Macrium Reflect Free question

Hello ALL:

After my issues with Acronis, I tried a few FREE programs. I found that they are much faster than TI9 or TI11 ever were!

So, if I use Reflect Free (ver 5.1.5732) and tell it to back up Windows partition(s) and system, will I be able to get my system running if the HDD crashes and I put a new one in of at least that size? Actually, can I use a smaller one if it is at least big enough to do the restore plus some room? I have a 250GB HDD now but only 47GB is in use.

I guess I need to create the WINPE rescue media as I back up to RAID and the Linux media does not see that. I am surprised that the WINPE downloads a 1.6GB iso!

OH, I use XP PRO.

 

Hi MPSAN

The short answer to your question is "yes", you can restore and recover if you ever need to replace your HDD. It should be at least the same size or larger for the free version of Macrium.

If you would want to restore an image to a smaller drive, in this case I would suggest while your current drive is healthy, resize your XP pro partition to say 125GB, then image that after you resize. this would allow you to at least restore to a HDD of smaller size but larger than 125GB. This is just an example, you must choose what size you would want your OS partition. If you need partitioning software, that is very flexible and free, you can download Partition Wizard from this site:
http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html for the windows version, or you can download the bootable ISO which is also free at this location:
http://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html This would allow you to manage your partitioning needs outside of windows if you so desire. There are several very good free partitioning software available, I mention PW because it is what I often use, the bootable version.

If your current HDD is all one large partition, I would suggest resizing, and then create say a logical partition for the purpose of data storage, etc. This would assist in better OS partition size management, etc.

In any case, if I am not mistaken, Macrium free needs to restore to a partition of the same size or larger. So if you ever wanted to restore to a smaller HDD, the easiest way to do it I think is to resize to your desired choice, and then image the newly sized partition.

As far as the WinPe rescue media, indeed the winpe software ISO is very large, but some do not mind that. There are other options, such as if your computer supports 64 bit architecture, you can find an already created Macrium Winpe iso at sevenforums.com The author goes by the user name whs, his real name is Wolfgang, and he has created a 64 bit winpe ISO with Macrium free, I think his latest is version 5.1.5603 which would work fine with the current 5732 version, and you can also create images with it, or what is called "cold" imaging, outside of windows environment, which is a nice feature to have available. Keep in mind this is 64 bit I am talking about and your system needs to support that. If not, then you may have to pursue the download of WAIK from MS.

I hope this helps in some way, I am sure others may have other ideas that will be helpful.

Glad you like Macrium, it is a very reliable and capable solution, and one of the best free imaging apps.

Have a nice weekend

Jim

 

Thank you so much, Jim.

Well, I had already d/l the WAIK and I guess I may as well try to create the DVD. I had hesitated as it mentions Win 7, and I use 32 bit XP Pro. I do have a Promise RAID on my ASUS MoBo.

As far as a smaller HDD goes, if this 250GB dies, it would be hard to find only a 250GB drive, so that should not be an issue. I will try to create the WinPE disk tomorrow and see how it all goes.

 

What Jim basically meant is a smaller partition for OS and not small had disk. My OS partitions for Windows 7 x64 are about 60GB to 80GB. In the OS partitions, it includes the Program Files, but not the user data. Therefore, 60GB to 80GB only for OS and Program Files.

Best regards,

 

Well, I understand, but about once a month I like to image the whole single partition drive. In that way I know that I can get EVERYTHING back again. I especially need this for my wife's system as I am not going to go through all her customizations again!

 

Well, I tried to create a WinPE DVD but can not seem to do it on my 32 bit XP system. I had heard that it should work. I d/l the WAIK...a 1.7GB d/l. I then started Reflect Free and went through the screens. When I try to create the dvd it unmounts the win sys files, copys WAIK files, mounts the image and I get a mount failure or the system just reboots. Shouldn't I be able to do this?

 

Tried again and get to where it says it is mounting the image and then it fails doing a reboot of the system. For me, it looks like the WINPE creation will not work with my XP Pro 32 bit system.

 

Well, I guess I am talking to myself here.

After trying all of these attempts at making a WINPE DVD and having my system reboot itself, NONE of the image programs will now work. They all freeze. That is Acronis, TODO, and Reflect. I do have images that I made with Reflect last Saturday before I tried the WINPE thing.

Is there any reason that I can not analyze my HDD with the Maxtor Maxblast and even write all zeros to be sure the drive is good and then restore the Reflect image and expect it to boot? This should work.

