Macrium Reflect free edition 8.0.7690 update

RFS · Oct 12, 2023

This has just been made available as a security update. However, clicking on download on all my devices just results in "HTTP Error - 403".

jimbo45 · Oct 12, 2023

RFS said:
This has just been made available as a security update. However, clicking on download on all my devices just results in "HTTP Error - 403".

I think Macrium Free edition is no longer on the macrium servers but can still be found at this site

Download Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - MajorGeeks

With Macrium Reflect Free Edition you'll be able to easily make an accurate and reliable image of your HDD or individual partitions. Using this image you can restore the entire disk, partition or...

www.majorgeeks.com

I don't think though you'll get any more updates -- Macrium is pushing people towards their paid subscription product - you can get a free trial - but like many I'll stick with the old V7 version until it doesn't work any more -- No subscription stuff for me.

!!!! And since I use mainly smallish vhdx files the need for system backups with Macrium in my case has now all but vanished so I'm only using it rarely - and then the standalone version with the command line winpe in it.

I've oodles of disk space so saving the vhdx fille isn't a problem - for data I just logon to a NAS either directly or from a remote laptop via RDP and then use rsync or grsync (a GUI version of rsync) for data backup or the venerable DD if I need to replicate or clone a disk. I then schedule later a job to also copy to external device and cloud if required. On the NAS assuming it's running Linux to accept command from windows in GUI mode - assuming you've installed a GUI on it you'll need to install something like xrdp on the server and ensure the service daemon is running at boot. Otherwise just ensure openssh-server is installed on the remote machinr and service ssh is enabled and started - then you can simply run ssh from Windows command line to the server or even telnet into it.

Other important stuff I just leave it on the cloud - Ms and Google aren't going to crash their cloud servers or have significant outages - so I'll let them take care of those backups.

I think for many these days it's worth looking at other ways of backing things up -- the classical take a system image copy / backup might not be so important these days.

Note to see what data files you have on a .vhdx file simply boot into any device with the command line on it -- e.g Macrium stand alone recovery, or amy windows install media-->repair system-> command line. Then in diskpart simply select vdisk file=<your file>, attach vdisk list vol select vol <xxx> where the vol is the vol of the vdisk attached, assign letter=Q.

Exit disk part
then dir Q: which should list all your data = otherwise if you've Windows pro just open the vhdx file in HYPER V or use viboot from Macrium while it still works for a GUI if you don't like the CLI.

Cheers
jimbo

RFS · Oct 12, 2023

Problem now fixed and the update to 7690 version completes OK. This is just a security update.

Mark Phelps · Oct 12, 2023

If you upgraded your Free version of MR to v 8.0.7690 -- then you're going to LOVE this!

The upgrade does update the app, it also removes the old boot.wim file from the boot directory, supposedly to recreate it, but then REFUSES to create a new one. So, after the update, your MR rescue boot option no longer works because the boot.wim file is now missing.

I confirmed this by first seeing the error message when trying to recreate the rescue boot option. So, I looked in the BCD info to find the path to the MR boot file and when I checked there, the boot.wim file was indeed missing.

I booted from a USB Recovery stick and restored from last week's image and confirmed that the boot.wim file was then intact. So, I then did the 7690 update a second time -- AFTER copying off the contents of the macrium folder so I could restore it, if needed. The upgrade appeared to work OK, I tried the boot media recreate -- and it failed again with the same message about being unable to create the staging area -- and when I checked the sources folder, the boot.wim file is gone (again). So, I copied back the saved files and the boot option works OK again.

Therefore, if you do this update, do NOT recreate the boot media.

Bree · Oct 12, 2023

Mark Phelps said:
If you made the MISTAKE of upgrading your Free version of MR to v 8.0.7690 -- then you're going to LOVE this!

The upgrade removes the old boot.wim file from the boot directory, supposedly to update it, but then REFUSES to create a new one. So, after the upgrade, your MR rescue boot option no longer works because the file is now missing....

...And if that was not enough, it corrupted the new MR installation so MR will no longer run.

I can confirm that the update to 8.0.7690 does remove the previously created boot.wim file from the C:\boot\Macrium folder. This doesn't surprise me, as this update was a full re-install of Reflect Free, not just patching a few files.

Beyond that though I cannot reproduce any of your other issues. Macrium is not corrupt, it runs, and the rescue media successfully builds a new boot.wim to put it in: "C:\boot\macrium\WinREFiles\media\sources\boot.wim"

SIW2 · Oct 12, 2023

Doesnt matter, you can do it yourself. Not hard to make it from winre.wim and then add it the boot menu.

