Final things to do prior to first Macrium Image

trevo · Feb 1, 2025

Bastet said:
CCleaner isn’t as good as it used to be imo it’s now bloatware since they added driver & software updaters

One can use it without touching the driver/software updates. In my experience it works just as well as always.

The key is to use it judiciously, their website gives all the details of the various functions and the ability to easily keep just the cookies needed, for example, is a great feature.

Fishmill · Feb 1, 2025

kelper said:
" it takes very little more time to do a fresh clean install than it does to restore a Macrium image." Your words.

That is what I said.

Here is what you said:

"There is no way you can reinstall Windows in less time than you can restore a Macrium Image!"

I may well be confused by the meanings of "less" and "more". And of course I'm told that "very little" has its nuances.

Bastet · Feb 2, 2025

trevo said:
One can use it without touching the driver/software updates. In my experience it works just as well as always.

The key is to use it judiciously, their website gives all the details of the various functions and the ability to easily keep just the cookies needed, for example, is a great feature.

I know but even then CCleaner isn’t as good as it used to be. I now use Revo Uninstaller’s disk cleanup which works better.

Bastet · Feb 2, 2025

Bree said:
I suspect that you may have had a link for the .exe for a specific installer version. The Download Agent is the more versatile and reliable link to use, even the Reflect v7 download agent links are still active.

Run the Download Agent and you'll get the choice of downloading the latest installer for 32 or 64 bit, with or without the PE components, etc. For the Reflect Free Download Agent that will be Reflect Free v8.0.7783.

It would’ve been for the last version released as eventually the same link did begin working again but kept the Majorgeeks link in case it ever broke again.

trevo · Feb 2, 2025

Bastet said:
I know but even then CCleaner isn’t as good as it used to be.

In what ways isn't it "as good"?

Bastet · Feb 2, 2025

trevo said:
In what ways isn't it "as good"?

It does seem to clean as much as Revo’s disk cleanup. I’ve also read the same from other users - that other software does a better job.

trevo · Feb 2, 2025

Bastet said:
It does seem to clean as much as Revo’s disk cleanup. I’ve also read the same from other users - that other software does a better job.

I note you didn't answer my question...

I've been using Revo Uninstaller Pro for years and I just checked out their cleaning tools again.

They don't actually have anything called disk cleanup, they have"junk files cleaner" and "history cleaner".
There is very little information on the junk files cleaner to let you know what you are actually deleting, and the History Cleaner under the heading "Browsers Cleaner" doesn't even offer a cleaning solution for my main browser, Brave.

There is no ability to selectively decide which cookies are cleaned and all in all it is a far less sophisticated solution than cCleaner.

Whilst I always use Revo to uninstall programs/apps, I would not use it for cleaning purposes in its current iteration.

Bastet · Feb 2, 2025

I believe I did, I have tried several disk/junk file cleaners - some are worse than CCleaner while others are better. I’m not going to derail this thread which is about Macrium & not what my junk/file cleaner preferences are.
I combined Junk files & history cleaner as disk cleanup. My comments are my own opinion & others mileage may vary.
I will not be reply to this thread further.

Method · Feb 2, 2025

Hi folks,

Ive run into what I hope is a silly issue.

Following various helpful posts in this thread, I downloaded the latest Free Macrium version (8.0.7783)

Following the guides by Ghot, I created my first Macrium image with no issues on by other drive. I then created the rescue media on a USB stick, which also seemed to work fine.

Again, following advice, I just decided to test the rescue media. I went into my BIOS (MSI) and amended my boot order to be UEFI USB > UFEI Drive (M.2). Saved and exited the bios.

PC restarted, ignored the rescue media completely and booted straight into W11Pro. I rechecked the BIOS boot order, its USB stick first. Restarted and same again. I re-created the rescue media in Macrium and re-started again. Still boots straight into W11.

I didn't have any such issues when booting from my USB when I first installed W11.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks and sorry to be a burden. Feel like I've fallen at the last hurdle.

If it helps, here is what Computer Management > Disk Manager looks like (E: being the USB with Marcium Rescue Media on - I expected it to show as Bootable)

kelper · Feb 3, 2025

OPen your USB in File Explorer and post a screenshot. I dom't think your USB is bootable. You can also try turning off (temporarily) Secure Boot in your BIOS settings.

Method · Feb 3, 2025

kelper said:
OPen your USB in File Explorer and post a screenshot. I dom't think your USB is bootable. You can also try turning off (temporarily) Secure Boot in your BIOS settings.

Will do. I'm not at home until this evening (whenever evening is for a global forum). Thanks for the reply. I'm with you, doesn't seem bootable.

Method · Feb 3, 2025

kelper said:
OPen your USB in File Explorer and post a screenshot. I dom't think your USB is bootable. You can also try turning off (temporarily) Secure Boot in your BIOS settings.

Hi, I got home earlier than I thought I would. Here you go:

kelper · Feb 3, 2025

That looks ok. Now turn off secure boot and try again.

Method · Feb 3, 2025

kelper said:
That looks ok. Now turn off secure boot and try again.

Hi Kelper

You were correct, secure boot was enabled in BIOS. I disabled it.

Unfortunately, even with the boot sequence set to USB first, it is still blowing past the recovery USB stick and going straight into W11. I definately hit save and exit in the BIOS. But Ill go back in and check.

Im so confused. Ill give it another couple of cycles.

Method · Feb 3, 2025

Method said:
Hi Kelper

You were correct, secure boot was enabled in BIOS. I disabled it.

Unfortunately, even with the boot sequence set to USB first, it is still blowing past the recovery USB stick and going straight into W11. I definately hit save and exit in the BIOS. But Ill go back in and check.

Im so confused. Ill give it another couple of cycles.

Im an idiot.

Went back in to BIOS (secure boot was still disabled) and noticed my boot sequence was set to:

UEFI USB Key (with a pic of a USB stick) > UEFI Hard Drive (my m.2 with W11 on)

What I realised after checking some disabled items was that I should have been booting from UEFI USB Drive (with a pic of a HDD)

After enabling that item and disabling UEFI USB Key, it booted straight into the Macrium Recovery environment.

Now we know it was not my boot order, but my incorrect selection of what I was booting from, will I still need Secure Boot disabled any time I want to boot from the USB stick - or was that just an attempt to troubleshoot something not behaving as you would expect?

Im learning....

Thanks
Matt

kelper · Feb 3, 2025

No, please re-enable secure boot, I think you will be ok now.

krism · Feb 4, 2025

When booting to your recovery stick you may need to hit a different key. To boot to bios in my present mobo it's Del or F2, but to boot to a stick I use F8. I forget what it was, I think F12, on my previous mobo. ASUS had no idea so I just experimented and in 3 or 4 boots I had it, choose the stick and boot. hth

krism · Feb 4, 2025

I keep reacting to the title of this thread. When I am doing an install, especially one that might fail/have problems, when it first gets to desktop, I will close it, stick in my USB image recover stick, boot to it and take an image. I have saved myself much time by doing this. Don't wait!!!!!!!!!

Method · Feb 4, 2025

Hi

I have an image now, shortly after W11 butbwuthball the drivers, updates and a few key programmes installed intonthe OS.

I have yet to try your suggestion of booting to the boot screen but I looked up on MSI bios and it's F11 apparently.

Thanks

antspants · Feb 4, 2025

I make an image after most changes I make to the OS. Older images can be removed.
Between installing Windows and getting your OS to the point you want to create your first image, anything can happen. So incremental or replacement backup images are my safeguard.

Final things to do prior to first Macrium Image

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