Macrium Reflect free

[trimmer]

Good day, I'm using Macrium Reflect free v.5.3.7299 - It's the very last version of v.5. It was released [April 7, 2015]. I've restored my entire PC several times, Reflect worked exceptionally well. I keep #2 backups on a Toshiba Canvio 1 TB external drive. I made #2 Linux rescue DVDs, there's no need to make new backup DVDs. I put the DVD in and Macrium options come up at reboot.

I haven't kept Reflect up to date because it has no Linux rescue CD/DVD option, and I don't want Windows PE, is it? Or BartPE.? I'd like to keep it up to date.....how would I do that? Make an .ISO? If so, I don't know how I go about it. I had a slow DSL connect & downloading it was out of the question. I have a faster (DSL) connection now. I,ve read extensively, but I'm dyslexic......although, I am somewhat above average PC user.

I'm using Windows Home Premium with W 7 SP1 x64 - If this helps any: This PC was a gift, bought new in August 2010. A virus wiped it out one time (2013), besides that it's never been out of this room. Thanks in advance, best regards,
-Roy

 

[trimmer]

Ranger4 replied to this post, I got it in my email, but I don't see it here. Ranger4: You said you use Reflect v.5 full version. Do you know if the new version of Macrium have "Other Tasks" tab, and can it make a Linux rescue CD/DVD? Version 6.3.1745 is current at their website. I noticed at MajorGeeks they have version 7.0.1967. Excuse me, please......when it comes to figuring things out, and understanding, I am slow. Regards,
-Dale

 

[Ranger4]

Hi Dale. I started to reply to your first post & then after re-reading your post I thought I was on the wrong track so I deleted my post.

I don't know if Macrium V6 or V7 have Other Tasks but I can't see why they wouldn't.

V5 can make either Win PE or Linux recovery CDs. As I had mentioned in that deleted post if you open Macrium & select Other Tasks, then select Create Rescue Media. On my version there are 2 options listed, one is Windows PE & the other is Linux. If you select the Linux option you should be able to make a rescue CD for Linux, which you can then test to make sure it works.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I can't remember if V5 allowed one to make a Linux recovery disk in addition to Win PE or not (I'm using V6, which does not). However, there is nothing wrong with Win PE. I've used it for years with V5 and, now, V6 and it works just fine.

It will take a while to download on a slow internet connection but it is well worth the wait. Btw, I suggest using a USB thumb drive instead of a CD/DVD for the rescue media. It takes up less room in a drawer and may last even longer than burned optical media (CD/DVD). I also suggest making a spare one (you have to download Win PE only once) in case the first recovery media dies (keep in mind that all storage media is subject to sudden failure at anytime).

 

[Layback Bear]

Macrium V6.3.1745 gives options.



Jack

 

[mjf]

I can't remember if V5 allowed one to make a Linux recovery disk in addition to Win PE or not (I'm using V6, which does not). However, there is nothing wrong with Win PE. I've used it for years with V5 and, now, V6 and it works just fine.

V5 does allow you to select a linux rescue ISO. I just made one then deleted it.

I have the latest V5 version on one PC and V6 on another build and I use a Win pe rescue for both. The V5 Win pe involved a larger WAIK down load and you needed to add USB 3 drivers to the Win pe (messy for those not familiar with DISM) or manually add them each time you boot the V5 Win pe. V6 pe involves a much smaller download and has native support for USB 3.

Apparently a Macrium V7 free edition is coming soon.

 

[RolandJS]

"...I suggest using a USB thumb drive instead of a CD/DVD for the rescue media..."
From personal experience, make at least one usb and one dvd boot of your utilities; sometimes my usb stick [which I should have boot-tested immediately after creating same] does not boot, however, the dvd does boot. Now and then, the reverse happens.

 

[trimmer]

I think I'll keep Macrium v.5, Windows PE seems too complicated. I can't understand how the rescue works. If my PC won't boot to Windows, how do I access Windows PE rescue file? 'Lady Fitzgerald': Do I download "Windows PE" (rescue?) to my Toshiba Canvio external drive? Using v.5 now; I have #2 50 GB Macrium (.mrimg) files in X-Backup #1 and X-Backup #2 [folders]......all PC partitions. I only put Lynux rescue on a CD. I avoid using them when I can.

