Almeza MultiSet

[Dormouse]

Anyone have experience of Almeza Multiset, upcoming on bitsdujour next Saturday (22 March)?

A utility for the automated re-installation of Windows, including other installed programs, inserting registration codes, restarting when necessary etc? Still expensive ($50), even at 50% off but also looks very tempting. Reinstallation can be from CD, DVD, USB stick - given the size of reasonably priced USB sticks now it should be possible for it to load a lot in one go.

I can see it saving me a lot of time occasionally (and possibly at times when I am really stretched). But since I'd only use it occasionally I can't really try it out first.

http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/multiset/
http://www.almeza.com/

[Darwin]

Here's another option: StorageCraft's Shadow Protect. At $80 it's more expensive than Almeza on Bits du Jour BUT given its ability to perform a

Hardware-Independent Restore, which means you can take a backed-up image of a Windows system that uses one kind of hard disk controller and restore it to a new computer that uses a completely different hard disk controller

this is worth a serious look! I have Acronis TrueImage Echo Workstation with Universal Restore (I've never tried this feature), but from what I can gather it really doesn't work that well. Click on the link below for one reviewer's experience using ShadowProtect (and the nightmare that resulted from trying out Roxio's BackOnTrack 3 on the same machine) and for the source of the quote, above.

Edward Mendelson on AppScout

I'm going to modify this and post in a separate thread, as I'd like to hear from anyone who's actually given ShadowProtect a go...

[Darwin]

OK - new thread soliciting opinions/experiences about/with ShadowProtect posted here: http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=12662.0

[Dormouse]

Hardware-Independent Restore, which means you can take a backed-up image of a Windows system that uses one kind of hard disk controller and restore it to a new computer that uses a completely different hard disk controller

As I understand it, Almeza Multiset will do this on any computer and can even do it over a network.

[Dormouse]

ShadowProtect seems to be a backup/imaging utility allowing system restore etc. Multiset seems is an automatic reinstallation utility and quite a different kettle of fish.

Multiset seems to know how to reinstall Windows.

Has to be shown how to install other programs - essentially seems to copy keyboard/mouse inputs into a script. Much easier to use when you are starting off with a vanilla system. And, in practice, what I often want to do. I usually don't want to install stuff 'as is', I only want to reinstall the progs I definitely want and get a clean system again. Clear the crud out. Still can't decide if I'd use if often enough to pay for it, even at reduced rates.

I have Acronis 8 and Paragon Drive Backup and don't really use them, preferriing the install from scratch route. Had been moving towards Linux base machines, with Windows installed in VirtualBox. Decisions, decisions.

[J-Mac]

I was asking the same question a couple of months ago here.  A few members have this app by virtue of a few 50% discounts offered here at DC during the recent Christmas holidays, but none had yet tried it, nor seemed very eager to do so.  I was getting ready to reinstall Windows on my desktop PC and considered something like this.

I ended up just doing it without Almeza or anything like it.  It looked like it would take a good, long time to set it up correctly, and there looks to be some situations where you have to perform some extra scripting work for certain programs.  I did not want to spend that much time setting Almeza up and then finding out later that it doesn't perform as well as advertised. Or, maybe worse yet, finding out that I neglected to perform a few of the additional scripting things and my reinstall is worse off because of that.  Had I been able to find any users who had successfully used Almeza I might have gotten it.

Normally, when I reinstall Windows I like to take my time installing the software afterwards. Mainly because there are some that I may or may not use again right away. To get a good setup with Almeza I would have to script out reinstalling everything and then upon the next reinstall, selectively check off which I want to reinstall - IF Almeza does that well.  As I said, I couldn't find out from anyone here.

Jim

[Dormouse]

I was asking the same question a couple of months ago here. 

My bad . I searched on google, but forgot to search here. Thanks for the heads up. And the other thread did have useful info, even if it was along the lines of 'Looked good, especially at the price ... but never got around to using it".

I'm not really bothered about sorting my own computer out again when it needs it, it is having to reinstall everything on other family computers that is the problem. Come to think of it, I've got one to do now. So, shall I try reinstalling XP Pro etc & try Multiset out, shall I install Linux and then XP Pro in a VM, or shall I install XP Pro and Linux through andLinux??? I'm happier when they mostly access the net through Linux and they are generally better at installing and upgrading progs on Linux. Dual booting seems a pain on my own machine because there is always something that is only on the other OS, though it does work reliably.

[J-Mac]

No problem - I just thought I'd show you those replies in case you hadn't seen it.

By all means, go for it. I wasn't trying to discourage you from purchasing Almeza; just letting you know where I went with my look into it. I liked the concept, but as with most newer applications that have not been around long enough to build a reputation - good or otherwise - I wanted some feedback from folks who have used the software; particularly the users here at DC, in whose opinion I have a lot of faith!  Not having received any feedback either way, it was just a little too high-priced for me to purchase speculatively.

Good luck!

Jim

[Curt]

Free "today", Monday 15 Sept 2008 at GAOTD. Now version 6.1

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/multiset-61/

[MilesAhead]

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/

Again on gotd, which is why I found this thread.  If it's a macro deal it's not for me.  Thought it might be something like a vLite with application scripting installer on top of the OS.  But for me it's just a matter of curiosity. I don't really have a use for it.