Macrium Reflect
Encyclopedia
Macrium Reflect is a backup
and disk imaging software program for Microsoft Windows
developed by Paramount Software UK Ltd in 2006. It creates disk images and file backup archives using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service
to ensure 'point in time' data accuracy.
, the latest version supports Windows XP
, Windows Vista
, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003
and Windows Server 2008, both in 32- and 64-bit editions. The application has a VBScript
generator that uses Windows Script Host
WSH to enable system administrators to handle complex backup scenarios. Backup definitions can be saved as XML
files for simple editing and re-running. Macrium Reflect also offers Windows Preinstallation Environment
3.1, and Linux
based system recovery solutions.
and differential backup images to optimize speed and storage requirements. Data is compressed in real time using Abraham Lempel
LZ based compression algorithms. Images can be mounted
as a drive letter in Windows Explorer
and restored using a custom Live CD
.
. This can be mounted
as a drive letter in Windows Explorer
for file recovery using copy and paste. Full, incremental backup
and differential backup files are supported as well as data compression.
. There are typically three ways to do this:
1. A customized Linux kernel
can be used to load the restore software and overwrite the Windows system partition. The Linux kernel
is booted from CD/DVD and completely loaded into main memory. This enables any partition on local hard disks to be freely accessed for update. This is the option used by Acronis True Image
Home and others.
2. Microsoft
provides a cut-down version of Windows called Windows Preinstallation Environment
or Windows PE. This also creates a Live CD
but is proprietary and needs to be licensed from Microsoft before distribution. This option is used by the current version of Norton Ghost.
3. There is a "free to create" version of Windows PE called BartPE
. This requires building the Windows PE disc from existing Windows system files. There are no licensing issues with BartPE as the required files are included with Windows. BartPE
is only compatible with Windows XP and Server 2003 32 bit. BartPE
plug-ins are provided by Acronis and other backup software vendors.
Macrium Reflect v5 offers Linux and Windows PE as standard.
Backup
In information technology, a backup or the process of backing up is making copies of data which may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form is back up in two words, whereas the noun is backup....
and disk imaging software program for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
developed by Paramount Software UK Ltd in 2006. It creates disk images and file backup archives using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service
Volume Shadow Copy Service
Shadow Copy , is a technology included in Microsoft Windows that allows taking manual or automatic backup copies or snapshots of data, even if it has a lock, on a specific volume at a specific point in time over regular intervals...
to ensure 'point in time' data accuracy.
, the latest version supports Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft, introduced on 24 April 2003. An updated version, Windows Server 2003 R2, was released to manufacturing on 6 December 2005...
and Windows Server 2008, both in 32- and 64-bit editions. The application has a VBScript
VBScript
VBScript is an Active Scripting language developed by Microsoft that is modeled on Visual Basic. It is designed as a “lightweight” language with a fast interpreter for use in a wide variety of Microsoft environments...
generator that uses Windows Script Host
Windows Script Host
The Microsoft Windows Script Host is an automation technology for Microsoft Windows operating systems that provides scripting capabilities comparable to batch files, but with a greater range of supported features...
WSH to enable system administrators to handle complex backup scenarios. Backup definitions can be saved as XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
files for simple editing and re-running. Macrium Reflect also offers Windows Preinstallation Environment
Windows Preinstallation Environment
Windows Preinstallation Environment is a lightweight version of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2 that is used for the deployment of workstations and servers...
3.1, and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
based system recovery solutions.
Disk Imaging
Macrium Reflect can create full, incrementalIncremental backup
An incremental backup preserves data by not creating multiple copies that are based on the differences in those data: a successive copy of the data contains only that portion which has changed since the preceding copy has been created.-Incremental:...
and differential backup images to optimize speed and storage requirements. Data is compressed in real time using Abraham Lempel
Abraham Lempel
Abraham Lempel is an Israeli computer scientist and one of the fathers of the LZ family of lossless data compression algorithms.Lempel was born on 10 February 1936 in Lwów, Poland . He studied at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, and received a B.Sc. in 1963, M.Sc. in 1965, and D.Sc. in...