'Layback Bear': Yes, I found out I need PE 3.1 - I'm stumped on how the rescue is retrieved, if t/PC won't boot to Windows. I hope everyone can half-way get what I'm saying, regards,
-Roy

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I think I'll keep Macrium v.5, Windows PE seems too complicated. I can't understand how the rescue works. If my PC won't boot to Windows, how do I access Windows PE rescue file? 'Lady Fitzgerald': Do I download "Windows PE" (rescue?) to my Toshiba Canvio external drive? Using v.5 now; I have #2 50 GB Macrium (.mrimg) files in X-Backup #1 and X-Backup #2 [folders]......all PC partitions. I only put Lynux rescue on a CD. I avoid using them when I can.

'Layback Bear': Yes, I found out I need PE 3.1 - I'm stumped on how the rescue is retrieved, if t/PC won't boot to Windows. I hope everyone can half-way get what I'm saying, regards,
-Roy

Win PE is a separate OS from your computer's OS. It gets downloaded to your computer but then it gets installed on your rescue media. If the OS on your computer will not boot, you boot Win PE and Macrium Reflect from your rescue media, then use it to restore your OS from your image. The same thing happens if you use a Linux based rescue media.

 

[trimmer]

Hey, 'RolandJS' - I'll learn how Windows PE works by trial & error, that's how I usually do with all software that's a bit advanced, I call it.

'Lady Fitzgerald' - Your reply about Win PE being "a separate OS from your computer's OS" helped.... it enlighten things a bit. Like I told 'RolandJS', I'll jump into it & figure it out......that's what I did when I started using Macrium. It was pretty easy. One thing, on reboot I hit the wrong option t/first try. I choose Verbose the second time and it worked like a charm. Have a good evening, many thanks to all,
-Roy

 

[Ranger4]

I think I'll keep Macrium v.5, Windows PE seems too complicated. I can't understand how the rescue works. If my PC won't boot to Windows, how do I access Windows PE rescue file? 'Lady Fitzgerald': Do I download "Windows PE" (rescue?) to my Toshiba Canvio external drive? Using v.5 now; I have #2 50 GB Macrium (.mrimg) files in X-Backup #1 and X-Backup #2 [folders]......all PC partitions. I only put Lynux rescue on a CD. I avoid using them when I can.

'Layback Bear': Yes, I found out I need PE 3.1 - I'm stumped on how the rescue is retrieved, if t/PC won't boot to Windows. I hope everyone can half-way get what I'm saying, regards,
-Roy

On my paid version of Macrium V5, the Create Rescue Media screen contain an Advanced button under the Windows PE section. Clicking on that shows selection options PE 3.1, PE 4.0 & PE 5.0, I use PE 5.0 as it contains USB 3.0 drivers, which I need.

You can use any of them for Windows 7 if you want to, the higher number ones contain more hardware & have more drivers etc..

I have never been able to get any USB drive to work for creating the rescue media, so I use a CD. The most important thing to do afterwards is to make sure the rescue media works.

Dale, the Rescue Disc is used to boot the computer, then it provides the ability to locate your backed up image or whatever from it's source, so you can reinstall Windows exactly as it was when you created the back up.

You would use it for example if you a hard drive failure, or the system becoming totally corrupted for some reason, or a serious virus attack. However, do not have the back up drive connected to the computer all the time as a serious virus attack can find it's way onto it & ruin the back up.

 

[marsmimar]

Just another thought FWIW.

I've used Macrium for many years and I think it's a great product. I always save my image to an external USB drive. Pretty standard procedure, right? Until the time I needed the image and found out the external drive no longer worked. That got me thinking (a very rare thing for me to do.) Having all images on one external drive is no guarantee I can access them when needed. Likewise, relying on just one product (Macrium), no matter how great it is, there's no guarantee the rescue media will work when you need it most.

Now I used two external drives for redundancy (I'm betting both drives won't fail at the same time) and I use two different imaging programs for the same reason (Macrium Free and AOMEI.) AOMEI has been as reliable as Macrium and it offers either PE or Linux rescue media. As I said, just a thought.

Best Free Backup Software for Windows 10, Windows 8.1/8, Windows 7, Vista, XP

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Now I used two external drives for redundancy (I'm betting both drives won't fail at the same time)...

That's similar to what I do for the same reason. I have a set of four backup drives for each drive in my computer: two of each set I keep onsite and the other two I keep offsite (in my safe deposit box at my credit union). I once had a data drive get corrupted and corrupted one backup drive while trying to update it. I was easily able to recover within a few hours because I knew what files I had added since the previous backup and was able to copy them to another drive, then formatted the corrupted data and backup drives, repopulate the data drive from the second backup drive, copy the files I had rescued back to that data drive, then update both backup drives. Since this happened on a Saturday morning, had I had only one onsite and one offsite backup drives, I otherwise would have had to wait until Monday when I could retrieve my offsite backup, recover what I could from it, then recover the rest from my Carbonite account. I would have been down for several days instead of just several hours.