In simple form, copy the macrium folder from %systemdrive%\program files into winre.wim . Doesnt much matter where, it could be on the root or in the program files folder. Then add a little text file to winre.wim windows\system32 called winpeshl.ini which points at whichever executable you want to use as the winpe shell.

for example

winpeshl.ini

Code:

[LaunchApp]
AppPath=%programfiles%\macrium\refectbin.exe

adjust the path to wherever the executable is. Or if there is some kind of quasi desktop, point it at that, launcher.exe or whatever macrium calls it.

You could do similar with any program that will run in winpe without extra dependencies.

Or you could include several programs, and then use little menu as the shell - from which you can then select any of the programs you have included.

SIW2 · Oct 12, 2023

Adding a bootable wim to the boot menu is not hard.

addwinpeentry.cmd

Code:

@ECHO OFF

set pedrive=%systemdrive%
set pewimpath=\boot\macrium\WinREFiles\media\sources\boot.wim
set mydescription="Macrium Pe"
set sdipath=\boot\macrium\WinREFiles\media\Boot\boot.sdi

IF NOT EXIST %pedrive%%pewimpath% (
ECHO %pedrive%%pewimpath% not found &goto :endline
)
IF NOT EXIST %pedrive%%sdipath% (
ECHO %pedrive%%sdipath% not found &goto :endline
)

(set WLOADER=)
for /f "usebackq tokens=1,2" %%G in (`bcdedit.exe -enum {current} ^| find "path"`) do set WLOADER=%%H
if "%WLOADER%"=="" (
 ECHO LOADER NOT FOUND &goto :endline
   )
echo.
 (set LCAL=)
for /f "usebackq tokens=1,2" %%G in (`bcdedit.exe -enum {current} ^| find "locale"`) do set LCAL=%%H
echo.
for /f "tokens=2 delims={}" %%a in ('BCDEDIT -create -d "%mydescription%" -device') do set newramdiskguid=%%a
echo new ramdisk guid is %newramdiskguid%
bcdedit.exe -set {%newramdiskguid%} ramdisksdidevice partition=%PEDRIVE%
bcdedit.exe -set {%newramdiskguid%} ramdisksdipath "%SDIPATH%"
echo.
for /f "tokens=2 delims={}" %%g in ('BCDEDIT -create -d "%mydescription%" -application osloader') do set newloaderguid=%%g
echo new loader guid is %newloaderguid%
    bcdedit.exe -set {%newloaderguid%} path %WLOADER%
    bcdedit.exe -set {%newloaderguid%} locale %LCAL%
    bcdedit.exe -set {%newloaderguid%} systemroot \Windows
    bcdedit.exe -set {%newloaderguid%} detecthal Yes
    bcdedit.exe -set {%newloaderguid%} winpe Yes
    bcdedit.exe -set {%newloaderguid%} osdevice ramdisk=[%PEDRIVE%]"%PEWIMPATH%",{%newramdiskguid%}
    bcdedit.exe -set {%newloaderguid%} device ramdisk=[%PEDRIVE%]"%PEWIMPATH%",{%newramdiskguid%}
    bcdedit.exe -displayorder {%newloaderguid%} -addlast
    
:endline
pause

Bree · Oct 12, 2023

SIW2 said:
Adding a bootable wim to the boot menu is not hard.

and how do you propose to make one that includes and runs Macrium Reflect at start up?
That's what the boot.wim made by Macrium Rescue Media Builder does.

SIW2 · Oct 12, 2023

I explained how in post #6.

I have been building winpe of various complexities for years.

post#6 is a very simple method. anybody can do.

If you must you can mount the bootable wim ( e.g. a copy of winre.wim ) and add the program files and winpeshl.ini ( delete the existing winpeshl.ini from windows\system32 and copy the new one in ). Then save and unmount.

Or you can add the files to wim easily with 7-zip gui, or it can be done with wimlib.

winpeshl.exe checks for winpeshl.ini. If winpeshl.ini is present it will launch the exe you specified as the shell.
If winpeshl.ini is not present, then winpeshl.exe will launch setup.exe.
If setup.exe is not present, then winpeshl.exe will launch cmd prompt as the shell.

If you have ever bothered looking in winre.wim system32 you will find there is already winpeshl.ini in there,

Code:

[LaunchApp]
AppPath=X:\sources\recovery\recenv.exe

which specifies recenv.exe which is why that is launched.

