This is a weird question.

I plan to buy a brand new 64 bit Win7 PC. Would like to clone the hard drive BEFORE it is booted up for the 1st time.

I currently have 32 bit XP PC's with 32 bit cloning software (not Win7 compatible) called Casper XP.

I was wondering if I could remove from new PC and connect the new 64 bit Win7 HDD using an EXTERNAL HDD USB adapter to my 32 bit XP PC, and use my Casper XP cloning software to clone THROUGH this PC to a blank HDD. In other words, just use the XP PC as a conduit to clone from one external HDD to another.

I've done this successfully using 2 laptop HDDs through my PC, but never trying to clone a different operating system.

I realize on the surface, it sounds like everything is incompatible, but since I am not actually booting the Win7 HDD, and I am simply transferring "data" from one external HDD to another, I thought it just might work.

Hope my question made sense.
Thanks

What you say is possible since you are not actually transferring the programs and applications (which won't work anyway) but simply transferring the data. And you are on the right path, and I guess you have the jumper drive or the so called usb hard drive enclosure. Hope this helps

Connect a external hard drive and boot from a bootable Clonezillia CD and clone out the drive. I much prefer to wipe the drive and install the OS and drivers fresh from scratch, though this is harder and harder to do because most systems do not come with OS install media, but media that restores the drive to as bought. The computer manufactures get paid to add additional software to new computers, this helps keep the price low but saddles the user with trial software and software that they really do not need or want. A fresh install of the OS then what ever you want or need is usually the best. I find that I now usually boot up and uninstall the shovel ware (all the extras thrown on the computer. Personalize, set up an AV application install my additional software clean the registry defragment then clone the drive.

Thank you both.

To clarify, I used the term "data" which was probably confusing. I didn't mean that I just wanted to clone the user files. I want to use this scheme to clone the entire drive including all programs and Win7 OS. I called it "data" because I'm viewing it as 1's and 0's, since the drive I am cloning is not booted.

Would you mind reconsidering the question and giving it another go?

Thanks so much.

PS to cmeeks. I appreciate all your suggestions. I specifically do not want to boot up the new Win7 HDD. I want to clone it 1st before anything is configured.

My question is specifically asking if I can do so using an XP PC and 2 external USB HDD adapters. Thanks...

By booting from the bootable clonezillia drive and making a clone of the HD this is exactly what you would do providing you boot from the Clonezillia CD before booting from the HD

CM: That sounds great! I'm sorry, but I didn't understand your 1st post.

I normally use Casper, but would need to spend $70 to get their 64 bit Win 7 version with Bootable CD to do exactly what you just described. Until today, I didn't even know this was possible.

A couple of questions if I may:

Casper is really simple to use, and it automatically re-sizes for different size HDDs. I never heard of the Clonzilla product.

Does it work on a 64 bit system?

I don't have an operating 64 bit Win7 computer. Can I download it and create the CD on my 32 bit XP system?

Can Clonzilla clone to an external HDD through a USB connection?

If I cloned this "new-never used" HDD from the new PC with this method, the clone would be an exact bootable copy of the "out of the box" factory HDD?

Thanks again...

Addendum: I just read through the Clonzilla site, and I don't know what the heck they are talking about. This program sounds really advanced and complicated. Is it as simple as you described, or am I going to need other software to make it work? Does it clone everything on the drive? (these questions are based on what I read).

Oh my bad. Got your question now.
I have used the following program once, cloned a windows 7 32 bit OS onto a new hard disk and it worked. But did not involve any image files or DVD's as it was a plain shadow copy between two external HDD's which were slaved.
http://www.runtime.org/shadow-copy.htm

I may give this one a try. It is very simple.

Apricorn Products

Thanks...