Need help backing up windows 10, downgrading to 8.1, backing up that and upgrading Laptop HDD

[chickenfriedrice]

Sorry for the complicated title.

Basically I upgraded to windows 10 on my toshiba satellite L50-B-07W.
I don't like it because of graphical and audio issues so I want to downgrade back to 8.1 but need to make a backup. I will also be upgrading my Toshiba MQ01AB075 HDD to a Seagate 500 GB SSHD.

---
Question:

I have a 3.5" WD Blue HDD on my desktop, would I be able to backup my windows to it using a USB to SATA adapter and powering it via the PSU? Also would I be doing a "backup" or creating a system image or cloning?

Windows 10 has a "create system image" option, is there a program that anyone would recommend or is it fine?

Also if anyone knows of any cheap (<$10) USB to Sata adapters that can be shipped to Toronto, ON, Canada would be great (I only have a 1 month window to downgrade back to 8.1)

To my understanding, if I clone my drive, I will only be able to have 1 backup at a time, so if I backup windows 10, and downgrade to 8.1 and all goes well, I would need to erase my windows 10 backup to do the windows 8.1 clone right?
---
I really don't want to screw up my laptop, it's only a year old and I have 0 experience with system images/restoring from backups

Thanks

 

[drtweak]

It doesn't matter if you backup (more so clone or image your drive) before or after you downgrade (If you don't want to downgrade every time you recover then downgrade before)

Also you can just clone from your laptop hard drive straight to the new hard drive. No need to toss it to one drive, and then back to another. A program highly recommend around here is Macrium Reflect. it is free and can clone your drive while running windows. So if you just get a USB adapter, plug in your new HDD to your laptop, install the program, run it, clone your existing drive to the new one, once done turn off, and swap the drives. Then downgrade if you didn't downgrade already. Either way it doesn't matter if you downgrade before or after.

 

[chickenfriedrice]

It doesn't matter if you backup (more so clone or image your drive) before or after you downgrade (If you don't want to downgrade every time you recover then downgrade before)

Also you can just clone from your laptop hard drive straight to the new hard drive. No need to toss it to one drive, and then back to another. A program highly recommend around here is Macrium Reflect. it is free and can clone your drive while running windows. So if you just get a USB adapter, plug in your new HDD to your laptop, install the program, run it, clone your existing drive to the new one, once done turn off, and swap the drives. Then downgrade if you didn't downgrade already. Either way it doesn't matter if you downgrade before or after.

The reason I want to back up is to be safe in case I screw something up. I don't necessarily trust the downgrade button on windows 10 considering I've had other problems with it - so I want to back up win10 incase the downgrade goes wrong somehow, once it goes fine ill backup windows 8.1. Also, I've been reading some things online. Is it possible to just hook up my Laptop HDD to my desktop and do a backup on my desktop (and subsequently clone my laptop HDD to my new SSHD) without the need to buy a USB to SATA adapter?

 

[drtweak]

Yes you can use your desktop. Just toss it in on sata. And i have downgraded a few pcs without issues but always good to do a backup though