Macrium Reflect

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Stigg, Nov 23, 2013.

  1. Raza0007

    Raza0007 Registered Member

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    Well, if the validation check does all that then I guess it should be run.

    I was under the impression that @beethoven was asking about the "auto verify image" option in Macrium. That option only does one thing, it computes the hash of each data block and compares it with the hash that was computed and saved in the index file of the image archive when the image file was written. It is just an archive integrity check option.

    If all the files in your system that are being read/written to and from the hard disk are fine, then there is no reason to believe that Macrium's archive will have problems during the writing phase. What I mean is that most of the time this process will fail only if you have NTFS problems on your system or you have bad sectors on the hard disk. The effects of both will become apparent long before you run a backup job and both of these issues can be resolved by running chkdsk regularly on your hard drive. Thus, I would consider running an image verification, after each image, a waste of time.

    I got some relevant information from Macrium Help file located here

    The point I am making is that if there is a history of file corruptions on your system, then it makes sense to run an image verification after each image is taken. Otherwise, there is no need.

    I have never run an image verification ever. I have used Paragon Drive backup for 2 years and Macrium since 2009. No corruption so far. However, I do run chkdsk with "file system correction" option weekly and "with a check for bad sectors" option monthly.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2015
  2. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

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    I´m very skeptical about this theory.

    But leaving theories aside, the empirical result seems to be that a validation almost never fails. So, it´s a process without volatility or variation, therefore it does not provide information, is useless.
     
  3. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I've found a better test of images is to mount it and have some kind of audio visual file I can play. I have had images that were bad and wouldn't restore, but still passed validation.
     
  4. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    Has anyone used MR to image a Surface Pro 3? In theory, I think it can be done. However, here are some caveats:

    1. I technically don't own the Surface. I use it for work. But, our IT department is extremely busy and don't have time to really fix people's PC's. Their answer is to re-format or re-install. I'm hoping to avoid that. (OS is Win 8.1)
    2. I doubt that I can install the boot menu on this Surface because of how our PC's boot into our domain.
    3. The Surface only has one usb slot.
    4. I could use Macrium Reflect to image the Surface and save that either on the work network (my personal work network drive) or to a separate flash drive.
    5. I could create a bootable flash drive; yet, I'm not sure how to make the Surface boot from that flash drive?

    Any thoughts?
     
  5. USAAlone

    USAAlone Registered Member

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    Look at the bottom of the screen for Bios or settings. Press the key it says to press during booting. The key to press maybe the delete or F2. The bios or settings screen should open. Go to bot mdnu. Scroll down to boot drives or startup drives. Click on it. Look for flash or removable. Push the key on the right side of the screen. It should say press + or - to move a device up. Move the flash or removable to the top. If a laptop or tablet has a CD DVD drive you set the CD drive first and the hard drive second. If there is no CD drive if your tablet allows booting from a memory card or flash drive, you set the memory or flash drive as the first boot device. Doing so tells the tablet to look for a flash or memory card with a operating system on it. It looks for boot files and boots it. It should say press any key or space bar to boot the flash drive or memory card. The bootable devicr you create has to be plugged in before you press the power button.

    Make sure to preess the key it says to press at the bottom of the screen during booting. Press it before the menu that has settings, Bios changes to another screen. It should try to boot the flash or memory card you had Reflect use for the bootable backup or restore drive. This is needed because you cannot restore a hard drive, when it is used to boot your tablet.

    To create rescue media look under other tasks in the top menu. Click on create rescue media. Click on change PE version. Select PE version 5. Version 5 is Windows 8.1. PE version 4(Windows :cool: or 5Windows 8.1) supports newer computers, tablets and older computers. PE versions 4 or 5 is Windows 8 operating system on a flash, memory CD or DVD. A DVD is the standard bootable media. A DVD is usually required because the rescue media is the size of a DVD 4.7 GB, If your flash or memory card is 8 GB, 16 GB or larger it can be used for the rescue media drive. Your computer or tablet has to allow you to boot a optical CD DVD, flash or memory card. Most new computers, laptops, tablets and a Windows phone,

    It will take a few seconds before you see the Windows 8 logo on the screen. It may not take as long for the logo to show up on a tablets screen It takes a few seconds for the logo to show up on a desktop computer screen. A touch screen tablet or a laptop has a smaller screen. A desktop computer may use a flat screen TV for a monitor. Maybe why it tales so long for the logo to appear on screen. A user may think a boot drive is not booting. The screen is blank for many seconds. Making you think it is not going to start booting. All of sudden the tiny logo appears on screen. Microsoft should of put text saying Windows is starting up like it did in Windows 7 or older Windows versions.

    Daniel
     
  6. HAN

    HAN Registered Member

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    Couple thoughts...

    I believe once you are booted into the Reflect recovery environment, I think the boot UFD can be removed and the backup drive plugged in. Pretty sure I've checked this but not home right now to verify. Of course the boot process needs to be 100% complete before you pull the UFD.

    Here's MS's answer for booting from a UFD on a Surface Pro https://www.microsoft.com/surface/e...ers/boot-surface-pro-from-usb-recovery-device
     
  7. Robin A.

    Robin A. Registered Member

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    Yes. WinPE works from memory.
     
  8. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

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    Thanks a lot Han. That was quite helpful. Now, I just need to buy an 8 GB for the boot UFD and a 32 or 64 GB for the backup UFD. (Love to buy 128, but who can afford one....)
     
  9. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    hi
    i sent an email 4 o 5 days ago never get an answer
     
  10. Raza0007

    Raza0007 Registered Member

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    Well, I don't know but they responded to me some years ago and I was just a trial user at that time and I mentioned that I was a trial user in my question, but I still got response from their support team. Maybe they have stopped responding nowadays.
     
