Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect  

Hi ThomasJ

Need a little more clarity on what you did.

You mentioned you imaged and cloned. You can't do that to the same external drive in my books. Cloning over writes the backup image.


Additionally you really don't install Windows 10 on your replacement and then access your backup / clone.


Traditionally you install Macrium and created Rescue media (boot media with Macrium on it). You then commence to backing up your installation (I assume you just had a C drive.) using the preset menu "Create an image of the partition(s) required to backup and restore windows". Once you have your first backup you boot with your rescue media and confirm it boots, macrium starts and you can see your image. Once tested you continue doing backups on your schedule retaining X copies.

Your installation fails, you connect your external, boot from the Rescue Media and restore the Image you want, usually the most recent on to your installed repalcement. This brings back all the special partitions, windows, all your program + settings and data.


What I think I'm reading in your description is you did a backup and then cloned over it.


Wynona's idea of a screen shot of your external is a great idea.

Macrium is a very strong product.


Not sure why you were cloning, usually when you clone you take cloned disk and install it in place of dead one. You sounded like you use new disk which would mean all you customizations in each program had to be reapllied.


If you used product as I outlined you will be very happy. Just for reference, you can mount any image file and then browse / copy any files from it. I keep many images so it is like a time machine. Additional I have my system programs in one partition and data in separate. This allows me to restore my system image at any time, say if I don't like a feature update or any install of something else heads south.


Yesterday I took my wife's image, created on an HP laptop and restored it to an Asus device. Windows resolved the driver issues and she was operational in two hours. It took so long because I thought I could revive the HP.

abax2000 said:

My system has 3 disks:
C: windows 10 pro
D: windows user usual folders (Documents etc.)
E: mass storage

Which disks should i backup with Macrium (for system backup purposes - not data backup) ? I suppose C: (including all partitions there) is enough?
Is it ok if i keep the Macrium backup in E:?

Macrium can decide for you. Press this button.



Yes it's ok to keep the backups in E: if it is a separate disk and not just a partition on the same drive. An external disk is best though.

abax2000 said:

My system has 3 disks:
C: windows 10 pro
D: windows user usual folders (Documents etc.)
E: mass storage

Which disks should i backup with Macrium (for system backup purposes - not data backup) ? I suppose C: (including all partitions there) is enough?
Is it ok if i keep the Macrium backup in E:?

I have 2 external drives & keep only 1 plugged in at a time. I backup everything (image) onto 1 external drive on a daily basis. Each week, I unplug 1 external drive & plug in the other. I have my backup program set to have a full & 7 incrementals. After 7 incrementals, the program consolidates the oldest backup into the full backup.

That way I have 2 weeks worth of backups for both my system & data. It's saved my bacon more than once.

abax2000 said:

I already have (double) data backup, and just trying now to economize.

If you image all your partitions onto an external drive, you don't need to backup data separately. And incremental images can be very small. If you lose data, you can right click an image & mount it (Explore image). Then you can scroll & copy individual or multiple files & folders to your hard drive.

If you use 1 external drive at a time, make sure that Reflect is set to use "unique volume identifier" to make your backups. It's under Edit Defaults (click the ‘gear’ on left side) >Advanced>Destination Drive Discovery.