If you delete that winpeshl.in, then ( because there is no setup.exe in win10/11 winre.wim ) it will launch cmd prompt.

If you replace that winpeshl.ini with a different one pointing at some other exe file, then that other exe will be launched.

**************************************

If you look inside the MS supplied boot.wim ( i.e. the boot.wim in the installation media ) you will notice there are two images.

The second image is bootable by default. So you would put the program files and winpeshl.ini. in image 2.

Image 2 does not already have winpeshl.ini, so not finding winpeshl.ini, then winpeshl.exe would normally launch setup.exe.

SIW2 · Oct 12, 2023

It is addictive. After making a very basic winpe ( as explained above ) you might then start wondering how to put other programs in there and how to make a menu. Then what about programs that need some extra dependencies or reg entries etc , it is never ending.

Tip:

if you have a program license in many cases you should be able to export it to a reg file. Copy that reg file into wim windows \system32 and use regedit to import it during winpe startup.

Mark Phelps · Oct 13, 2023

Bree said:
I can confirm that the update to 8.0.7690 does remove the previously created boot.wim file from the C:\boot\Macrium folder. This doesn't surprise me, as this update was a full re-install of Reflect Free, not just patching a few files.

Beyond that though I cannot reproduce any of your other issues. Macrium is not corrupt, it runs, and the rescue media successfully builds a new boot.wim to put it in: "C:\boot\macrium\WinREFiles\media\sources\boot.wim"

View attachment 74030 View attachment 74031 View attachment 74032

You got the initial version of my post -- which I later corrected when I reran the update and confirmed that MR is not actually corrupted. But it does not offer me the option of creating rescue media -- it errors out on creating the scratch space.

UPDATE: OK-- so the error must be machine-specific -- as I tried this out on two other older MBR machines and it worked OK on both otfthem. So, I copied the boot.wim and other files to this PC and now, it reboots using the menu option OK, as well.

Bree · Oct 13, 2023

Mark Phelps said:
You got the initial version of my post -- which I later corrected when I reran the update and confirmed that MR is not actually corrupted. But it does not offer me the option of creating rescue media -- it errors out on creating the scratch space.

That would be this bit....

Mark Phelps said:
I then did the 7690 update a second time ..... I tried the boot media recreate -- and it failed again with the same message about being unable to create the staging area -- and when I checked the sources folder, the boot.wim file is gone (again). So, I copied back the saved files and the boot option works OK again.

The way you talk about boot.wim sounds as if you think that it's a necessary component required to make the rescue media. It's not, it's actually the rescue media itself - the end product, not one of the components required to make it. It's normal for the previous version of boot.wim to be removed when you ask MR to create new rescue media.

Mark Phelps said:
OK-- so the error must be machine-specific -- as I tried this out on two other older MBR machines and it worked OK on both otfthem. So, I copied the boot.wim and other files to this PC and now, it reboots using the menu option OK, as well.

That's a sticking plaster, not a cure. You're borrowing the recovery media made by one of the two working machines and transplanting it into the one that cannot make its own. What we need to work out is why one out of your three machines fails to make its own rescue media.

Why it may be failing to create the staging area depend an a number of things, in particular which base WIM you are using. You haven't said if your trying to make RE or PE rescue media. This tells you in detail where MR finds the source files it uses to populate the staging area, it may give you a clue what's wrong on this one machine.

Rescue Media Builder - Knowledgebase 8.0 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase

knowledgebase.macrium.com

Rather than trying to update what may already be a damaged install, I'd first uninstall Reflect then try installing it again. You can use he Reflect Free Download agent to reinstall Reflect: https://updates.macrium.com/reflect/v8/ReflectDLHF.exe

cereberus · Oct 13, 2023

Bree said:
That would be this bit....

The way you talk about boot.wim sounds as if you think that it's a necessary component required to make the rescue media. It's not, it's actually the rescue media itself - the end product, not one of the components required to make it. It's normal for the previous version of boot.wim to be removed when you ask MR to create new rescue media.

That's a sticking plaster, not a cure. You're borrowing the recovery media made by one of the two working machines and transplanting it into the one that cannot make its own. What we need to work out is why one out of your three machines fails to make its own rescue media.

Why it may be failing to create the staging area depend an a number of things, in particular which base WIM you are using. You haven't said if your trying to make RE or PE rescue media. This tells you in detail where MR finds the source files it uses to populate the staging area, it may give you a clue what's wrong on this one machine.

