Macrium Reflect

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

  1. aldist

    aldist Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2017
    Posts:
    1,103
    Location:
    Lunar module
    Windows Firewall cannot show notifications about blocked connections. The blocked connections log is located here (Win + R -> eventvwr.msc -> Enter) Event Viewer - Windows Logs - Security,
    but it is very inconvenient to study.
    If you install Binisoft (Malwarebytes) Windows Firewall Control, you will receive notifications about blocked connections and a convenient log. WFC is an add-on over Windows Firewall.

    You do not need to restart your computer to apply Windows Firewall rules.
     
  2. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2009
    Posts:
    662
    Location:
    USA--Oregon
    I need some assistance. I have been using MR version 6 for a couple years that I had upgraded from the previous version. So, my MR version 6 license is an upgrade. However, I purchased version 7 back in January 2020. It also was an upgrade from version 6. I never installed version 7.

    Now, I have a new PC. I removed my license key (version 6) from my old PC. Now, I want to install MR on my new PC. Do I have to install version 6 and use my old version 6 license or can I install version 7 and use the version 7 upgrade license?

    upload_2020-12-6_11-8-11.png
     
  3. jphughan

    jphughan Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2018
    Posts:
    913
    Location:
    US
    Run the V7 installer and provide the V7 key. If you purchased it as an upgrade AND you've never used it before, then the installer might then prompt you for your original V6 key as well, in which case provide that too. But you don't have to actually install V6 first.
     
  4. Alexhousek

    Alexhousek Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2009
    Posts:
    662
    Location:
    USA--Oregon
    Thanks JP! That worked like a charm.
     
  5. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    Hi, need a bit of help. I tried MR a couple times a few years back, both times resulted in BSOD'S, one so bad I had to reinstall Windows. Fast forward to a week ago, decided to try it again ( I know, I am as dumb as a bag of rocks). Installed, no issues, made a full backup to a portable hard drive, size of backup was 100gb. Did a differential backup today, size of backup was 100gb. Why the same, I thought a differential only made a backup of differences from the original backup?

    I have a theory, here is a screenshot from the image summary.

    Screenshot 2020-12-10 201814.jpg
    I am thinking that because it did not backup to the same folder as the original backup that it made a full backup instead of a differential. So somewhere there is a setting that I can change to backup where I want it to and this will fix it. I will look but any advice is much appreciated.
     
  6. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    I cannot find a setting and I don't remember it asking me where I wanted to backup the differential.
     
  7. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    Tried again, worked this time I guess, made differential to backup I made earlier tonight, took 3 minutes. So I suppose if I delete the backup I made a week ago ( I don't need it) that everything should be ok now?? Thanks.
     
  8. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Posts:
    5,614
    Location:
    Milan and Seoul
    Capture.PNG
    After making a full backup, to create a differential you ought to open the tab ‘restore’ which might show you the full backup, if it is not shown then you should ‘browse for an image file’ and open the full backup you’ve created.

    On the right hand side (see my attachment) you’ll find a menu ‘+ Other actions’, one of the options is ‘create differential’. When you click it, it will proceed to create a differential attached to the original full backup. There might be other ways, but this is how I do it.
     
  9. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Posts:
    5,614
    Location:
    Milan and Seoul
    Any differential is connected to a full backup, you cannot have a differential on its own, If I understood correctly your question.
     
  10. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    Ok, your way works beautifully. The way I did it is click on Backup Definition Files, right click on this:
    Screenshot 2020-12-10 213225.jpg
    And then do a differential, I think I read in the help file that this is how the recommend doing it. Your way makes more sense. Seems like there are many ways to do backups, restores etc in their program, sort of makes it confusing for anyone who is not very good with computers. Too many settings IMO.
     
  11. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    Yes I understand, but the differential I made tonight was actually a full backup according to folder size. So I have a full backup and diff now, the original full backup I made a week ago is not needed. thanks so much.
     
  12. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Posts:
    5,614
    Location:
    Milan and Seoul
    It's good you've worked it out. I agree Macrium operations are a bit daunting at first, but it really becomes routine in the end. May i ask you if you have created a 'bootable rescue media'? It makes it possible to start automatically an image restore from within Windows...
     
  13. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    You betcha. So I've tried making a full image, a differential and to see if the boot media works, only thing I haven't tried yet is to restore an image. Maybe tomorrow. I agree, once I get comfortable with all the settings it should be a piece of cake (I hope).
     
  14. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Posts:
    5,614
    Location:
    Milan and Seoul
    Yes, I agree it is the most important verification in a backup system. Many people take for granted that a restore will work if disaster strikes, only to find out at the last moment that it doesn't, although Macrium is very reliable if you had no warnings during the backup sequence.
     
  15. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    Again, thanks for your help, I didn't know if I would have to wait 3 hours or 3 days for someone to help me.
     
  16. Osaban

    Osaban Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Posts:
    5,614
    Location:
    Milan and Seoul
    You are welcome!
     
  17. jphughan

    jphughan Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2018
    Posts:
    913
    Location:
    US
    @digmor crusher , Reflect can't build a Differential from a Full that exists in a different folder. When Reflect attempts to create a Diff or Inc, it will only do that based on backups that exist in the specified target folder. This makes it simpler to do things like have a rotation of destination disks since the backups on each disk will be "self-contained", meaning you'll never have a situation where restoring a backup on Disk A requires some other backup from Disk B.