Strange thing is that my system is running just fine except I can not back it up!

 

I have made a WAIK CD perfectly fine on Win 7. Not sure about XP.

 

Well, I guess I will restore and try again!

 

Good suggestion, Jim1cor13.

Sometimes we forget simple solutions.

 

Well, I used WISE tools...defrag drive and reg and tried to use Reflect Free again. It worked. I am not sure if it was the defrag or the fact that I had powered the system off that "fixed" the problem after the many failed WINPE attempts, but I now have a "good" image again. Not sure what survives a reboot vs. a power down, but I do know that some things do.

Also, I do not need to resize the drive as I would replace it with something bigger...if at all!

 

I prefer to back up the image of the C drive (using Macrium Free) to an external hdd. But when I boot with the Macrium Rescue disk it can't see the external hdd, just the local drives. I never had this issue with Acronis. Any idea why Macrium doesn't see external hdds. I tried to post on their forum but you have to have the Pro version before they'll let you register.

 

@ Pentangle, are you using Linux Macrium Rescue disk? If so, is a normal issue with Macrium CD Linux based.

You need to do a WinPE Macrium CD, to overcome the issue.

 

...and in my case, using XP PRO I have never been able to create anything but the Linux based CD and it will not see a RAID drive! It does see an eSATA drive.

 

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I'm using the Linux Macrium Rescue disk. I've been copying the image from my external hard drive to the computer's hdd as a backup but that won't help much if the computer's hdd is corrupted. Does Macrium provide instructions for the WinPE Macrium CD? Using Win7.

 

What is WinPE?

WinPE is from Windows 7, and I am not sure that you can build WinPE on a XP machine.

You have two choices:

1. You can download an older version of Macrium Reflect WinPE and burn it to a CD/DVD. In his above post #2, Jim has given you a link to download as such.

2. Create the latest version of Macrium Reflect WinPE on someone's computer who has Windows 7 and then burn it to a CD/DVD.

Then the above CD/DVD can be used on your XP machine to boot into Macrium Reflect.

Best regards,

 

Do you have Windows 7?

If the answer is yes, then it is very simple.

1. Download WIAK from Microsoft site. It is 1.7GB for Windows 7 and further 1.0GB if you want Windows 7 SP1. I wouldn't worry about the 1.0 download of Windows 7 SP1.

2. Install it in your computer. Then you can build WinPE for any program, including Macrium Reflect.

3. Install and run Macrium Reflect. Go to "Other Tasks" Menu and choose "Create Rescue Media".

4. Create an ISO media.

5. You can then burn it to USB/CD/DVD and you can also use as "bootmenu" too.

Best regards,
Best regards,

 

Yes. You can do what aladdin explained in preceding post.

I did myself the following (to avoid install WAIK files through Macrium Reflect Free):

1- I used Toolwiz Time Freeze and turn it in Frozen Mode; thus the installation of WAIK done by Macrium will be uninstalled after reboot. All you need is to save the ISO WinPE file done by Macrium in a non system partition/disk.
2- Like said by aladdin run Macrium Reflect. Go to "Other Tasks" Menu and choose "Create Rescue Media". Select "Windows PE 3.1" > "Custom PE rescue media". Macrium will download itself the WAIK ISO 1.7 GB from Microsoft and install it.
3- Macrium will do a ISO WinPE file.
4- Burn it to a CD.

Run that CD when booting, and it will allow you to see your external hdd - to backup or restore your image backup.

@ aladdin, WinPE can build WinPE on a XP machine (I did that myself).

 

Thank you both for the advice.

 

Thank you. I do not have win7 and had thought that it would work in XP. I saw the notes about win7, etc, but had been told that it would work in XP. Remember I am trying the Free version.

 

Macrium reflect 5.1.5828 has been released. The Linux rescue cd has been updated to support RAID, USB 3.0

More info:
http://updates.macrium.com/reflect/v5.0/v5.1.5828/details5.1.5828.htm

 

I like how it updates through patches.

 

I will have to try this BUT it says it can RESTORE to a RAID. I wonder if it will now see a RAID as the source?

***UPDATE***

I did the update and the Linux CD may restore TO a RAID, but it will still not see a RAID drive that I would have the Image ON. The software in WinXP will write an image to a RAID, but the Linux CD will not see the RAID drive.

 

FROM MY EXPERIENCE YOU CAN BUILD RESCUE CD FROM XP ALSO. INSTALL WIN7 WAIK IN XP AND CREATE BOOT CD