Macrium Reflect Free is End of Life (EOL)

[SecondTimeAround]

I've been using Aomei Backupper Standard (free) for years without issue.
I've done many images/restores with it, especially on my test computer, and have had no problems with it to date.

https://www.aomeitech.com/ab/standard.html

Years ago before retiring (and having little faith in my IT dept.), I had used both "Seagate DiscWizard" and "Acronis True Image for Western Digital" free limited function versions of Acronis True Image for my computers at work:

https://www.seagate.com/ca/en/support/downloads/discwizard/

https://support.wdc.com/downloads.aspx?lang=en&p=502

 

[PMB]

I've been using Aomei Backupper Standard (free) for years without issue.
I've done many images/restores with it, especially on my test computer, and have had no problems with it to date.

https://www.aomeitech.com/ab/standard.html

Years ago before retiring (and having little faith in my IT dept.), I had used both "Seagate DiscWizard" and "Acronis True Image for Western Digital" free limited function versions of Acronis True Image for my computers at work:

https://www.seagate.com/ca/en/support/downloads/discwizard/

https://support.wdc.com/downloads.aspx?lang=en&p=502

I have no problem paying for software as long as...

- it works as promised, and
- the price is fare

Years ago, well before I retired, we used a product at work for our Windows NT servers. Backup Exec, which initially came from Seagate and was later bought up by Compaq Computers (who were our server providers). As I recall, that product worked well and did not ever disappoint us. Several times a year I would perform a backup/restore from production into QA and Backup Exec worked flawlessly.

Peter

 

[skyglider]

Anyone know of a download page for reflectfree ver 8.x from macrium itself?

 

[SecondTimeAround]

Anyone know of a download page for reflectfree ver 8.x from macrium itself?

It's one of the choices on this Macrium page:

https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree#

 

[SecondTimeAround]

Years ago, well before I retired, we used a product at work for our Windows NT servers. Backup Exec, which initially came from Seagate and was later bought up by Compaq Computers (who were our server providers). As I recall, that product worked well and did not ever disappoint us.

Ah, yes - the very reliable Backup Exec.
I vaguely recall many years ago using it as software sold by Seagate, then Veritas and then Symantec to back up our Novell (and then Windows) servers on tape drives. I don't recall the Compaq version, but my memory is not what it used to be.

 

[skyglider]

Anyone know of a download page for reflectfree ver 8.x from macrium itself?

It's one of the choices on this Macrium page:

https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree#

Thanks much SecondTimeAround! I just downloaded a copy. I'll install it after I do a system drive backup (using version 7, ;-) ), for safety's sake.

Sky

 

[PMB]

Years ago, well before I retired, we used a product at work for our Windows NT servers. Backup Exec, which initially came from Seagate and was later bought up by Compaq Computers (who were our server providers). As I recall, that product worked well and did not ever disappoint us.

Ah, yes - the very reliable Backup Exec.
I vaguely recall many years ago using it as software sold by Seagate, then Veritas and then Symantec to back up our Novell (and then Windows) servers on tape drives. I don't recall the Compaq version, but my memory is not what it used to be.

No, you may be right. As you mention Veritas that twigs with my memory. Maybe Compaq never did own Backup Exec. What I do recall is that Compaq bought DEC - that sticks in my memory because for 4 years of my career ('90 to '94) I worked at DEC. Sad to think the mighty DEC was swallowed up by a PC company. But then Compaq was a fine PC company, and then they were eventually swallowed by HP.

Peter

 

[incoherent1]

... and will continue to work.

 

[Eric Carlson]

Yes, I used Backup Exec decades ago.

 

[LynniePad]

My thought is that those who are happy with only the free version should make multiple USB rescue drives in case anything goes wrong with their install.

Indeed. In fact, I have already done that but Macrium has saved my bacon so many times in the past I will probably just buy a paid-for version. It's a great bit of software.

It occurs to me that if it has “saved your bacon so many times”, you must be doing something wrong, have very unreliable hardware, or have extraordinarily bad luck.

 

[Austinian]

My thought is that those who are happy with only the free version should make multiple USB rescue drives in case anything goes wrong with their install.

Indeed. In fact, I have already done that but Macrium has saved my bacon so many times in the past I will probably just buy a paid-for version. It's a great bit of software.

It occurs to me that if it has “saved your bacon so many times”, you must be doing something wrong, have very unreliable hardware, or have extraordinarily bad luck.

Or, like myself, he has a fondness for computer experiments that have a potential for OS disaster.

 

[David Lal]

Or, like myself, he has a fondness for computer experiments that have a potential for OS disaster.

Thanks for the support Austinian!

Lynnie forgot to mention also that perhaps I do not know what I am doing!

I do indeed experiment and sometimes it does not go as well as intended. However, I am running 5 machines here at home and trying to help people in my village (for free) so, often rather a lot of saveable bacon available. I'm a [retired] IT Director and software developer.

 

[LynniePad]

Or, like myself, he has a fondness for computer experiments that have a potential for OS disaster.

Thanks for the support Austinian!

Lynnie forgot to mention also that perhaps I do not know what I am doing!

Now, would I really say that?

I do indeed experiment and sometimes it does not go as well as intended. However, I am running 5 machines here at home and trying to help people in my village (for free) so, often rather a lot of saveable bacon available. I'm a [retired] IT Director and software developer.

There’s 4 machines here and they have been remarkably free of trouble, probably because I do very little experimentation. I have very thorough backup routines, but I’ve never required emergency access to backup data in 35+ years of PC wrangling for business and pleasure. I don’t bother with system backups, because there’s always a spare computer that can be used while the problem is fixed at my leisure.

