Question How reliable are File History and the free version of Macrium?

[modeonoff]

Hi, how is Windows' built-in File History and the free version of Macrium? Are they reliable?

Considering to use Macrium to clone my internal SSD where Windows 10 is installed and do an extra backup using Windows 10's File History before upgrading to Windows 11.

I have failed restoration experience using Norton Ghost, Acronis and Windows' Backup and Restore. Too bad I did not find out until I needed them to restore. What can we do to make sure that the backup/cloning works before it is too late?

 

[USAFRet]

I'd assume your speed is limited due to using a USB connection to the Sabrent.

Let it complete.

To an internal, it might take 90 minutes, guessing, for 1 TB occupied space on your boot drive.

In my realm, a drive of 600GB consumed, resulting in an Image of 510GB, to an HDD in my NAS across a standard gigabit LAN....approx 1 hour, 45 mins.

"19-22 hours" is completely out of the park.
The USB 3.2 interface should not be that slow.

For instance...
Imaging 388GB to a USB 3.0 connected HDD.

 

[modeonoff]

I double checked. The enclosure is USB 3.2 and it is connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port of the motherboard.

 

[USAFRet]

What does yours currently show under "Transfer rate" ?

 

[modeonoff]

Around 95-120.4MB/s. Why so crazy slow? Now it is 12% 18 hours remaining.

I am using a Sabrent USB 3.2 Tool-Free Enclosure for NVMe PCIe M Key M.2 SSD [Silver] (EC-TFNE)

 

[USAFRet]

Around 95-120.4MB/s. Why so crazy slow? Now it is 12% 18 hours remaining.

I am using a Sabrent USB 3.2 Tool-Free Enclosure for NVMe PCIe M Key M.2 SSD [Silver] (EC-TFNE)

I can only imagine something is wrong with your USB connection or the enclosure.

 

[modeonoff]

Bought the enclosure in 2019. Seldom use it. I will test its speed after the long imaging has completed.

Alternatively, shall I cancel the imaging, delete whatever in the external SSD and use a Samsung T7 instead?

 

[Lafong]

I'd let it complete to get 1 good image in the bag.

Figure out what went wrong afterwards.

It will be a valid and verified image or not. Browsable in File Explorer or not. About the anticipated size or not.

Verify it after it completes via menus if it doesn't verify by default.

 

[Lafong]

How many internal drives do you have??

The boot drive and what else?

 

[modeonoff]

Only one internal drive (Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB SSD). It is the boot drive also.

I noticed that in Imaging Summary, the Backup Definition File seems to be stored in the C drive.
The Destination is E drive (the external SSD in an enclosure).

 

[USAFRet]

Personally, I would abort that Image.
20+ hours is WAY too long.

Diagnose whatever issue may exist with the external closure/connection/drive.

 

[modeonoff]

At the end, I got a report:

Image Completed Successfully in 12:56:02.
I/O Performance: Read 13.0 Gb/s - Write 121.2 MB/s
Saving Index New File: 679.83 GB

Imaging Summary
Auto Verify: N
Verify File System: Y

Q1: How do I verify the image file? From the report, it seems that it verified the source internal drive before imaging but not the resulting image.

Q2: I clicked on the E drive (external backup drive), there is a folder called "Backup of PC" with a mrimg file in it. Size is about 712GB. Double clicking on it gives a message asking for permission to convert to device. Am I supposed to say Yes to be able to browse the contents?

Q3: When creating a Rescue Media, I have "Enable Multi Boot (MBR/UFEI) - Recommended for your system" checked by default. Am I supposed to manually check the option "Check for devices missing drivers on boot", leave all the settings under Advanced default and click the Build button?

 

[USAFRet]

1. The REAL way to verify it worked is to recover that Image to a drive, and see if it works. I would do this to some other blank drive, so as not to potentially mess up your current OS drive.

2. Did you give that folder that name?
'convert to device'...unknown.
The way to browse the contents is through the Macrium client, and Mount that image as a drive letter.

3. Yes.

 

[modeonoff]

1. For this verification step, can I connect a Samsung T7 SSD to my PC and then restore that image to it? Supposing that there is no error during the process, how do I know everything is restored?

2. Don't remember. Probably I gave it that name. Under "Existing Backup Tasks", there is an option "Open an image or backup file in Windows Explorer". Is this the one to browse the contents?

3. Done. I have created two rescue media thumb drives. Thank you

 

[Lafong]

Imaging Summary
Auto Verify: N
Verify File System: Y

Q1: How do I verify the image file? From the report, it seems that it verified the source internal drive before imaging but not the resulting image.

For any future image: you can make a change in the Macrium configuration so that images are auto-verified immediately after creation.

For this image; here's how to do it on my version of Macrium, version 7.3.5672. You probably have a newer version, so this may not apply to you.


Open the Macrium interface

I see 2 rows of tabs

top row has file, view, backup, restore, other tasks, help; IGNORE THIS ROW.

second row of tabs has backup, restore, log

Poke "restore" in this second tab.

A pane should appear on the right half of the screen, showing that .mrimg file you just made.

Highlight it if it isn't already highlighted.

You should see several options near the right side of the screen, including "other options" with a drop down arrow. Poke the arrow and you should see "verify image". Poke it.