Since then, going all SSD has saved me a ton of time and space. Ferrying backup drives to and from my safe deposit box is easier, faster, and one heckuvalot easier on the old back.

 

[mjf]

I always recommend storing system images on more than one ext HDD. In the past I used 2 imaging programs - Macrium and Windows inbuilt. In multiple image restores to the existing OS drive and new drives both programs have worked reliably. Windows inbuilt is limited and not in the same class as Macrium so I eventually ditched it. I rely solely on Macrium and given the large number of system images and restores I've made I don't think I need another imaging program. I put the effort in making more regular system images.

Last time I heard AOMEI was Chinese software while Macrium Reflect is developed in the UK if that makes a difference.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I always recommend storing system images on more than one ext HDD...

I agree although I go a bit farther. Since I am using a paid version of Macrium Reflect that allows me to install the Recovery Boot Menu option (when booting the computer, I can choose between Win 7 or Win PE/Macrium Reflect instead using separate rescue media), I save images to one of my internal data drives (G for convenience. That way, if I need to restore an image and my C: drive is still good, I don't need to use my rescue USB drive and one of my "external" backup drives. I also don't need to plug in one of my backup drives when saving an image. Normally, saving a backup to an internal drive is a very bad idea but, since my G: drive gets backed up anyway, the images also get backed up.

Each image is on either three drives—G: internal and its two onsite backups—or five drives—G: internal, its two onsite backups, and its two offsite backups—depending on when the offsite backups get updated.

My backup scheme is insanely redundant but I have data that either would be expensive and/or time consuming to replace or is flat impossible to replace.

 

[Layback Bear]

I learned from experience.
You will need a P.E. made from a MBR and a P.E. made from a UEIF computer. They are not interchangeable.
Not a big deal. Just make them and label them.

Jack

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I learned from experience.
You will need a P.E. made from a MBR and a P.E. made from a UEIF computer. They are not interchangeable.
Not a big deal. Just make them and label them.

Jack

True that. Although I'm currently using only MBR for my boot disks/partitions on my computer, I still make a USB recovery "disk" for each one of them just to play it safe (plus I will have one available whenever I take one of my notebooks on the road).

 

[jadinolf]

V5 does allow you to select a linux rescue ISO. I just made one then deleted it.

I have the latest V5 version on one PC and V6 on another build and I use a Win pe rescue for both. The V5 Win pe involved a larger WAIK down load and you needed to add USB 3 drivers to the Win pe (messy for those not familiar with DISM) or manually add them each time you boot the V5 Win pe. V6 pe involves a much smaller download and has native support for USB 3.

Apparently a Macrium V7 free edition is coming soon.

Today I read that it might be in a couple of months but they have had soooo many updates to Version 7 that I might wait even longer.

 

[trimmer]

I let Macrium update itself, it got the Win PE (162 MB in about 25 minutes) - I deleted my oldest backup, off my Toshiba external drive. All went real well. I made a Win. PE rescue on a DVD-RW.......it was about 360 MB. I can tell you, I DO NOT LIKE counting on CD/DVDs, so, like THE dumb-ass I am, I tried to put another PE rescue on my Toshiba 1 TB drive. It scattered throughout the drive. I went to boot my PC up and it would not boot to Windows. It didn't take me long to figure out it was trying to boot from the rescue on my Toshiba external drive. I could have just unplugged it, but I put my (old) Linux rescue DVD in, and somehow Macrium v6 recognized it & restored my PC back to (before) I ever updated Macrium Reflect.

I have an 8 GB SanDisc Cruzer thumb drive, but it's old and sometimes it just fails. I have a bunch of software (3.7 GB) setups on it, like WPS Office.exe, K-Lite Codec Pack....exe's, zips, mp3s...huge exe's, etc. Just to see when and how long it takes to crash. I can reformat it because t/things I have on it are just duplicate files I already have on my Toshiba and my PCs HDD. Well, I know how to use Win PE now. My SanDisc Cruzer hasn't failed in about #5 months, I'll wipe it and keep one Win. PE rescue files (only) on it. I'll buy a new thumb drive, no problem there. I have a 2 TB external drive....but one day I was cleaning the carpet and I accidentally plugged my Creative Inspire's sub-woofer jack in it and it fried the wiring. I can put it inside my PC, it has a 'bay' w/room for #2 HDD's, other than my PCs 454 GB HDD.
Thanks very much, everyone, regards,
-Roy