theoretically possible to make an OS that could bootstrap a full reinstall (with or without a wipe) from a running system.

Windows does NOT have that feature. Very few current operating systems do, none of them mainstream.

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ECWS wrote:

I also need to purchase a 1TB portable hard drive to backup to.  Any suggestions?

Any 2.5″ USB 3 disk that you can afford will be fine. There is no need to spend a lot of money, just buy new from a retailer that makes it easy to return under warranty if needed.

cheers, Paul

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ECWS

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Thanks Paul.  I was considering Amazon or Ebay but based on your advice seems like I should stay with someone with a local store like BestBuy, Office Depot or BJ’s.

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Is this a good choice?
WD – easystore 1TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive – Black – $47.99
Not sure what you mean by 2.5″?

Also – would this be backward compatible to USB 2.0?

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That is a 2.5″, USB2 compatible unit and the price looks right.

cheers, Paul

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[MHCLV941]

ECWS wrote:

Convert one of my computers to Windows 10.  Not sure if I can upgrade with no additional license fees.  Dell Laptops (E6540) are from 2013 purchased in 2013, 2017, 2018.   All have I7, one has a 250GB SSD (16GB Ram)  the others 500 GB SSHD (8GB Ram)

I have upgraded (in-place upgrades) a couple of dozen Dell Latitude laptops, as far back as D630, from Windows 7 Pro and have happy Windows 10 Pro installations to show for it.   I’ve also upgraded in place upwards of a hundred Dell PCs of various vintages, also yielding happy Windows 10 Pro installation.  There has been the odd problem, but nothing proved unsolvable.

HINT: Do NOT have any USB storage device plugged in, other than the upgrade source, when you do the upgrade.  That seems to be a 100% recipe for failure.

 

ECWS wrote:

Get a new, refurbished or used laptop from Ebay with Win10 Pro installed

Those refurbished machines are the same vintage as your newer ones.  Why pay for an unknown machine when you can do the same thing to your own machines for no money and not a lot of time.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by MHCLV941.

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ECWS

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Thanks your comment was encouraging until I read the comment form Anonymous that followed.  Looks like I will have no choice.  Was there a way to check compatibility with your current programs?  Did you have to download many new drivers (for example for Wireless Internet, Video, etc.?  I do not have much new software on the computer except what came from Dell.  However, I think the AMD Radeo was upgraded.

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See my suggestion on this post: https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/upgrade-window-10-or-new-computer/#post-2297851

Unless you had a third party mucking around inside the machine, odds are the AMD graphics are what came from Dell.   Unlike PCs, there’s very little you can do with laptop hardware other than adding memory or swapping out the drive.

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I had 2 PCs running Win 7 Pro 64bit with very similar specs:

1. My PC : ASUS A88XM-PLUS + + AMD A4 5300 @ 3.4GHz + 16GB memory
2. My Wife’s PC: ASUS A88XM-A + AMD A4 5300 @ 3.4GHz + 16GB memory
   – this PC is also a backup for 1 so has the same partitions and apps.

In March 2020 I updated my wife’s to Win 10 1909 Pro 64bit and I find it terribly sluggish. Gut feel says 1/2 speed. It was so bad that I decided to stay on Win 7 and have the ESU (kindly arranged via Ask Woody). I plan new hardware for my PC at some point before moving to Win 10. I also hated the loss of my normal hot keys and the less than friendly Explorer. As a power user these were second nature. Instead I upgraded my PC to a A8-7600 processor but the improvement was marginal.

As for the upgrade to my wife’s PC. First I reinstalled Win 7 Pro as a virtual PC from the original SP1 disk and applied all the updates and re-registered via telephone. This provides a Win 7 backup PC in case any software didn’t run. I just installed my accounts package as this is my most critical package.

On the real Win 7 I could not face reinstalling 50 or so apps so went for a Win 10 inplace update rather than a fresh install. This went fine ex issues having no sound output. In the end I bought a cheap used sound card. Surprisingly, I found Classic Shell (now Open-Shell) continues to run.

Windows keeps a copy of the Win 7 system for 10 days as a 20GB file. I tried to back up this copy but there were technical issues.

