Macrium Reflect Free creates hard drives images and can restore them when you need it. It purports to be the fastest disk imaging software out there. It can compress your image such that it is much smaller in size than the actual hard drive partition, and can create a bootable recovery CD that can be used to perform operations on the system partition, or restore images in case your system becomes unbootable.
To access data inside an image, Macrium Reflect Free allows you to right click an image file and browse your data in read only mode and/or copy individual files or folders into your hard drive.
If you don’t know what disk images are or if you simply don’t make images of your hard drive (at least your main, boot drive), you should really consider doing so. A disk image is like a snapshot in time of your hard drive that, should your system be compromised by malware, suffer some physical damage, or even become slow because of too many programs installed on it, will allow you to simply revert back to that state when all was well. It is like an “undo” option for your hard drive.
Here’s a quick list of PROS and CONS for those in a hurry: (see the discussion below for a more in-depth
PROS:
- Fast: this app is likely the fastest (or at least one of the fastest) imaging programs out there. (Note: this is based on subjective impressions/reports and not on an actual timed test).
- Windows context menu entry: will let you browse your image and quickly access files inside it.
- Compression: offers 3 levels of compression. I was able to compress a 30 gig partition into 8 gigs.
- Recovery CD: very useful for system recovery or modifying the system partition.
- Reliable: it just works
- Can backup sector by sector, including the “blank” areas of a hard disk: not my preferred mode, but is possible for forensic reasons or in situations where you would like to recover deleted data later on.
CONS:
- Does not do incremental backup: in the free version. Incremental backups allow you to append only the data that has been modified or added since your last backup rather than creating a new image altogether.
- Does not dynamically resize an image: very strange. I created an image of a 256 gig hard drive that had only 30 gigs of data, then resized the hard drive to create two partitions, then attempted to restore the image to a resized 100 gig partition. It wouldn’t do it (I did this sort of thing before so I know other disk imaging programs do it).
I’ve mentioned a few hard drive imaging programs on Freewaregenius, but recently received an email recommending Macrium Reflect Free from Bear of the “Bear Bottom’s Freeware” site. I quote our (slightly edited) email back-and-forth below (“B:” for Bear, “S:” for myself):
B: I have a suggestion for your Freeware Top 30. System recovery is more important than malware prevention and I find that many people aren’t prepared for it, either lacking skill technically or system recovery disks (only on-hard-drive vendor images). Making an image of your active partition is the single most important part of a security plan, in my opinion, and very easy to do. I think it is the single most important thing anyone who owns a computer should do… Anyway, I suggest you list an imaging program in your top 30. I like Macrium Reflect.
S: Thanks so much for the suggestion. As it happens, I am looking to expand the Top30 … and looking for an imaging program to recommend… I would be very grateful if you could share your thoughts on why you like Macrium Reflect. I am planning to look into Redo Backup for a possible review.
B: What I like most about Macrium Reflect is the rock solid and speedy boot CD…something I didn’t like about Redo Backup-which I used for a while before MR. MR is also dead simple to use and more intuitive. The only limitation is incremental backups which I do not like anyway. Besides, you can mount MR images with a right click/explore image in Explorer which assigns a drive letter, and all of the folders and files are accessible read only…though you can open or copy any file/folder. The second thing I like most is it is faster than Redo. It takes me 23 minutes to make a 55gig image and 30 minutes to restore it. Redo took longer… Though I listed Redo first on my site and really gave it a chance…it just frustrated me at times and I had difficulty with the boot CD a few times…none of which happens with MR.
B: MR is too simple. When you first run the program, it prompts you to make a boot CD. Then the wizards guides you through the image – dead simple-what partition(s) to image-where do you want to put it-make the image–simply straight forward. Booting to the CD just works and fast….anyone can do it with little or no frustrations.
B: MR doesn’t do incremental backups which is the only potential negative about the free version. I don’t like incremental backups anyway. Why bother with them when you can make a new image in 23 minutes?
