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Macrium Reflect problem |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,679
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Macrium Reflect problem
I've previously managed to save disk images, but now it fails every time with 'Backup aborted! - Write operation failed - The system cannot find the file specified'. I've tried Googling for answers but can't make sense of the solutions I've found. One part of the operation in particular confuses me, where it says Backup Save Options - What do you want to do now? The tick box options are:
Run this backup now Save backup and schedules as an XML file definition I don't understand what this means, as it makes it sound as if I'm attempting to run a previous backup. Anyway, I decided to save it as My backup latest, but it always fails. The last entry in the log before the error is: Gathering Windows Events - Please Wait. |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading
Posts: 27,884
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Where are you trying to save the image to? I've had this once or twice when trying to run a backup to a NAS drive when Windows arbitrarily decided the NAS drive didn't exist any more and so refused to write any data to it. It might also return this error if the drive you are using is full so can't create the back-up image.
The Back-up save options are quite simple. Run now does exactly what it says on the tin, runs the back-up operation you have configured immediately. Save as an XML file writes the back-up configuration to a disk file (in XML format) which you can recall at a later date or schedule to run at a specified time ( schedules might only be available in the paid for version). It would help us be more specific if you post which version of Reflect you are using and which version of Windows you use. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,039
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"Save backup and schedules as an XML file definition"
That is essentially just a text configuration file of Backup options you make. OK it's an XML type file which means nothing much, a Web Browser will open it, if you want to look at what it contains go to the Backup Definition Files Tab in Macrium. "Run this backup now", pretty obvious surely. It does a backup with those configuration options in the selected XML file. If you are have errors then re-install Macrium, and do some maintenance on your HDD and Windows installation. I've not had any errors using Macrium, can't help with those. Start with obvious simple checks like enough space to save the backup file etc. |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,679
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I'm saving it to a separate usb-connected backup dive with 764 Gb of free space on it. It's the one that has an earlier backup on it. I can't see the point in saving the backup as an XML file to run, as it defaults to my previously selected option anyway and only takes two mouse clicks to run (when it actually works).
The first time it failed I had left it running and I'm guessing it must have run for at least an hour before aborting. It now fails before even getting properly underway. Edit: The external drive (J had been showing up duplicated in File Manager, which I believe is a Windows 10 bug which still hasn't been corrected. I unplugged it (no option to eject safely) then reconnected it. It then showed up only once and I then checked its properties. When checking the optimisation option it said that the hard drive was 0% fragmented, but weirdly I thought, that the system reserved section was 100% fragmented, yet refuses to run any process on it.
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading
Posts: 27,884
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Go through the configuration of the back-up and check all file locations that are specified in the config do in fact exist. In particular if the definition was made when the USB drive was assigned drive letter E: say it will fail if Windows decides to assign drive letter F: instead. A change like that could easily go unspotted if you open up Windows File Explorer to look at the drive contents.
You could try creating an entirely new back-up from scratch and seeing if that runs. Saving back-up definitions as XML files is handy if you run multiple back-ups. I have the paid for version of Reflect and two NAS drives. I run daily scheduled back-ups to both drives separately which requires two definition files. I also run a monthly full system image to both drives which requires two more definition files. Plus I have a USB drive I use occasionally for both file/folder back-ups and images which need a further couple of definition files. So I have 6 definitions for different tasks. If you don't use the scheduling function (or it's not available in your version) to run background back-ups at certain times of day or you only ever run the same back-up operation manually then you may well get away without using the definition files. |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 297
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Quote:
I'm saving it to a separate usb-connected backup dive with 764 Gb of free space on it. It's the one that has an earlier backup on it. I can't see the point in saving the backup as an XML file to run, as it defaults to my previously selected option anyway and only takes two mouse clicks to run (when it actually works).
The first time it failed I had left it running and I'm guessing it must have run for at least an hour before aborting. It now fails before even getting properly underway. Edit: The external drive (J had been showing up duplicated in File Manager, which I believe is a Windows 10 bug which still hasn't been corrected. I unplugged it (no option to eject safely) then reconnected it. It then showed up only once and I then checked its properties. When checking the optimisation option it said that the hard drive was 0% fragmented, but weirdly I thought, that the system reserved section was 100% fragmented, yet refuses to run any process on it. |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Reading
Posts: 27,884
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I'm tempted to suggest that the USB drive may have become corrupted. If there is nothing of any great importance on there then perhaps zap the drive partitions into oblivion and recreate from scratch?
