using Macrium Reflect best practice

Philr · 07 Dec 2020

After a recent power problem on another computer I wanted to take the general advice here and use Macrium Reflect. (free - personal occasional use). I loaded MR onto my computer but don't know how to understand what it is telling me. I think I want a simple image.

using Macrium Reflect best practice-macriumreflectss-12-7-2020.png

1- I don't know what the red means.
2- Do I need another SSD of the same size or larger to make this image
3- Do I lock this new SSD away and not use for anything else? Keep attached via SATA and reimage when I add new programs? (I generally keep the OS and programs on C: and data files on E:

What is best practice? (home user - personal use)

Thanks,
Phil
Win10 Home v1909

dalchina · 07 Dec 2020

Hi, it's good that you have decided to adopt disk imaging. This can help you recover if your disk fails (new disk), your PC is stolen (new PC and restore to that), and give you a second chance in a number of scenarios, plus a full backup.

There is a tutorial here- somewhat older, quite basic, on using MR.
Youtube has a range of videos.
There are threads here discussing its use, and you can find answers to the sort of questions you are asking if you search tenforums.

Your question about the red bar has been asked several times- as I've said before, it's the same as you might see in file explorer:

using Macrium Reflect best practice-1.png

Red = warning- almost full + length of bar.

Your backup disk doesn't need to be a SSD. Think big- get a decent USB3 HDD. Routine imaging, of say, 150Gb from SSD over USB3 might take 9 minutes, creating a differential image. Shorter if little change, longer if more. HDDs are cheaper.

Allow for a base (initial) image + a set of differential (smaller, faster) images. Incremental imaging and more are only available in licensed MR.

Create a backup job you can keep using as prompted by MR, and set that to manage the number of images kept on your backup disk.

Assign a fixed drive letter late in the alphabet using disk management so it's the same every time you plug it in.

Your backup disk is best kept off-line- virus free and free from any power problems, and physically safe and remote.

If you really want to be secure, run scheduled imaging to one disk, attached, and periodic images to one you keep securely and remotely.

Think fire/theft/flood/asteroid strike... well, maybe not the last.

You need to image all partitions comprising Windows (4 for UEFI typically).
You can include your data partition in the same job, or image or back that up separately- depends on how fast things change for example.

Windows Updates and Upgrades
Very useful to have a current image before upgrading in particular. Now that upgrades are not delivered to Home users automatically until end of life cycle, you do have the choice of when to upgrade.

wiganken · 11 Dec 2020

I prefer taking, and keeping, about 3 full images because each is stand-alone. If one image becomes corrupt then you have other images to fall back on. Yes, they are bigger and take longer to create but I believe they are safer, especially if they are 'Auto Verified' after creation.

Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that creating Differential images after the initial Full image creates links between all the Full & Differential images and any corruption of any of the images 'breaks the chain' which will prevent restoring from the images. How one would find which Differential image is corrupt I don't know. Yes the images are smaller and faster to create but isn't this is 'putting all your eggs in one basket' approach?

Bree · 11 Dec 2020

wiganken said:

Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that creating Differential images after the initial Full image creates links between all the Full & Differential images and any corruption of any of the images 'breaks the chain' which will prevent restoring from the images.....

Substitute the word 'Incremental' in place of 'Differential' in the above and you would be correct. An Incremental only contains the changes since the previous backup, so You need the Full and all subsequent Incrementals for a restore.

A Differential contains all the changes since the Full, so you only need the Full and one Differential.

Incrementals are a Premium feature for the paid-for version, Differentials are included in the Free version.

wiganken · 11 Dec 2020

Thanks Bree. I might switch to using that 'One Full + One Differential' approach then. Maybe keep two Differential images just in case one becomes corrupt.
.....................................

Why would anyone use the Incremental method and having to pay extra for less reliability?

Mooly · 11 Dec 2020

Differentials (can) use a lot of space. Say your base image is 30GB in size and something big changes things such as a Windows update. The next differential image might be 8GB in size and each subsequent will get only larger. The first incremental would also be 8GB but the subsequent one would build on that last one and be very small again.

So incrementals are very much more space efficient. I used to use them and never had any issues (Acronis years ago and AOMEI now) but reverted to differentials simply for the safety factor. If one incremental has an issue then everything past that date is non recoverable.

dalchina · 11 Dec 2020

However if, when you configure your backup job, you set the parameters (retention rules) for the number of backups for Macrium to keep, you can pretty much limit the maximum space required, and don't have to worry about it provided the backup destination is not too tightly constrained.

Here's an example from my backup definition file:

That gives me 5 points max to which I can restore the imaged partitions.

Those parameters are configurable.

To start imaging using an existing backup definition file, I simply run Macrium, plug in the backup disk, rt click the definition file listed in MR's GUI, click Run Now, Differential and go and do something else.

Philr · 13 Dec 2020

Thank you all,

I understand the red bar is a warning of some sort but my C: SSD is 1TB.

using Macrium Reflect best practice-c-drive.png

Did my drive come pre-partitioned such that C: is set to 500GB? Properties shows the entire C: as ~40% where the red bar is 90%. How do I access the right most section/partition?

Whenever I add a new program I add to the C: drive and keep data files on a separate disk for easy backup to another computer if needed.

If I use MR do I specify all 4 sections and get a backup SSD for the image that is the same size as the 500GB or the 1TB?

I thought the Window 2 section in the graph was the b/u image Windows needed for itself? I have no idea about the Windows 3 section but it is small.

I anticipate adding more programs over the years and the red bar worries me. I thought 1TB should be enough and didn't know only 500GB would be a ceiling (I never set up). Do you have a strategy such that I could get another SSD, partition it in some way that an MR image copied what I have and also make more room available as a larger C: drive for applications?

f14tomcat · 13 Dec 2020

Red bar on display simply says you've hit ~80% used. Based on your pic, that is true.

Philr · 13 Dec 2020

Also from an operation point of view.....

Is it better, or more strategic, to put the image on a b/u drive using USB and then if needed copy back to a new, replacement SSD if needed? How is this done if the OS is on the non operating C: drive?

Do i use a separate computer to copy the image from the backup HD to the new C: and then plug in the new replacement C: and then place in the original/failed computer?

Thanks again