I do test any new computer very thoroughly before putting it into “production”. For example, I bought a Dell games computer on run-out, did some fairly obvious upgrades, and tested it for almost a year (games, casual computing, streaming). It’s now a totally reliable “beast” for Web, Word Processing, scanning etc.

Very public spirited of you to provide free service.

 

[Sean Nelson]

I have very thorough backup routines, but I’ve never required emergency access to backup data in 35+ years of PC wrangling for business and pleasure.

I keep a copy of my most recent backup online because I've found that the only reason I ever need to do a restore is to recover files that I accidentally deleted or otherwise screwed up. It's a lot handier than going to my most recent offline backup which, depending on the time of month, may be offsite.

 

[gscotten]

I’ve never required emergency access to backup data in 35+ years of PC wrangling for business and pleasure.

Wow! I am impressed. I have never had to go to a backup because of a hardware failure, at least not on my personal machines, but I have messed up a few files in my life. Just this past spring I bought a new computer, and somehow failed to bring over the macro file for Excel. I only use these macros once a year, and I was sure glad this weekend to have a backup to recover them from.

And recently I wanted some information that I had removed from a file several years ago knowing (!!!!) I would never need it again. I went to my oldest backup from January 2016 to get it. Darn glad I kept the old copy!

I rotate my annual backups, and when my backups approach the drive size, I buy bigger backup drives and save an old drive as an archive. I also alternate monthly offsite backups, and do "as required" backups to a local drive. Not a perfect plan, but good enough so far.

 

[David Lal]

I have messed up a few files in my life. Just this past spring I bought a new computer, and somehow failed to bring over the macro file for Excel.

I can identify with that! Also, perhaps what I meant about saving my bacon! Every other night or so I image my main machine with Macrium. The ability to mount a Macrium image is extraordinarily useful, perhaps just to get back to one or two old files, not necessarily restoring an entire system.

Hardware does fail though and when it does, it's a big time event (well, for me). I tend to pity those poor souls who think Microsoft/Apple/Adobe/Android etc. is infallible and then when failure does occur the incognoscenti are just totally lost.

 

[Austinian]

Hardware does fail though and when it does, it's a big time event (well, for me). I tend to pity those poor souls who think Microsoft/Apple/Adobe/Android etc. is infallible and then when failure does occur the incognoscenti are just totally lost.

So true. Those are the unfortunates who post here asking how to recover a drive full of irreplaceable, corrupted files with no backup--oh, and by the way, is it a problem when my HDD is making rattling noises? :-(

 

[LynniePad]

I’ve never required emergency access to backup data in 35+ years of PC wrangling for business and pleasure.

Wow! I am impressed. I have never had to go to a backup because of a hardware failure, at least not on my personal machines, but I have messed up a few files in my life. Just this past spring I bought a new computer, and somehow failed to bring over the macro file for Excel. I only use these macros once a year, and I was sure glad this weekend to have a backup to recover them from.

Sounds like you are doing “Rollover” operations with Excel, hence the use of macros. If that is the case, you might consider using MS-Access instead, where a simple Query/Make Table will set up data for the next year, possibly highlighting outstanding items.

Macros can be misused. I knew a guy who had his office running with a lot of macros. Most of these were to call up various MS-Word formatting tricks, and he was shocked when I pointed out the built-in Templates/Styles features.

Some journals will not accept submissions unless they built on the in-house Word template. This is a step up from the traditional style guide.

And recently I wanted some information that I had removed from a file several years ago knowing (!!!!) I would never need it again. I went to my oldest backup from January 2016 to get it. Darn glad I kept the old copy!

I rotate my annual backups, and when my backups approach the drive size, I buy bigger backup drives and save an old drive as an archive. I also alternate monthly offsite backups, and do "as required" backups to a local drive. Not a perfect plan, but good enough so far.

I keep data older than 10 years separately with associated backups. This frees up “Recent Data” for faster and more regular backups. which are monthly, plus “Quick” backups as required. This is a cumulative method which adds only new or changed files to the backup drive. (Robocopy to SSD; takes seconds).

 

[gscotten]

Sounds like you are doing “Rollover” operations with Excel, hence the use of macros.

No rollover. Every year my camera club runs a photography print competition for the local library. I have a macro that cleans up the registration data from the library's Google Docs on-line form so that I can print color coded labels for each print. I have to clean up phone numbers, names, etc. because I haven't found any way to format those fields automatically in Docs. I also have to split up each entry into two labels, because each entrant can enter two prints. After doing it manually once, I recorded the macros just to simplify my job. It was definitely worth digging out the backup.

I keep data older than 10 years separately with associated backups. This frees up “Recent Data” for faster and more regular backups. which are monthly, plus “Quick” backups as required. This is a cumulative method which adds only new or changed files to the backup drive. (Robocopy to SSD; takes seconds).

I do a similar process, where I use Robocopy often to backup my data files and Macrium Reflect occasionally for whole system saves. Robocopy is very fast. Reflect is an overnight job now that I only have one internal drive. My annual backups are simply regular backups taken out of rotation each year, so nothing really has to be done except to relabel the drive.

 

[gscotten]

you might consider using MS-Access instead

I am very familiar with Access. I made a ton of money with it (and Visual Foxpro) back in the '80s and '90s. I also coded in VB and Assembler. Before that, mostly mainframe languages back all the way to the IBM 1401 and 7090s.