Solved Macrium imaging keeps failing

Hazel123 · Oct 14, 2021

I've been trying to do system images of the teenager's gaming pc before he upgrades to Windows 11. Did them a few months ago and no issues. But now keeps failing. A red warning about VSS - I clear the VSS in tools but it just fails again. I wondered if the external storage drive wasn't big enough (1tb) but I am only trying to back up the C drive - which is 250gb (the D drive is a 1 tb and almost full so that will mean another external back up drive). Tried reformatting the external hard drive and starting again but it just fails every time. And comes up with the VSS warning again, so I clear VSS again - going round in circles.

ThrashZone · Oct 14, 2021

Hi,
So you haven't used back all partitions needs to boot ?

I'd try the winpe recovery media I always use it instead of inside windows.

Hazel123 · Oct 14, 2021

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
So you haven't used back all partitions needs to boot ?

I'd try the winpe recovery media I always use it instead of inside windows.

Don't quite understand. I'm trying to back up the C drive, with various partitions which includes the ones needed to boot. Which recovery media do you mean for wiping?

ThrashZone · Oct 14, 2021

Hazel123 said:
Don't quite understand. I'm trying to back up the C drive, with various partitions which includes the ones needed to boot. Which recovery media do you mean for wiping?

Hi,
Free reflects recovery it suggest users to create when first opening it's called a winpe recovery media can be cd or flash drive.

Zardoc · Oct 14, 2021

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
Free reflects recovery it suggest users to create when first opening it's called a winpe recovery media can be cd or flash drive.
View attachment 10039

I was told that there was a UI reboot & restore option with Reflect! Only Win PE?

ThrashZone · Oct 14, 2021

Zardoc said:
I was told that there was a UI reboot & restore option with Reflect! Only Win PE?

Hi,
Because boot issues aren't all that uncommon

Recovery media just as reflect says is recommended to create and test to make sure you can boot to it.
I use recovery media primarily to create and restore system images, pretty much get used to the process one day everyone will need it someday just a matter of when not if lol

You should also use verify after creating system images.

Gramps · Oct 14, 2021

I had a similar problem using an external SSD for back-up. It would take four or five tries before it worked. Something to do with the power setting and write caching. For the life of me I can't remember how I fixed it. What was funny is that this only happened with macrium, aoemi was fine. I think part of the problem stemmed from the drive being attached to a USB hub with an adapter.

Hazel123 · Oct 14, 2021

I do have recovery media thanks but I’m just trying to create a system image and it keeps failing

.

If you can remember what you did I’d be grateful. I’ve googled the issue and it says it’s nothing to do with macrium - it’s something re windows. Said use tools to clear bad which I did and that didn’t work. The only difference between this back up and the previous one is the previous one was done with the full version of macrium (on a trial). The trial had run out so I let it lapse to the free version. Makes me think they’re trying to get me to pay!

ThrashZone · Oct 14, 2021

Hazel123 said:
I do have recovery media thanks but I’m just trying to create a system image and it keeps failing .

If you can remember what you did I’d be grateful. I’ve googled the issue and it says it’s nothing to do with macrium - it’s something re windows. Said use tools to clear bad which I did and that didn’t work. The only difference between this back up and the previous one is the previous one was done with the full version of macrium (on a trial). The trial had run out so I let it lapse to the free version. Makes me think they’re trying to get me to pay!

Hi,
Use the recovery media
This will rule out os interference

Go to where you want to save the image
Create a new folder name it what ever you want to.

Insert recovery media and boot to it
Uncheck other disk that show up and leaver checked what you want an image of.
Point reflect to the disk and folder you created.
Start the image creation.
Use verify image if it completes.

Hazel123 · Oct 14, 2021

Thanks. I didn’t know you could use recovery media for that. Only just seen your post. Meanwhile I gave up and decided to uninstall macrium (and possibly reinstall it again). I can’t even uninstall it! It gets stuck at “Preparing to remove”. Been trying on and off for a few hours. No idea what’s going on there.

As a test I tried doing an image with the built in Windows imaging - that failed right at the end too (also commented on shadow copies). I did a bit of research and one comment was - making sure VSS is actually turned on in Windows. Not even sure where to find VSS though.

Bree · Oct 14, 2021

Hazel123 said:
As a test I tried doing an image with the built in Windows imaging - that failed right at the end too (also commented on shadow copies). I did a bit of research and one comment was - making sure VSS is actually turned on in Windows. Not even sure where to find VSS though.

This may help....

Macrium Reflect X

knowledgebase.macrium.com

Stigg · Oct 14, 2021

Hazel123 said:
I clear the VSS in tools but it just fails again.

Do you mean that you went to Other Task > Fix VSS Problems?

Porthos · Oct 15, 2021

From Macrium.
We also provide a program which will recreate the correct registry setting and re-register all VSS components. Please download one of the below programs to fix your problem:

VSSfix 32bit - download
VSSfix 64bit - download

Hazel123 · Oct 15, 2021

Bree said:
This may help....

Macrium Reflect X

Macrium Reflect X

knowledgebase.macrium.com

Thanks - I'll check that. It's really annoying! Stigg - It may have said "other tasks" rather than tools, can't remember now as don't have macrium open but it was one of the tabs at the top of macrium. It didn't work anyway. Porthos thanks for that link. I'm not really happy messing with the registry on this PC (which isn't mine - it's the teenagers with a lot of games on!).

What I'm curious about is why the last image I made went easily and smoothly and this one completely different. As I said, the only difference was originally I had the free trial of the full version. This time that had lapsed and I used the free version.

Actually this is why I stopped using Macrium last time! Similar issue trying to clone a drive. But I know it's very popular and when it works it just works well.

I have uninstalled it now (it did uninstall eventually) but still don't have a backup.

Hazel123 · Oct 15, 2021

Bree said:
This may help....

Macrium Reflect X

Macrium Reflect X

knowledgebase.macrium.com

Yes that's the article I read that said "make sure the VSS service isn't disabled" - thanks for linking it as it tells you how to check that! Got fed up with it last night and left it.

Hazel123 · Oct 15, 2021

Thinking about it - need more than a system image. Need a separate back up in case a clean install is needed of Windows 11. I know nothing about gaming. So assume it's not as simple as copying and pasting folders to backup games and game saves. I'll start another thread on that.

Hazel123 · Oct 15, 2021

So I followed that article to set VSS to automatic, thanks. Had already uninsalled macrium so am trying Easeus which is doing a back up now - assuming it doesn't fail at the end! What I wasn't keen on was how difficult it was to uninstall macrium and it left quite a few bits and pieces behind that needed uninstalling manually. Anyway maybe it just needed VSS setting to automatic, I don't know, but find the EaseUS slightly simpler to use for my poor brain lol.

Hazel123 · Oct 15, 2021

Thanks for all the help. The solution "may" have been going into services and setting Virtual Shadow to "automatic" (it was on manual). Not sure because I decided to try EaseUS and made an image with that, so haven't actually tried again with Macrium. But it was probably that VSS setting that was the issue. Not sure why when last backup was fine.

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