Why should I choose Macrium Reflect?

Josey Wales · Jan 6, 2022

One should only choose Macrium Reflect if they want a Program that will not fail them and takes very little time to backup a system and even less time to restore it. I used the built in Windows 7 backup before getting MR. It used to take over 35 minutes to perform a backup. The restore when it worked took long as well. MR has never failed me, the free version is better than any other brands that you have to purchase.

RD Mercer · Jan 6, 2022

Josey Wales said:
One should only choose Macrium Reflect if they want a Program that will not fail them and takes very little time to backup a system and even less time to restore it. I used the built in Windows 7 backup before getting MR. It used to take over 35 minutes to perform a backup. The restore when it worked took long as well. MR has never failed me, the free version is better than any other brands that you have to purchase.

I can backup my 500 gig Samsung 970 in less than 10 minutes with Acronis, was there a message here?

BunnyJ · Jan 6, 2022

Gee,, how about this.. use the tool you like to use?

Dch48 · Jan 6, 2022

jimbo45 said:
Hi folks
It really doesn't matter what backup system you use so long as you DO TAKE BACKUPS. I believe Macrium is simple easy and reliable like many on these Forums, while others use different programs. I also use things like rsync/grsync and the old DD. Others might simply use robocopy or even Windows/File explorer, or if they have cloud access use their cloud providers backup service if they have one.

However whatever system you use 1) CHECK THE BACKUP FROM TIME TO TIME TO SEE IF IT STILL RECOVERS, and 2 )TEST A FULL RCOVERY FROM BARE METAL.

These days often your data (e.g music, photos, documents) etc is often far more valuable than even the hardware its stored on so check whatever mechanisms you use that RECOVERY ALSO WORKS. Just because a backup appears to complete without any error you can't be sure until you've successfully tested that the recovery works.

Remember in most jurisdictions earnings records, invoices / tax records / VAT/sales tax details etc. need to be available for around 7 years -- and if the tax authorities want to investigate - an excuse "Records lost because of computer equipment malfunction" won't suffice. Remember even the notorious Al Capone went to jail eventually not because of his "organised Crime activities" but simply on "Income Tax evasion" charges !!!!!

Cheers
jimbo

Bahh I have never kept any of that. If they want to audit me, let them find that stuff. The only thing I keep is some sales receipts and when the return window is up, out they go.

Dch48 · Jan 6, 2022

I use free AOMEI because it's simple and it works. The built in Windows program doesn't always work and Microsoft doesn't guarantee that it will.

CornishRattler · Jan 6, 2022

BunnyJ said:
Gee,, how about this.. use the tool you like to use?

Agreed, this has been flogged to death now

Bree · Jan 6, 2022

Dch48 said:
I use free AOMEI because it's simple and it works. The built in Windows program doesn't always work and Microsoft doesn't guarantee that it will.

Whichever camp we fall in (I'm a Macrium user) and however much some may argue that theirs is 'the best' the one thing we can all agree on is that the build in MS system image backup is rubbish. Even MS say so.....

Microsoft said:
System Image Backup (SIB) Solution
We recommend that users use full-disk backup solutions from other vendors.

Features removed or Deprecated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Some interesting changes. Https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ll-creators-up

www.tenforums.com

Zardoc · Jan 6, 2022

Bree said:
Whichever camp we fall in (I'm a Macrium user) and however much some may argue that theirs is 'the best' the one thing we can all agree on is that the build in MS system image backup is rubbish. Even MS say so.....

You can say that again. Windows backup options have never been of any use to me. What a waste of space and resources. PLZ get fully rid of it so we can use are own hungry resource software that will actually backup. I'm sorry, i just felt silly for a few seconds.

hdmi · Jan 6, 2022

Zardoc said:
You can say that again. Windows backup options have never been of any use to me. What a waste of space and resources. PLZ get fully rid of it so we can use are own hungry resource software that will actually backup. I'm sorry, i just felt silly for a few seconds.

SIB, yes, waste of space and resources. But this changes nothing of the fact that people can still use WinPE with DISM, just to name only one example of what also meets the description of 'built-in'.

Dch48 · Jan 6, 2022

hdmi said:
SIB, yes, waste of space and resources. But this changes nothing of the fact that people can still use WinPE with DISM, just to name only one example of what also meets the description of 'built-in'.

I don't think that does fit the description. It's there but it's a long involved process to use it and it's not presented as a feature like the backup options are. Most people wouldn't even know it existed.

hdmi · Jan 6, 2022

Dch48 said:
I don't think that does fit the description. It's there but it's a long involved process to use it and it's not presented as a feature like the backup options are. Most people wouldn't even know it existed.

If people don't know it exists, maybe they should log on to the forums where they can always book a free appointment with the Higgs boson.

bikemanAMD · Jan 6, 2022

I liked Macrium Reflect so much when i first tried it with Version 7, i bought Home Edition of 7 after a while, and Macrium Reflect 8 as well. ((Only issue is still slow sorta backups with my I7 7700HQ Laptop, usually 5 hours to do it's 1TB storage drive))

Windows 11 Desktop much faster these days though with same usb drive
usb 3.2 gen 1 ports on this system

USB 3.1 Red Ports On Laptop, Clean install of Windows 10 21H2 long while ago

May try a backup from the Recovery USB next time on Laptop and see if that makes a difference

cereberus · Jan 7, 2022

My older laptop (ssd internal drive to second ssd internal drive takes 12 mins for 40 GB which would mean 30 mins for 100 GB, thus 300 minutes for 1TB i.e. around 5 hours.

