Migrating data on an upgraded MacBook Pro

Hello,

I have a MacBook Pro (A1278) which I've just had the RAM and memory upgraded on (swish swish zoom zoom superquickfast). The shop that did the upgrade installed the latest OS, and also Microsoft Office which I didn't have before. So I now have my old laptop wiped, formatted and empty – only with some extra software on which I don't want to lose.

Prior to the upgrade I backed up my stuttering MacBook Pro with Time Machine on an external hard-drive. So I'm now wondering the best way to get all my old data and settings and lovely background wallpaper onto my new formatted superfast computer, without losing the new software and the new OS.

Questions are:

- If I just plug in the external hard-drive and enter Time Machine and click restore or whatever it suggests, will it literally just revert me back to my old setup, throwing out my shiny new Microsoft Office package in the process?

- Or, I read briefly about something called Migration Assistant – is this what I need?

So to recap, the endpoint I want to get to is something that looks and feels and uses like my old laptop, but with the addition of the new software running on the new OS. How do I get here?

Many thanks in advance for any advice!

 

Thanks @simonsi !!