Macrium Reflect Installation/Usage Guide

Macrium Reflect Usage Guide:



Here is how to create a bootable Flash Drive and partition it to have a single USB Stick containing both the Macrium Reflect Rescue Disk and a Backup Image partition in that rescue disk itself. So if you have a large/fast USB Flash Drive, you can use it to both boot into the Macrium Reflect program without installing and use its second partition to create a backup image of your computer



What I usually do when I buy a new computer, the moment I turn it on and before even getting into the Windows setup wizard I boot straight away to the Macrium Reflect Rescue Disk, create a full backup of the local disk including all its partitions. That way I always have a backup of the untouched factory image should I ever need it in case I changed my SSD later or had an issue that prevents me to use the local restore option

Macrium Reflect Rescue Media ISO v8.0.6392

Make sure to right-click on the file you just downloaded, go to Properties, then hit Unblock from the bottom right as it may be blocked since it was downloaded from the internet, if you don't do this before you run the file or extract it, then it may not install correctly due to insufficient privileges.

To prevent this automatic blocking of files in the future so you don't have to go unblocking every file you download to ensure it runs properly, check the guide in this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/are-you-sure-you-want-to-run-this-file-yes-or-no.825668/

Spoiler: Changelog

Bug fixes and Improvements v7.3.5321 - 3rd November 2020

• Macrium Task Scheduler
  
  • If a scheduled backup was missed without the option 'Run the task as soon as possible after a scheduled task is missed' enabled, then the Run Now button would stop working until the PC was restarted. This has been resolved.
  • Scheduled backups running on startup were starting too quickly, without giving network connections time to initialise. This has been resolved.
  • The Macrium Task Scheduler now keeps extra copies of its internal configuration files to prevent failure on corruption.
  • When trying to import a scheduled task with a definition file path that doesn't exist, Reflect will now prompt to Browse for a different definition file.
• Rescue Media Builder
  The Windows Version of the WinRE kernel could be incorrectly displayed. This has been resolved.
• Reflect Monitor
  ReflectMonitor.exe could fail to launch at logon and prevent notification of running backups. This has been resolved.
• Backup Log
  A Consolidation 'Warning' error could override a 'Failure' error for a backup and incorrectly display a Warning icon instead of Error. This has been resolved.
• License Key
  We've added 'copy' functionality for the license key displayed in the About dialog

Use RUFUS to make a bootable USB Flash Disk from it


Note: I never install Macrium Reflect, I only boot from the USB Flash Disk to create or restore images. That way I have none of its bloated services running in the background.
Be smart...be like Spartan..

 

Macrium Reflect can, on rare occasions, have some issues with damaged drives, this is where I would recommend AOMEI Backupper.

 

Been using it for years, never had an issue. Who in their right mind would even think of backing up their systen onto a damaged drive anyway

This thread is not for discussing what's best anyway, it's for those who want to learn how to properly use Macrium Reflect

 

Ah I didn't mean who is best.

I mean when I had failing drives, a few minuscule times only AOMEI managed to clone the drive, but Macrium didn't.

Not to hijack your thread Phoenix

 

thanks nice guide

 

Thanks for this guide, very helpful and precise.

 

Thanks @Phoenix .
Very clear and concise.

 

Is there a simple way that boot a Macrium image in VMPlayer or alternatives?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hi Phoenix, love all the hard work you do for everyone on this forum around the 2 minute mark you talk about setting up libraries, any chance you can do a quick guide for that including one note/one drive backups. Greatly appreciated thanks

 

Sure but if you can elaborate more on what you mean.

 

Sure, I was hoping you could do a quick brief on how to keep documents, pictures, one drive and OneNote files and any other relevant documents backed up to the non macrium drive like you were showing at the 2:00 minutes mark in the video thanks

 

Here you go:

How to move your personal libraries to a different partition (Docs, Pics, Music, Vids, etc.)

 

Bump

 

Thanks for taking the time to do this, it is appreciated. I was looking for a guide like this and a proper backup solution and I've used a free version of Macrium Reflect and it worked flawlessly.

Is it best practice to get it direct from them direct as I'm UK based? Cheers Phoenix

 

What do you mean get it from them mate? Just get the free version you do not NEED the paid version unless you want to do incremental backups which I am against. I just take one backup when I first install Windows and configure my main settings/ library folders before installing any drivers or software, I name that Windows (for the image name)

then once everything is installed from Games to Software, Micro$h4ft Office, Adobe CS Suite 2018, and the rest of my software library, I then create another image called ALL OK and be done with it. All of this using the free version.

Download Macrium Reflect

Once you download it, make sure you right click on the file, go to properties, then hit UNBLOCK from the bottom right as the file would normally be blocked since it came from the internet, then run it as admin and choose the free version to download NOT home.

 

Great thanks, I was about to buy the full version but I only want to make a one off copy of my laptop in case anything goes wrong so the free version will do. I back up all other data myself depending on what I'm using but to be able to quickly restore the laptop is perfect for me.

Appreciate your help.

 

This is how I backup my other data:

The best and fastest way to backup your data!

 

Excellent! Thanks again @Phoenix

 

Anytime my friend.

Be smart...be like Phoenix...

 

Yes, thanks for the excellent youtube guide, Phoenix.

