Solved Image your system with free Macrium

[Scoop]

Thank you all for sharing the knowledge! I will try Macrium Reflect Free and leave Windows 7 imaging tool. Have you all always had success in restoring a Macrium full image of a drive? Also, let me ask you a few questions about the Macrium program itself. Does it have any processes/services that run in the background all the time or is it a run-when-needed kind of application? Is there any adware or calling phone (since it's a freeware app)? I guess if supports USB 3.0 speeds and I saw that it comes in 32 and 64-bit flavours (I have Win7 x64). The freeware version is a bit hidden on tha Macrium site but I have found it - though it only has a small DL installer.

Anyway, I'm going to go and try it, thank you very much for help, much appreciated!

I'm using Macrium Free for full-HDD imaging and have tested the process from the image-creation to an external HDD and have restored the image back to my spare internal HDD and have booted up Windows and tested it without problems.

I use my WinPE CD when processing image backup and restore. I like to do that since that's testing the process with the worse-case scenario in case I couldn't boot up Windows on my "C" HDD or my "C" HDD failed, or was infected by a malicious object.

I usually store 2-3 full-disk images on an external HDD. All have tested ok (restored to my test HDD and booted into Windows).

I agree with the posters here. After I read about Macrium at this forum, I decided to give it a try. Aside from a couple of issues encountered during the creation of the WinPE CD, all has been running good with consistent repeatable results with full-HDD imaging and restoration process.

I have also used the Cloning option several times with successful results.

 

[Diddlededum]

Not aware of any adware or other nasties.

I have on maybe three occasions had to restore an image I made, usually after installing other softwsare or updates that mucked up the PC. Twice I was successful, the third time I wasn't (interestingly I was experimenting with Macrium at the time and tried making both an image and a clone - the clone failed but the image, which I made the same day, succeeded in restoring).

Worth mentioning that in the restore menu, as well as restoring, you can also "verify" that an image has been made successfully (takes as long as making the original image, goodness only knows what the software is doing...) I have no idea if that "guarantees" that the image will restore in the event of a crash but it makes me feel better to do that. No idea why Macrium put it on the restore menu when checking it is best done straight after making the image (in the paid for image you can set Macrium to autoverify, in the free version you must do it manually).

When I right click the image file and open via Macrium I see all my folders and files just as though the image file was a giant zip file, so I guess if I had to restore to a new PC and found the drivers etc were too different to let me do that, at least my data files would still be accessible if I kept them on the C drive.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Have you all always had success in restoring a Macrium full image of a drive?...

I have. I have Macrium Reflect set to automagically verify the image immediately after making it. It takes almost twice as long but I know for a fact afterward that the image is good and should restore successfully. Only once did an image not verify; I just reran it and the image came out perfectly afterward.

...Does it have any processes/services that run in the background all the time or is it a run-when-needed kind of application?...

It runs only when you initiate it.

...Is there any adware or calling phone (since it's a freeware app)?...

No adware. It will "phone home" to check for updates but it will not transmit any personal data.

 

[SIW2]

I can't recall having an image fail with any of the imaging programs I have used. They all work fine.

Damage to an image file is very rare and almost always due to problems on the disk.

...Does it have any processes/services that run in the background all the time

Yes. Macrium and Aomei have one service running for scheduling.

I don't use scheduling, so I just turn Aomei schedule service off. It doesn't mind that at all.

Some of the others have a lot more going on than that.

 

[whs]

Thank you all for sharing the knowledge! I will try Macrium Reflect Free and leave Windows 7 imaging tool. Have you all always had success in restoring a Macrium full image of a drive? Also, let me ask you a few questions about the Macrium program itself. Does it have any processes/services that run in the background all the time or is it a run-when-needed kind of application? Is there any adware or calling phone (since it's a freeware app)? I guess if supports USB 3.0 speeds and I saw that it comes in 32 and 64-bit flavours (I have Win7 x64). The freeware version is a bit hidden on tha Macrium site but I have found it - though it only has a small DL installer.

Anyway, I'm going to go and try it, thank you very much for help, much appreciated!

You worry too much. Macrium is clean and reliable and after appr. 100 restores I have never seen a failure. And there is no bothering whatsoever. Just use it - you'll see.

Download from here under 'Free': Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Yes. Macrium and Aomei have one service running for scheduling...

I just checked to be sure; Macrium Reflect doesn't have any services running on my machine. I'm not aware if Reflect has an option for scheduling.

 

[SIW2]

Perhaps there is something different about mine then .

I haven't used macrium since I found Aomei.

Coincidentally, I just installed macrium due to a question on another thread. It is in fact the image mounting service. One or two little services like that don't matter.

Iirc it was Acronis that had a whole bunch of stuff running last time I looked at it. Easeus is quite hefty, too.

 

[Britton30]

Odd, I have ReflectService.exe running, and I have no auto scheduled back up set.

