Macrium Reflect - MFT corrupt. Error code = 6

TraceyW · Jun 15, 2022

Hi

I've been using Macrium Reflect Free now for several years and have always got on with it very well. Very few errors - at least until now! Let me explain.

After completing my weekly backup last Saturday I installed Windows 11 on two of our three PCs. This has gone very well but today I felt I'd better backup what I've done. This is when things started falling apart. When I installed Windows 11 I installed it on a partition created specifically for it on the same physical drive as Windows 10, i.e. both are installed as a dual boot system on the same physical drive.

When I backed up my system today I first tried in Windows 10 but MR came up with the MFT corrupt Error code 6 message. As instructed I ran chkdsk /r on all drives but no errors were found. I also ran sfc /scannow and although it found an error it was one I knew about which has been present for weeks but has not stopped MR running. In an effort to find out which drive was supposed to be in error, I tried backing up Windows 11 and Windows 10 individually and then both together. Backing up both individually worked but backing up both together failed in quick order. I rebooted into Windows 11 and tried again. Everything went as well as could be expected and completed successfully in around 5.5mins I think without any errors of any description. That seems to imply an error on my Windows 10 partition which last weekend was working just fine, or there's something different about the way in which Windows 11 works that MR doesn't like

Does anyone have any idea what is going on or what may be causing my problem. Any help would be most appreciated and if any further info is required then please get back to me and I'll try and help.

Tracey

PS As stated above I do use the free version but I am on v7.6391 - I don't like v8.

cereberus · Jun 15, 2022

TraceyW said:
Hi

I've been using Macrium Reflect Free now for several years and have always got on with it very well. Very few errors - at least until now! Let me explain.

After completing my weekly backup last Saturday I installed Windows 11 on two of our three PCs. This has gone very well but today I felt I'd better backup what I've done. This is when things started falling apart. When I installed Windows 11 I installed it on a partition created specifically for it on the same physical drive as Windows 10, i.e. both are installed as a dual boot system on the same physical drive.

When I backed up my system today I first tried in Windows 10 but MR came up with the MFT corrupt Error code 6 message. As instructed I ran chkdsk /r on all drives but no errors were found. I also ran sfc /scannow and although it found an error it was one I knew about which has been present for weeks but has not stopped MR running. In an effort to find out which drive was supposed to be in error, I tried backing up Windows 11 and Windows 10 individually and then both together. Backing up both individually worked but backing up both together failed in quick order. I rebooted into Windows 11 and tried again. Everything went as well as could be expected and completed successfully in around 5.5mins I think without any errors of any description. That seems to imply an error on my Windows 10 partition which last weekend was working just fine, or there's something different about the way in which Windows 11 works that MR doesn't like

Does anyone have any idea what is going on or what may be causing my problem. Any help would be most appreciated and if any further info is required then please get back to me and I'll try and help.

Tracey

PS As stated above I do use the free version but I am on v7.6391 - I don't like v8.

What is your problem with V8 - it is better than V7. In the end, not much point in complaining about an issue that might have already been fixed.

First though, have you simply tried uninstalling v7 and reinstalling it?

Also does it backup fine if you backup from a usb drive.

I would also turn off hibernation (also turns off fast startup) as that can cause odd things to happen in a dual boot pc.

TraceyW · Jun 15, 2022

Hi cereberus

I have a thing about being made to use an image ID - I hate them with a passion. I don't know what they do or what good they are. All I know is that I've used v7 since its release and never had a problem and ALWAYS I uncheck the box which inserts the image ID, its the first thing I do before doing a backup. If you or anyone else can give me a compelling reason why I should use them them just maybe I'll think about it but no promises. After all I don't know of any other vendor who uses them. In fact I can feel my hackles rising just replying to this aspect of your reply.

Although I have considered reinstalling the program I haven't done so yet and perhaps this is the next thing to try. As far as hibernation is concerned its one of the first things I disable when I do a clean install - I have done since its inception.

You seem to think I'm complaining about Macrium Reflect but no, MR is just providing the symptom. I think if there is a problem its on my PC rather than with the program but I'm still hoping someone may have ideas I can try in an effort to cure it. If the worst comes to the worst, I can always do individual backups of Win10 and Win 11 and overcome the problem that way. Alternatively, I can boot into Win11 and do the whole backup from there. Yes, there are workarounds but it would be nice to have a choice of doing it in Win10 OR Win11.

Tracey

cereberus · Jun 15, 2022

TraceyW said:
Hi cereberus

I have a thing about being made to use an image ID - I hate them with a passion. I don't know what they do or what good they are. All I know is that I've used v7 since its release and never had a problem and ALWAYS I uncheck the box which inserts the image ID, its the first thing I do before doing a backup. If you or anyone else can give me a compelling reason why I should use them them just maybe I'll think about it but no promises. After all I don't know of any other vendor who uses them. In fact I can feel my hackles rising just replying to this aspect of your reply.

Although I have considered reinstalling the program I haven't done so yet and perhaps this is the next thing to try. As far as hibernation is concerned its one of the first things I disable when I do a clean install - I have done since its inception.

You seem to think I'm complaining about Macrium Reflect but no, MR is just providing the symptom. I think if there is a problem its on my PC rather than with the program but I'm still hoping someone may have ideas I can try in an effort to cure it. If the worst comes to the worst, I can always do individual backups of Win10 and Win 11 and overcome the problem that way. Alternatively, I can boot into Win11 and do the whole backup from there. Yes, there are workarounds but it would be nice to have a choice of doing it in Win10 OR Win11.