Rescue Media Builder - Knowledgebase 8.0 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase

knowledgebase.macrium.com

Rather than trying to update what may already be a damaged install, I'd first uninstall Reflect then try installing it again. You can use he Reflect Free Download agent to reinstall Reflect: https://updates.macrium.com/reflect/v8/ReflectDLHF.exe

I used this yesterday and it worked fine and included latest update.

Took less than 5 minutes.

jimbo45 · Oct 14, 2023

cereberus said:
I used this yesterday and it worked fine and included latest update.

Took less than 5 minutes.

Agreed -- it's simple enough -- I just wanted the winre bit

Cheers
jimbo

wiganken · Oct 14, 2023

I updated my MR Free to v8.0.7690 and then used the 'Build' to rebuild the rescue media and now the rescue media starts to load but then shows a netsh.exe error and stops loading. Clicking on OK does not terminate the program. I have to force the machine off by long-pressing the power button. See photo. It worked flawlessly before the update.
Can I reinstall the old version v8.0.7279 (I have the executable installer file) and rebuild the rescue media backwards?
I know the update was a security update so maybe not a good idea to go backwards but if I do not go backwards then how do I fix this netsh.exe issue?

jimbo45 · Oct 14, 2023

wiganken said:
I updated my MR Free to v8.0.7690 and then used the 'Build' to rebuild the rescue media and now the rescue media starts to load but then shows a netsh.exe error and stops loading. Clicking on OK does not terminate the program. I have to force the machine off by long-pressing the power button. See photo. It worked flawlessly before the update.
Can I reinstall the old version v8.0.7279 (I have the executable installer file) and rebuild the rescue media backwards?
I know the update was a security update so maybe not a good idea to go backwards but if I do not go backwards then how do I fix this netsh.exe issue?

View attachment 74181

Just uninstall this one, re-install the old one and refuse the update.

Cheers
jimbo

wiganken · Oct 14, 2023

@jimbo45 - I did as you suggested and when I came to reinstall it I discovered that what I thought was the executable installer file was in fact a 'Download Agent' file and it connected with Paramount and installed v8.0.7675, which is not the 'Free' version. It is a 30-Day Trial version. I am not yet ready to pay for the paid-for version so: -

Am I right in thinking that this will revert to the Free version after the 30-Day trial period ends?
After the trial expires will it still allow me to make backup images and restore them?

Cynical me is beginning to think that the security update from v7279 to v8.0.7690 is designed to mess up Free versions and get people to pay. It certainly seems that way. Okay, rant over but it has caused me problems that are pushing me that way.

Thanks.

Caledon Ken · Oct 14, 2023

I can confirm that I installed 7690, updated Rescue Media and it boots fine from the rescue media. (Windows 10 machine)

jimbo45 · Oct 14, 2023

wiganken said:
@jimbo45 - I did as you suggested and when I came to reinstall it I discovered that what I thought was the executable installer file was in fact a 'Download Agent' file and it connected with Paramount and installed v8.0.7675, which is not the 'Free' version. It is a 30-Day Trial version. I am not yet ready to pay for the paid-for version so: -

Am I right in thinking that this will revert to the Free version after the 30-Day trial period ends?

After the trial expires will it still allow me to make backup images and restore them?

Cynical me is beginning to think that the security update from v7279 to v8.0.7690 is designed to mess up Free versions and get people to pay. It certainly seems that way. Okay, rant over but it has caused me problems that are pushing me that way.

Thanks.

Hi there
You can get the original from HERE :

Download Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - MajorGeeks

With Macrium Reflect Free Edition you'll be able to easily make an accurate and reliable image of your HDD or individual partitions. Using this image you can restore the entire disk, partition or...

www.majorgeeks.com

This site is fine - but just watch what you click because there are a couple of traps for the unwary into downloading stuff -- not Malware etc - the site is OK but often the real download link is often hidden via all sorts of "Other Software" - but this site is usually OK.

Cheers
jimbo

BamaInArk · Oct 14, 2023

FYI to those that might be wondering.......I used the latest version of the Online installer from MR, ReflectDLHF.exe, that I have archived. This is the one that actually downloads and installs the latest version of MR free. I used it to download the latest version and sure enough it downloaded and built the .Zip file installer. "v8.0.7690_reflect_setup_free_x64.exe" So while the Online installer for the Free version might not be available on the site you can still download the latest version manually.

And I updated a Win11 system using MR Free, updated the WinRE and it booted fine to MR from the Boot Menu option.

Macrium Reflect free edition 8.0.7690 update

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