Macrium backup error_loading problem

comcom · 1 Week Ago

Hello,

I manually created a full backup of my pc on 21 Dec 2024 and saved to an external hard disk, then 22 Dec 2024 I created an incremental scheduled backup for daily 4am auto backup IncrementalScheduledBackupsDailyEveryDay0400AM.xml. Then I did not touch Macrium Reflect software until today 06 May 2025. I usually wait until the external hard disk is full then the daily incremental scheduled backup will auto fail and tell me [No space on destination] then I will replace another empty external hard disk to repeat the process again. I have been repeating this process for many years without any problems and the incremental scheduled backup did not auto create any full backup in the past years. Today 06 May 2025, my external hard disk has 544GB Free Space which is still enough for many days of incremental scheduled backup. Daily incremental file size is about 5GB to 10GB each day.

These are my questions and I have attached screenshots.

Q1. Why today 06 May 2025, I opened my external hard disk and I saw all the macrium files are auto renamed with additional ".error_loading" at the end e.g. "561E5C36E5DA831F-00-00.mrimg.error_loading"? I remember it used to look like "561E5C36E5DA831F-00-00.mrimg". 04 May 2025 logs shows macrium rename the files. 04 May 2025 Completion Message shows Out of memory.

Q2. I read the Macrium logs and discovered on 04 May, 05 May, 06 May 2025 the incremental scheduled backup tried to do Full backup, why does this happen? I have already manually created a full backup of my pc on 21 Dec 2024 saved in the same disk and the incremental scheduled backups results are successful until 03 May 2025.

Q3. In the Macrium software [Logs] tab, 21 Dec 2024 to 03 May 2025 showed Result: Success, in my external hard disk 21 Dec 2024 to 03 May 2025 macrium files showed ".error_loading" at the end, are the backups from 21 Dec 2024 to 03 May 2025 still usable and in good condition?

Q4. In the Macrium software [Logs] tab, 04 May 2025 the Completion Message shows Out of memory. I think 04 May 2025 had too many opened browser tabs during the scheduled backup started so this Out of memory error occurs, I think 21 Dec 2024 to 03 May 2025 backup are successful (as seen in macrium logs result: success), can I rename all files by deleting the [.error_loading] characters of each file, then continue with the 22 Dec 2024 created incremental scheduled backup for daily 4am auto backup IncrementalScheduledBackupsDailyEveryDay0400AM.xml with the 21 Dec 2024 to 03 May 2025 backups?

Q5. What should I do to solve the problems?

I am using
Windows 10 Pro Version 22H2
Macrium Reflect Home v8.1.8325 [UEFI]
Home (64-Bit) [UEFI]

Thank you very much

Screenshots are attached in this post and also posted in this link Imgur: The magic of the Internet

dalchina · 1 Week Ago

Possibly you have thought your incremental scheduled backup would relate to your previously manually created full image.

I may have misunderstood your lengthy post.

I suggest you scrap any MR backups referred to here (with due caution) and start again, working carefully through the prompts to create a definition file with appropriate retention rules.

Start by assigning your external backup disk a drive letter late in the alphabet unique to that disk (Thus when you plug it in it is always assigned that letter, consistent with your imaging task).

I usually wait until the external hard disk is full

If you use MR's retention rules it will manage the space for you.

Thanks.

comcom · 1 Week Ago

dalchina said:

Possibly you have thought your incremental scheduled backup would relate to your previously manually created full image.

I may have misunderstood your lengthy post.

I suggest you scrap any MR backups referred to here (with due caution) and start again, working carefully through the prompts to create a definition file with appropropriat retention rules.

Start by assigning your external backup disk a drive letter late in the alphabet unique to that disk (Thus when you plug it in it is always assigned that letter, consistent with your imaging task.

If you use MR's retention rules it will manage the space for you.

Please note that using imgur is not preferred here:
How to Upload and Post Screenshots and Files at Ten Forums

Thanks.

Thank you for your reply, if I redo everything again, I am quite sure there will not be any problems because I have done this many times in the past. I do not have extra empty disk now, so I am asking the questions to see if there is anyway to solve the problem and keep the existing backups. 21 Dec 2024 to 03 May 2025 backup are successful (as seen in macrium logs result: success), but on 04 May 2025 logs shows macrium rename the files with ".error_loading" so all filename now ends with ".error_loading". 04 May 2025 Completion Message shows Out of memory.

Screenshots are already posted inside the post, you can click to enlarge it. I have also posted at imgur just in case the screenshots in the post does not work you can click on the imgur link to see the same screenshots that are posted in the post.

How to disable MR's retention rules?

dalchina · 1 Week Ago

Each time you create a backup task 'definition file' you set the retention rules that apply.

So you would delete the definition files you don't want.

(Note: it's also possible to edit these, but in your case, it may be easier just to set it up from scratch).

Screenshots are already posted inside the post, you can click to enlarge it.

- None I can see..

