Macrium Reflect v10

Bree · Oct 19, 2024

hsehestedt said:
This is incorrect - it does not change! This is due to the magic of VSS (the Volume Shadow Service).

That's incorrect too. Reflect's verification does not need VSS. It calculates an MD5 hash from the source data while making an image and appends this to the image file. Verification reads the image file and recalculates these hash values comparing them to the originals. No VSS is involved at any point, this is why you can always verify an image file whenever you like - even using a completely different machine.

When an image is created each block of data (generally 64K but may be larger depending on the partition size) has an MD5 hash digest created after it is read from the disk and before it is written to the image file. This hash value is saved in the index of the image file. When the file is read back the hash value is recalculated and compared with the original hash in the index. Any discrepancy between the two values indicates that the image file is corrupt or cannot be read back reliably.

Macrium Reflect X

knowledgebase.macrium.com

cereberus · Oct 19, 2024

I found my image backups had increased from around 40 seconds to around 60 seconds but the only change was the troublesome cumulative update.

Fortunately I had taken a V8.1 backup of .1742 so I did a full restore and boom - back to 40 seconds.

I am wondering if the bugs in .2033 are causing an issue.

PerpetualCycle · Oct 19, 2024

hsehestedt said:
This is incorrect - it does not change! This is due to the magic of VSS (the Volume Shadow Service).

Rather than me trying to explain it poorly, below is an article that will do a far better job.

But the gist is simply that the VSS (Volume Shadow Service) creates a snapshot before the backup begins which ensures that you have a consistent file system THAT WILL NOT CHANGE for the duration of the backup / verification.

Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)

Learn how to use Volume Shadow Copy Service to coordinate the actions that are required to create a consistent shadow copy for backup and restore operations in Windows Server.

learn.microsoft.com

It is not incorrect, think about it - it is not magic. As soon as the backup is made, the volume shadow copy and the disk blocks associated with it are deleted by Reflect via VSS. It has to be, otherwise your disk would quickly fill up with old data. So once the backup is complete, the snapshot of the "old" system maintained by the shadow copy is lost. VSS is only used by Reflect while the backup is being made on a live system.

I can go into more detail on how this all works (Volume Shadow Services, etc.) if you or anyone else wants to know.

hsehestedt · Oct 19, 2024

Bree said:
That's incorrect too. Reflect's verification does not need VSS.

You caught me

. I was trying to way over-simplify and I flubbed that part of it. Part of it is that I worked for a major NAS / SAN company for well over a decade and I was confusing some of the details of how they implement their equivalent to VSS in their OS.

But the main point I was trying to make was simply that VSS allows for the creation of the backup even while blocks are undergoing change during the backup.

Apologies for the error on that portion of my explanation.

See, I told you that the article would explain better than I could, and apparently Bree can also explain it better

Bree · Oct 19, 2024

hsehestedt said:
the main point I was trying to make was simply that VSS allows for the creation of the backup even while blocks are undergoing change during the backup.

Yes, that bit is totally accurate. On mildly annoying side effect of this is that as the image is of a running system, then when it is restored at the first boot up there will be an error added to the Event Log saying that Windows was incorrectly shut down. One way to avoid this is to actually shut down Windows after making the image, then boot from a Macrium recovery usb and use it to add an incremental (or differential) to the backup set.

Mark Phelps · Oct 20, 2024

OK, so I tried the 30-day trial of MR X and it only reduced the time around 30%, not 50% as I had expected -- only saving about 30 seconds in backup time. The space saving was even less -- only about 10% smaller image size.

Both the MR 8.1 and MR X backups used the same settings and for the same OS on the same hardware.

And yeah, I know MR 8.1 is much faster than the old Free v8.0 version, but I don't sit at those machines while doing backups, as they range from 6 minutes to 23 minutes, each. I simply can't afford 10 more MR licenses, which is why I continue to use the old Free version.

So, it's definitely not worth it for me to spend the money for an annual MR X license -- when MR 8.1 Home does nearly as well as MR X.

BrianInEngland · Oct 21, 2024

Something strange happened today.
I noticed that my daily Incrremental backup didn't run this morning.
Opened Macrium to be greeted by the Licence screen, with the top option 'Move the licence to this computer' which I thought was strange as I've only used it on this PC.
Anyway I did that, and Macrium worked again.

Thinking back to what could cause this, the ONLY thing I did yesterday was install VirtualBox 7.1.4

So I uninstalled Vbox, and guess what? The Macrium licence screen again, so I again clicked 'Move this licence to this computer'

It seems that VBox 7 must do something to trigger the Macrium licence fail.

