# #BackupFAQ — What is the difference between Standalone and Macrium Agent Licenses?

**We are very excited to introduce our new series of blog posts which will cover some of the most common questions we receive from our customers. We hope you find these posts useful to better understand Macrium Software, our products and the backup industry.**

This week we are covering the difference between [Macrium Reflect “standalone”](/products/business/standalone) licenses and [Macrium Agent Licenses](/products/business/site-backup), a question that frequently arises when considering which is the best product to purchase.

A **Macrium Reflect Standalone license** is a single license valid for 1 PC. This license is available in three editions: Workstation, Server and Server Plus.

**Macrium Agent License** (MAL) bundles are for business use with Macrium Site Manager, our central management console that uses a Web browser user interface to backup, restore and monitor multiple networked computers running Macrium Reflect.

With Macrium Standalone licenses each machine needs a unique license key but with Macrium Site Manager and MALs a single key can be purchased for used installation on 10, 50 or 100 endpoints.

Macrium Site Manager monitors the number of Workstation and Server Agents deployed against the available MAL licenses and provides an at-a-glance view of licensing status.

### What are the advantages when purchasing MAL?

**Pricing:** This is a more cost effective option for high volume purchases. Macrium Site Manager is free of charge. These licenses are perpetual with Support and Maintenance included free for year 1 and renewable annually if desired.

**Functionality:** When installed via Site Manager, MALs enable backup, restore and monitoring all your Windows Servers and PCs on the local area network.

Each Macrium Agent License Bundle includes a fully functional stand-alone installation of Macrium Reflect. They are available as 10, 50 or 100 for the Workstation Edition and 5 or 10 for the Server Edition. We do not offer customizable bundles but we can discuss pricing on request.

### Can I take advantage of the MAL bundles without using Macrium Site Manager?

MAL bundles can only be installed and used via Macrium Site Manager.

Each license includes an ‘Agent Install’ that offers the same functionality as a standalone install of Macrium Reflect. Licenses can be moved between PCs using the [Macrium Site Manager](/sitebackup) user interface. The agent computers must be communicating with the Site Manager server for continuous operation.

### Can you add new or current Standalone and Macrium Agent Licenses to Macrium Site Manager?

Adding a client computer requires appropriate Reflect licensing for that computer. This can be provided by a standalone install of Reflect on the client computer or by a **Macrium Agent License** on the server.

#### 1. Standalone Licenses

All valid Macrium Reflect 7.0 or above licenses can be used to connect to the Management Console (with the exception of Free Edition and Trial license keys) no further licensing is required. In addition, only 4 clients with Home Edition license keys may be managed. Additional Home computers will require Macrium Agent or standalone Workstation licenses.

Site Manager will automatically detect that the client computer has a valid Macrium Reflect license when it connects for the first time after the agent has been installed — no configuration is necessary.

#### 2. Macrium Agent Licenses

Any non-Trial Server Edition or Workstation Edition licenses are valid for use as Macrium Agent Licenses. These are entered into Site Manager directly and allocated to client computers as needed on an automatic basis. Clients running Server versions of Windows require a Server Edition license, other machines require a Workstation license. If there are insufficient Workstation Macrium Agent Licenses to license all non-Server clients and unused Server Macrium Agent Licenses, the Server Macrium Agent Licenses will be allocated to the unlicensed Workstations.

Each Macrium Agent License key may have multiple seats associated with it, allowing one key to act as a Macrium Agent License for multiple clients.

Discounted Macrium Agent Licenses are also available for Virtual Machines — these behave exactly the same as full Macrium Agent Licenses but only apply to clients installed on Virtual Machines. If there are insufficient Virtual Machine licenses, full licenses will be used in instead.

#### 3. Trial Licences

When it is first run, Macrium Site Manager will create Trial keys for 1 server and 5 workstations which are valid for 30 days. If these are not needed, they can be deleted from Site Manager safely.

We hope this post has been useful for you. We will be back soon with answers to more frequently asked questions.

You can download a 30-day Trial of [Macrium Reflect Workstation](/products/business/standalone/workstation) or [Site Manager.](/sitebackup) Technical support for Trial users evaluating our software is available via [email.](/support)

backupfaq--what-is-the-difference-between-standalone-and-mal.jpg

A Macrium Reflect Standalone license is a single license valid for 1 PC. Macrium Agent License (MAL) bundles are for business use with Macrium Site Manager, our central management console.

What is the difference between Standalone and Macrium Agent Licenses?

We are very excited to introduce our new series of blog posts which will cover some of the most common questions we receive from our customers. We hope you find these posts useful to better understand Macrium Software, our products and the backup industry.

