By "split" files you don't mean a FULL image with its DIFFERENTIAL or INCRIMENTAL do you? Or do you mean "split" as in Windows doesn't create files larger than 4GB?
By "split" files you don't mean a FULL image with its DIFFERENTIAL or INCRIMENTAL do you? Or do you mean "split" as in Windows doesn't create files larger than 4GB?
Ah, I see. One of the smart people here will have to advise.
Fixed file size
Create Images that will be split into many fixed size files. This is useful when copying Image files to optical media or to some cloud storage providers.
I haven't so can offer no real help from an experience perspective. I never was one to use incremental/differential and too many reasons for ME to not rely on cloud storage for backups, the main one being I can make a full image to local media in 5 min. and restore that image in 4 min. Besides, I have tons of local storage so I might as well use it. I tend to go with methods I know and trust.
I should make clear that I am not relying on cloud storage, I already have plenty of full backups on ssds but I just wanted something off site and was thinking of using Google Drive.
Splitting the Image into smaller files would make backing up to Google Drive easier for me.
First off, no, I have never personally used the Macrium "split file" option.
What is not clear to me is what you are trying to accomplish. Google Drive comes with 15 GB of free storage, and then there are monthly plans up to 2TB. If your occasional image is going to be 4 GB or less, you don't need to split it. If your image is more than 4 GB but less than 15 GB, assuming your Google Drive is empty, why split it? If your image is more than 15 GB, you will have to purchase a monthly plan, which again leads to the question: why split the backup?
To my mind, the more complicated you/I make things, the more that can go wrong. Simplicity is a virtue.
That said, I am sure that the Macrium Reflect option does work, or I would have read about it during my frequent visits to their Forums.
Besides imaging to an external HDD, for the laptops I take out on holiday/vacation I also image to a 32GB USB stick, one that doubles as a Macrium recovery USB. This is so I can keep a restore image in my pocket when I'm out and about. Being a Fat32 USB, then Reflect will automatically split the image into 4GB files. I've occasionally done a restore from the USB. Whether the image is a single file or a set of split files seems to make no real difference to functionality or risk.
I should make clear that I am not relying on cloud storage, I already have plenty of full backups on ssds but I just wanted something off site and was thinking of using Google Drive.
Splitting the Image into smaller files would make backing up to Google Drive easier for me.
Don't see why split files would help, but they shouldn't hinder either. The best off site backup would be a physical drive and a safe place to store it - your bank? A trusted neighbour?
1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
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1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
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50 Mbps
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Edge, Firefox
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Defender
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fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.
My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.
My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.
My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
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Windows 11 Pro
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Laptop
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Dell Latitude E4310
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Intel® Core™ i5-520M
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0T6M8G
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500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
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unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.
My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.
My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.
My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
My macrium image files are around 34GB and I have a slow and not very reliable internet upload speed.
Uploading in one go would take hours, whereas doing it in say 6 split files would mean I wouldn't have to leave the computer unattended whilst uploading, with the corresponding risk of disruption to the process.
Now I understand. I formerly had unreliable, super-slow Internet in Port Hood, a rural community without high-speed Internet. I love that here in Port Hastings, we have Internet service that is so fast and mostly reliable. Same ISP and Port Hastings is a small rural village, but we are next to the big town of Port Hawkesbury, which must have high-speed access, so we kind of piggybacked on that.
I think @Bree offered sound advice. He has used that option, and, as I said, I have never seen any posts over at the Macrium Forums complaining that it did not work.
Good luck, and please let us know how it works for you.
Many users in the Macrium Forum have used the split file capability without issue... both by FileSize and by device limitation (writable CD/DVD, etc.).
I have used split file option many times - I used to have 1 TB cloud space with BT but it would not upload files over 10GB.
Functionally, it is identical to working with a single file.
I only split into separate files when uploading to onedrive. I remember once (long time ago) onedrive glitched and I had to start upload of 50 GB image file again.
Sending it in smaller chunks means if something glitches, you do not necessarily need to start from beginning.
Having said that it is years since it glitched back at 1st release of W10.