You ask about deteriming the state of your existing backups. Whilst you can verify the integrity of each individual file, that does not mean you have a consistent set of files related to an initial full backup.
Verifying+image+and+backup+files

To check whether you have a meaningful set of files which you could potentially use for restoration, you could try exploring them with Macrium. e.g. starting from an incremental file.

comcom · 1 Week Ago

dalchina said:

- None I can see..

Imgur: The magic of the Internet this image are you able to see the images I have circled in this red box? (i need to post to imgur to show you this screenshot of where is the red box because you seems to have problems with tenforums images)

In post #1, click on any images shown in the red box to enlarge.

If you are unable to see the images circled in this red box, you can click on the imgur.com link in my first post to see all images that are same as the images circled in this red box.

JLArranz · 1 Week Ago

I don't have experience with incrementals but, have you verified the 03 May 2025 one?

Imo creating too many incrementals in a row is unwise: in case you had to restore one, you'd need the latest full and all the incrementals in between. An "insane" number of files isn't a problem for any healthy disk or filesystem, but the restoring operation is stressful for the software (unknown bugs) and the hardware (I mean RAM, northbridge, processor,...).

Spanning the needed files among several disks has additional problems. If you're doing it I'll suppose MR can manage it (maybe with a limit???, I only do fulls myself, and sparsely compared to a dayly schedule, in this computer I have 41 fulls since summer 2022 -that I'm keeping because I don't have reasons to delete them-, so I don't have experience with this), but you risk one disk breaks.

In summary, you're multiplying the disk risk (near zero with fixed disks) and the file risk (near zero in healthy disks and systems), and increasing the instability risks at restoring.

Differentials don't have many of these problems, as a restore only needs the latest full and the latest differential. Incrementals are faster but do at least a differential from time to time, and new fulls too more sparsely. With MR you'd need the latest full, the latest differential from it and the incrementals from the latest differential, way fewer files and risks.

Adapt the retention rules to your needs: do you need the "daily resolution", or only the latter disk contents, or some middle term? For example I backup my images, done first to an internal disk, to rotating pendrives, b/c the hypothetical loss of the internal disk or a file in it plus one of the pendrives at the same time is ultra-hiper-mega-super-unlikely, and even in such ultra-remote case I'd have the latest but one image that would be enough here in general.

dalchina · 1 Week Ago

because you seems to have problems with tenforums images)

No I don't.

Look - can you see an image? Your 1st post:

comcom · 1 Week Ago

dalchina said:

No I don't.

Look - can you see an image? Your 1st post:

My images are just below the image that you showed me, just below this last sentence "Screenshots are attached in this post and also posted in this link Imgur: The magic of the Internet" that you showed me, just scroll down and you will see 9 images. You can try different browsers. I am using desktop.

- - - Updated - - -

JLArranz said:

I don't have experience with incrementals but, have you verified the 03 May 2025 one?

Imo creating too many incrementals in a row is unwise: in case you had to restore one, you'd need the latest full and all the incrementals in between. An "insane" number of files isn't a problem for any healthy disk or filesystem, but the restoring operation is stressful for the software (unknown bugs) and the hardware (I mean RAM, northbridge, processor,...).

Spanning the needed files among several disks has additional problems. If you're doing it I'll suppose MR can manage it (maybe with a limit???, I only do fulls myself, and sparsely compared to a dayly schedule, in this computer I have 41 fulls since summer 2022 -that I'm keeping because I don't have reasons to delete them-, so I don't have experience with this), but you risk one disk breaks.

In summary, you're multiplying the disk risk (near zero with fixed disks) and the file risk (near zero in healthy disks and systems), and increasing the instability risks at restoring.

Differentials don't have many of these problems, as a restore only needs the latest full and the latest differential. Incrementals are faster but do at least a differential from time to time, and new fulls too more sparsely. With MR you'd need the latest full, the latest differential from it and the incrementals from the latest differential, way fewer files and risks.

Adapt the retention rules to your needs: do you need the "daily resolution", or only the latter disk contents, or some middle term? For example I backup my images, done first to an internal disk, to rotating pendrives, b/c the hypothetical loss of the internal disk or a file in it plus one of the pendrives at the same time is ultra-hiper-mega-super-unlikely, and even in such ultra-remote case I'd have the latest but one image that would be enough here in general.

Unable to access 03 May 2025 backup. Unable to see/restore/verify/access all files from 21 Dec 2024 to 03 May 2025 inside macrium software. [Existing Backup] tab inside macrium reflect 8 is empty. So sad 04 May 2025 logs shows macrium rename the files with additional ".error_loading" at the end. Then unable to access all the good backups made before 04 May 2025.
I followed these verify/restore guides:
Just a moment... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEwnTWzPYn4

Question:
Assume scenario 1 and 2 are the exact same days on the exact same computer with the exact same files and data.

scenario 1. Assume first full backup 01 Jan is 5GB, then do daily incremental backup is 1GB each day, 02 Jan 1GB, 03 Jan 1GB, 04 Jan 1GB, so total from 01 Jan to 04 Jan is 5+1+1+1=8GB.

scenario 2. Assume first full backup 01 Jan is 5GB, then do daily differential backup, 02 Jan 1GB, 03 Jan 2GB, 04 Jan 3GB, so total from 01 Jan to 04 Jan is 5+1+2+3=11GB.