#BackupFAQ — What is the difference between Standalone and Macrium Agent Licenses?

# Is antivirus enough protection against ransomware?

The fast evolution of the internet, computers and smartphones has contributed to the rising success of ransomware, with hackers being able to attack more efficiently than ever before. Businesses are constantly in danger of suffering a cyberattack, with ransomware at the top of the list. A recent report from Trend Micro states that [44% of companies](https://www.information-age.com/held-hostage-rise-ransomware-123466218/) have suffered at least one of these attacks and it predicts this number will rise up the forthcoming year.

## How to be protected

In this new and more challenging cyber threat landscape, antivirus software is no longer enough to ensure your computer security, even though it should be part of your multi level anti-malware strategy:

1.  **Keep Windows up to date with the latest patches** as malware exploits security vulnerabilities that may have been patched in new versions. New releases include security improvements and removes or updates features that may have become susceptible to malware.
2.  Upgrade to [**Windows 10**](https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-windows-10-users-have-better-anti-virus-protection/) which brings Windows Defender installed for free and provides a low resource and effective AV solution. Make sure it’s turned on and up to date.
3.  **Antivirus programs** can see if files contain ransomware and stop them from being downloaded or it can block secret installations from malicious adverts when you are browsing the web. Nevertheless, antivirus itself is no longer enough and it has to come together with a good anti-malware software. Antivirus detection is based on signatures so they will not detect new variants that may jump this first line of defense. We recommend you also install a malware solution in order to be protected from more cyber threats.
4.  **Malware protection**, combined with antivirus solutions, will provide the best security possible for your computer as it specifically removes malware together with viruses and other threats.
5.  Make sure you have good **backups of all your personal data.** Macrium Reflect 7.1 is a backup solution that complements and works together with Windows Defender to provide you the complete protection needed when taking care of critical data. The latest version also brings the new Macrium Image Guardian (MIG), which protects Macrium Reflect backup files against ransomware attacks by preventing unauthorized modifying of Macrium backup files on local and USB volumes. Unlike antivirus software products, MIG is focused on the single task of protecting Macrium files, it has a small footprint and will not impact on the performance of your PC. You can find more about MIG [here.](/mig)
6.  **Run periodic scans** to make sure your antivirus is not missing anything and **test your backup** to another PC or a virtual drive to make sure you will be able to recover your files successfully when you need to. Trusting any backup without knowing if you can restore your files or if restored files are usable is a risk and will make the backup process worthless!

We recommend using Macrium viBoot, feature that enables you to instantly create, start and manage Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines using one or more Macrium Reflect image files, for DR test and to verify the integrity of your backups:

**a) Verify the integrity of your backups:** Macrium viBoot can be used to test the integrity of your backups by creating and starting a virtual machine from your image file(s). By doing that you can demonstrate that your backups will function correctly if the need arises to restore to new or existing hardware.

**b) Test upgrades before deployment:** Macrium viBoot can also be used to test application and system upgrades before deploying them onto real hardware, without the risk of contaminating your live environment.

## Is Windows Defender a good enough AV solution?

Windows 10 brings new improvement in order to better protect your computer against cyber threats. This update brings Windows Defender already installed and running on your computer. It scans programs you open, downloads new definitions from Windows Update, and provides an interface you can use for in-depth scans. It helps identify and remove viruses, spyware, and malware. Nevertheless, **Windows Defender** also has many limitations:

1.  It won’t protect you against phishing sites or malware on the web and it doesn’t include an anti-spam function and protection against potential malware attached to emails.
2.  It doesn’t include the support that you may need in critical situations that a third party solution might.
3.  Sadly it is [not the best free option](https://www.poweradmin.com/blog/does-windows-defender-offer-enough-protection/) when detecting threats and it has one of the lowest scores on number of threats detected compared with other free options. Relying only on Windows Defender when protecting your business company is a huge risk to take.
4.  If you want to have the reassurance that your data is fully protected and recoverable, you should not rely only on Windows Defender or an AV software alone, as they are just the starting point against viruses and malware of a multi layered security strategy that will be only complete when a backup solution is in place.

Even when you may have an AV installed on your PC, infections can still happen: most of them only protect your PC against already known viruses and this fence can be jumped by new and more sophisticated forms of malware. It is then when the right backup solution will help you restore all your files and recover quickly from the attack.

## Conclusion

The best way to protect data and recover from a ransomware attack is to have regular backups and a good AV solution. Use Macrium Reflect 7.1 to create reliable image backups of your entire PC and valuable files. Also, storing copies of data offline provides an extra layer of protection and will reduce the risk of corruption.

