Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect  

Hi Mike.
The USB stick can be very small, 1GB, or smaller. Very hard to find. Basically Windows RE and Macrium. This can be fit on a CD after all so less than 500MB
I would be installing MR on C: as it just makes it easier to invoke and run a backup. Also easier to update.

If it becomes a hassle to run most people eventually avoid or won't keep current.

You do not have to add to boot menu, some of do and we keep an Image on board for a quick restore. Definitely you should keep several versions on external and disconnected.

I use two USB's and I alternate when I make new rescue media. It is not necessary to update Rescue Media with every release, thankfully as there were three updates in May. In the release notes they will recommend if new boot media is required. I do it ever two or three updates. (and I never update when a new update is first released, I wait a week.)

Mike100 said:

I’m new to Windows 10, just built a new PC, and want to make an image.

I was going to use the Windows 10 built in image backup program and also Macrium Reflect. IOW have images made from two different sources. But from what I’ve read it seems the Win10 imaging app is probably going by the wayside, is that correct?

My system just has a 500GB SSD M.2, but will be adding an internal HDD for storage. The backup drive image will be stored on an external HDD.

So far I’ve only read the first 10 pages of this thread & need to get a USB thumb drive or two. What size USB stick is needed to make the Rescue Media?

If I understand correctly it looks like MR can be installed & run from a USB drive instead of installing it on the C: drive. Can this be installed on the same USB thumb drive as the Rescue Media or the external backup HDD? Or will that create some type of conflict?

Thanks for a great tutorial.
Any & all suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

The built in Windows imaging has been deprecated for a while now and MS is recommending using a third party alternative.

The size of the MR rescue media depends on whether WinRE or WinPE is chosen as the base but in any case is well under 1GB.

MR needs to be installed on your C drive and most people run backups from there. The rescue disk is created from the installed program and picks up any drivers needed from the Windows installation.

You can however chose to run backups from the rescue media, you don't need to add anything else to it as the functionality is already there with some restrictions.

Mike100 said:

Thanks for all the replies.

If MR has to be installed on the C: drive, what is the purpose of this Macrium USB?
Macrium USB

To restore image if HDD kicks the bucket. Can also be used to fix any BOOT problems.

or SSD.

Basically the rescue media is mainly for the full disaster, your boot drive dies, you have your Image, get new drive, boot rescue media and restore.

Mike100 said:

Thanks for all the replies.

If MR has to be installed on the C: drive, what is the purpose of this Macrium USB?
Macrium USB

That's the recovery media. You need it to restore an image of your C drive as that can't be done on a running Windows system.

kado897 said:

That's the recovery media. You need it to restore an image of your C drive as that can't be done on a running Windows system.

Nope, it can also be restored from the boot menu itself. I did it couple of times already.

CountMike said:

Nope, it can also be restored from the boot menu itself. I did it couple of times already.

We've not mentioned the boot menu yet and some people chose not to create it.