FWIW, Google currently ranks the following thread from 2015 as one of the top results for a search of "macrium" on site notebookreview.com:

"Macrium Reflect has failed me thrice"
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/macrium-reflect-has-failed-me-thrice.781093/

 

I have a new AORUS X5. I took an image using reflect of the 256GB drive that came with the machine and installed it on to my Samsung 500GB EVO. My C: is only showing as 256GB though.

How do I fix this?

Thanks.

 

Try this :O) https://www.partitionwizard.com/

 

Worked great, thanks.

 

hey @Ultra Male , i installed macrium and all following your guide and i noticed that i have a macrium reflect UI watcher on startup enabled.
do I have to keep it?
thanks

 

no

 

bump

 

bump

 

thanks a lot man

 

Thanks Ultra Male!

 

hey @Ultra Male , i want to set macrium reflect to do once a week an incremental backup of my system onto an external hard drive, would it be possible to do this with the free version? thanKS!

 

nope. you need the paid version but I never use that.

I install Windows, setup all my preferences / tweaks then make a first image called Windows

Then I install all my drivers, apps, etc. then I make another image called ALL_OK and I'm done

If things go wrong, I just got back to the 2nd image (ALL_OK). If I want to go to a fresh clean slate to install perhaps updated drivers, then I go back to the first image (Windows)

that's all you need

 

i know but i was looking for something that makes an " all ok" image for me every day so like with many incremental backups and things like that.. i always forget..

 

Then buy the full fledged version or I can sell you my Home Edition license for 50% off as I don't use it anymore

 

Hi guys, I made a clone with Macrium reflect off my windows 10 fromm the internal SSD, to a HDD external, i did some mistakes since on my OS, how can i clone back from HDD external to the SSD in my pc ?

If i try to do it, If i try to boot on the external hard drive (my clone ), windows doesn't boot, even i change the priority in the bios. I thought i could boot on it, and clone it to the SSD in my pc. My apologies for being a noob for cloning restore, i'm stuck...

Edit : I folllow your guide Ultra Male, but couldn't find in others task/add recovery boot menu options...

I created an image of the External DD (the clone of my SSD, i made ) and try to copy in the pc....

Edit 2 : I manage to implement on my SSD an image from the external Drive, it works, but at the 1st boot, got a screen prompt with an error. Turn off the pc, switch off, eject my external drive and boot again, works after... Thx Ultra Male for the guide/video.

 

Sry for asking and tag you, @Ultra Male , I would like to ask you, when we disable the boot time (10 sec. like in your video ) if later we can't boot on windows (bug, crash...), does the system propose you to boot on the Macrium environment , if not, how can we boot on it, for install an image saved with Macrium ?

( I looked into the bios but couldn't find a way to select it )

 

I disable the boot options menu completely and I have a Macrium Reflect Rescue Disk USB. If something really bad happens that I can't boot into Windows to restore any image, I simply pop in that USB Rescue Disk, boot off it, and bam, I'm in the Macrium Reflect environment where I do a restoration by manually browsing to where I had saved the image.

 

crap, I create it on the C:\

(as in the video ) lol

 

bump

 

Can you store both images (i.e. Windows & ALL OK) on the same partition? I have my OS on C and created a D partition for the backup image. Can I save both images here?

 

Why not? Offcourse what you can and that's what I do

 

I cannot seem to get the "add recovery boot menu options" to show up... I made sure I downloaded the PE components and still get nothing. Do I check the box for viboot when I install? Also, does the initial install need to be on the C: drive or can it be on D:? I know my backup image will be saved on D:, but wasn'f sure if the initial install should be where it is defaulted to C:

 

It is now under Create Rescue Media but instead of choosing Create Recovery USB Disk there is an option to add the boot menu option.

It doesn't matter where you install Macrium Reflect, I always install it on C: though and create the backup image on D:

In fact, all my programs are installed on C: and the Games are installed on D: (that includes Steam, Origin, UPlay, if you install the apps on D:, then the game installs will default to D

 

Yea i noticed that macrium reflect had trouble imaging my laptop disk with some bad sectors...But PAragon disk manager was able to do it nicely

 

Would love to see how this is done, but the video no longer works. Is there a way you could re-post this?

 

I will later. Meanwhile, give me your TeamViewer ID/Pass lemme login to your laptop and show you how to do it.

 

Damn, blew the opportunity for the man himself to set my **** up! I ended up figuring it out after some research and getting everything dialed in, but certainly appreciate the offer. After all the tweaks, I created the backup images per your guides and I'm now proceeding to install an antivirus and all the extra/personal programs, TeamViewer, etc. Still would love to have you hop on and scope it out at some point to see if I did everything correctly if you wouldn't mind. Also, in the clean install guide you recommend NOD32, but in a more recent posting I see you recommend Avast (along with a nice setup guide). Which one should I go with?

 

I recommend 3 Antivirus only now

1) Norton Antivirus Basic, simple AV with no bloatware that is super secure and light
2) Avast Antivirus, great AV, super light as well, but full of bloatware if you don't do a custom install
3) NOD32 Antivirus, I don't highly recommend it anymore as its HTTP scanner slows down my internet and cripples my VPN but it's good otherwise. Not for me though.

I will PM you now to do a few final touches on your machine

 

I fix it for yoo None should support Malware company Free or paid doesn't matter

 

bump

 

Is there a best practice if you want to backup 2 drives. I have C: drive with OS and drivers and the D: drive is where I install all apps and utilities.

I want to back them both up as they are just now so I don't need to set it all up again, just need to know whether I clone/image them together or as separate drives.