Last but not least, as we always say, remember that when it comes to preventing these attacks an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

### About Macrium Software

Macrium Software provides comprehensive backup and DR solutions for home or businesses which are used worldwide to protect valuable data and operating systems. Using advanced disk imaging technology Macrium solutions provide fast reliable and easily recoverable images. With many millions of users worldwide, Macrium is a trusted and reliable solution for all data protection needs.

You can download a 30-day Trial of Macrium Reflect for [Home](/products/home) or [Business](/products/business/standalone/workstation) use. Technical support for Trial users evaluating our software is available via [email.](/support)

### Sources

[7 tips to keep your Windows PC protected against malware](https://www.windowscentral.com/how-to-keep-your-windows-pc-protected-against-malware) - windowscentral.com

[Does Windows Defender offer enough protection?](https://www.poweradmin.com/blog/does-windows-defender-offer-enough-protection/) - poweradmin.com

[Your anti-virus software is not enough](https://www.popsci.com/antivirus-software-protect-your-computer) - popsci.com

[How Virus Protection Software Has Evolved With the Threat Landscape](https://securityintelligence.com/how-virus-protection-software-has-evolved-with-the-threat-landscape/) - securityintelligence.com

[What's the Best Antivirus for Windows 10 and 11? (Is Microsoft Defender Good Enough?)](https://www.howtogeek.com/225385/what%E2%80%99s-the-best-antivirus-for-windows-10-is-windows-defender-good-enough/) - howtogeek.com

[Explore Cybersecurity Awareness Month resources](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/safety/pc-security/windows-defender.aspx) - microsoft.com

[How should I protect my Windows PC from malware and viruses?](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2017/apr/13/how-should-i-protect-my-windows-pc-from-malware-and-viruses) - theguardian.com

[What is ransomware? Everything you need to know and how to reduce your risk](https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-an-executive-guide-to-one-of-the-biggest-menaces-on-the-web/) - zdnet.com 

is-antivirus-enough-protection-against-ransomware.jpg

A recent report from Trend Micro states that 44% of companies have suffered at least one of these attacks and it predicts this number will rise up the forthcoming year.

Is antivirus protection against ransomware?

The fast evolution of the internet, computers and smartphones has contributed to the rising success of ransomware, with hackers being able to attack more efficiently than ever before. Businesses are constantly in danger of suffering a cyberattack, with ransomware at the top of the list. A recent report from Trend Micro states that 44% of companies have suffered at least one of these attacks and it predicts this number will rise up the forthcoming year.


Is antivirus enough protection against ransomware?

# The Importance of Ransomware Protection and Mitigation Plans

It seems like no business small or large can escape from unpredictable ransomware attacks. This is bad news especially for the Microsoft Windows platform users as according to a recent [report](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/report-99-of-ransomware-targets-microsoft-products/), 99% of these attacks are targeting Microsoft products. Plans for protecting against malware are needed at several levels, including data backups and protection of those backups. Here at Macrium Software we have been working to provide a solution that provides two levels of protection: Macrium Reflect 7.1 with Macrium Image Guardian (MIG).

## How to protect your systems and backups against Ransomware

First the good news; having a backup solution installed on your systems already gives you the ability to recover from malware attacks by restoring systems to pre-infection state from a previous backup. Nevertheless, sometimes this is not enough because:

1.  The organization may not have included all systems and files in their backups
2.  The backup recoverability has not been tested
3.  The ransomware is usually designed to spread throughout your network and potentially encrypt your backups therefore protection of the backups is needed

Macrium Reflect is designed to cover all of the above risk points. Using image based backups we protect both systems and data. With the viBoot feature it is easy to instantly boot systems from the backups to check recoverability, and MIG prevents any processes other than Macrium Reflect changing the backup files.

## Offline backup storage / Archiving protection

Ransomware often spreads throughout a network, therefore a solution is needed to keep backups off the network. This presents a problem, however, because to backup an organisation you will generally have your storage available over a network connection.

Macrium Software provides two solutions that facilitate and protect offline or archived backups. Macrium Reflect uses MIG to prevent ransomware impacting backups stored on USB attached disks; Macrium Site Manager has cloud storage interfaces to AWS Storage Gateway for archiving or off-site backups.

**Education**

Recent research has shown that only a third of users actually know how to identify and report ransomware. This can lead to a delay in reporting and thus preventing the spread through a company. This [research](https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/third-of-us-office-workers/) found that many users paid the ransom themselves and the infestation goes unreported.