Your image file is over 700 GB. It might take an hour or more to verify. Mine is about 30 GB and takes under 5 minutes.

"Verify" means it is readable and not corrupted. It does NOT mean you will have a happy restoration experience.....although I have NEVER had an unhappy experience.

I think there is also an option to verify when you attempt to do a restore.

 

[modeonoff]

Thanks. The latest free version (v8.0.7175) is a bit different but when I right clicked on the image, the Verify option was available. Tried it and no error reported.

 

[Lafong]

Thanks. The latest free version (v8.0.7175) is a bit different but when I right clicked on the image, the Verify option was available. Tried it and no error reported.

Do you specifically mean that you did in fact go through the verification process?

Three ideas:

1; You can try to troubleshoot why it took so long to make that first image. Could be utterly normal for all I know...due to that USB and enclosure interface. You might try some other USB port for instance. If that appears to be just as slow, maybe cancel out. Maybe dig into the nuances of that enclosure. Maybe it has limitations of some kind.

How long did it finally take to make that 700 gb image?

2; attempt a restore with your existing image....to some other spare drive you have laying around. This is a good idea because it's better to get familiar with the restoration process when not under pressure rather than when you are in a panic after a drive failure. And that would also confirm to you whether or not you in fact have a good valid restorable image right now in that Sabrent.

3; do nothing and assume you have a valid image and assume it is restorable.

 

[USAFRet]

1; You can try to troubleshoot why it took so long to make that first image. Could be utterly normal for all I know

That length of time is not normal.

"12:56:02 " is at least 10 hours too long.

 

[modeonoff]

That length of time is not normal.

"12:56:02 " is at least 10 hours too long.

On the PC, what software do you recommend to use to test the read/white speed of the enclosure with a Samsung 970 Evo Plus in it?

 

[modeonoff]

Do you specifically mean that you did in fact go through the verification process?

2; attempt a restore with your existing image....to some other spare drive you have laying around. This is a good idea because it's better to get familiar with the restoration process when not under pressure rather than when you are in a panic after a drive failure. And that would also confirm to you whether or not you in fact have a good valid restorable image right now in that Sabrent.

Yes, it took about 1.45 hours to complete the verification process.

For attempting to restore from an existing image, is it OK to restore it to an external T5 SSD rather than an internal SSD? Can I assume that if it can restore successfully to an external drive, it will be successful if I do it to an internal drive?

 

[USAFRet]

On the PC, what software do you recommend to use to test the read/white speed of the enclosure with a Samsung 970 Evo Plus in it?

CrystalDiskMark would be a good place to start.

If that shows issues, the next step would be either a different enclosure, different cable, or install that 970 internally.

 

[USAFRet]

For attempting to restore from an existing image, is it OK to restore it to an external T5 SSD rather than an internal SSD? Can I assume that if it can restore successfully to an external drive, it will be successful if I do it to an internal drive?

If thisi s the OS drive you Imaged, restoring to an external is NOT a good test.

The recovery test would be to verify the system boots up as normal.
It will not do that from an external drive.

 

[Lafong]

For attempting to restore from an existing image, is it OK to restore it to an external T5 SSD rather than an internal SSD? Can I assume that if it can restore successfully to an external drive, it will be successful if I do it to an internal drive?

Restoration to an external would familiarize you with the process..............BUT it would not prove to you that it "worked" because you couldn't then boot from the external drive.

You'd need to restore to an internal drive. It is then bootable or it is not.

That .mrimg image file you have can be copied or moved around like any picture of your cat.

 

[modeonoff]

I have done some tests using the following two enclosures:

1. Sabrent USB 3.2 Tool-Free Enclosure for NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (EC-TFNE) with cable that came with it
2. Adwits USB 3.1 UASP to PCIe NVMe M.2 High-Performance SSD Adapter + Caldigit 2M TB4 cable

Sabrent is the one I used to create the image under Macrium.

1. Sabrient connected to TB3 port1


2. Sabrient connected to TB3 Port2


3. Sabrient connected to TB3 Port 1 (with Caldigit TB4 cable)


4. Same Samsung 970 Evo Plus in Adwits enclosure with Caldigit TB4 cable connected to TBV3 Port1


5. Same Samsung 970 Evo Plus in Adwits enclosure with Caldigit TB4 cable connected to TBV3 Port2



I don't know if these numbers are acceptable (some are two digits!?) but it looks like by replacing the original cable which came with the Sabrent enclosure with a Caldigit TB4 cable, performance improved. Does that mean the cable with came with the Sabrent enclosure is bad? It also seems that although the older Adwits USB3.1 enclosure is supposed to be slower than the Sabrent USB 3.2 enclosure, it performed slightly better sometimes.

 

[USAFRet]

I have done some tests using the following two enclosures:

1. Sabrent USB 3.2 Tool-Free Enclosure for NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (EC-TFNE) with cable that came with it
2. Adwits USB 3.1 UASP to PCIe NVMe M.2 High-Performance SSD Adapter + Caldigit 2M TB4 cable

Sabrent is the one I used to create the image under Macrium.

1. Sabrient connected to TB3 port1

That is terribly slow, for ANY SSD, internal or external.

Cable fault
Drive fault
Enclosure fault

One of those...

 

[Lafong]

Top 2 pix are pitiful.

Bottom 3 are in the ballpark of what I would expect.