I've got three systems now set up to do weekly backups in the middle of
the night. All Win 10, and all using Macrium version 8.0.7783. The two
that belong to other people have been waking up and doing the full
backups just fine. In the morning the computer is back in sleep mode,
and the new backup is in the desired location.

Mine, no such luck. All three had new internal spinners that are the
backup destination drives. All can do manual backups "now", and work
fine in windows explorer. On mine, I checked last week and sure enough,
the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was checked. Last week
it tried to begin right after I woke it up in the afternoon. Today,
same darn thing, and button is still checked.

I'll have to check later to see if there are any Macrium or Windows log
files that might show something, but anybody have any ideas what might
be causing this system to not wake up and do the backup imaging?


--
Stand With Israel!
NOTE: If you use Google Groups I don't see you,
unless you're whitelisted and that's doubtful.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2/19/2024 9:07 PM, sticks wrote:

On 2/19/2024 6:17 PM, sticks wrote:

I've got three systems now set up to do weekly backups in the middle
of the night.  All Win 10, and all using Macrium version 8.0.7783.
The two that belong to other people have been waking up and doing the
full backups just fine.  In the morning the computer is back in sleep
mode, and the new backup is in the desired location.

Mine, no such luck.  All three had new internal spinners that are the
backup destination drives.  All can do manual backups "now", and work
fine in windows explorer.  On mine, I checked last week and sure
enough, the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was checked.
Last week it tried to begin right after I woke it up in the
afternoon.  Today, same darn thing, and button is still checked.

I'll have to check later to see if there are any Macrium or Windows
log files that might show something, but anybody have any ideas what
might be causing this system to not wake up and do the backup imaging?

I may have figured this one out.
I ran the command powercfg -waketimers, and yes it was there and looked good.  I then remembered the Windows power setting on allowing wake
timers and went into the advanced setting under sleep/allow wake timers
and sure enough it was set to "disabled".  I enabled it, applied changes
and clicked OK.  I'm not going to change the schedule in macrium, but
will just wait till next Monday and see if the overnight backup worked
with the change.  Fingers crossed.

As long as the images are inside your PC they are not backups but copies.

Use external destinations and disconnect when not being used.

Move the spinner to external USB docking station like <https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P1539VD/ref=sxin_14_pa_sp_search_thematic?content-id=amzn1.sym.bb7ff370-0c07-41f7-b172-879ae394d746%3Aamzn1.sym.bb7ff370-0c07-41f7-b172-879ae394d746&crid=27901QBDX6AQV&cv_ct_cx=SSK&dib=
eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Nf3PfBqgvJO7ueOnCs5lC_0UNmBDguLlkBlPWx6rhTX3vL0BarGWzaGWdGZn74AOoiXIO-iW2LywcG2vym43sQ.Go7htLvR3mH-ariTj7Zh-Ks1ouhb_Lsz-6FpOn8dEF0&dib_tag=se&keywords=SSK&pd_rd_i=B08P1539VD&pd_rd_r=4abc4946-88c1-45bd-a3b3-af7e5b7d078c&pd_rd_w=qszwV&pd_rd_wg=
sdq2T&pf_rd_p=bb7ff370-0c07-41f7-b172-879ae394d746&pf_rd_r=9EQPKMCM6TMXP4RSMFPT&qid=1708397193&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=ssk%2Caps%2C631&sr=1-2-22b99f6c-9d79-4634-962b-718698cdc411-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&
psc=1>

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2/19/2024 9:48 PM, VanguardLH wrote:

sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

On mine, I checked last week and sure enough,
the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was checked.

That sounds like an attribute in an event defined in Task Scheduler.
Macrium doesn't use Task Scheduler. It uses its own schedular service.
Run services.msc, and check for the:

Macrium Service
"Provides scheduling and communication services for Macrium Reflect and associated products. This is a required service that should not be
disabled or turned off."

What is the Startup state of this service? Should be Automatic.