## MIG for all Macrium Reflect 7.1 users

Macrium Reflect 7.1 with MIG is available with all the Macrium Reflect 7.1 editions, protecting your backup files on local disks and USB volumes against encryption. MIG grants write access to existing backups file for Macrium Reflect 7.1, any image tools created by us, and optionally, MS RoboCopy. All other process attempting to update existing backup files will be denied access.

Unlike antivirus software products, MIG is focused on the single task of protecting Macrium files, it has a small footprint and will not impact on the performance of your PC. MIG protects local NTFS volumes and allows Macrium Reflect 7.1 and later to use the protected volume as a shared network resource. MIG is an extra layer of defence against malware.

You can have a closer look at our data protection solutions and test suitability by downloading our [30 day Trial](/products/business/standalone/workstation) and start protecting today your precious data. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to [contact us](/contact).

### About Macrium Software

Macrium Software provides comprehensive backup and DR solutions for home or businesses which are used worldwide to protect valuable data and operating systems. Using advanced disk imaging technology Macrium solutions provide fast reliable and easily recoverable images. With many millions of users worldwide, Macrium is a trusted and reliable solution for all data protection needs.

#### Sources:

[Macrium KnowledgeBase: Protection Strategies Against Ransomware](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW/Protection+Strategies+Against+Ransomware)

[Only a Third of US Office Workers Know What Ransomware Is](https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/third-of-us-office-workers/) (infosecurity-magazine.com)

the-importance-of-ransomware-protection-and-mitigation-plans.jpg

It seems like no business can escape from ransomware attacks. A recent report, 99% of these attacks are targeting Microsoft products.

Ransomware Protection and Mitigation Planning

It seems like no business small or large can escape from unpredictable ransomware attacks. This is bad news especially for the Microsoft Windows platform users as according to a recent report, 99% of these attacks are targeting Microsoft products.

The Importance of Ransomware Protection and Mitigation Plans

# Techie Tuesday: Macrium Image Guardian

To protect Macrium backup files against ransomware attacks, our experienced team of developers added **Macrium Image Guardian**.

**MIG** will prevent unauthorised modifying of Macrium backup files on local and USB volumes. Should the worst happen, you can be assured that your latest backups are recoverable. Unlike antivirus software products, **MIG** is focussed on the single task of protecting Macrium files. It has a small footprint and will not impact the performance of your PC.

**Macrium Image Guardian** protects your backup files from unauthorised modification. **MIG** grants write access to existing backups file for Macrium Reflect 7.1, any image tools created by us, and optionally, [MS RoboCopy](https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733145(v=ws.11).aspx). All other process attempting to update existing backup files will be denied access.

**MIG** protects local **NTFS** volumes and allows Macrium Reflect 7.1 and later to use the protected volume as a shared network resource.

**Macrium Image Guardian protection architecture**

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

**Macrium Image Guardian protecting backups in a networked environment**

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

In the above illustration, the PC sharing the backup repository (Shared Volume) has a full install of Macrium Reflect, including **MIG**. A local drive is shared over the network and **MIG** has been enabled on that drive in the Macrium Reflect user interface.

The other PCs on the network can backup to this shared drive and do require MIG to be installed. Backup file write access is automatically granted to Macrium Reflect 7.1, and later, all other write access will fail.

The PC hosting the share with **MIG** installed can be used as a standalone Macrium Reflect installation. The protected drive will prevent unauthorised access to backup files on that drive if the local PC creates backups to the protected volume.

You can [read more about **MIG** here](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOWX/Macrium+Image+Guardian).

Download a 30-day Trial of Macrium Reflect for [Home](/products/home) or [Business](/products/business/standalone/workstation) use. Technical support for Trial users evaluating our software is available via [email](/support).

To protect Macrium backup files against ransomware attacks, our experienced team of developers added Macrium Image Guardian.

Protecting Macrium backup files against ransomware attacks

Techie Tuesday: Macrium Image Guardian

# Time for a different approach to backup?

#### Try our free trial and see if it is the Crashplan alternative you are looking for.

Yesterday we all received the surprising news that CrashPlan is shutting down its popular cloud backup service for home users to focus on business customers. Unsurprisingly there is a lot of uncertainty among CrashPlan users about what is going to happen now with their data, and what are good alternative solutions.

Nowadays, a good backup solution is indispensable when taking care of our precious data. Latest insights from [Europol](https://www.gtnews.com/2017/07/26/europol-reports-rise-in-ransomware-attacks/) showed the total number of users who encountered threats against their data between April 2016 and March 2017 increased by 11.4% year-on-year, from 2,315,931 to 2,581,026 worldwide. Based on these numbers, we are afraid to say that there is no doubt malware is here to stay and we have to be more cautious than ever when protecting our data, making sure that it is in safe hands. So what we can do against inevitable threats? There is just one way: fight against it by having the right backup!