LZ based compression algorithms. Images can be mounted
Mount (computing)
Mounting takes place before a computer can use any kind of storage device . The user or their operating system must make it accessible through the computer's file system. A user can access only files on mounted media.- Mount point :A mount point is a physical location in the partition used as a...
as a drive letter in Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer
This article is about the Windows file system browser. For the similarly named web browser, see Internet ExplorerWindows Explorer is a file manager application that is included with releases of the Microsoft Windows operating system from Windows 95 onwards. It provides a graphical user interface...
and restored using a custom Live CD
Live CD
A live CD, live DVD, or live disc is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive...
.
File Backup
Macrium Reflect can also backup files and folders into a compressed virtual driveVirtual drive
A virtual drive in computing is a device that to the operating system appears to be an ordinary physical disk drive, with disc images substituted for disc reading hardware through the use of software called a disk emulator...
. This can be mounted
Mount (computing)
Mounting takes place before a computer can use any kind of storage device . The user or their operating system must make it accessible through the computer's file system. A user can access only files on mounted media.- Mount point :A mount point is a physical location in the partition used as a...
as a drive letter in Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer
This article is about the Windows file system browser. For the similarly named web browser, see Internet ExplorerWindows Explorer is a file manager application that is included with releases of the Microsoft Windows operating system from Windows 95 onwards. It provides a graphical user interface...
for file recovery using copy and paste. Full, incremental backup
Incremental backup
An incremental backup preserves data by not creating multiple copies that are based on the differences in those data: a successive copy of the data contains only that portion which has changed since the preceding copy has been created.-Incremental:...
and differential backup files are supported as well as data compression.
System Recovery
The Windows System partition cannot be restored whilst Windows is running. To overcome this issue the PC has to be started with another operating system using a Live CDLive CD
A live CD, live DVD, or live disc is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive...
. There are typically three ways to do this:
1. A customized Linux kernel
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software....
can be used to load the restore software and overwrite the Windows system partition. The Linux kernel
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software....
is booted from CD/DVD and completely loaded into main memory. This enables any partition on local hard disks to be freely accessed for update. This is the option used by Acronis True Image
Acronis True Image
Acronis True Image is disk imaging software, developed by Acronis, that creates backups and recovers PC systems. The software allows a user to create an image of a disk while it is running Microsoft Windows or offline by booting from CD/DVD, USB flash drives, PXE, or other bootable media...
Home and others.
2. Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
provides a cut-down version of Windows called Windows Preinstallation Environment
Windows Preinstallation Environment
Windows Preinstallation Environment is a lightweight version of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2 that is used for the deployment of workstations and servers...
or Windows PE. This also creates a Live CD
Live CD
A live CD, live DVD, or live disc is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive...
but is proprietary and needs to be licensed from Microsoft before distribution. This option is used by the current version of Norton Ghost.
3. There is a "free to create" version of Windows PE called BartPE
BartPE
BartPE is a lightweight variant of the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, similar to Windows Preinstallation Environment, which can be run from a Live CD or Live USB drive....
. This requires building the Windows PE disc from existing Windows system files. There are no licensing issues with BartPE as the required files are included with Windows. BartPE
BartPE
BartPE is a lightweight variant of the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, similar to Windows Preinstallation Environment, which can be run from a Live CD or Live USB drive....
is only compatible with Windows XP and Server 2003 32 bit. BartPE
BartPE
BartPE is a lightweight variant of the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, similar to Windows Preinstallation Environment, which can be run from a Live CD or Live USB drive....
plug-ins are provided by Acronis and other backup software vendors.
Macrium Reflect v5 offers Linux and Windows PE as standard.
Further reading
- How to create a disk image with Macrium Reflect
- How to restore a backup image
- How To clone a disk
- Review of Macrium Reflect by Dr FileFinder