Macrium creates the backup definition files (<name>.xml). You can use
the CLI (command-line interface) to Macrium Reflect to run the backup
job with an event in Task Scheduler, but why? When using Task
Scheduler, the event must be configured to run under the SYSTEM Windows account to ensure it has the privileges it needs, and eliminates pausing
at a prompt for a password. If you don't run under the SYSTEM account,
you have to save the login credentials in the Task Scheduler event;
however, if you're using a Microsoft account in Windows instead of an
offline account, Task Scheduler doesn't yet understand how to apply
those login credentials to an MS Windows account. That means you have
to run under your MS account while it is active (you've logged in, and
left your MS Windows account running).

I remember long ago running the XML script files from the command line specified in Task Scheduler, because Macrium's scheduler was missing
many options available for events in Task Scheduler. Macrium improved
the option set in their scheduler service, so I stopped using Task
Scheduler. Also, there was something about editing the event in Task Scheduler (which, in effect, creates a new event) would prevent Reflect
from running that script. I had to edit the event in Refect, and have
it create the Task Scheduler event. Was easier to use the Macrium
scheduler service while eliminating stepping over my feet trying to
manage the backup job events in Task Scheduler.

In the toolbar, click on Defaults, and look under the Schedule Settings
tab of Defaults and Settings dialog. Which scheduler is selected?
Macrium or Task Scheduler?

Under there, which account is selected under which to run the backup
job? If username and password are specified, you must use a local
(offline) account to run the backup job. If you specify an MS account,
Task Scheduler doesn't know how to handle the login credentials for an
MS account, only for local accounts. As I recall, in the event in Task Scheduler, when you try to enter the login credentials for an MS
account, Task Scheduler will puke with an error. You can specify an MS account in the event, but that MS account has to be currently logged in
when that event runs, so login credentials are not asked for. If
Reflect's default scheduler settings has "Use the Windows SYSTEM account
to run scheduling tasks" then you need to supply login credentials.
However, you do need to run Reflect under a Windows account with admin privileges to select SYSTEM as the account under which backup jobs run.

When you right-click on an XML script you created for a backup job on
the main screen -> Create Backups tab -> Definition Files sub-tab, and
select select Advanced Options from the context menu, the categories for per-job advanced settings is less than you see by going to Defaults in
navbar in the main screen. There are more default settings used for
every backup job versus a smaller subset of advanced settings for each
backup job. You can override just some of the default settings with the per-job advanced settings.

Last week it tried to begin right after I woke it up in the afternoon.
Today, same darn thing, and button is still checked.

I'll have to check later to see if there are any Macrium or Windows
log files that might show something, but anybody have any ideas what
might be causing this system to not wake up and do the backup
imaging?

Yes, Reflect has logs, plus the job status will tell you if the job ran
or not. For a quick summary, you can select Create Backups at the main screen, and select the Scheduled Backups tab. There you see the job
types you defined. I have 3 there, because I defined a GFS (Grandfather Father Son) scheme of full monthly, differential weekly, and incremental daily job types. The display there will show the backup job's name, and underneath are the backup types defined for it. Pick on (for me, I see
Full, Differential, and Incremental). You then see job status in the
History pane. It's one way to filter which job types you want to view
for that backup script.

On the Create Backups tab at the main screen, right-click on a
Definition File to show its context menu, hover over View Backup Logs in
the context menu, and select what to view. Or, more simply, back at the
main window in the "Create Backups / Existing Backups / Logs" tab bar,
just click on the Logs tab. ALL will show them all, but maybe it's just
a particular backup type that is failing. Logs showing a successfully completed backup job will have a green circled checkmark icon. I
haven't had a failed backup job in so long that none are shown with a different icon, so my guess is a red X is shown. You can double-
click on any log to see more details.

or run Macrium with a batch and the run that batch by the Task Scheduler.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2/19/2024 8:48 PM, VanguardLH wrote:

sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

On mine, I checked last week and sure enough,
the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was checked.

That sounds like an attribute in an event defined in Task Scheduler.
Macrium doesn't use Task Scheduler. It uses its own schedular service.
Run services.msc, and check for the:

---snipped for brevity---

Thanks for that thorough batch of info. If my second post doesn't
resolve this next scheduled backup, I shall look into your suggestions.
I've archived it locally just in case.