  11. Raza0007

    Raza0007 Registered Member

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    Just wanted to add that the log file is only created when you make a WinPE Rescue Disk or update a WinPE Rescue Disk. You can manually delete the log file afterwards.
     
  12. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    hi
    can you ask if we can select the log destination or disable using the winpe rescue disk please?
    i have system reserved partition on my os disks in w8.1 and w7
    the rescue disk save it always it inside these partition , it's really annoying
     
  13. Raza0007

    Raza0007 Registered Member

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    mantra, my Macrium license is through our business and the Macrium account is under the IT managers name, so I cannot ask Macrium support directly. But I will try to get the message through.

    I know you said that you do not like when software add files to your system reserved partition, but the whole point of this reserved partition is to provide HDD space for those software that need to boot before Windows. Since Macrium needs to boot before Windows, so this is why Macrium puts its files in this reserved partition.

    So Macrium is not invasive or trying to invade your privacy, it is just doing its job and the folks at Macrium probably feel justified in usurping a little space in your reserved partition, which they probably feel is intended for their use in the first place.
     
  14. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    thanks Raza0007
     
  15. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    mantra,

    I don't have Macrium on my test computer at present. How did you determine files were being copied into the System Reserved Partition? The SRP is usually not seen in Windows Explorer as it doesn't have a drive letter.
     
  16. PCFAN2014

    PCFAN2014 Registered Member

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    Macrium viBoot v6.0.773 is available now!

    Macrium viBoot - Release Notes

    Release Date 29th July 2015
    Version 6.0.773
    Download Link http://updates.macrium.com/viboot/v6.0/773/vibootsetup.msi
    New Features
    • Implemented Virtual Machine creation in WMI version 1.0. viBoot now supports Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2008 and above.
    • Improved the Virtual Machine creation user interface and added a step by step report of the creation process.
    Known Issues
    • An issue has been reported where viBoot uses 100% of the CPU when the Virtual Machine repository is stored on a hard disk connected to a SATA controller configured in compatibility (IDE) mode on some motherboards. Configuring the SATA controller to run in native (SATA, AHCI, RAID) mode fixes this issue.
    Release Date 22nd July 2015
    Version 6.0.762
    Download Link http://updates.macrium.com/viboot/v6.0/762/vibootsetup.msi
    Bug Fixes
    • Fixed an issue where viBoot would not install on the current release of the Windows 10 Insider Preview.
    Known Issues
    • On some virtual machines, viBoot incorrectly reports the CPU usage. viBoot is reporting the latest change to a single CPU core and not the overall CPU usage.
    Release Date 16th July 2015
    Version 6.0.747
    Download Link http://updates.macrium.com/viboot/v6.0/747/vibootsetup.msi
    Bug Fixes
    • Fixed an issue in the Macrium Virtual SCSI Disk device driver, where the expected number of images files was calculated incorrectly.
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2015
  17. dja2k

    dja2k Registered Member

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    What scheduling plan do you all use and why? I used Grandfather, Father, Son one since the start, but was looking into the others. Thanks

    dja2k
     
  18. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    i used a linux disto or you can use acvite boot disk , you can access to this partition
     
  19. max2

    max2 Registered Member

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    I don't like how you can't restore a system partition image within Macrium Reflect it tells you to use the bootup cd or usb drive you create in the program. In True Image it will by just telling you it has to restart same with AX64 Time Machine.

    Though AX64 Time Machine doesn't run as a service so every time it starts up I have to type in my admin password :(
     
  20. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    Max, if you install the LOCAL BOOT option in Macrium, the restoration may be done automatically with just a few <click>s of the mouse... otherwise you do need the external RECOVERY MEDIA.
     
  21. USAAlone

    USAAlone Registered Member

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    Hi,
    To restore the drive you want to restore. The drive cannot be your boot drive, you started your computer with. A Reflect rescue DVD, USB flash drive is needed to start your computer. You run Reflect from the external media. The drive you want to restore
    You cannot restore a hard drive you used to start your computer with. Just because you chose an image file doesn't change your startup drive. That is why you have to use a rescue CD or DVD. Just like you cannot delete a file like a word document that is open.

    Why are you getting upset over Macrium Reflect for. It is not a defect in Macrium Reflect, not being able to restore a drive that is in use. No way to restore over your boot drive. It would shut your computer down and Reflect would be shut down and you would lose all the files you are working on. You would lose all the changes to your main hard drive. Changes since your last image backup.
     
  22. Raza0007

    Raza0007 Registered Member

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    I think that @max2 is talking about the option that is available in some backup software like Paragon for example. When you need to restore your boot (system) partition from Paragon, you configure the restore from inside Windows and run it from inside Windows. When it runs it tells you that it cannot perform the process online and asks if you want to reboot. On reboot, Paragon loads before Windows and performs the restore. So, you do not need a boot disk or to have any rescue environment on your PC.

    This process is different from the one available in Macrium, where in order to restore your system partition, you have to boot into Macrium Rescue Environment, whether you do it from a CD/UFD or have Macrium RE installed on your PC.
     
  23. mantra

    mantra Registered Member

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    hi
    may i know how much gb does macrium 6 write with the option Rapid Delta Restore (RDR) ?
    thanks
     
  24. taotoo

    taotoo Registered Member

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    AFAIK it writes however many GB the delta happens to total.
     
  25. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    Mantra, REFLECT only writes the differences between the image currently on the disk and the image you are restoring... this, of coiurse, will vary depending on how many changes have occurred since the image was taken that you're restoring.
     
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