Am I right to say differential backup will take up a lot more space than incremental backup?

I intend to keep 365 days of backup, so I can restore to any day within the most recent 365 days, what is the best backup plan?

Thanks

dalchina · 1 Week Ago

Images- found a quirk of tenforums that I was unaware of- had to change a tenforums setting... not my browser. Sorry about that.

MR can combine the use of incrementals and differentials. See if you can follow this:
Just a moment...

Notice there the reference to 'consolidation'. I recall reading about this a long time ago.. this is (I think) a way MR consolidates previous backup images on the backup disk to save space- probably related only to incrementals. Suggest you read up on that.

Macrium Reflect consolidates incremental images, typically after a specified number of increments, to create a "synthetic full" backup. This process combines the changes from multiple incremental images into a single, more compact full image, saving disk space and time.
Consolidation in Macrium Reflect:

Incremental Backups:
Macrium Reflect uses incremental backups, which only back up the changes made since the previous backup. This saves disk space and time compared to creating full backups after each change.

Synthetic Full Backups:
After a set number of incremental backups (e.g., 4 incrementals), Macrium Reflect consolidates the full backup with the first incremental to create a "synthetic full" backup.
Process:
The consolidation process merges the incremental changes with the full backup, creating a new full image that includes all changes up to that point.
Retention:
The consolidation process is part of Macrium Reflect's retention settings, which determine how long incremental and full backups are kept.
Standalone Consolidation:
You can also independently consolidate backups using the consolidate.exe utility, which allows you to consolidate specific files or groups of backups.

Benefits of Consolidation:

Reduced Disk Space:
Consolidation helps to conserve disk space by combining multiple incremental backups into a single full image.
Improved Backup Efficiency:
By consolidating, you reduce the number of backups needed, making them easier to manage and archive.
Simplified Restoration:
Synthetic full backups are easier to restore, as they contain all the changes up to that point, rather than requiring restoring individual incremental images.

How to Enable or Disable Consolidation:

Enable: Macrium Reflect's default behavior is to enable consolidation for incremental backups.
Disable: You can disable consolidation in the Reflect Defaults and Settings.
Retention Settings: The retention rules determine when consolidation occurs and how many incremental backups are retained

Am I right to say differential backup will take up a lot more space than incremental backup?

Typically true- why? Because a differential backup is the DIFFERENCE between 'now' and the full image.
An incremental represents the difference between 'now' and the previous backup run - normally a smaller change. So Incrementals are faster to create and smaller files.

JLArranz · 1 Week Ago

I guess you can see the files normally in Windows Explorer. It seems the disk is connected through USB2, hence the backups are slow (about 9 MB/s, although USB2 usually allows 25-35 MB/s). I suspect about the health of your USB2 besides the disk's one.

Maybe the disk has entered "read-only" condition (only if it's an SSD)? Partitioning apps detect this if so. This basically would mean the disk is dead, although you can retrieve its contents. DON'T DO CHKDSK AND DON'T WRITE ANYTHING TO IT!!!!! (the casuistics of this is complex: if the disk is writable, usable or not, and you intend to recover the contents, any of these ops might overwrite the data or the filesystem info; if it has entered the said "read-only" state, those ops should fail but the data will most likely stay safe).

There's an "out of memory" error that might, in the RAM front, mean either nothing (a meaningless error produced by other meaningful one, such as an USB malfunction) or that a memory limit has been hit, maybe by the high number of incrementals or other cause such as other apps running or C: too full or insufficient virtual memory.

For some reason, the first incremental attempt after the failure and renaming was relatively quick (7 minutes), the others slow but uniform (about 4.5 hours).

Maybe there has been a bug or hw random behaviour (non repeatable).

As for long term planning, you seem to need about 2829 GB for the full and about 10 GB per incremental, as minimum-minimum (some incrementals are longer, even over 100 GB), what's 6479 GB or 6.33 TB (if 7.5 GB / incremental, 5567 GB = 5.44 TB). A monthly differential would be wise. A single full, let alone more, is a major invest.

You say you're used to several disks, I guess two if they're like the 4.54 TB one (that sounds to "5 TB" in commercial language).

Idk the MR features about having backup sets spanned in several disks. I'd image to an internal disk to speed up the process and protect the USB bus/disks, and copy the backups to external disks through explorer periodically. If the computer doesn't have USB3 I'd buy a PCIe card of it (I've bought two for two ancient computers that work fine and, although my less ancient desktop has native USB3, it isn't in the chipset, basically the USB3 circuitry is in the motherboard connected as if it were a PCIe card, and it works fine too).