Tracey

You can turn off the imageid.

https://updates.macrium.com/reflect/utilities/prefix.exe

The imageid ensures full backups and incremental/differential backups of a build are grouped together. It is not so easy to create unique xml files unless you add your own unique text manually.

You have not answered my question about V8 vs V7.

You cannot say categorically you issue is not Reflect orientated until you have gone though the process of elimination as I was alluding to.

Josey Wales · Jun 15, 2022

I have been using Macrium Reflect For years, since my Windows 7 days. I find that v8 works just as good if not better than any prior release. I use the Paid for version but in reality it is a lifetime Key as all you lose is support after the first year. If an when v( comes out, I will certainly buy another license.

glasskuter · Jun 15, 2022

There always a chance that Macrium does not like the file structure of your dual boot.

Ghot · Jun 15, 2022

TraceyW said:
Hi cereberus

I have a thing about being made to use an image ID - I hate them with a passion. I don't know what they do or what good they are. All I know is that I've used v7 since its release and never had a problem and ALWAYS I uncheck the box which inserts the image ID, its the first thing I do before doing a backup. If you or anyone else can give me a compelling reason why I should use them them just maybe I'll think about it but no promises. After all I don't know of any other vendor who uses them. In fact I can feel my hackles rising just replying to this aspect of your reply.

Although I have considered reinstalling the program I haven't done so yet and perhaps this is the next thing to try. As far as hibernation is concerned its one of the first things I disable when I do a clean install - I have done since its inception.

You seem to think I'm complaining about Macrium Reflect but no, MR is just providing the symptom. I think if there is a problem its on my PC rather than with the program but I'm still hoping someone may have ideas I can try in an effort to cure it. If the worst comes to the worst, I can always do individual backups of Win10 and Win 11 and overcome the problem that way. Alternatively, I can boot into Win11 and do the whole backup from there. Yes, there are workarounds but it would be nice to have a choice of doing it in Win10 OR Win11.

Tracey

Well, you can now move to version 8.
Here is the solution to the ridiculous ImageID issue. :)

Macrium: Tired of the 16 digit ImageID prefix?

When you make a backup and give the backup a name, Macrium attaches an ImageID to that name. Here's how to deal with that... https://www.tenforums.com/backup-restore/191534-macrium-remove-imageid-prefix-once-all.html

www.elevenforum.com

Next up, here is my quickie picture guide to version 8...

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

www.elevenforum.com

And last but not least, here is the version 8 User Guide. :)

https://updates.macrium.com/reflect/v8/user_guide/macrium_reflect_v8.0_user_guide.pdf

TraceyW · Jun 16, 2022

Hi cereberus et al

Many thanks for all your replies. I particularly thank you for pointing me in the direction of the prefix.exe patch to get rid of those horrid imageids. If anything this is the best thing to have come out of this post so far. I had no idea such a fix was available. I've already got v8 installed and the patch applied. Yeah! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your assistance. I still have to see what happens when I try a backup but just maybe it'll have sorted things out? Now I can upgrade the other two PCs. But honestly, thanks to ALL who have posted on this topic and to those who have included links to the thread/s on the Macrium forum many, many thanks. Must go BT have just arrived to upgrade us to full fibre.

Tracey

Ghot · Jun 16, 2022

TraceyW said:
Hi cereberus et al

Many thanks for all your replies. I particularly thank you for pointing me in the direction of the prefix.exe patch to get rid of those horrid imageids. If anything this is the best thing to have come out of this post so far. I had no idea such a fix was available. I've already got v8 installed and the patch applied. Yeah! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your assistance. I still have to see what happens when I try a backup but just maybe it'll have sorted things out? Now I can upgrade the other two PCs. But honestly, thanks to ALL who have posted on this topic and to those who have included links to the thread/s on the Macrium forum many, many thanks. Must go BT have just arrived to upgrade us to full fibre.

Tracey

Glad it helped. I always hated the fact that it was pre-check marked, and that I had to dig for it.
I didn't even like the name... imageid.

Attack of the Killer Imageids
Pronounced: I-mAGe-EE-ids.

TraceyW · Jun 16, 2022

Hi Ghot

Thanks for your comment re imageids. They are something I've always hated and strange though it may seem, I had the feeling I was alone in my feelings. It was wrong to feel that way but nowhere could I find anyone else with strong feelings about them or come to that any feeling or complaints of any description so I drew the logical conclusion that I was alone in this. And of course by using the free version of MR I can't register on the MR forum so missed the discussion there!

Quite frankly I don't use MR in the way it was intended, i.e. to create xml files and run regular backup sets. I did try it once but for my needs I found out quite quickly that it just wasn't going to work. I've therefore reverted back to creating a full backup every week for each of three PCs and with the equipment I have this enables me to have a copy of the latest of each backup located on one 1TB SSD - just! I think I have about 30GB left so I'll have to go up to a 2TB drive very soon now once I've got all PCs dual booting.

Anyway thanks for your comments.

Incidentally the problem I had which started this thread appears to have gone now whether by just reinstalling or by installing v8 I don't know - but its gone! So, its all sorted and working as well as ever.

Tracey

Macrium Reflect - MFT corrupt. Error code = 6

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