MACRIUM REFLECT - Create Bootable Rescue USB Drive

MACRIUM REFLECT - Create Bootable Rescue USB Flash Drive

How to Create a Bootable Rescue USB Flash Drive for Macrium Reflect​

   Information

In order to restore a Macrium image when your Windows operating system cannot be started, you are required to boot from a rescue CD, which holds a compact Linux operating system. The Linux operating system on this rescue CD allows you to quickly browse the disks and partitions of your PC, and select the image you wish to restore.

Within Macrium reflect, there is no direct way to create a bootable USB drive, but there is a very simple workaround to create bootable rescue USB drives. This tutorial will show you how to do that, so you can forgo the stack of rescue CD's sitting on your desk. If you manage Macrium images for multiple computers, you will find this technique extremely useful.

This tutorial is based on Macrium Reflect Free Edition Version 4.2 Build 3141

:note: Requirements:

You will need the following in order to create a bootable rescue USB drive:-

1. A USB flash drive
2. YUMI Multiboot USB Creator

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:note: Step 1 - Create the RESCUE ISO

Open Macrium Reflect as normal, and then from the menu, select the option Other Tasks > Create Rescue CD.

The 1st panel of the Rescue CD Wizard will be be displayed as shown below:

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The default option is Linux. Accept that by clicking on Next, and proceeding to the 2nd panel of the Rescue CD Wizard.

From the pull-down list, select the option Create ISO image file, as shown below:

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Click Finish, and now provide a name and location for the rescue ISO file that is about to be created, as shown below:

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   Warning

Do not include spaces in the ISO name or YUMI will fail to boot from it.

Once the file has been saved, close Macrium Reflect as normal.

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:note: Step 2 - Create the bootable RESCUE USB drive


Download YUMI Multiboot USB Creator to your desktop - its a single executable that requires no installation.

Insert the USB flash drive you want to use, into an available USB port on your computer.

Open YUMI by double-clicking it, and when prompted by Windows UAC, click Yes. You will be prompted to accept the Licence Agreement. Click I Agree to proceed.

Now follow thse steps and refer to the image shown below:

1. From the drop-down list, select the letter of the USB you wish to use.

2. The USB drive is required to be formatted as FAT32. If this is not the case, check the format option, which will format the entire USB drive before copying any information to it. If the USB drive is already formatted as FAT32, ignore this option.

3. In the distribution box, scroll to the very bottom and hlighlight the Try an Unlisted ISO.

4. Click Browse to locate and select the rescue ISO you create previously.

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5. Now click Create to create the bootable rescue USB drive.

If you opted to format the USB drive, please take careful note of the warning panel that appears, and is shown below. Click Yes to proceed.

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The rescue ISO file will now be copied to the USB drive. If successful, you will see the progress panel as shown below:

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Click Next to proceed. You will be prompted if you wish to add more ISO's/Distros. Click No to close this pop-up, and then click Finish to exit YUMI.

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You have now created a Macrium Bootable Rescue USB and can safely remove the USB drive.

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:note: Step 3 - Test the bootable RESCUE USB drive


One of critical elements of imaging, is to ensure that you can boot from the rescue USB drive. In fact, the same holds true if you choose to use the traditional bootable rescue CD method.

To do this, turn off your computer, plug in your USB drive and reboot your computer as normal. During the POST screen, press the DEL key repeatedly to enter your BIOS, and then find the setting that allows you to boot from a USB drive and place it first in the device boot sequence. Alternatively, during POST keeping pressing the F8 function key to bring up the one-time boot menu, and then select the USB device from that menu.

Once the PC boots from the USB device you will see the YUMI boot menu, as shown in the example below:

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If you select the option called Directly Bootable ISO's you will then be presented with the rescue ISO you created earlier. In the example shown below, I have a choice of 4 rescue ISO files (refer to the tip below):

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Once you select that ISO, the Linux operating system will boot the ISO, and then allow you to select the Macrium image to restore, as shown in this example below:

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   Tip

If you manage multiple computers, you can add as many Macrium rescue ISO's as you require. I manage 4 different computers and each one's rescue item is bootable from a single USB flash drive - refer to the image above.

If you already have a YUMI multiboot USB drive with other ISO's and/or distros on it, simple add the Macrium rescue ISO's as normal. This makes for a very handy USB toolkit.

I hope you find this tutorial useful, and remember : you saw it first at Sevenforums.

Regards,
Golden

   Note

Special thanks to kado897 who provided the information for capturing the YUMI screens.

Related Tutorials

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• Imaging with free Macrium

 

[kado897]

Good advice Milady.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Good advice Milady.

Gramercy (or as the Irish wouldst say, tá fáilte), Milord.

 

[MDRI]

I created a image of 366GB partition. It took around 2hours using USB 3.0 usb drive. Is it normal?

 

[mjf]

I created a image of 366GB partition. It took around 2hours using USB 3.0 usb drive. Is it normal?

Maybe. However, it looks like you are including lots of probably static data in your image which is not a good approach. I'd get your large data off the OS partition so you are imaging less than ~60GB. This way you can do regular imaging in ~10-15 minutes. Backup your data by other means but definitely back it up.

