Macrium Reflect free, reliable?

Since you can't register at the MACRIUM REFLECT forums unless you have purchased the pro version, I figured I would post here. I am in a very bad mood, but will refrain from saying what I really want to say for the time being. Here is the summary of my DVD-RW drive info...

2010-01-03 10:49:05 EST
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H552L ["IDE:5:0\\?\IDE#CdRomTSSTcorp_CD#DVDW_TS-H552L_______________0614____#5&1f2188b4&0&0.0.0#{53f56308-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}"]*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Controller*Master
*Drive Letter*G
*Serial Number*TS-H552LFirmware
*Product Revision Level*0614
*Readable Media*CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW
*Writable Media*CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW
*Driver*c:\windows\system32\drivers\cdrom.sys
*Version*5.1.2535.0, 7-1-2001
*Write Strategy*TAO SAO RAW-MS RAW
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H552L*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Windows Properties*

*Windows Driver Key*{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0001

*Manufacturer*(Standard CD-ROM drives)

*Windows Hardware IDs*IDE\CdRomTSSTcorp_CD/DVDW_TS-H552L_______________0614____, IDE\TSSTcorp_CD/DVDW_TS-H552L_______________0614____, IDE\CdRomTSSTcorp_CD/DVDW_TS-H552L_______________, TSSTcorp_CD/DVDW_TS-H552L_______________0614____, GenCdRom

*Driver Information*

*Driver*c:\windows\system32\drivers\cdrom.sys

*Driver Provider*Microsoft

*Version*5.1.2535.0, 7-1-2001

*Controller*Master





When I tried to create a CD using the LINUX CD option, My DVD drive quit working. I didn't log anything so now I am stuck... Stuck without a working DVD drive. I attempted to create the LINUX cd checking the "Compatibility mode" option and it seems that macrium reflect FREE VERSION has bricked my dvd drive. I will provide more details if asked since I have now idea what other details may be needed, but was wondering if ANYONE else has came across this problem when trying to create a cd using the Linux cd compatibility mode option on a windows machine running xp sp2. CD/DVDW drive has quit reading/writing period. The only thing that happens when I insert a cd/dvd is that the light blinks a couple times now.

 

experience:
Vista SP1 -> 14 months
7 -> 1 month
both based on LINUX
never checked any of the options provided, just ran standard procedure and I need to stress it without a hassle so I'm shocked to see your issue.
Perhaps someone else can give a different feedback.

 

try this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

 

Sorry to read of your experience...

It's been my experience that Macrium is not in the same league as say, ShadowProtect (paid only) or Paragon's products (free or paid.) I have trialed both the free and paid versions of Macrium and neither would create a useable Linux boot disk. But in both cases, my drive continues to function.

 

i actually came from shadow protect to macrium after getting tired of the lic of sp. i love macrium it has worked for me on over a dozen pc's without a single issue

 

Well I'm just going to forget about this incident after I purchase another CD drive. I'll just consider this Macrium software A P.O.S And wonder why I had to try anything else at all since I had been happy with DRIVE IMAGE XML... So from now on I'll be using DRIVE IMAGE XML and BARTPE. That HAS NEVER failed. I like driveimage xml, its pretty awsome, regardless of what other freeware sites say.

 

Everyones mileage varies, but for me Macrium Free has been a stellar product. I would not even consider switching now after almost 2 years using it problem free. I have used others, and most of them work, but I absolutely love everything about Macrium Reflect.

I have noted that the Linux CD success is largely dependent on your hardware rather than whether or not Macrium makes a good or bad boot cd.

I use BartPE Plugin that Macrium makes, and could not be happier.

Sul.

 

agreed with you as i said i own a lic to shadow protect that now sits. i have switched to macrium. sp would be my second choice now. i use the winpe disk but have not has issues with the linux one at all ... yet. imo i do not think there is a way this could have actually killed your drive physically...would you like me to post your question at the macrium forum and see what nick says for you? i can if you would like

 

Sorry to hear about your problem. I used the free version for about a year before purchasing and have never experienced even the slightest glitch in my experience with it, however I have never burnt the rescue cd's with the built in burner in Macrium.

 

Macrium reflect is the only imaging software that gave me a "cold case" recovery. A recovery that would not boot, after trying numerous repairs including multiple restores, I could never get it to boot.
It was one time after many successful recoverys on different computers, but to me one failed recovery is unacceptable. I had to go back to my reliable but "slow" true image 10.
I also tried driveimage xml but it won't let me recover large partition into a smaller partition. To me that's very important even "shadowprotect" and it's high reliability also cannot do a large to small partition recovery. True image can do this unfortunately the latest versions of true image have become quite bloated.

 

I have restored my system (image) using Macrium Free and later paid version many, many times. All different rescue medias work for me. 10+

 

jj, why do you consider it 'very important' to do a larger to smaller partition recovery?

 

I consider this important as well, primarily due to my new large hdd failing and needing to fall back to one I might have on hand which is smaller.

The problem is easily remedied though. I just make my primary partition as small as possible when creating the image, then upsize it after restoration if needed. A little extra work, but I don't mind. At least if my drive fails I can put my image on a trusty 32gb raptor.

Sul.

 

Important to me too, but I eventually learned to always create the system image off the drive with the smaller partition, so that if I recover it to my secondary drive whos partition is always larger, there will never be an issue. However, one could also use the excellent (imo) Partition Wizard live disk to re-size a too-small partition. Never gave me any issues. BTW, somewhere I read, maybe in these forums, Storagecraft will eventually support restoring images to smaller than source partition images. It will actually sort of do it now, I've tested, but only if the target partition is only slightly smaller than the source one. It involves mounting the image with write access, removing some data then unmounting saving the new image size.

 

That works, and furthermore a relatively small primary partition results in smaller (and faster) backup images!

 

Yes, you can tell them that I used a Memorex printable DVD-R when trying this with the specific cdrom drive I mentioned in first post. I will ship this Drive to them If they are interested. After all, they might actually have someone who owns a premium license that encounters an issue in the future...

The words "Never Again" keep echoing through my mind.

 

I can't disagree totally but the Macrium Linux Restore disc is the only Linux boot CD I've ever tried that doesn't work on this PC. Ubuntu, Parted Magic, Image for Linux, you name it, it worked. But not Macrium...

 

the linux disc has worked every time for me. of course winpe is better but i have had 0 issues with the linux one myself. and i find macrium VERY reliable

 

Honestly, I have had more issues with *nix boot cds. One works on this machine, not on that, vice versa.

I have used the macrium linux cd on older machines almost without fail, but have had mixed luck on newer hardware. But that is the same for all *nix cds for me.

I admit I have only a rudementary understanding of *nix, but my own experience tells me there must be some universal drivers that are not all created equal or not kept updated.

Sul.

 

Macrium Reflect has worked great for me. For Macrium boot disk I prefer the BartPE plugin from the Pro (trial) version because it lets you create the backup directly from the boot disk. (I just hope the plugin doesn't expire in 30-days).

You can also use 3rd party software to put the iso image of the rescue disk on a USB flash drive and use that as a rescue disk if your computer supports booting to USB Flash drives.

 

I have used Macrium Reflect both free and now paid for well over a year and done many, many restores and not one failure. I created Linux and BartPE bootable floppies and neither gave a problem. As for restoring to a smaller size harrdrive than the image was made from (I assume from changing to a smaller drive you can use RoboRestore (which I believe is from Microsoft) See
http://www.macrium.com/blog/2009/07/19/HowToUseRoboRestoreToRestoreADiskImage.aspx

 

i sent this info to them in a pm to nick, ill let you know if he says anything.