Macrium Reflect - Backup aborted! - Write operation failed - An unexpected network error occurred

Macrium support say the free edition is not supported and to post on here instead, so:

Every backup fails with "Backup aborted! - Write operation failed - An unexpected network error occurred". This error has been occurring since 9th June 2022, all backups are fine before that date. Have tried rebooting remote server storage PC and client PC but with no improvement. Leaves empty file "1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg.tmp" on backup target which cannot be deleted without rebooting client pc.
After the failure the remote server is fine and can be accessed and written to by the client pc and a check on the remote storage and all is fine with no errors.
Latest log contents are:
Image ID - 1354E757D067A56C
Imaging Summary
Backup Definition File: C:\Users\Jeff\Documents\Reflect\My Differential Backup.xml
Auto Verify: Y
Verify File System: Y
Maximum File Size: Automatic
Compression: Medium
Password: N
Intelligent Copy: Y
Power Saving: N
Email On Success: N
Email On Warning: N
Email On Failure: N
Total Selected: 334.45 GB
Current Time: 6/30/2022 9:37:46 AM
Retention Rules
Rules will be applied to all matching backup sets in the destination folder
Full: Retain 2 full backups
Linked incremental and differential backups will also be deleted
Backup Sets: 1 sets found
Nothing to delete
Differential: Retain 5 differential backups
Linked incremental backups will also be deleted
Differential Backups: 1 found
Nothing to delete
Destination
Backup Type: Differential
File Name: Append to recent backup in directory '\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\'
\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\1354E757D067A56C-02-02.mrimg
Operation 1 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: N/A
Volume: \??\Volume{737644fb-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
File System: NTFS
Label: System Reserved
Size: 100.0 MB
Free: 65.2 MB
Used: 34.8 MB
Operation 2 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: C
Volume: \??\Volume{737644fc-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
File System: NTFS
Label:
Size: 465.13 GB
Free: 131.18 GB
Used: 333.95 GB
Operation 3 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: N/A
Volume: \??\Volume{ae4b955c-0000-0000-0000-904e74000000}
File System: NTFS
Label:
Size: 545.0 MB
Free: 63.8 MB
Used: 481.2 MB
Starting Image - Thursday, June 30, 2022 9:37 AM
Initializing
Destination Drive: Free Space 467.69 GB
Free space threshold: Delete oldest backup sets when free space is less than 50.00 GB
Creating Volume Snapshot - Please Wait
Volume Snapshots Created
Verifying
\??\Volume{737644fb-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
C:\ \??\Volume{737644fc-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
\??\Volume{ae4b955c-0000-0000-0000-904e74000000}
Saving Partition - System Reserved
Reading File System Bitmap
Looking for changes
Saving Partition
Saving Partition - <NO NAME> (C
Reading File System Bitmap
Looking for changes
Saving Partition
Gathering Windows Events - Please Wait
I/O Performance: Read 935.1 Mb/s - Write 601.3 Mb/s
Backup aborted! - Write operation failed - An unexpected network error occurred.

Macrium Reflect Free - Not For Commercial Use - v8.0.6758

Tried again after posting the above but with ethernet cable disconnected and network connection over wifi, this gave the below error log:
Image ID - 1354E757D067A56C
Imaging Summary
Backup Definition File: C:\Users\Jeff\Documents\Reflect\My Differential Backup.xml
Auto Verify: Y
Verify File System: Y
Maximum File Size: Automatic
Compression: Medium
Password: N
Intelligent Copy: Y
Power Saving: N
Email On Success: N
Email On Warning: N
Email On Failure: N
Total Selected: 332.79 GB
Current Time: 6/30/2022 1:20:03 PM
Retention Rules
Rules will be applied to all matching backup sets in the destination folder
Full: Retain 2 full backups
Linked incremental and differential backups will also be deleted
Backup Sets: 1 sets found
Nothing to delete
Differential: Retain 5 differential backups
Linked incremental backups will also be deleted
Differential Backups: 1 found
Nothing to delete
Destination
Backup Type: Differential
File Name: Append to recent backup in directory '\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\'
\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\1354E757D067A56C-02-02.mrimg
Operation 1 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: N/A
Volume: \??\Volume{737644fb-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
File System: NTFS
Label: System Reserved
Size: 100.0 MB
Free: 65.2 MB
Used: 34.8 MB
Operation 2 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: C
Volume: \??\Volume{737644fc-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
File System: NTFS
Label:
Size: 465.13 GB
Free: 132.84 GB
Used: 332.29 GB
Operation 3 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: N/A
Volume: \??\Volume{ae4b955c-0000-0000-0000-904e74000000}
File System: NTFS
Label:
Size: 545.0 MB
Free: 63.8 MB
Used: 481.2 MB
Starting Image - Thursday, June 30, 2022 1:20 PM
Initializing
Destination Drive: Free Space 467.69 GB
Free space threshold: Delete oldest backup sets when free space is less than 50.00 GB
Creating Volume Snapshot - Please Wait
Volume Snapshots Created
Verifying
\??\Volume{737644fb-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
C:\ \??\Volume{737644fc-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
\??\Volume{ae4b955c-0000-0000-0000-904e74000000}
Saving Partition - System Reserved
Reading File System Bitmap
Looking for changes
Saving Partition
Saving Partition - <NO NAME> (C
Reading File System Bitmap
Looking for changes
Saving Partition
Saving Partition - <NO NAME>
Reading File System Bitmap
Looking for changes
Saving Partition
Saving Index
New File: 30.05 GB 1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg
Verifying '1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg'
Index load failed
Retrying...
Index load failed
Retrying...
Index load failed
Retrying...
Index load failed
Retrying...
Index load failed
Retrying...
Verifying '1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg'
Index load error - Backup aborted! - '\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg' Index verification failed
Retrying...
Index load error - Backup aborted! - '\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg' Index verification failed
Retrying...
Index load error - Backup aborted! - '\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg' Index verification failed
Retrying...
Index load error - Backup aborted! - '\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg' Index verification failed
Retrying...
Index load error - Backup aborted! - '\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg' Index verification failed
Retrying...
Gathering Windows Events - Please Wait
I/O Performance: Read 842.7 Mb/s - Write 149.3 Mb/s
Backup aborted! - '\\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\1354E757D067A56C1-02-02.mrimg' Index verification failed