--
Stand With Israel!
NOTE: If you use Google Groups I don't see you,
unless you're whitelisted and that's doubtful.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2/19/2024 8:50 PM, Zaidy036 wrote:

On 2/19/2024 9:07 PM, sticks wrote:

On 2/19/2024 6:17 PM, sticks wrote:

I've got three systems now set up to do weekly backups in the middle
of the night.  All Win 10, and all using Macrium version 8.0.7783.
The two that belong to other people have been waking up and doing the
full backups just fine.  In the morning the computer is back in sleep
mode, and the new backup is in the desired location.

Mine, no such luck.  All three had new internal spinners that are the
backup destination drives.  All can do manual backups "now", and work
fine in windows explorer.  On mine, I checked last week and sure
enough, the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was checked.
Last week it tried to begin right after I woke it up in the
afternoon.  Today, same darn thing, and button is still checked.

I'll have to check later to see if there are any Macrium or Windows
log files that might show something, but anybody have any ideas what
might be causing this system to not wake up and do the backup imaging?

I may have figured this one out.
I ran the command powercfg -waketimers, and yes it was there and
looked good.  I then remembered the Windows power setting on allowing
wake timers and went into the advanced setting under sleep/allow wake
timers and sure enough it was set to "disabled".  I enabled it,
applied changes and clicked OK.  I'm not going to change the schedule
in macrium, but will just wait till next Monday and see if the
overnight backup worked with the change.  Fingers crossed.

As long as the images are inside your PC they are not backups but copies.

They are full disk images of the boot drive stored on a separate spinner
in the case something gets corrupted, deleted, lost, or the drive fails.
I am failing to see the difference in terminology that matters?

Use external destinations and disconnect when not being used.

Macrium is loaded on the boot drive, and has to write to something. I
don't see where it makes any difference if that drive is is internal or
a USB device. However, I have told the kid he should also be copying
the backup images to an external drive when he can. That's what I do, 1 working and two backups. Of course since he has to buy that one so it
might be a while. ;-)

Move the spinner to external USB docking station

I used to use two USB storage drive for my backups, but the speed is so
much better on the internal drive I choose to change mine to that too.
I still back that up on a USB drive, but see no reason to eliminate the internal spinner. You've just suggested doing it, but haven't really
given a reason for doing so.

---snip---



--
Stand With Israel!
NOTE: If you use Google Groups I don't see you,
unless you're whitelisted and that's doubtful.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

On mine, I checked last week and sure enough,
the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was checked.

That sounds like an attribute in an event defined in Task Scheduler.
Macrium doesn't use Task Scheduler. It uses its own schedular service.
Run services.msc, and check for the:

Macrium Service
"Provides scheduling and communication services for Macrium Reflect and associated products. This is a required service that should not be
disabled or turned off."

What is the Startup state of this service? Should be Automatic.

Macrium creates the backup definition files (<name>.xml). You can use
the CLI (command-line interface) to Macrium Reflect to run the backup
job with an event in Task Scheduler, but why? When using Task
Scheduler, the event must be configured to run under the SYSTEM Windows
account to ensure it has the privileges it needs, and eliminates pausing
at a prompt for a password. If you don't run under the SYSTEM account,
you have to save the login credentials in the Task Scheduler event;
however, if you're using a Microsoft account in Windows instead of an
offline account, Task Scheduler doesn't yet understand how to apply
those login credentials to an MS Windows account. That means you have
to run under your MS account while it is active (you've logged in, and
left your MS Windows account running).

I remember long ago running the XML script files from the command line specified in Task Scheduler, because Macrium's scheduler was missing
many options available for events in Task Scheduler. Macrium improved
the option set in their scheduler service, so I stopped using Task
Scheduler. Also, there was something about editing the event in Task
Scheduler (which, in effect, creates a new event) would prevent Reflect
from running that script. I had to edit the event in Refect, and have
it create the Task Scheduler event. Was easier to use the Macrium
scheduler service while eliminating stepping over my feet trying to
manage the backup job events in Task Scheduler.

