Solved Macrium Reflect Backup Definition Files

My backup definition files are piling up and I wonder if I can delete them, at least the older ones with the lower number count.

I just do manual backups, I don't write any scripts, don't create nor use any shortcuts, etc. Just very basic use of the MR backup app. I wonder why the MR backup app creates so many backup definition files, IMO, there are only very few backup definitions that repeat over and over.

@Haydon,

When you get to the last screen in the process of doing "manual backups," do you UNcheck the selection that says something like "create a definition file"? It'll keep repeating until you uncheck or better, make a shortcut so that you don't have to do the "manual" again.

Once you've created ONE definition file for a backup that suits you, you can give it a name (not My Backup) and then re-open the main window (after the backup runs) and click Definition Files, select the one you named, and click the Shortcut icon just above that, and park your shortcut in the Start Menu or in All Apps. I don't do either of those, though: I just make a shortcut to the .xml file MR made when I told it to create my named backup, and park it in Start. That way, when I want that backup, it's just a matter of clicking Start, and then one click on my shortcut icon, and DONE.

I think the problem is that every time you go through the manual "screen-by-screen" approach to making a backup, MR assumes you want to make a new definition file to incorporate your last changes. If you use a shortcut, OTOH, you don't go through the screen-by-screen process again, and MR doesn't have the chance to make the "wrong" assumption.

Sure you can, depending on your storage space, what you feel comfortable with, and personal preference. I usually keep at least 3 full regular images. Most times I'll also keep the one I make right before a version change. I'm still hanging onto the image I made when my system was new. Why I don't know. It's Windows 10 and I never have plans to go back. Old backups have come in handy a time or two when I wanted a file I had since deleted but that's a rare occurrance.

@glasskuter ,

I think we understood OP differently. The question was about "definition files," not images. I think all of us keep multiple images, but none of us need more than a couple of (or a few) Definition Files parked where MR wants to park them (I think it's in the Username folder by default, but I have my MR installed on my D drive, in a folder called Backup, so I park my definition files there (Name.xml).

Just delete them - you can easily recreate them.

I only keep one - if I forget "not to save them", I just delete one.

Thanks for the comments, folks! I think I know why MR creates new backup definition files in my case, that's because I give the backup files filenames which includes the weekday, like Sun9Apr2023.

So each full backup gets a new backup definition file, the child differential backups use the backup definition file of the parent full backup. (I don't make incremental backups)

I think I should keep the backup definition files of the parent full backups until they are no longer needed for creating child differential backups, i.e. until I delete the parent full backups themselves and hence, delete the respective child differential backups. (I keep only 2 full backups)

I will mark this thread solved

Haydon said:

My backup definition files are piling up and I wonder if I can delete them, at least the older ones with the lower number count.

I just do manual backups.....

Click to expand...

I just do manual backups too. But I only have the one definition file.

When time comes to do a new Full image (which I do once a month) I just edit the backup definition to change the file name of the image.



Then I run the backup definition as a Full backup. For the rest of the month, should I make changes that need backing up, I can run the same backup definition file as an Incremental backup (or a differential) and it will add that to the existing Full image.