Macrium Reflect

When you use WinRE, Reflect uses whatever kernel is in use on your system’s WinRE partition. The older pre-update Rescue Media that you said works is using the Win10 1909 kernel. The broken Rescue Media is apparently using WinRE 10 2004. That difference would stem from a Windows feature release you installed between those builds. And that may be the culprit.

When you use WinPE 10/11, the specific kernel version that is used depends on what Reflect is coded by Macrium to use, not what your system has installed. So that can be a more consistent foundation, because Macrium doesn’t change that very often. I believe the latest release of 8.1 uses Win10 2004 when you select WinPE 10, but 8.0 might still use 1909. Can’t check right now.

You could also try WinPE 11 if available. I can’t remember offhand which Reflect release added support for that.

There’s nothing to suggest that the wrong boot mode was used, but opinions notwithstanding, UEFI can in fact boot from MBR-initialized media even in native UEFI mode as long as there’s a UEFI bootloader file present on a readable volume.

Also, the error in question is a Windows error, which means there was a successful boot from that media at a system level because Windows at least started to load.

 

Windows RE seem to be default....seems Windows PE 10/11 is used if Windows RE is unavailable.
Windows PE 10 (WADK) This is good choice for Windows 10 systems if Windows RE is unavailable.
Windows PE 11 (WADK) This is good choice for Windows 11 systems if Windows RE is unavailable.

Spoiler: related pics

Recommendations? create Windows PE 10 and test or run Windows Updates and re-test Windows RE 2004?
Belarc reports: Security updates 2 missing
Q5031356 Critical Microsoft security update (KB5031356)
Q5031539 Critical Microsoft security update (KB5031539)
--
Windows 10 Home 22H2 (19045.3448)

 

WinRE is the default for a few reasons:

• It can be useful for Rescue Media kernels to match full Windows kernels, since that means any supplemental drivers required can reliably be copied from the host OS and will be compatible.
• It avoids the need to download and cache a WinPE build, which can be about 1 GB.
• It’s required for WiFi support.

But that doesn’t mean WinRE has to be unavailable in order to use WinPE. Just click Advanced > Choose Base WIM and select a WinPE option. The first time you build with a WinPE version you haven’t used before, you’ll be prompted to download the necessary files from Microsoft. That’s what I would recommend.

Most Windows updates do not modify the WinRE partition, so installing those is unlikely to fix anything.

Of course none of that answers why WinRE builds are broken. But troubleshooting that via forum posts would probably take more effort than I personally probably want to spend.

However, if you find that your WinPE builds are broken too, one possibility is that an antimalware solution is silently interfering with Rescue Media builds. Wouldn’t be the first time. Do you run anything besides Windows Defender?

 

Norton 360

Okay

I'm grateful for your replies.
Regards w Respect

Edit: @jphughan

Yes, pulling Windows Updates did not fix.
-
PE10 v2004 works - Boot menu and Rescue media.
PE10 WIM Build 895 MB

Spoiler: related pic

RE10 v1903 works - Rescue media.
Reflect presentation appears larger text with PE10 vs RE10...like zoom is 150%. My machine display is 150%. Maybe, my display 150% is related to Reflect rescue environment appearing larger with PE10?

 

Hi!

I made a disk image of a friend's computer in 2019 (using Reflect v7), the file is about 20 GB in size. That computer went belly up and yesterday I tried to restore the image on the computer, using Reflect v8 PE on a USB. I have copied the image file itself on that same USB beforehand. When I tried restoring, it failed. When I then tried to verify the image, it failed at 5%, I don't remember the exact error displayed but it was something about "offset".

I went home and tried to verify it again, it failed again. Then I checked the original copy of that same image that I had on my own computer's drive and the verification there passed. I deleted the imagae from the USB and copied the original image from my drive to the USB again, tried to verify it, and the image on the USB passed OK this time.

So what could have happened? Is it possible that trying to restore the image from USB on to my friend's drive could have somehow corrupted the image itself (maybe if his drive is bad)? I will try to do the recovery again, but not for a while as my friend lives quite far..

Thanks for any insight!

 

USB drive is not the best media to store files, especially when you don't use the USB drive that often. Mechanical HDD, either internal or external, is still the best for long term storage. But still, we would typically make more than 2 copies of backups just in case.

 

Just installed. Reboot required. I built new rescue media. Scheduled backup runs in a half hour from now but I don't expect any issues. I will report back if I encounter any.

 

Interestingly, my machine did not require a reboot. (Windows 10). I guess I should build new rescue media. Do I need to redo the boot loader?

 

My ThinkBook needed a reboot, but Dell XPS didn't.

 

Maybe it's a Windows 11 thing?

 

Actually it seems to be to do with whatever other apps may be installed.
Main Win 10 instance asked for a reboot, other two didn't - both Win 10, same machine.

 

Thank you for the reply. I still find it odd as no other file got corrupted on that same USB. I will copy it to both, USB and external HDD next time. I just find it really curious, esp. the error message. But I'm glad the image itself, the original, is OK and not corrupted.

 

Will macrium annual subscription license make software itself non-functional once it is expired & not renewed?

 

I suspect that after the subscription expires there will be no more updates to fix bugs and no updates to new versions.

 

Then that would be no different from "lifetime license" available at more than twice the price of "subscription license". I think the software itself will stop working or will go into some sort of very limited functionality mode once the subscription license is expired/not renewed like what happens with MS Office 365.
@TheRollbackFrog @Brian K

 

I can't find it at the moment but I read on their site the first time I looked at it that it will be reduced to a restore only mode. You can restore existing backups, but can't make new ones.

 

Correct

 

Reason enough to purchase the perpetual licences for a major version. I have a four-pack for Version 8 but only use two. For my money, it is great value for the money. I have no problem paying to upgrade to the next major version release if I want it, which is only every couple of years or so. Everyone has their own opinion and preferences. Just my two cents.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

 

Thanks for the info, @stapp I installed the update a couple of minutes ago, reboot was required.

 

This one is prompting me to reboot again. Don't know if that will apply to everyone.