In the toolbar, click on Defaults, and look under the Schedule Settings
tab of Defaults and Settings dialog. Which scheduler is selected?
Macrium or Task Scheduler?

Under there, which account is selected under which to run the backup
job? If username and password are specified, you must use a local
(offline) account to run the backup job. If you specify an MS account,
Task Scheduler doesn't know how to handle the login credentials for an
MS account, only for local accounts. As I recall, in the event in Task Scheduler, when you try to enter the login credentials for an MS
account, Task Scheduler will puke with an error. You can specify an MS
account in the event, but that MS account has to be currently logged in
when that event runs, so login credentials are not asked for. If
Reflect's default scheduler settings has "Use the Windows SYSTEM account
to run scheduling tasks" then you need to supply login credentials.
However, you do need to run Reflect under a Windows account with admin privileges to select SYSTEM as the account under which backup jobs run.

When you right-click on an XML script you created for a backup job on
the main screen -> Create Backups tab -> Definition Files sub-tab, and
select select Advanced Options from the context menu, the categories for per-job advanced settings is less than you see by going to Defaults in
navbar in the main screen. There are more default settings used for
every backup job versus a smaller subset of advanced settings for each
backup job. You can override just some of the default settings with the per-job advanced settings.

Last week it tried to begin right after I woke it up in the afternoon.
Today, same darn thing, and button is still checked.

I'll have to check later to see if there are any Macrium or Windows
log files that might show something, but anybody have any ideas what
might be causing this system to not wake up and do the backup
imaging?

Yes, Reflect has logs, plus the job status will tell you if the job ran
or not. For a quick summary, you can select Create Backups at the main
screen, and select the Scheduled Backups tab. There you see the job
types you defined. I have 3 there, because I defined a GFS (Grandfather
Father Son) scheme of full monthly, differential weekly, and incremental
daily job types. The display there will show the backup job's name, and underneath are the backup types defined for it. Pick on (for me, I see
Full, Differential, and Incremental). You then see job status in the
History pane. It's one way to filter which job types you want to view
for that backup script.

On the Create Backups tab at the main screen, right-click on a
Definition File to show its context menu, hover over View Backup Logs in
the context menu, and select what to view. Or, more simply, back at the
main window in the "Create Backups / Existing Backups / Logs" tab bar,
just click on the Logs tab. ALL will show them all, but maybe it's just
a particular backup type that is failing. Logs showing a successfully completed backup job will have a green circled checkmark icon. I
haven't had a failed backup job in so long that none are shown with a
different icon, so my guess is a red X is shown. You can double-
click on any log to see more details.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2/19/2024 6:17 PM, sticks wrote:

I've got three systems now set up to do weekly backups in the middle of
the night.  All Win 10, and all using Macrium version 8.0.7783.  The two that belong to other people have been waking up and doing the full
backups just fine.  In the morning the computer is back in sleep mode,
and the new backup is in the desired location.

Mine, no such luck.  All three had new internal spinners that are the
backup destination drives.  All can do manual backups "now", and work
fine in windows explorer.  On mine, I checked last week and sure enough,
the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was checked.  Last week
it tried to begin right after I woke it up in the afternoon.  Today,
same darn thing, and button is still checked.

I'll have to check later to see if there are any Macrium or Windows log
files that might show something, but anybody have any ideas what might
be causing this system to not wake up and do the backup imaging?

I may have figured this one out.
I ran the command powercfg -waketimers, and yes it was there and looked
good. I then remembered the Windows power setting on allowing wake
timers and went into the advanced setting under sleep/allow wake timers
and sure enough it was set to "disabled". I enabled it, applied changes
and clicked OK. I'm not going to change the schedule in macrium, but
will just wait till next Monday and see if the overnight backup worked
with the change. Fingers crossed.

--
Stand With Israel!
NOTE: If you use Google Groups I don't see you,
unless you're whitelisted and that's doubtful.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam> wrote:

or run Macrium with a batch and the run that batch by the Task Scheduler.