At best for an external hdd, you might get 1 GB every 10 seconds i.e. 6 GB per minute or 360 GB per hour, so 1TB could tale at least 3 hours.

So depending on drive types, speed of cpu, number of files (slower with lots of little files) etc. 5 hours is not that unreasonable. USB drives in real world only do roughly half the quoted speeds (burst speed under optimised conditions).

However, once you have backed up 1 TB drive once, you could just do incremental backups thereafter maybe only doing full backup once a month, and incrementals every couple of days or so.

Also, Reflect is not really best tool for backing up data drives. There are syncing tools that will update by difference i e. once intial drive contents copied, you only need to copy differences. You could try using robocopy with multithreading.

bikemanAMD · Jan 7, 2022

Ok will give incrementals a shot for the laptop, specs are Intel I7 7700HQ, 8gb of ram, 128gb m.2 and 1tb storage\game drive, as 128gb m.2 is mostly OS and couple small programs.

Zardoc · Jan 7, 2022

Well, I like Macrium backing up my Veracrypt drive to NAS. Even turns off the computer when finished. To restore, I just open the image and copy the file.

Works nice!. I'm a happy camper.

hdmi · Jan 7, 2022

Zardoc said:
Well, I like Macrium backing up my Veracrypt drive to NAS. Even turns off the computer when finished. To restore, I just open the image and copy the file.

Works nice!. I'm a happy camper.

The thought of opening the image is what makes me feel tired. So, I just copy the file and call it a day. :ROFLMAO:

Zardoc · Jan 7, 2022

hdmi said:
The thought of opening the image is what makes me feel tired. So, I just copy the file and call it a day.

LOL, funny guy

KWEB · Mar 22, 2022

Macrium Reflect Free just works unlike some other vendors I have used. Got this from users on Use Net

hdmi · Mar 22, 2022

KWEB said:
Macrium Reflect Free just works unlike some other vendors I have used. Got this from users on Use Net

I got an error message in Macrium Reflect Free saying it can't create an image of my C: drive because the folder location that I had selected for the image to be created was on this same drive whereas some other vendor, that I have been using ever since, just works. I also ran into a situation where I was experiencing problems with the VSS that took some time and effort for me to get fixed, and, Macrium Reflect Free kept failing on me until finally I had fixed this. The other vendor didn't give me that problem, as it simply let me choose whether the image creation will use the VSS or something else. I could go on like this, but I'll stop here. Got this from first-hand experience as opposed to from nabbers on Use Not.

gtspeck · Mar 24, 2022

TheMystic said:
Hello community!

As an average (or above average) user myself, I have some experience in installing/ restoring Windows, doing a backup, etc. People have a natural preference for GUI over command line. But there are many who prefer built-in utilities to 3rd party solutions for multiple reasons:

1. Built-in utilities are good enough.
2. 3rd party solutions can be a privacy risk.
3. 3rd party solutions can be a security risk.
4. 3rd party solutions can be a resource hog.

In this context, let's look at the pros and cons of a very popular program - Macrium Reflect!

I have hardly used this program, but I do have some initial impressions:

1. I don't like the fact that they don't give you the link to download the actual program. They only give you an installer link, which then downloads the program for you. This itself raises a few questions on privacy.

2. The program size is very big compared to competition.

3. The program runs a mandatory background service.

4. The program punches a hole for an incoming connection in Windows Firewall, without your knowledge.

The above reasons are good enough for me to look at it skeptically.

Since I haven't used this program much, I would like to hear specific benefits of this program over others. If you love this program, please list the exact things you use it for, and why this is the best among competition.

Here, I'll post why I don't really need Macrium Reflect for doing my system backups:

I prefer to have my system images as an ISO for the following reasons:

1. Just two commands (in Windows Terminal/ Command Prompt/ PowerShell/ Deployment Tools from Windows ADK ) are required. It is extremely easy to copy and paste those commands. The 1st command generates the image.wim file and the 2nd command creates an ISO using the same file. You need to have files from an installation disk for the 2nd command though, and that is just about 700 MB in size.

2. It can be installed in a Virtual Machine (VM).

3. It can be installed in an external disk (only Sysprep Generalized images will be bootable though on other computers).

4. I can extract the install.wim file from the ISO and use DISM to install/ restore the image on my system. No 3rd party utilities required. And no need to nuke the whole disk which happens if one were to use 3rd party utilties like Rufus or WinToUSB.

The built-in Windows System Image utility is good for the most part, but comes with limitations:

1. It can only be restored if partitions on your disk have not changed since the image was taken. If you force a restore, you will lose your existing partitions and the data in them.
2. It can only be used on the source machine that was imaged.

The default Recovery Disk created using built-in utilities is good enough to get your system up and running if you have an image backup like the one described above. If you have a working Recovery partition, then the Recovery Disk isn't even required.

Since I haven't used the program extensively, I may be missing something. I am interested in the following:

1. What are your reasons to choose Macrium Reflect despite the above?
2. What can Macrium Reflect do that built-in utilities can't?
3. Why do you think Macrium Reflect is the best among competition?

Thanks.

I'm new at this aspect. Would it be possible to share what steps you take to create a system image and ISO and how you restore from them?

Why should I choose Macrium Reflect?

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