It is true that there is a nearly endless list of backup options to choose from. Nevertheless, among all of them there are three main characteristics that the user really needs when choosing the right one, and at Macrium we are often recommended as being: Reliable, fast and user-friendly.

Macrium Software provides comprehensive backup and DR solutions for home or businesses which are used worldwide to protect valuable data and operating systems. Using advanced disk imaging technology Macrium solutions provide fast reliable and easily recoverable images. With over many millions of users worldwide, we are pleased to say that Macrium is a trusted and reliable solution for all data protection needs.

#### [Macrium Reflect 7 Home Edition](/products/home)

Before we present our features we have to be clear that Crashplan only incrementally copies all files (you can’t choose) to cloud storage and we offer a backup and DR solution which protects not just your data but also your operating system, allowing you to recover your data and system settings even in the worst scenarios. Macrium Reflect is not a cloud backup service like Crashplan was, but is an excellent alternative for _local and network backups_.

**Price per Computer** £47.95 / €62.95 / US $69.95

*   Backup files and folders to a single compressed archive file
*   Recover partitions and entire disk images with just a few clicks
*   MBR and GPT disk support
*   12 months Home Essentials Support
*   Restore images to dissimilar hardware using Macrium ReDeploy
*   Rapid Delta Cloning (RDC)
*   Backup file Consolidation
*   Pre-defined backup plans templates
*   Rapid Delta Restore (RDR)

#### Better safe than sorry — Coming soon: [Macrium Image Guardian](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Macrium+Image+Guardian)

As we have mentioned before, ransomware is an ever present threat. Therefore, Macrium development teams have developed a new feature called [Macrium Image Guardian (MIG)](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Macrium+Image+Guardian) to protect Macrium backup files against ransomware attacks. MIG will be part of the Macrium Reflect 7.1 update, that will be available soon, and will prevent unauthorized modifying of Macrium backup files on local and USB volumes. Should the worst happen, you can be assured that your latest backups are recoverable. Unlike antivirus software products, MIG is focused on the single task of protecting Macrium files, it has a small footprint and will not impact on the performance of your PC. This is an essential and exciting addition to the Macrium data protection story that you can’t miss!

You can download a free 30-day Trial of Macrium Reflect for [Home](/products/home) or [Business](/products/business/standalone/workstation) use.

Try our free trial and see if it is the Crashplan alternative you are looking for.

How different is Macrium backup to CrashPlan?

Try our free trial and see if it is the Crashplan alternative you are

Time for a different approach to backup?

# Techie Tuesday: Restoring an image from within the Rescue Media

This article is for Restoring an image from within Windows PE Rescue Media. For restoring an image in Windows see [Restoring an image within Windows](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW/Restoring+an+image+from+Windows).

If the image contains only data, restoring it is very simple using Macrium Reflect. You can restore it back to its original location without interrupting the operating system.

**Before you begin:** You must have a backup image of the disk ready to restore.

1) During start up of your PC on the first image you see press a button that will start a **Boot selection** menu.

**Boot selection** button differs from one PC manufacturer to another, best way to find out the **Boot selection** menu on your PC is to consult the motherboard manual provided by the manufacturer.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

**Chose** **CD-ROM drive** or a **Removable USB device** based on the choice of Rescue Media you’ve built and press **Enter** to load the Rescue Media.

2) When You have loaded into windows PE, **select** **Restore**

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

Backup images will be available to choose from and be restored in the main pane.

3) Select the image you wish to restore and **click Restore Image**.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

If you cannot find the backup image you would like to use in the in the provided list, select “**Browse for an image file…”** on the menu at the top and look through the windows explorer to find it.

4) This next windows give you the ability to edit partitions prior to the restore.

**Moving and Resizing the restored partition**

By default, partitions restore to their original locations. However, it’s also possible to select a different target disk and to drag partitions to different locations and resize them to use the available space. Simply drag the source partition to any available partition or free space on the target disk. You can also delete partitions on the target disk to make space. For more destination options and further information, see [Modifying restored partition properties](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Modifying+restored+paritition+properties).

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

5) This is the restore summary page, here you can finalise your Restore and if required access the **“Advanced Options.”**

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

The **Advanced Options** include:

**Rapid Delta Restore  
**Copy only changed data blocks to complete the restore process more quickly  
See: [Rapid Delta Restore — RDR](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Rapid+Delta+Restore+-+RDR)

**SSD Trim  
**Enable TRIM on restore to increase of both the lifetime and the performance of the SSD.  
See: [SSD Trim Support](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/_SSD_Trim_Support)

**Verify Image  
**To verify the image integrity before restoring.

**Master Boot Record  
**To replace the Master Boot Record (MBR) with the MBR from the backup.  
The MBR is a small program that eexecutes when the computer starts up. If this program becomes corrupt then you can have problems starting the computer operating system.  
**Note:** On modern GPT/UEFI systems this option has no effect.