Yep, already mentioned, that's what you do if you want. Have Reflect
create the event in Task Scheduler, because it knows the proper
command-line syntax, and the script file to specify in the command line.
At one time, Reflect didn't come with a scheduler service, so you had to
use Task Scheduler. I think they added their scheduling service
sometime in version 7.

I have asked other software vendors why they don't use the included Task Scheduler service already bundled Windows, and instead use their own
scheduler. One reason is that any process, including malware, can
change Task Scheduler events. Even users could edit the event, but do
so incorrectly, or even delete the event files under the Tasks folder
(legacy C:\Windows\Tasks, or C:\Windows\System32\Tasks). Some will use
a hash on their events: if anything but the program creating the event
modifies the event, their scheduler won't run the event. The event for
their scheduler must be generated using their program. Task Scheduler
cannot run events under an MS account. It's okay if you run an event
under an offline (local) Windows account, but Task Scheduler doesn't
know how to store or issue login creds for an inactive MS account. You
can schedule the event to run under an MS account that is currently
logged on (active), but not when the MS account is inactive (not logged
into). Their own scheduler won't have that problem. I'm still waiting
for Microsoft to address their own Task Scheduler's inability to run
under MS accounts when inactive (to run the event when NOT logged in).
If you define an event whose start date is in the past despite defining recurrences for the event that bring it into the now and the future,
that event may not run. Running an event manually may result in the
event doesn't run automatically in the future, so you have to delete the
old event, and create a new one just like the old one. Sometimes a
recurring event stops recurring. Sometimes when creating or editing an
event, Task Scheduler pukes out a vague and useless error message about
some conflict that does not exist, so I have to delete the event, and
start with another one that is configured the same, but now will save.
There is no conditional flow feature in Task Scheduler. You cannot
configure an event to only run if a prior event completed successfully.
You cannot chain events, so an event only runs after a prior one has
completed. That's why I've used backup programs that can run pre-job
and post-job scripts, so the order is honored. I know a company where I
worked that purchased a better scheduler just because they needed
conditional job flow. Task Scheduler is worthless for conditional
workload automation. You'll need to write your own script to call schtasks.exe, but that is a clumsy non-GUI workaround, but by then you
don't need Task Scheduler, and just write the script to do the
conditional work flow. In addition, there is no resource-based
scheduling. Does Task Scheduler even let you consolidate your scheduled
events across multiple hosts in your intranet? Seems you have to go to
each host to duplicate the event at each one, or maybe you transport the
.job task files from C:\Windows\Tasks and no-extension task files from C:\Windows\System32\Tasks (and somehow include the folder hierarchy to replicate the task groups in Task Scheduler) across your hosts, but then
any login credentials recorded for whatever account under which an event
will run won't translate across hosts.

Quite often companies find Task Scheduler is unreliable, unsecure, and
lacking some options their own scheduler can provide, so they provide
their own scheduler. Task Scheduler, despite all the options that make
you think it is robust, has limited functionality. IT pros often look
for something more robust and more reliable.

There are lots of reasons to ditch Microsoft's Task Scheduler. Just
because Microsoft included Task Scheduler in Windows is not always
sufficient reason to use it or suffer with it. Microsoft also includes
Paint in Windows. For lots of end users, that's all they need. Most
artists need something much better.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2/19/2024 10:52 PM, sticks wrote:

On 2/19/2024 8:50 PM, Zaidy036 wrote:

On 2/19/2024 9:07 PM, sticks wrote:

On 2/19/2024 6:17 PM, sticks wrote:

I've got three systems now set up to do weekly backups in the middle
of the night.  All Win 10, and all using Macrium version 8.0.7783.
The two that belong to other people have been waking up and doing
the full backups just fine.  In the morning the computer is back in
sleep mode, and the new backup is in the desired location.

Mine, no such luck.  All three had new internal spinners that are
the backup destination drives.  All can do manual backups "now", and
work fine in windows explorer.  On mine, I checked last week and
sure enough, the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was
checked. Last week it tried to begin right after I woke it up in the
afternoon.  Today, same darn thing, and button is still checked.

