Update Reflect, or not?


Bob1212

Member
Local time
8:45 AM
Posts
80
Location
USA
OS
Windows 11 Pro 22H2
Sometimes a software update changes things so that the next update becomes automatic and mandatory. That's what Microsoft did after they bought Skype years ago.

So maybe it's better to not update Reflect anymore, and thereby be able to keep using it even if Macrium disables free versions in a later update. Or Macrium might hobble the free version, such as an update allowed only every several months, instead of at will.

(This comes to mind now especially because the Signal messenging app is going to stop handling regular SMS. Yes, it's a whole different OS but the principle is the same.)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 6525 16"
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5825U apparently made in 2022
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD
    Internet Speed
    up to 160Mbps
    Browser
    FF
    Antivirus
    Win11
    Other Info
    Will never again by a laptop without a backlit keyboard.
Macrium doesn't seem to be that sort of opportunistic company. Their updates always specify what problems are being fixed along with the advice that if you're not experiencing those problems you can skip the update. I don't know what could be more fair or transparent than that. Besides, the commercial version of their software isn't prohibitively expensive so if you had to pay for it it wouldn't be the end of the world (I think).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Professional
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Digital Storm VELOX
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 11900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME Z590-P
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
    Sound Card
    Realtek onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer R221Q 21.5"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus (1 TB)
    2 x Seagate ST4000NE001 (4 TB)
    PSU
    None
    Case
    VELOX
    Cooling
    Cooler Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Kensington trackball
    Browser
    Firefox, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Malwarebytes
Sometimes a software update changes things so that the next update becomes automatic and mandatory. That's what Microsoft did after they bought Skype years ago.

So maybe it's better to not update Reflect anymore, and thereby be able to keep using it even if Macrium disables free versions in a later update. Or Macrium might hobble the free version, such as an update allowed only every several months, instead of at will.

(This comes to mind now especially because the Signal messenging app is going to stop handling regular SMS. Yes, it's a whole different OS but the principle is the same.)
Huh - what are you talking about?

If you have the free version of Macrium Reflect, you get updates until it reaches end of support.

At that point, you will no longer get updates but you can use the final free version in perpetuity. Of course, a day may come where the final version no longer works but people are still using V7 rather than V8 and that is a couple of years past EOL.

You should keep updating as much as possible, so when it goes EOL, you will have the most up to date final version. It makes no sense whatsoever NOT to update.

Suppose an important bug is fixed between now and EOL and you did not update, the you could end up not receiving updates after EOL and be stuck with that bug thereafter.

Re, other OSs - the principle is not the same at all as there is no intent to reduce Macrium Reflect functionality for the final free version - just no longer provide new updates.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
I plan on updating ‘free’ throughout 2023 until it runs out at the end of the year. Then I will use it until it stops working. I suspect that may happen when Windows comes out with some different architecture sometime in the future which will make it incompatible (like Windows 12 maybe?). Anyway, I’m not in a rush since there’s still the rest of the year.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11/Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 960
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00 GHz x 2
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP x22LED
    Hard Drives
    Crucial 250 GB SSD, HD 1Tb
Keep in mind, even if one day you were to turn on your computer and a huge red x pops up across the Macrium Free screen(not going to happen but hypothetically), you can still use your recovery media to backup and restore. Many here do not make their backups with Windows running live but prefer to backup using Macrium at boot. I make sure to have several current recovery media usbs in case I lose one or one goes bad.

As was pointed out version 8 (free or Paid) will continue to work until MS changes the architecture of Windows.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
As was pointed out version 8 (free or Paid) will continue to work until MS changes the architecture of Windows.
Or a bug in Windows upsets it - that did happen a while back in an Insider version but appears to have made its way though to release version. For users who kept Reflect up to date, they were immune to the bug by the time the release version came out.



The Macrium Reflect team issued a hot fix that worked round the Windows bug in usual speedy fashion and then a new version.

OK - this is a rare event but could happen at any time.

This sort of issue is regrettably more likely to break the free version than a change to (say) Windows 12.

In simple terms, the free version will work until it doesn't. Having said that, I suspect the Reflect Team would issue a fix for existing free users if serious enough purely to avoid reputation damage - indeed they would come out of it smelling of roses. Of course, that is pure speculation on my part.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
Getting the updates or not is all a matter of personal preference because everyone's issue with updates are not the same.
But I am just here to say that you can't compare MS updates vs Macrium updates. If you think Macrium updates gives you a problem, you can continue using it with no updates for sure until and beyond the end of support.
I am guessing the answer you want to hear is "yes". But no one here will recommend that because of possible security risks. YMMV.

Or, if you meant to stop the update because you don't want to lose it after the end of support, yes it is possible that Macrium will do that. So, maybe you are right and you should not update but it will be at your own risk.

Personally I am just also a free user, too. But I've used Macrium for a very long time and it was very useful and reliable for me. So, if I have to buy a license later on just to keep using it, then I will.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung M.2
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)

Latest Support Threads

Back
Top Bottom