S: Personally I have been using Paragon Backup Free Edition, and have used DriveImage XML; wondering if you had any thoughts on those in comparison!
B: tried all four of these plus a few others. Of the bunch, I personally like MR the best as it was the easiest to use and the fastest. However, I also list DriveImage XML and Paragon Backup and Recovery along with Macrium Reflect on my website and they work fine. I used to list Redo, but had so many issues with it and it was slow, that I de-listed it. After all was said and done, I was most pleased with MR. I would be interested to see the results of your comparison.
B: I likely over-use imaging as I use it for another purpose (replace VM in testing malware.) I tried those and a few others and Macrium just performed flawlessly every time. So did DriveImage though it was a bit slower. I ran into a few bothersome issues with Paragon, but they were minor. I became frustrated with Redo. It likely comes down to personal preference or taste between those three (Redo is not yet ready IMO or wasn’t a few months ago). MR pleased me the most and was faster.
The verdict: definitely a contender for best free disk imaging program. The free edition’s handicap (no incremental backups) is made somewhat redundant by the fact that the program is designed for fast backups anyway. The only real drawback, IMO, is that it will not let you restore your image to a resized partition, a flaw which can be a real hassle to work around if you’ve already gone ahead and done the resizing.
Aside from the speed factor, which is definitely this program’s main draw, the second most appealing thing about this program is the ability to simply right click on an image file and grab files stored within, a rare feature and one that can potentially be very useful. All in all this is a very solid program; definitely check it out.
Version Tested: v4.2.2952
Compatibility: XP, Vista, Windows 7. 32 and native 64 Bit.
Go to the program home page to download the latest version (approx 31.4 megs).
Macrium Reflect failed me twice on two different computers–one a laptop, one a desktop. When attempting to boot the recovery disk, the program wouldn’t identify and start a mouse, keyboard, or touchpad. Fortunately, I had the same image made by Windows 7–perfect and fast recovery. I honestly wouldn’t rely on one backup image–maybe Macrium and Paragon Express.
Clonezilla is great. A bit intimidating for beginners though.
I also use Macrium and it works perfectly for me. The problems with the boot disk that Jasray is experiencing can be easily fixed if you use the compatibility option when burning it. You may also need to make a few changes to the bios of your computer.
For Windows 7 users the built in imaging and recovery works great as well.
@Brian, Clonezilla works great to but it’s main draw back IMO is that you need to boot from the disk to make images. With Macrium you don’t. You just launch MR and you make the image while running the OS which is much easier.
PING is better
http://ping.windowsdream.com/
Now this one I can get behind! I have been using Reflect (both paid and free) for a couple of years now, and it has NEVER let me down. The free version is perfect for backing up a client’s machine, onsite, quickly (since they pay me by the hour) before doing anything even semi-drastic. The ability to mount the image is also great, especially when “upgrading” from XP to Win 7, since there is no real upgrade path. I just shoot an image (max compression) and then reformat and install Win 7. Then I install Reflect Free, and copy the image to the hard drive. The client has their whole XP drive, as well as their new operating system. Finally, the paid version, cheap at $40, allows incrementals and differentials, so for auto backups it is superb. Shoot one beginning image to an external Terabyte drive (around $100 here) and then set it to do incrementals daily. The scheduler works great and you can click on any of the images to mount the entire set, if recovery of particular files is called for. I searched a long time for a backup program with these strengths, and Reflect has met all of my needs, with the noted exception of dynamic resizing. But they are working on it, they say.:-) The free version, reviewed here, is great, and so far, every one of my clients has decided, after very short review periods, to upgrade to the paid version. That, in itself, says a lot to me about how impressive the free program is. By the way, it will also back up any and all machines over a network (paid version again.)
I am NOT employed by Macrium. I do not, in any way, get paid by Macrium for my comments. I am simply an independent consultant who is extremely happy with a very good product that makes my life a lot easier.
(see Samer– I can give good reviews as well)
>Does not dynamically resize an image
Does this mean that if I backed up a drive with only the primary partition on it and restored the image to a larger drive (with only the primary partition on it) that the unused space would not be available to me?