 

[whs]

Odd, I have ReflectService.exe running, and I have no auto scheduled back up set.

That is probably the check for updates. Look into the startups what it is.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Odd, I have ReflectService.exe running, and I have no auto scheduled back up set.

That is probably the check for updates. Look into the startups what it is.

Doesn't Reflect check for updates only when you start it up?

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Perhaps there is something different about mine then .

I haven't used macrium since I found Aomei.

Coincidentally, I just installed macrium due to a question on another thread. It is in fact the image mounting service. One or two little services like that don't matter.

Iirc it was Acronis that had a whole bunch of stuff running last time I looked at it. Easeus is quite hefty, too.

View attachment 303014

I checked under Services and it was way down on the list. It is either inactive or using so little, it will not show up in Processes. It's definitely not enough to worry about.

 

[whs]

You may be right. After further research I found this:

 

[SIW2]

I just recently (ish ) installed Easeus as well. I had tested their beta of the 6.5,.

They are trying to stay ahead by including Android backup, would you believe. I don't have any use for that bit, but they obviously think it will be a draw. Easeus is a very large creature.


I already said all that here:1367

Perhaps there is something different about mine then .

I haven't used macrium since I found Aomei.

Coincidentally, I just installed macrium due to a question on another thread. It is in fact the image mounting service. One or two little services like that don't matter.

Perhaps we all had crossed posts.

 

[Bellzemos]

I just downloaded Macrium Free and along cam PE 3 components. What exactly is this and what do I do with it? If I understand correctly, this is with what I create my boot CD. Is there any simpler way (a pre-made boot CD which I just burn on a CD and that's it)?

Also, would Macrium still work normally when initiated if I disabled it's service in services.msc? I really don't want any services as I won't be scheduling anything.

Again, thank you!

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Also, would Macrium still work normally when initiated if I disabled it's service in services.msc? I really don't want any services as I won't be scheduling anything...

I might or it might not but it just doesn't matter. You are overthinking things. It uses up so little you will never know it's even there. Just leave it alone; it's there for a reason.

 

[SIW2]

It isn't scheduling, looks like you don't get that in free macrium. Scheduling and incremental/differential functions come with free Aomei. The macrium service is for image mounting.

Macrium needs to d/l the winpe components to make pe rescue media. Now you have done that, you can run the create rescue media thing under "Other tasks" at the top of the main window ( tho it might prompt you anyway).

 

[Bellzemos]

OK, maybe I'll try it and see. I have another concern - I'm planning of always doing an image of a whole HDD (all partitions), not a clone. But to be able to restore it to a new drive, it says here, I will need ReDeploy (something I have to pay for)?

Macrium Support Forum - Clone v Image

I've also read that a clone is like an image + MBR. So what will create a new MBR on a brand new empty HDD in case I want to restore my backup from my old (broken) HDD to the new one. Will it be possible?

 

[whs]

I just downloaded Macrium Free and along cam PE 3 components. What exactly is this and what do I do with it? If I understand correctly, this is with what I create my boot CD. Is there any simpler way (a pre-made boot CD which I just burn on a CD and that's it)?

Also, would Macrium still work normally when initiated if I disabled it's service in services.msc? I really don't want any services as I won't be scheduling anything.

Again, thank you!

You can download a premade WinPE recovery CD .iso from my Skydrive. Just burn it to CD (now DVD because it is only a few MBs).

And leave the services alone. The process that is running does nothing unless you mount the image - it is just dormant.

 

[SIW2]

But to be able to restore it to a new drive, it says here, I will need ReDeploy (something I have to pay for)?

It will ok to new drive. It is only if you restore to a different machine you will need "restore to different hardware" function.

So what will create a new MBR on a brand new empty HDD in case I want to restore my backup from my old (broken) HDD to the new one. Will it be possible?

Yes. all imaging programs will do that.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

OK, maybe I'll try it and see. I have another concern - I'm planning of always doing an image of a whole HDD (all partitions), not a clone. But to be able to restore it to a new drive, it says here, I will need ReDeploy (something I have to pay for)?

Macrium Support Forum - Clone v Image

I've also read that a clone is like an image + MBR. So what will create a new MBR on a brand new empty HDD in case I want to restore my backup from my old (broken) HDD to the new one. Will it be possible?

ReDeploy is for restoring an image to a computer with different components than were used when the image was made. For example, you make an image then replace the MOBO. Unless you have ReDeploy, you probably won't be able to restore the image. If you have to replace the MOBO, you would probably be better off doing a clean install anyway. Otherwise, you will be able to restore to a new drive.

A clone will duplicate the entire drive so all partitions will be replicated. If you want to just image the C: partition, you should include the MBR partition with the C: partition. If you also have a data partition on the drive, you should image it separately from the MBR & C: partition.