I am doing my research on getting an older referb laptop (bigger screen for my old eyes) and it looks like I can still get Win 7 or 8 OS. So was thinking how to go about backing up the entire HD and OS, as only program I plan on loading will be Spooky.

One of the best programs to back-up/recover your drive is the Acronis True Image. However, the image it makes will work/recover on the same computer. Trying to 'recover' on another computer may not works as the motherboard drivers are not the same. You can, however, copy the files you need on an external drive or USB stick and transfer them to the new computer. The new computer, most likely will have a system already installed on it so all you need is your personal files from the old computer.

Windows 10 is the newest and definitely is an excellent system. Some people don't like it but they didn't like windows 7 either when it first came out! I use both 7 and 10 but my main computer I use most has win 7. Do not use win 8, it has been abandoned by Microsoft for a reason. You may not find any old computer with windows 10 as it is pretty new, most likely you will find some with windows 7. Avoid windows XP as it is very old and abandoned by Microsoft. As Brenda said, it may work but... it is just old and if you ever need to install another useful program, related to Spooky, may not work.

If you want to use the computer exclusively for Spooky then an 80GB drive will suffice.

For more details, please check the link:
http://www.spooky2.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=5232