I think Macrium Reflect is one of the best free programs out there. I always choose compatibility mode when I burn the rescure CD. I have been using it on 4 computers and it has saved 3 of them from catastrophic failures! This program has, figuratively, saved me life! And, it lets you easily mount images if you just need to restore a file or two. It is SUPER fast even when backing up over a network connection. Seriously, I can’t speak more highly of this program, get it, use it, and it will eventually save your day!
@Rogson
You can work with equal or larger drives, not smaller. Clonezilla has this policy too, because both Clonezilla and Macrium make “true” images of a hard drive, including offsets and original data position. Repositioning data from inside an image defeats the purpose of the image itself. In that case, it would be just a backup with an altered structure.
With a Macrium-made image installed over a larger drive than the original allows you to respect the original offsets and then it’s just a simple matter of extending the partition to claim the additional, unused space. Hope this helps.
Nice editorial Samer, as always. This is such an important issue, I wanted to expand on the urgency of it for those who have not made an image of, at the very least, their active system partition (usually drive C:).
If you get infected by malware or if your hard drive fails (installing a new hard drive is very easy), many people’s only resort is to seek help in recovering (sometimes very costly). Imaging your system eliminates this need and puts the user in control of their computers health. As I’ve said, I prefer Macrium Reflect though there are other very good imaging programs if you prefer.
Folks, anyone who can download and install a program can image their system. With Macrium, you simply download and install the program, open it and create a boot CD (wizards will guide you) then click on create an image. You should have an external hard drive and direct the path of the image to it, however you can span onto multiple CD/DVD’s (but you can’t mount the folders and files afterwards. To restore your image, you simply put your boot CD into your CD/DVD drive and restart your computer. Once the program comes up, you simply click on restore an image, select your saved image on your external hard drive, and direct it to the appropriate partition on your computer (usually drive C:. In less than an hour, that image will replace your system folders and files and your computer will be exactly like it was when you made the image.
This being said, it is very important to insure you have a good clean image. Ideally you have an image of your system when it was new, or after a fresh complete restaging of your computer with manufacturer disks…a known clean state which you will always keep. From then on, you can keep several recent images of your system as it develops, and always have a current one. I make regular images of my computer anytime my system changes enough which is quite frequent. I keep about three or so of the last images and delete the rest (except for my factory image.
Do it!
Bear
Very interesting application. Can the free verison be used in commercia envirement?
So far there’s been no mention of EASUS Todo, which is also free and allows the backup to be password protected, which I believe Macrium does not, at least in the free version. Any comparisons of these two by commenters or Samer?
@me
Macrium Reflect Free:
“This software is for personal and non-commercial use only. Commercial use of this software is expressly prohibited.”
You know what I’d really appreciate? If Freewaregenius were to test a few of the most popular imaging programs and post a comparison review. I have been putting off my first attempt at imaging because I still can’t decide which program to use! Maybe I am crazy.
I’ve been using MR for years, and it is indeed a great program. If I’m not mistaken, they fixed the issue with restoring to a smaller partition awhile back, but I could now be mistaken. I’ve not had to restore an image for awhile, but I have had to pull data from a backed up image file.
One other thing – you aren’t necessarily limited to using the restore disc only (I saw that one commenter had an issue with the disc not detecting the mouse properly). As such, I’ve used the BartPE plugin with a Reatogo (or Ultimate Boot CD)…it worked great.
I did a review a couple years back…great software, to be sure.
http://www.thefreewarejunkie.com/2008/06/make-complete-disk-image-macrium.html
I used to use Macrium, but got bitten by the inability to resize problem.
Sorry, I consider that feature to be a “must have” and thus I don’t consider Macrium Reflect Free to be a contender for any list.
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I had a Macrium image fail once, and once was enough. Paragon, meanwhile, is fast, reliable, and the free version is perfectly adequate (though legit giveaways of the paid versions are plentifully available). Why would you use anything BUT Paragon?