UPDATE: I've raised a ticket with Macrium Support, I'll post here once they've responded

BrianInEngland · Oct 21, 2024

This was the reply I had. I guess Macrium uses MAC addresses to determine the licence checks.

Thank you for reaching out.

Installing any hypervisor on the system will create virtual NICs with different MAC addresses causing Reflect to think it is a different system.

If you have removed virtual box then simply transfer the license again and it should continue moving forward.

johnp · Oct 21, 2024

Guys, I just checked Macrium Reflect X website.

It provides:

"One-Time Purchase: a perpetual license with one year of technical support":

Macrium Reflect | Free 30-Day Trial

Macrium Reflect - Incredibly powerful software that allows you to create and schedule effective backups

www.macrium.com

Bree · Oct 21, 2024

johnp said:
Guys, I just checked Macrium Reflect X website.

It provides:

"One-Time Purchase: a perpetual license with one year of technical support".

That was the wording for Reflect v8, they have forgotten to remove it for Reflect X. Click on 'Buy Now' and you'll only see the annual plan on offer.

MachineLanguage · Oct 21, 2024

@BrianInEngland
Apparently there are multiple reasons for that license error message. I have received it after each reboot. Submitted a ticket to Macrium Support a bit ago. Wait and see I suppose.

BrianInEngland · Oct 21, 2024

MachineLanguage said:
@BrianInEngland
Apparently there are multiple reasons for that license error message. I have received it after each reboot. Submitted a ticket to Macrium Support a bit ago. Wait and see I suppose.

Mine was due to Vbox, it's fixed now. Just done it's daily backup

Stigg · Oct 21, 2024

Bree said:
That was the wording for Reflect v8, they have forgotten to remove it for Reflect X. Click on 'Buy Now' and you'll only see the annual plan on offer.

They need to fix that.

pseymour · Oct 22, 2024

BrianInEngland said:
Installing any hypervisor on the system will create virtual NICs with different MAC addresses causing Reflect to think it is a different system.

That would get interesting if you had MAC address randomization turned on.

BrianInEngland · Oct 22, 2024

pseymour said:
That would get interesting if you had MAC address randomization turned on.

Yes indeed!

jimbo45 · Oct 22, 2024

I'm not sure that running Macrium reflect on a VM created with HYPER-V would necessarily need a new license -- although a VM is essentially a different machine so needs its own licenses for paid software.

Changing a NIC doesn't usually require "New hardware" change to call for activation etc of licensed products. - What about people who use laptops with a fixed wired LAN at home and then on the road use a wifi connection whether by a USB->wifi type adapter or an internal wireless nic.

Changing a NIC say on a VM from one Virtual Nic type to another one hasn't in my experience ever triggered a "Hardware change - so please activate" type of thing. I've run loads of Windows VM's on KVM/QEMU and changed after install the NIC from a default one to "virtio" with the windows driver installed from the virtio iso (acts like vbox additions or vmware tools using those vm solutions).

Cheers
jimbo

cereberus · Oct 22, 2024

jimbo45 said:
I'm not sure that running Macrium reflect on a VM created with HYPER-V would necessarily need a new license -- although a VM is essentially a different machine so needs its own licenses for paid software.

Changing a NIC doesn't usually require "New hardware" change to call for activation etc of licensed products. - What about people who use laptops with a fixed wired LAN at home and then on the road use a wifi connection whether by a USB->wifi type adapter or an internal wireless nic.

Changing a NIC say on a VM from one Virtual Nic type to another one hasn't in my experience ever triggered a "Hardware change - so please activate" type of thing. I've run loads of Windows VM's on KVM/QEMU and changed after install the NIC from a default one to "virtio" with the windows driver installed from the virtio iso (acts like vbox additions or vmware tools using those vm solutions).

Cheers
jimbo

cereberus · Oct 22, 2024

@Jimbo,

Running VX in a vm definitely requires a separate licence to that on the host.

However, it is rather pointless (for Hyper-V at least) running Reflect in a VM, as you can mount the VHD as a drive and simply backup from the Host.

Unless space is an issue, just copy vhdx using file explorer. You can zip the vhdx to save space.

MachineLanguage · Oct 22, 2024

I was directed to m,ake a new registry entry for my MAC address. Seems to have corrected license errors.

BrianInEngland · Oct 22, 2024

jimbo45 said:
Changing a NIC doesn't usually require "New hardware" change to call for activation etc of licensed products. - What about people who use laptops with a fixed wired LAN at home and then on the road use a wifi connection whether by a USB->wifi type adapter or an internal wireless nic.

Cheers
jimbo

Well I just enabled my wifi adpator and Macrium activation hasn't changed, it hasn't prompted me to move my licence this time.
I guess the 'primary' MAC address is the LAN, I bet if I disabled that I'd get a licence error.

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