 

[MDRI]

@Mjf
However, it looks like you are including lots of probably static data in your image which is not a good approach. I'd get your large data off the OS partition so you are imaging less than ~60GB.

How do you separate static & non_static data?

How do you get large data off the OS partition?

What are the other means to backup data?

Thanks for sharing.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Sounds Normal

I created a image of 366GB partition. It took around 2hours using USB 3.0 usb drive. Is it normal?

Macrium Reflect images my PC at a rate of between 3GB/minute - 5GB/minute.

Two hours to image 366GB sounds normal to me.

Maybe. However, it looks like you are including lots of probably static data in your image which is not a good approach. I'd get your large data off the OS partition so you are imaging less than ~60GB. This way you can do regular imaging in ~10-15 minutes. Backup your data by other means but definitely back it up.

MDRI is having various issues with his machine.

The horrible partition setup is one of them.

 

[MDRI]

Thanks for looking into my issue/thread.

I did clean install and resized the partition using partition Wizard. Screen shot is attached. The Lenovo_user (D) partition is showing as Logical partition and status as NONE. Is it the right to have as logical one & NONE status?

Let me know some strategy to avoid catastrophic failures.

I am thinking of using Macrium free with image backup schedule

- Image System_Drv and C - full backup month (depending on how much your system change and space you can allocate to backups).
- Differential backups daily ( Is it possible with Macrium free ?)

Are there any tutorials for back up strategies?

You are welcome to add to above.

Thanks again bring my Z580 so far. It won't have happen without you.

 

[lehnerus2000]

IMO, your HDD partition setup looks a lot better now.

I always perform Full backup images manually, so I can't tell you anything about Scheduling.
I also can't tell you anything about Differential and/or Incremental backups.

 

[kado897]

I have weekly full and daily differential. Monthly full and weekly or daily differentials should be fine if you don't have many changes. Differentials over a month may start to get a bit large if you have much activity. I think the free version can now do differentials.

 

[DavidE]

I think the free version can now do differentials.

Yes, the free V6 version now has differentials.
I've used and tested them, they work for me with Win 7, 8.1, and 10.

I also like the new free V6 features for Auto-Verify and add a boot menu option for recovery.

 

[kado897]

I think the free version can now do differentials.

Yes, the free V6 version now has differentials.
I've used and tested them, they work for me with Win 7, 8.1, and 10.

I also like the new free V6 features for Auto-Verify and add a boot menu option for recovery.

I didn't know the free version had the boot menu option. That is very useful.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I think the free version can now do differentials.

Yes, the free V6 version now has differentials.
I've used and tested them, they work for me with Win 7, 8.1, and 10.

I also like the new free V6 features for Auto-Verify and add a boot menu option for recovery.

I didn't know the free version had the boot menu option. That is very useful.

Darned right it is useful, not mention as handy as indoor plumbing. I haven't used external rescue media with v5 Pro is a long time.

 

[kado897]

Yes, the free V6 version now has differentials.
I've used and tested them, they work for me with Win 7, 8.1, and 10.

I also like the new free V6 features for Auto-Verify and add a boot menu option for recovery.

I didn't know the free version had the boot menu option. That is very useful.

Darned right it is useful, not mention as handy as indoor plumbing. I haven't used external rescue media with v5 Pro is a long time.

Me neither except to test the rescue media which you still need in case of disk failure.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I didn't know the free version had the boot menu option. That is very useful.

Darned right it is useful, not mention as handy as indoor plumbing. I haven't used external rescue media with v5 Pro is a long time.

Me neither except to test the rescue media which you still need in case of disk failure.

Well, yeah, there is that.

 

[lehnerus2000]

I have always been unsure of the meaning of the terms "Differential" and "Incremental".

Is the following correct?

• Full > each image is totally independent of any other image (this is true)
• Differential > the new image references a "Master Copy" (i.e. linked to a specific past full image)
• Incremental > the new image references the previous image (i.e. chain of images)

 

[DavidE]

Yes, that is correct.
With incrementals, if any image in the chain is corrupt, all incrementals after that can't be restored.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I personally don't use incremental or differential imaging; it's too risky. I only image my C: drive/partition (depending on the machine) along with the System Reserved partition so my images are only around 27GB. That's small enough I can easily keep several of them floating around.

I don't use imaging to back up my data; 'tis too inefficient and time and space consuming. I use a folder/file syncing program—FreeFileSync—for backing up my data.

 

[kado897]

Incrementals are too risky for anything important in my opinion. Differentials are less risky as there is only ever two involved. If the gap between full images is not too long the risk is acceptable to me. As I have said before I do weekly full images and daily differentials.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Since I don't image data, I only do a weekly image (and that is probably overkill) and also just before I make any changes, such as installing a new program or update (the latter and monthly would probably be plenty but I tend to be anal paranoid cautious).

 

[kado897]

I think we have both arrived at setups that suit our usage. I would be happy with just the weekly full image so the differentials are a bonus that take very little time or space.