Once you have looked over the summary and you are happy with your restore settings you can click **“Finish”** and begin the operation.

You can download a free 30-day Trial of Macrium Reflect for [Home](/products/home) or [Business](/products/business/standalone/workstation) use. Technical support for Trial users evaluating our software is available via [email](/support).

his article is for Restoring an image from within Windows PE Rescue Media.

How to restore an image from with Macrium Rescue Media

Techie Tuesday: Restoring an image from within the Rescue Media

# Techie Tuesday: Technician’s Portable Application Support

The [**Macrium Reflect Technician’s License**](/products/business/technicians) allows a single user to image multiple PCs (as specified in the license). Macrium Reflect runs as a **portable application** from USB Rescue Media. The USB stick also acts as a bootable rescue environment, which you can use to backup and restore licensed PCs. Portable Mode Reflect is very similar to the Macrium Reflect environment you are familiar with. 

#### Creating a Technician’s USB Stick

1.  Create a rescue PE environment as explained in [Creating rescue media](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW80/Technicians+portable+application+support#)..
2.  Select **USB Device** as your target media and select a USB destination.
3.  Check **Create a Technician’s USB Drive with portable application support**.
4.  Click **Finish**.

![techie-tuesday-technicians-portable-application-support-2.jpg](https://strapistoragemacrium.blob.core.windows.net/strapi-uploads/uploads/techie_tuesday_technicians_portable_application_support_2_cd7f0b9bc6.jpg)

#### Launching Macrium Reflect from the USB

1.  Insert the USB, you will be asked to choose what happens with it.
2.  Select **Open folders to view files**.
3.  In the root of the USB stick, select folder Win32 or Win64.  
    The USB stick contains both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Macrium Reflect. To launch the right one, a launcher is provided called portable.exe.
4.  Double click **reflect.exe** to launch Macrium Reflect.

![techie-tuesday-technicians-portable-application-support-3.jpg](https://strapistoragemacrium.blob.core.windows.net/strapi-uploads/uploads/techie_tuesday_technicians_portable_application_support_3_bed5b810d2.jpg)

#### Adding drivers to the portable PE environment

You can add drivers directly to the Windows PE rescue environment by booting into Windows PE and taking Restore > View Unsupported Devices. For more information see [Adding device driver software](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Updating+rescue+media+to+include+additional+hardware+drivers)

#### Adding drivers to the Technicians USB stick in Windows

The portable edition of Reflect offers the ability to copy any missing drivers from the current system. To do this:

1.  Select the **Add Drivers to technician’s rescue media** option from the other tasks group on either the **backup** or **restore** tabs.

![techie-tuesday-technicians-portable-application-support-4.jpg](https://strapistoragemacrium.blob.core.windows.net/strapi-uploads/uploads/techie_tuesday_technicians_portable_application_support_4_24f24ea036.jpg)

**Note:** Technician’s Portable Application USB sticks expire when your license for Technician’s expires. You need to recreate your USB stick after this time.

## Why Use the Macrium Reflect Technician's License? 

With a Macrium Reflect Technician's License, IT maintenance and support engineers have the power of Macrium Reflect's backup engine on a USB stick. Allowing you to use Macrium Reflect without installation, the USB stick also acts as a bootable rescue environment, which you can use to backup and restore licensed PCs.

Find out more and purchase the Macrium Reflect Technician's License [here.](/products/business/technicians)

[Find out More](BUTTON_SUCCESS=/products/business/technicians)

techie-tuesday-technicians-portable-application-support.jpg

A guide to Macrium Reflect Technician’s License, including how to run it from a USB stick, use it to image multiple PCs and add drivers.

Technician’s Portable Application Support  |  Macrium Software

Techie Tuesday: Technician’s Portable Application Support

# Better safe than sorry

A new ransomware virus attack hit on Tuesday 27th June with its epicentre in Ukraine and quickly spread around the world. This was the largest worldwide attack since the ‘WannaCry’ virus last month.

A Bitcoin payment, equivalent to $300, was demanded to recover encrypted data and it’s believed that this ransom was extorted from only a few of those infected until the payment system was stopped. This has left millions of data files lost forever. The total loss of money and data may never be known but this type of attack is becoming increasingly popular. Clearly ransomware is proving very lucrative for the criminals behind it and the potential economic damage caused by data loss makes state sponsored ransomware attacks inevitable.