I'll have to check later to see if there are any Macrium or Windows
log files that might show something, but anybody have any ideas what
might be causing this system to not wake up and do the backup imaging?

I may have figured this one out.
I ran the command powercfg -waketimers, and yes it was there and
looked good.  I then remembered the Windows power setting on allowing
wake timers and went into the advanced setting under sleep/allow wake
timers and sure enough it was set to "disabled".  I enabled it,
applied changes and clicked OK.  I'm not going to change the schedule
in macrium, but will just wait till next Monday and see if the
overnight backup worked with the change.  Fingers crossed.

As long as the images are inside your PC they are not backups but copies.

They are full disk images of the boot drive stored on a separate spinner
in the case something gets corrupted, deleted, lost, or the drive fails.
 I am failing to see the difference in terminology that matters?

Use external destinations and disconnect when not being used.

Macrium is loaded on the boot drive, and has to write to something.  I
don't see where it makes any difference if that drive is is internal or
a USB device.  However, I have told the kid he should also be copying
the backup images to an external drive when he can.  That's what I do, 1 working and two backups.  Of course since he has to buy that one so it
might be a while.  ;-)

Move the spinner to external USB docking station

I used to use two USB storage drive for my backups, but the speed is so
much better on the internal drive I choose to change mine to that too. I still back that up on a USB drive, but see no reason to eliminate the internal spinner.  You've just suggested doing it, but haven't really
given a reason for doing so.

---snip---

If you do not copy the image externally how would you feel if your PC
was flashed by lightning or stolen or destroyed by fire or locked up by
a ransom demand?

What you call a backup is an internal copy until it is further copied externally and disconnected and stored safely.

The time it takes to make an external image is immaterial if done using
a unattended batch while you are sleeping. Mine runs once a week using
Macrium to an external HDD and full partition images(SSD C: 212GB, HDD
D: 131GB & F: 191GB used) take a total less than 100 minutes using a USB
3 port.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam> wrote:

On 2/19/2024 10:52 PM, sticks wrote:

On 2/19/2024 8:50 PM, Zaidy036 wrote:

On 2/19/2024 9:07 PM, sticks wrote:

On 2/19/2024 6:17 PM, sticks wrote:

I've got three systems now set up to do weekly backups in the middle >>>>> of the night.  All Win 10, and all using Macrium version 8.0.7783.
The two that belong to other people have been waking up and doing
the full backups just fine.  In the morning the computer is back in
sleep mode, and the new backup is in the desired location.

Mine, no such luck.  All three had new internal spinners that are
the backup destination drives.  All can do manual backups "now", and >>>>> work fine in windows explorer.  On mine, I checked last week and
sure enough, the "Wake the computer to run this task" button was
checked. Last week it tried to begin right after I woke it up in the >>>>> afternoon.  Today, same darn thing, and button is still checked.

I'll have to check later to see if there are any Macrium or Windows
log files that might show something, but anybody have any ideas what >>>>> might be causing this system to not wake up and do the backup imaging? >>>>

I may have figured this one out.
I ran the command powercfg -waketimers, and yes it was there and
looked good.  I then remembered the Windows power setting on allowing
wake timers and went into the advanced setting under sleep/allow wake
timers and sure enough it was set to "disabled".  I enabled it,
applied changes and clicked OK.  I'm not going to change the schedule
in macrium, but will just wait till next Monday and see if the
overnight backup worked with the change.  Fingers crossed.

As long as the images are inside your PC they are not backups but copies. >>

They are full disk images of the boot drive stored on a separate spinner
in the case something gets corrupted, deleted, lost, or the drive fails.
 I am failing to see the difference in terminology that matters?

Use external destinations and disconnect when not being used.