I then had to personalise all the accounts (Admin, my wife, my own), particularly all the privacy settings and delaying the auto-update to the next release. This takes ages.

As already mentioned – take lots of backups at each stage. I use Macrium Reflect to make partition images (each PC has partitions C: to K:).

Good luck.

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This is a cause for concern after being encouraged by the message from MHCLV841.  These are the specs of the computer I have::

Dell Latitude E6540 Laptop, Quad Core i7 4800MQ 2.7Ghz, 16GB DDR3, 256GB SSD Hard Drive, 1080P 15.6″ FHD LCD, AMD Radeon HD 8790M 2GB GDDR5, HDMI

However, looks like I do not have a choice since I want to be able to run the desktop version of 2020 TurboTax coming out in November.

Another question prompted by your comments.  Will I have to check compatibility for the current software and will I need to download drivers for various programs such as AMD Radeon, Wireless Internet, etc.

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Um, OPatch is a utility Oracle provides to let people update their software. So it’s for corporate software and not the sort of thing you would be running at home (unless you need to run something for your work, I guess). It certainly doesn’t update Windows or any Microsoft stuff. Are you thinking of Windows Update?

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You are misinformed. 0patch.com (that’s a ZERO, not an OH) is a company that provides extended support for Windows 7 (in addition to other software) in place of the ESU offered by Microsoft.

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ECWS wrote:

Will I have to check compatibility for the current software and will I need to download drivers for various programs such as AMD Radeon, Wireless Internet, etc.

Dell has a driver update utility called Command | Update.   It will bring your machine up to date for you, without having to scrounge all over the place.

I would also suggest you run a disk cleanup, including system files, before attempting the upgrade.

If you get a warning about available space on the drive, there is an option to use a flash drive as storage for the update.  I’ve only haad to do that once, but it worked just fine.

One last thing – computers teach patience.  Once the update finishes asking questions, go away for a while and do something else.  🙂

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[AlphaCharlie]

FWIW, I am typing this on a Lenovo Thinkpad T61 built in August 2007. It has an Intel Penryn T9300 CPU and 4GB of RAM.

I am sure it came with Windows XP Pro, eventually was updated to Win 7 Pro for many years, and now running just fine on Win 10 Pro 1909.  When I was ready to move from Win 7 to Win 10, I updated the BIOS and replaced the old HDD with a 500 GB SSD, otherwise the hardware is all original.

I figured that this old PC would eventually be truly obsolete, but its a pleasant surprise that it still runs fine.    I always get lots of advice from AskWoody folks.

So your least-cost and lowest risk option might be to pick your oldest PC, follow all the advice here, convert it to Win 10, see if you can make it work for the purpose you described.

Just one thought about an inexpensive alternative:  Could you use the online, browser-based TurboTax?  Then you would not need to install anything.  You could even dedicate a very inexpensive Chromebook to the task.

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by AlphaCharlie.

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Thank you, I just love to read success stories using old tech with modern operating systems. We still have our 2008 HP laptop with an 256Gb SSD replacement for the original HDD running 64bit v1909 and maxed out 4Gb DDR2 Ram.

As windows10 v2004 doesn’t live up to our standards, linux distros post 1909. Best £600 I spent on a laptop, for sure.

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AlphaCharlie

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Thought about going online but concerned about having all financial information kept online by TurboTax.

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MrJimPhelps wrote:

I personally would do a clean install of the newest version of Windows 10 on your 2018 laptop, or on your 2017 laptop. (In other words, I wouldn’t do it on a very old laptop due to possible compatibility issues.)

I understand the thought of a clean install and, prior to Windows 10, I never did an in-place upgrade, either.  However, I’ve had excellent results doing them on Dell corporate hardware (Optiplex and Latitude), including some very old hardware, Latitude D630s.   This spans close to 300 machines, both desktops and laptops, all of which were on users’ desks when upgraded.

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Based upon my experiences and that of other in this post, Win 10 works well on some fairly old PC’s (mine are circa 2009, 2011 and 2012 running 1909).

When I upgraded to Win 10, I installed new SSD’s and cleanly installed Win 10 on them.  Of course, doing so requires that apps be reinstalled and data be moved to the new drive from the old drive.

Using this method, if you encounter any issue you can just reinstall the “old” drive.