This latest attack is part of the ‘Petya’ family of encrypting ransomware. Petya ransomware updates the Windows Master Boot Record (MBR) boot code with its payload and, while encrypting the NTFS file system at Windows boot time, presents a ransom message on the PC that’s now failing to start.  
  
While the ransomware was encrypting data, Tuesday’s attack showed a fake but credible Windows check disk screen before displaying the ransom demand.

![better-safe-than-sorry-2.jpg](https://strapistoragemacrium.blob.core.windows.net/strapi-uploads/uploads/better_safe_than_sorry_2_b7293452fc.jpg)

If you’re an individual PC user then don’t be lulled into thinking that these attacks won’t affect you. Even though ransomware attacks tend to be focused on large organizations and businesses, the contagion quickly spreads to vulnerable systems throughout the world.

### Prevention is better than cure

So, what can we do to reduce the risk of attack and protect our data if the worst should happen?

#### **Keep Windows up to date with the latest patches**

The latest attack exploited a vulnerability in the Windows Server Message Block (SMB) protocol that had been previously patched on every version of Windows, including XP. If your Windows installation was patched up to date then the virus couldn’t spread to you via another networked PC.

#### Upgrade your PC

This might sound like overkill, but the Petya attack injected its payload into the legacy Master Boot Record (MBR) boot code. Modern PC’s don’t use the MBR to start Windows, and since the introduction of Windows 8, just about every PC uses Microsoft ‘Secure Boot’ which checks the digital signature of the boot code at startup. Modified boot code simply won’t run!

#### Backup your data

This is crucial. The best way to protect data and recover from a ransomware attack is to have regular backups. You can use Macrium Reflect to create reliable images and file backups of your entire PC and valuable files.

#### **How can I be sure that my backups aren’t vulnerable to attack?**

*   **Backup disk rotation.** You can use the **‘Alternative locations’** functionality in Macrium Reflect to regularly rotate (swap) backup drives. For example, using two backup drives, A and B, you can change A for B on a Monday and leave A disconnected from the PC. Repeat the rotation each Monday. Should the worst happen and your backup disk dies or is encrypted by ransomware then you know you have a recent clean backup that’s always available.
*   **Archive to a remote location.** An infected PC won’t be able to harm files on remote storage. This includes the cloud or any location that’s only accessible using secure ftp or http. You can use scripts in Macrium Reflect to automate this or you can copy files using the tools provided by your cloud storage provider.

#### Open your emails with caution

This is the simplest and most effective preventative measure you can take. If you don’t recognize the email sender or if the attachment or link is unexpected then do not follow or open it. It may be tempting to see what that invoice says and how much you’re being charged by that company you’ve never heard of but don’t open it. **Seriously don’t!**

#### Antivirus software

Unfortunately, antivirus software products were initially ineffective for both recent ransomware attacks, though most, if not all, were patched quickly after the initial outbreak. Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender installed for free and Microsoft has done an excellent job of providing a low resource and effective AV solution. Make sure it’s turned on and up to date.

### Coming soon — Macrium Image Guardian

To protect Macrium backup files against ransomware attacks our experienced team of developers have developed a new product called **Macrium Image Guardian.** MIG will be available in the next two weeks and will prevent unauthorized modifying of Macrium backup files on local and USB volumes. Should the worst happen, you can be assured that your latest backups are recoverable. Unlike antivirus software products, MIG is focused on the single task of protecting Macrium files, it has a small footprint and will not impact on the performance of your PC.

This is an essential and exciting addition to the Macrium data protection story! Keep an eye on Macrium and don’t miss our launch announcement and webinar.

You can have a closer look at our data protection solutions and test suitability by downloading our [30 day Trial](/products/business/standalone/workstation). If you have any questions don’t hesitate to [contact us](/contact). Our technicians are always ready to answer any queries you may have.

better-safe-than-sorry-1.jpg

A new ransomware virus attack hit on Tuesday 27th June with its epicentre in Ukraine and quickly spread around the world. This was the largest worldwide attack since the ‘WannaCry’ virus last month.

Better safe than sorry - Prevention is better than cure

Better safe than sorry

# Techie Tuesday: Macrium Reflect Quick Start

Macrium Reflect is intuitively designed and organised with simple to follow wizards guiding you through tasks. If you have never used backup software before, however, you might feel some trepidation, needing a little extra guidance to get you started.

### First create rescue media

We recommended that the first time you use Macrium Reflect, you create bootable rescue media before performing any other tasks.

Click the **Create bootable Rescue media** icon to access the wizard.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

For further guidance see [Creating rescue media](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Macrium+Reflect+Quick+Start#).

