As reported in another thread, I recently updated Macrium Reflect Pro v5, but later, when trying to create an image it just produced a ’MR has stopped working message’. It transpired that a recent major update had caused MR to hang for some users of Avast, Malwarebytes and Emsisoft antimalware. The recommended solution in my case was to add two rules to Emsisoft allowing macrium.exe and macrium services .exe.
This did not work, probably because these files appear not to exist on my PC, despite what Macrium say, and typing them in proves ineffective. After a series of emails I asked if was possible to revert to a version prior to the offending update, they supplied the link, the earlier version was installed, and the image was successfully created.
Deterred by concerns about what might happen when MR was next updated I installed EaseUs Todo Free and made an image with that. The results don’t satisfy me – see later.
Next, I turned to the laptop, which had MR v4 installed. Attempting to add the .exe rule to Emsisoft was rejected, again because it doesn’t exist on the machine, so I created the image using v4, and it worked. Later, MR was updated to v5 and a new image made.
That’s the background, now for the questions.
Starting with EaseUs Todo Free. Checking the image came up with the result that no files were missing. Is this normal? Maybe I have an exaggerated idea of what verification by Macrium or Acronis does, but I have always assumed it was more than just counting the number of files, I assumed comparing the size of each folder with the original at the very least, if not ensuring they were identical and would open.
Then, when I wanted to check a few files, they were visible with their folders, but would not open. Am I doing something wrong? When having difficulty balancing my monthly accounts I often open the Macrium image to check what was brought forward. Furthermore, the limited instructions state that only a full image guaranties restoring a PC exactly as it was, but the best I could find was a system image. Perhaps that it why individual files could not be opened.
Now to my main concern. Today, having some spare time, I got out the laptop to check the last update, but neither of the August images appear in MR, and the one made in May denies me access. However, bypassing MR and going via ‘This PC’, both images are shown, but after assigning a new drive letter so as to open the image, a pop up tells me to format the assigned drive, which would wipe out the image. Always assuming that it is possible to format a theoretical drive.
Clearly I need to make another image this weekend, but can some kind soul please tell me what the hell is going on.