I’ve had no problems yet.

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ECWS’s Dell Latitude E6540 laptops are easily capable of running Windows 10.  If there are useful programs running under Windows 7 and/or one has a lot of personal info not yet backed up, then the upgrade is the answer, making sure that the checkbox to keep programs and files is checked.  Thereafter, assuming a successful install, and some testing to make sure it has gone right, do a disk cleanup, deleting lots of stuff, but not the Downloads.

My rules of thumb for upgrading to Windows are:

1. If the computer has a Windows 7 or 8 sticker or Windows 8 embedded in its BIOS, installing Windows 10 is a good thing.
2. If the computer is 8 or 9 years old, installing Windows 10 is questionable, unless the hardware is absolutely pristine.
3. Make sure the computer has at least 4GB of memory, upgrading if necessary, even if installing the x86 version of Windows 10.  Less memory results in a very sluggish computer, hammering away at the swap file with every switch to another program.

I have an Intel 200MHz Pentium Pro motherboard here, tricked out with 1GB of 72-pin workstation memory, a decent AGP graphics card and a 3COM Ethernet card.  Yes!  Even though nearly 25 years old, it runs Windows 10, connects to the internet and does tasks, albeit from USB with the stripped Hiren’s BootCD PE.  Does it run?  Yes.  Does it run slowly?  Yes, slow in the extreme.  No, it’s not my daily go-to machine.

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[ECWS]

I saw on the Turbo Tax forum that there may be an option to do a dual boot so that I can keep Windows 7 and only use Windows 10 for Turbo Tax.  Is that workable option?

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by ECWS.

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[Alex5723]

You can dual boot but you will have to pay for Windows 10 license.
TurboTax for 2020-2021 will be released in a on December 4th, 2021 so there in no rush to move to Windows 10.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Alex5723.

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A possibility could be to dedicate one of your many devices to W10 only using the upgrade method described in post #2297139
Creating an image of Win7 before upgrading would provide a nice failsafe should anything go awry.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Windows XP Mode – Virtual PC is installed on the Windows 7 computer that I am planning to upgrade to Windows 10.  I needit for  Quicken 98 that only runs on XP.  I realize it has been upgraded, however this version works better for my purposes than any other version. The only way I can run it is on the Windows XP Mode which is allowed in Windows 7.

• How will the Virtual PC be affected?
• Do I need to remove it and if so, how?
• Will the XP Mode run in Windows 10?

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It’s possible the VM may be able to run under one of the virtual applications that run on Win10.
Look in the folder that contains the XP VM.
What are the file names with extensions?
Even better, can you post a screenshot that shows that information?

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These are the files I saw on the Windows 7 computer.  Is this what you were looking for?  If not, where else can I look for them. KB958559 installed on 7/12/13 in the Installed Update files however not seeing XP listing in programs on the Windows 7 computer.

Thanks.

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OK, your VM is .vhd
In the top shot  C:\Users\<ID>\Virtual Machines – what is the full name of the Windows XP Mode…. ?

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Is this what you are referring to:

Windows XP Mode.vmcx

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Yes.
Maybe someone already knows if the VM will run under some software on Win10. So lets see it there is an answer.
But if no one answers, give me some time to do some research on it.

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See Hyper-V – Add Windows XP Mode Virtual Machine in Windows 10. NOTE: You must have a Windows 10 SKU that supports Hyper-V – Pro or higher.

--Joe

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Thanks.  If I have several machines with XP on them as well as coepes that I used for the Windows 7 XP mode, could I use those keys (When I look under “System” in the XP Mode I see a key) to activate XP without having to redo every 30 days?

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OK, Here’s a starting point:
Did a google search on “how to run XP Mode VM on Windows 10”
Results are here.

There is some indication the XP Mode can run on WIn10. I don’t know if it would survive the upgrade with the “keep my apps and data” option.

1. Download the XP Mode from Microsoft. XP Mode is available for download directly from Microsoft: Download Here. …

2. Install 7-zip. …

3. Use 7-zip to extract its contents. …

4. Activate Hyper-V on your Windows 10. …

5. Create a virtual machine for XP Mode in Hyper-V Manager. …

6. Run the virtual machine.

 

There is a tutorial on TenForums on how to transfer an existing XP Mode VM from Win7 to WIn 10:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/138739-import-windows-xp-mode-windows-7-windows-10-a.html

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Thanks PK!