    As for how to create backups, a definition file is the recommended method (and is required when using scheduled backups). The ability to create a backup from the Restore menu was added primarily to offer a way to create Diff/Inc backups within Rescue Media, where backup definition files aren't used. Creating a new backup from the Restore menu as @Osaban indicated doesn't give you as much visibility or control over the settings to be used for the new backup you'll be creating, and certain settings (like email notifications) would be impossible to use that way. I guess the Restore menu method can be somewhat convenient, but a definition file isn't difficult to create or use, so I would really recommend using that instead.
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2020
  18. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    @digmor crusher , Reflect can't build a Differential from a Full that exists in a different folder. When Reflect attempts to create a Diff or Inc, it will only do that based on backups that exist in the specified target folder. This makes it simpler to do things like have a rotation of destination disks since the backups on each disk will be "self-contained", meaning you'll never have a situation where restoring a backup on Disk A requires some other backup from Disk B.

    Yup, figured that out, just don't know why I couldn't specify a targeted folder.

    As for how to create backups, a definition file is the recommended method (and is required when using scheduled backups). The ability to create a backup from the Restore menu was added primarily to offer a way to create Diff/Inc backups within Rescue Media, where backup definition files aren't used. Creating a new backup from the Restore menu as @Osaban indicated doesn't give you as much visibility or control over the settings to be used for the new backup you'll be creating, and certain settings (like email notifications) would be impossible to use that way. I guess the Restore menu method can be somewhat convenient, but a definition file isn't difficult to create or use, so I would really recommend using that instead.

    Restore menu works for me. I have no need for settings such as email etc, plain and simple, create, save, use as needed. I may backup 4 times a year, I may need to restore once a year. its there when I need it, thats all.
     
  19. jphughan

    jphughan Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2018
    Posts:
    913
    Location:
    US
    Target folders are specified in definition files, but if you don't see a use for them, then best of luck with the Restore menu method. Although if you only make backups 4 times per year, I really wouldn't use Differentials. If your Full ended up corrupt, that could invalidate several months' worth of backups if you make any Differentials rather than making a Full each time.
     
  20. layman

    layman Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2006
    Posts:
    292
    Huh? That's a nonsensical statement. I hope you aren't under a misconception that a differential is equivalent to a full just because of its size.
     
  21. jphughan

    jphughan Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2018
    Posts:
    913
    Location:
    US
    The log screenshot posted earlier indicated that Reflect created a Full even though a Differential had been requested, presumably because of the different target folder. So the backup did end up being a Full.
     
  22. Acadia

    Acadia Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2002
    Posts:
    4,325
    Location:
    US
    Did you by chance also have Rollback RX on your system at the same time?
    Acadia
     
  23. digmor crusher

    digmor crusher Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2012
    Posts:
    1,156
    Location:
    Canada
    Nope.
     
  24. jimminy

    jimminy Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2020
    Posts:
    76
    Location:
    USA
    If one uses the definition files, can differential backups be made and stored in different drives/folders than the original full backup image?

    I'm just trying to learn. Until today, I didn't even realize differentials could be performed from rescue media (thanks).

    I've been recently using the method of creating differentials from the restore menu, but I haven't yet had to make a restore from these differentials. I have 4 external drives with USB enclosures, used in a rotation scheme. I try to make a full backup once per month and a differential once per week (on the same drive).

    Again, many thanks for your contributions here ... They've been invaluable.
     
  25. jphughan

    jphughan Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2018
    Posts:
    913
    Location:
    US
    Thanks for the kind words! :)

    No, a definition file will not allow you to split a backup set across multiple folders. In order to do that, Reflect would have to maintain a local catalog containing data about all backups it had created anywhere. That's possible, and I remember using backup applications like Backup Exec that did that so that you could for example have a Differential backup on Tape B when the Full backup was on Tape A (and Tape A wasn't even online during the Diff backup), but it adds another layer of complexity to the application. And you have to deal with scenarios like what happens when the local catalog gets corrupted but the backups are fine. And again, you can end up in a situation where restoring from a backup on Disk B requires a file from Disk A, and a user could potentially end up in that situation without realizing they'd created that situation in the first place. They might have thought they'd set up a rotation of independent destination disks rather than multiple sets that all had cross-disk dependencies. By comparison, Reflect's current design of just working with whatever is at the destination at the time of the backup makes each destination "self-contained" and eliminates the need for maintaining a data set other than the backups themselves.

    The only semi-exception to the rule that new backups can't be created in a different destination from their parents is that if you disable Delta Incremental Indexing, which is enabled by default on V7 and disabled by default on V6 (because it wasn't introduced until 6.1), then after you've created a Full, optionally a Differential, and at least one Incremental, every backup in the chain up to but NOT including the latest Incremental can be moved to some other folder if desired, and you'll still be able to create new Incrementals. When Full (non-Delta) Incremental Indexing is used, Reflect can create a new Incremental even when only the previous Incremental exists in the destination, because that Incremental has enough information embedded to make that possible. But that post-creation move would have to be done manually or automated via some other solution. And it wouldn't be usable for creating new Differentials. Also, as of Reflect 7.2, it will cause your backups to end with a "warning" outcome indicating that you have an incomplete set at the destination. I suggested the warning for the incomplete set situation because in most cases that will be unexpected and indicative of a problem, but also suggested an option to suppress the incomplete set warning for people using this strategy where that situation would be expected, but I don't think the suppression option was implemented even as a registry customization.

    Lastly, I believe that if you ever need to RESTORE a backup after using the setup I just described above, you'd have to bring all necessary parent backups into the same folder, i.e. you couldn't just choose the latest Incremental in the destination and then have Reflect ask you where your preceding backups are. But I haven't tested that.
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2020
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.