Can I downgrade a Toshiba Satellite laptop from Win8.1 to Win7 by installing a new SSD?

[mwsnod]

Hi all!
I bought my wife a Toshiba laptop for her school work last Christmas that came pre-installed with Win8.0. After a year, she's decided she can't take it anymore. From my few interactions, I agree with her completely, it's counterintuitive for non-touchscreen devices. BTW, we've upgraded to Win8.1 and tried the Start Button apps so please don't start a flame-war by following those tangents and concentrate on the primary question:
Can I use the new 250MB SSD (Samsung 840EVO) that I was going to upgrade my desktop with to provide a clean install of Win7 on her laptop? If so, how? Do I just swap the drives and pop a new version of Win7 into the optical drive?
Also, can I then use the data migration tool to move the programs she does need from her old HDD to the new SSD? Or do I have to re-download them from the 'net?
She's not a power user and we don't keep pictures/music or large amounts of data on the laptop so I'm not too worried about the size issue (unless Win7 will take up a disproportionate amount of it?)
Help please!

 

[RealBeast]

Yes, as long as that specific model has Windows 7 drivers available you can UPGRADE to Windows 7. Backup her data, it will be a clean reinstallation . Then optimize her drive space using a good guide like THIS.

I would also do fresh installs of all programs once the drivers and Windows updates are installed and you check that all is good.

 

[Alabalcho]

There are plenty of start-menu programs that make Windows 8.x look almost as Windows 7. Try e.g. this one.