Should I just leave Windows XP Mode – Virtual PC on the Windows 7 machine when I do the upgrade?

Will the image I take before I do the upgrade also image the Virtual PC?

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I don’t have the answers for those questions.
Don’t know if your imaging software will handle the VM.
Don’t know if XP Mode will survive the upgrade.
You will need to do some research – there are YouTube videos and all sorts of info out there.

If it were mine, I think I would buy a second second drive, restore the current drive to the new one, and try things, if I didn’t find a definitive answer. Hard drives are cheap, at least cheaper than losing everything. With a copy of the drive, I think I would start with seeing if XP Mode will survive the upgrade or use the TenForums tutorial.

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What a great idea!  I just looked and a internal hard drive for a Dell E6540 is about $60 – the same cost as a portable drive.

Would I just image the drive I have and then copy to the new internal hard drive?

Then move on with the original drive for the upgrade to Windows10?

Is everything for the computer contained on the hard drive (Bios, etc.) so I could easily just exchange one drive for the other?

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You would have to restore the image to the new drive and be sure it boots and everything works. I would leave the old drive intact, without making any changes to it, as a backup and use the new one for the upgrade. That way you have a new drive.

Read the link in @joep517 ‘s post #2304553 and do some research on the topic.

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ECWS

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[ECWS]

Priced out the new Dell Hard Drive 500GB SSD for $90.  Once I image my current 250GB SSD, do I take it out and put the new 500GB SSD into the computer and then restore the  image to the new drive?  Or – do I have to image the new 500GB SSD before installing it on the computer?

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by ECWS.

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ECWS

Don’t know where you live (shipping, etc.) but that seems a rather high price for a 500GB SSD.

Zig

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Zig,

What would you expect a reasonable price to be?

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[Zig]

EC,

I had forgotten you were looking to upgrade a laptop; if it’s NVMe, here’s a larger SSD as a Newegg “Shell Shocker” today for the same price. I can’t copy/paste the ad, but look for a Crucial P2 1TB SSD (NVMe) for $94 with PromoCode 93XPX59.
Not sure about laptop SATA III drive prices, though.

Zig

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Zig.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Zig.

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I’d put an SSD in for that money.
There are plenty of free apps that will migrate the data and align the SSD.

cheers, Paul

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I’d agree with @Paul-T, and once you have replaced the HDD with an SSD and all is working well, the removed HDD could be used as an external device (once an external HDD casing is purchased) low cost and great value.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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The computer that I am planning to upgrade has a 250GB SSD.  If I image it can I restore the image to the new SSD hard drive via the USB port?  Would I have to still align it since the current hard drive is a SSD?

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You must always align SSDs.
Your restore program should do it for you.

cheers, Paul

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ECWS

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Saw that Windows 1o Pro is available for $39.99.  Is there a good reason to buy this version instead of upgrading Windows 7 Pro using an older downloaded version from the Microsoft site?

“This offer is for a Microsoft-licensed retail version of Windows 10 Pro, and not an OEM version.”  which is 80% off?

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If you have a Win7 Pro license key, it is good for an upgrade to Win10 Pro.
If you have Win7 Home, you get Win10 Home if you use the key to upgrade.

A Win10 Home upgrade to Pro bought through MS is $100.
If you buy the Pro key from PCWorld for $39.99 the upgrade from Home to Pro is cheaper by just changing the license key.
And, on top of that, it is a Retail version which can be transferred to another machine, as opposed to the OEM which is locked to the original hardware.

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ECWS

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ECWS wrote:

new Dell Hard Drive 500GB SSD for $90

For Dell, that’s not too bad a price, but like parts bought from the new car dealer, it’s high.  For example, NewEgg offers four different major brand 2½” 500 GB SSDs for $60 to $70.  Other reputable online sellers would have similar prices.

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ECWS wrote:

do I take it out and put the new 500GB SSD into the computer and then restore the  image to the new drive?

Yes, that is the correct method.
Booting from your backup USB will allow you to restore from the image.

Don’t forget to align the new disk.

cheers, Paul

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