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,850
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Quote:
I've previously managed to save disk images, but now it fails every time with 'Backup aborted! - Write operation failed - The system cannot find the file specified'. I've tried Googling for answers but can't make sense of the solutions I've found. One part of the operation in particular confuses me, where it says Backup Save Options - What do you want to do now? The tick box options are:
Run this backup now Save backup and schedules as an XML file definition I don't understand what this means, as it makes it sound as if I'm attempting to run a previous backup. Anyway, I decided to save it as My backup latest, but it always fails. The last entry in the log before the error is: Gathering Windows Events - Please Wait. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,679
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I got it going again past the first stages and left it while I went out. This time it failed due to a 'data cyclic redundancy check (or something like that). I'm wondering if the external drive goes into hibernation after a certain time, but I can't find anything to suggest that.
I tried switching my PC off, then switching it on with the external drive still plugged in. It is still duplicated in File Explorer, with the file tree of one version open and the other collapsed, although I can open the duplicate and display the same folders. |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,679
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I tried again and this time it worked – or so it seemed. I was puzzled by the way it only took 17 minutes and how the resulting Reflect image was only 33Gb compared to 167Gb for the first one I made. Then I saw that it hadn't backed up the D: drive, which is a partition I made on my main internal hard drive. This contains pictures, music and videos, which I separated to make tasks such as searches and anti-virus scans much quicker.
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 297
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Quote:
I got it going again past the first stages and left it while I went out. This time it failed due to a 'data cyclic redundancy check (or something like that). I'm wondering if the external drive goes into hibernation after a certain time, but I can't find anything to suggest that.
I tried switching my PC off, then switching it on with the external drive still plugged in. It is still duplicated in File Explorer, with the file tree of one version open and the other collapsed, although I can open the duplicate and display the same folders. Could be a USB driver issue if the HDD is plugged to a USB 3.0 socket, try another socket (you should have USB 2.0). If it is a clean install of W10 then the USB 2.0 drivers should be solid. Long and short, download the manufacturer utility for the drive - zero it and do a full check. If it passes use Disk Management to create an Ext NTFS partition and assign a drive letter. Obviously use the image this disk option in Macrium Reflect (you should be using the latest version 6.3) Copy the image to the root of the drive and use a meaningful filename (not the default). Just a question about your source drive - you have the hidden system partition, the primary boot partition containing the C: (OS) and an extended partition containing D: (Data)? |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,679
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Quote:
Just a question about your source drive - you have the hidden system partition, the primary boot partition containing the C: (OS) and an extended partition containing D: (Data)?
2. (C: ) NTFS (primary) 50.31 GB 735.66 GB 3. - (None) NTFS Primary 275.0 MB 450.0 MB 4. Pics & Music (D: ) NTFS Primary 152.72 GB 195.31 GB I have no idea what part 3 represents. I tried it again and on about the tenth attempt it suddenly worked. I have absolutely no idea why. |
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7,975
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Quote:
CRC shows that you have a filesystem error or hardware fault, data corruption in other words.
Could be a USB driver issue if the HDD is plugged to a USB 3.0 socket, try another socket (you should have USB 2.0). If it is a clean install of W10 then the USB 2.0 drivers should be solid. Long and short, download the manufacturer utility for the drive - zero it and do a full check. If it passes use Disk Management to create an Ext NTFS partition and assign a drive letter. Obviously use the image this disk option in Macrium Reflect (you should be using the latest version 6.3) Copy the image to the root of the drive and use a meaningful filename (not the default). Just a question about your source drive - you have the hidden system partition, the primary boot partition containing the C: (OS) and an extended partition containing D: (Data)? Not had one problem with Reflect. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,850
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Quote:
I tried again and this time it worked – or so it seemed. I was puzzled by the way it only took 17 minutes and how the resulting Reflect image was only 33Gb compared to 167Gb for the first one I made. Then I saw that it hadn't backed up the D: drive, which is a partition I made on my main internal hard drive. This contains pictures, music and videos, which I separated to make tasks such as searches and anti-virus scans much quicker.
I would not bother image backup the D drive. It is better to use file history backup to back this drive. |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,679
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Quote:
I would not bother image backup the D drive. It is better to use file history backup to back this drive.
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,850
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Quote:
I thought about backing it up with simple copy and past, but I wasn't sure how it would affect the way the drive is partitioned. I assumed that it would restore the whole drive exactly as it was before – or it that what cloning's for? I really don't understand the pros and cons of this.
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had been showing up duplicated in File Manager, which I believe is a Windows 10 bug which still hasn't been corrected. I unplugged it (no option to eject safely) then reconnected it. It then showed up only once and I then checked its properties. When checking the optimisation option it said that the hard drive was 0% fragmented, but weirdly I thought, that the system reserved section was 100% fragmented, yet refuses to run any process on it.