Macrium is loaded on the boot drive, and has to write to something.  I
don't see where it makes any difference if that drive is is internal or
a USB device.  However, I have told the kid he should also be copying
the backup images to an external drive when he can.  That's what I do, 1
working and two backups.  Of course since he has to buy that one so it
might be a while.  ;-)

Move the spinner to external USB docking station

I used to use two USB storage drive for my backups, but the speed is so
much better on the internal drive I choose to change mine to that too. I
still back that up on a USB drive, but see no reason to eliminate the
internal spinner.  You've just suggested doing it, but haven't really
given a reason for doing so.

---snip---

If you do not copy the image externally how would you feel if your PC
was flashed by lightning or stolen or destroyed by fire or locked up by
a ransom demand?

What you call a backup is an internal copy until it is further copied externally and disconnected and stored safely.

The time it takes to make an external image is immaterial if done using
a unattended batch while you are sleeping. Mine runs once a week using Macrium to an external HDD and full partition images(SSD C: 212GB, HDD
D: 131GB & F: 191GB used) take a total less than 100 minutes using a USB
3 port.

He could have the full backup jobs save a copy to another storage
device, like to a USB drive or FTP server. Edit the script (XML file)
that Reflect creates to define a backup job. At the end of the script,
add commands to copy the backup files to another location, like to a
shared drive on another host. He could use robocopy already in Windows
to mirror the backup location of Reflect to the duplicate location, or SyncBack, or FreeFileSync, etc. My full backups end about 1 hour. I
give it 2 hours since backups will take longer as I continue to populate
my OS drive. Then I use Syncback to copy the backup files to a USB HDD
that is removed and put in the detached garage. For data on other
drives, I just use Syncback to mirror those to another USB HDD, plus I
don't have much data, so having them in a folder monitored by a cloud
sync client gets them stowed online, too. Any files with sensitive data
are encrypted, so they are also encrypted on the cloud server (and I
don't use the same password on encrypted files as for the login to the
cloud account, so a hacker has to get past my long strong login password
and the password to encrypt the sensitive files).

If he has an FTP client that has a CLI (Command-Line Interface), he
could call the FTP client with args for the source and destination
locations (how the login credentials are handled by the FTP client at
the FTP server depends on what FTP client he used). Obviously he would
have to setup an FTP server to which his FTP client connects.

He could copy the backup files to a folder monitored by a cloud sync
client (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc) to get those files sync'ed
to his cloud storage, but he'll probably have to buy LOTS of cloud
storage to handle not just 1 backup, but the subsequent backups even if
he only cloud-sync'ed the full backups. However, cloud sync is very
slow. If the backup files are huge, it could take longer to complete
the sync than the interval between backups. Most users have asychronous bandwidth: high downstream, low upstream. Getting the backup files from
his host up to the cloud server will be very slow. And then getting the
backup files back from the cloud server will also be slow (but
downstream bandwidth is higher, so not as slow as upload).

Protecting my OS partition(s) is only about disaster recovery. I can
get the OS and app programs again, so I don't need to protect those from hacking, fire, flooding, surges, etc. Those backups are for disaster
recovery. I don't keep much data on my desktop PC, so there's not much
to store elsewhere, and frankly none of it is critical to my physical or financial well being. If I lost all local copies of my photos, they're
still up on the cloud sync server and a local USB HDD. If they
disappeared from my PC's drive, get them back from the USB HDD. If both
the PC and USB HDD were destroyed, get them back from cloud storage. If
all disappeared, well, I'm not one that just must retain photos of his
life experiences. I'm not the reminscing type that needs photos to spur
my memories.

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VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:

Edit the script (XML file)
that Reflect creates to define a backup job. At the end of the script,
add commands to copy the backup files to another location, ...

Macrium made this easier a while backup. I hunted around but didn't
find the option before submitting my prior post. Under Defaults ->
Script Defaults -> Run Programs, you can add pre- and post-backup
commands. They run before and/or after the backup begins/ends.

If later I run into timing conflict between when Reflect ends its
backups and when I later run SyncBack to make duplicates of the backup
files, I'll switch to use the pre-/post-backup program options in the
default backup definitions. This is a GUI method that also edits the
XML backup script file: what you enter here gets inserted into the
backup script. It's just easier using the GUI than figuring out where
to manually edit the XML script file.

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