Update Reflect, or not?

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.)

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).

Bob1212 said:

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.)

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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.

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.

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.

glasskuter said:

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

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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.

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.