Macrium Reflect Free - Not For Commercial Use - v8.0.6758 - 75-XA9B-WK55-D8V6-46J6-PCC2-4XN5UCN

 

Hi Maultby

Perhaps this may be of some help...start reading at this link. https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/macrium-reflect.356309/page-398#post-3086230

 

Thanks for your reply Jim1cor13, I'll move and save the current backup files and start again.

Meanwhile I tried a verify which gave the red font error "Verification Failure Read error - Invalid argument", then retried it with "Automatically attempt repair" checked and after several hours got the MessageBox containing Read error - Invalid argument".
Looks like a bug to me.

 

So I removed the bad files and moved the good full image to different location and did full backup with the same error, log below:
Will now try a new hard drive connect to same network server.
Image ID - 7572759C1C926FC0
Imaging Summary
Backup Definition File: C:\Users\Jeff\Documents\Reflect\My Differential Backup.xml
Auto Verify: Y
Verify File System: Y
Maximum File Size: Automatic
Compression: Medium
Password: N
Intelligent Copy: Y
Power Saving: N
Email On Success: N
Email On Warning: N
Email On Failure: N
Total Selected: 335.91 GB
Current Time: 7/1/2022 4:00:28 PM
Retention Rules
Rules will be applied to all matching backup sets in the destination folder
Full: Retain 2 full backups
Linked incremental and differential backups will also be deleted
Backup Sets: 0 sets found
Nothing to delete
Differential: Retain 5 differential backups
Linked incremental backups will also be deleted
Differential Backups: 0 found
Nothing to delete
Destination
Backup Type: Full
File Name: \\HPDesktop\TOSH EXT 3TB SPACE\Copies and Backups\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\7572759C1C926FC0-00-00.mrimg
Operation 1 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: N/A
Volume: \??\Volume{737644fb-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
File System: NTFS
Label: System Reserved
Size: 100.0 MB
Free: 65.2 MB
Used: 34.8 MB
Operation 2 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: C
Volume: \??\Volume{737644fc-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
File System: NTFS
Label:
Size: 465.13 GB
Free: 129.73 GB
Used: 335.40 GB
Operation 3 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: N/A
Volume: \??\Volume{ae4b955c-0000-0000-0000-904e74000000}
File System: NTFS
Label:
Size: 545.0 MB
Free: 63.8 MB
Used: 481.2 MB
Starting Image - Friday, July 1, 2022 4:00 PM
Initializing
Destination Drive: Free Space 679.14 GB
Free space threshold: Delete oldest backup sets when free space is less than 50.00 GB
Creating Volume Snapshot - Please Wait
Volume Snapshots Created
Verifying
\??\Volume{737644fb-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
C:\ \??\Volume{737644fc-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
\??\Volume{ae4b955c-0000-0000-0000-904e74000000}
Saving Partition - System Reserved
Reading File System Bitmap
Saving Partition
Saving Partition - <NO NAME> (C
Reading File System Bitmap
Saving Partition
Gathering Windows Events - Please Wait
I/O Performance: Read 571.8 Mb/s - Write 198.1 Mb/s
Backup aborted! - Write operation failed - An unexpected network error occurred.

Macrium Reflect Free - Not For Commercial Use - v8.0.6758 - 75-XA9B-WK55-D8V6-46J6-PCC2-4XN5UCN

 

***
If any Macrium support people or dev people see this it would be nice to get some answers. Backup software's prime requirement is robustness and reliability. Unfortunately these behaviours perhaps suggest Macrium reflect is perhaps neither? I'll not be buying a licensed version with these behaviours unless they can be adequately explained.
***

With new hard drive connected to same server but not as part of a windows storage spaces volume, we have success albeit with a catastrophic VSS Writers failure, log file:

Image ID - 5E5B4A3E0102724E
Imaging Summary
Backup Definition File: C:\Users\Jeff\Documents\Reflect\My Differential Backup.xml
Auto Verify: Y
Verify File System: Y
Maximum File Size: Automatic
Compression: Medium
Password: N
Intelligent Copy: Y
Power Saving: N
Email On Success: N
Email On Warning: N
Email On Failure: N
Total Selected: 336.84 GB
Current Time: 7/2/2022 9:17:32 AM
Retention Rules
Rules will be applied to all matching backup sets in the destination folder
Full: Retain 2 full backups
Linked incremental and differential backups will also be deleted
Backup Sets: 0 sets found
Nothing to delete
Differential: Retain 5 differential backups
Linked incremental backups will also be deleted
Differential Backups: 0 found
Nothing to delete
Destination
Backup Type: Full
File Name: \\HPDesktop\Elements\JeffsDell2 Laptop\MacriumBackups\5E5B4A3E0102724E-00-00.mrimg
Operation 1 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: N/A
Volume: \??\Volume{737644fb-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
File System: NTFS
Label: System Reserved
Size: 100.0 MB
Free: 65.2 MB
Used: 34.8 MB
Operation 2 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: C
Volume: \??\Volume{737644fc-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
File System: NTFS
Label:
Size: 465.13 GB
Free: 128.79 GB
Used: 336.33 GB
Operation 3 of 3
Hard Disk: 1
Drive Letter: N/A
Volume: \??\Volume{ae4b955c-0000-0000-0000-904e74000000}
File System: NTFS
Label:
Size: 545.0 MB
Free: 63.8 MB
Used: 481.2 MB
Starting Image - Saturday, July 2, 2022 9:17 AM
Initializing
Destination Drive: Free Space 1.48 TB
Free space threshold: Delete oldest backup sets when free space is less than 50.00 GB
Creating Volume Snapshot - Please Wait
Failed: Failed - 0x8000ffff - Catastrophic failure - Retrying without VSS Writers
Success
Volume Snapshots Created
Verifying
\??\Volume{737644fb-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
C:\ \??\Volume{737644fc-caba-11e7-91fd-806e6f6e6963}
\??\Volume{ae4b955c-0000-0000-0000-904e74000000}
Saving Partition - System Reserved
Reading File System Bitmap
Saving Partition
Saving Partition - <NO NAME> (C
Reading File System Bitmap
Saving Partition
Saving Partition - <NO NAME>
Reading File System Bitmap
Saving Partition
Saving Index
New File: 186.03 GB 5E5B4A3E0102724E-00-00.mrimg
Verifying '5E5B4A3E0102724E-00-00.mrimg'
Ok. Continuing...
I/O Performance: Read 223.0 Mb/s - Write 165.5 Mb/s
Image and Verification Completed Successfully in 06:53:10

Macrium Reflect Free - Not For Commercial Use - v8.0.6758 - 75-XA9B-WK55-D8V6-46J6-PCC2-4XN5UCN

 

Thanks Maultby for all the detail. My backup methods are always "cold" backups, meaning outside of windows using boot media whether I use Macrium or Drive snapshot, Image for Linux, etc.

The "network" error I assume and the VSS errors you are attempting your backups within windows. I know from the links I have looked up, there has been some odd behaviors with VSS, as you read in the link I directed you to.

Did you try and use the "Fix VSS Errors" within Macrium? Not sure about your network error that it states that aborts the image creation. Have you checked the health of your network storage device?

Have you checked your Windows Event Viewer to check to see if any errors are listed during the time of your backup attempt?

Also it may list VSS errors. If there is a network error listed, at some point while backing up to network storage, it is losing its connectivity.

Might this be helpful? The following is from the Macrium forum how some resolved the network error...
Backup aborted! - Write operation failed - An unexpected network error occurred. (macrium.com)

I wish I was able to better help you Maultby, as mentioned my imaging is always outside windows using boot media. Most say hot imaging within windows
is reliable, and although it should be, I am not so sure about that as I have in the past, the very few times I tried imaging within windows early on,
I had oddities in some cases with restores, and that is when I went to cold imaging as a preference.

I just think there is too many possibilities backing up within the Windows environment, that could pose problems with the consistency of the image.
Just speaking from my own experience that led me many years ago to backup only outside of the Windows OS. Eliminating any potential background issues during writing, etc.

Totally a personal decision on my part, but I stopped seeing some of the odd behavior after a few restores that I noticed from within windows. Maybe it is just me...

All the best to you in your attempts to figure this out, I will continue to search for you also...