### Imaging disks

Disk imaging is a **Backup** task and can be accessed from the **Backup** task bar.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

For further guidance see [Creating a backup of your computer](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Creating+a+backup+image+of+your+computer%2C+drive+or+partitions).

### Differential and incremental disk images

When your first full backup you can run differential and incremental backups to capture just the changes because it is quicker. Macrium then manages these backup sets for you.

Right click the file you want to backup up and select the type of image to create.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

For more information see [Differential and incremental disk images](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Differential+and+incremental+disk+images).

### Backing up files and folders

Creating full, differential, and incremental backups of specific files or folders can optimize backup speed and disk space requirements. The wizard can be accessed from the **Backup** task bar.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

For more information see [Backing up files and folders](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Backing+up+files+and+folders).

### Cloning disks

Cloning is particularly useful if you are upgrading to a new, larger hard drive or if you need to quickly swap failed disks out of your system.

Select the the disk or partition you require from the **Create a Backup** screen and click **Clone this disk**.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

For more information see [Cloning a disk](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Cloning+a+disk).

### Scheduling, retention and disk space

Whenever you create a backup, regardless of type you have the option to create a backup plan using the scheduling and retention wizard.

Click below **Select a Template for you Backup Plan** to select from industry best practice backup plans templates, quick-start backup plan templates or even templates that you have created. You can even skip over scheduling to simply take advantage of the retention rules for managing your disk space.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

You can then customize the plan to suit your needs.

You can view, edit, cancel or run scheduled backups from the **Scheduled Backups** screen.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

### Backup plan templates

Macrium Reflect includes templates for automating industry best practice backup plans that help you maximize retention for your available storage space. These can be accessed and modified, or you can create your own backup templates.

To manage backup plan templates click **Backup** and select **Backup Templates…** .

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

For more information about using backup templates see [Scheduling backups](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Scheduling+backups).

For more information about retaining backups and backup plans see [Retention and consolidation](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Retention+and+consolidation).

### Restoring files and folders

To directly restore the contents of a file and folder backup use the Macrium Reflect file and folder restore feature.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

For more information see [Restoring a file and folder backup](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Macrium+Reflect+Quick+Start#).

### Restoring images

Select the **Restore** task bar, choose the image you want to restore and click **Restore Image**.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

For more information see [Restoring an image from Windows](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Restoring+an+image+from+Windows).

**Note:** If you are unable to boot Windows you can still restore an image by booting from the Macrium Reflect rescue media and using the temporary Macrium Reflect to find and restore images.

### ReDeploying computers

Macrium ReDeploy is included in the Server editions of Macrium Reflect. With ReDeploy you can restore an image to a replacement computer or even create various types of virtual hard drives to virtualize the machine, a technique sometimes called Physical to Virtual or P2V. ReDeploy modifys an existing offline operating system to work with new hardware.

1.  Restore your system image to the PC being deployed before running ReDeploy.  
    **Note:**There is no need to reboot your PC after restoring an Image and before you run ReDeploy.
2.  Boot the target PC with the Windows PE rescue CD or USB equivalent. There is a link to a video on creating a Windows PE rescue CD at the bottom of this page.
3.  On the **Restore** task pane, click **ReDeploy Restored Image to new hardware**.

For more information see [Re-deploying Windows to new hardware using Macrium ReDeploy](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/Re-deploying+Windows+to+new+hardware+using+Macrium+ReDeploy).

### Scripting backup processes

VBScripts, Powershell and MS-DOS batch file tabs are available when you select the **Backup** task bar.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

In each tab you can manage files, run or schedule them to run later. You can even create a desktop shortcut for convenience.

![](/no-image-to-display.jpg)

### Managing Macrium files in Windows

Wherever you browse for files in Windows programs or Windows Explorer, you can find Macrium Reflect functions by right-clicking on drives or Macrium files. If you have file extensions showing, Macrium files have the extensions .mrimg for images or .mrbak for file and folder backups. Otherwise, you can look for the icons.

With Macrium Reflect installed, directly from Windows you can:

*   Image drives
*   Run Macrium XML definition files
*   Mount and unmount images for browsing
*   View file Macrium properties in the file properties dialog
*   See comments in Windows Explorer columns
*   See a popup summary of the file contents by hovering the mouse pointer

Note though, the best way to view backup sets is in the Macrium Reflect interface itself where it can automatically collate the multiple files involved in incremental and differential backups and you can manage them as a set.

You can download a free 30-day Trial of Macrium Reflect for [Home](/products/home) or [Business](/products/business/standalone/workstation) use.

Macrium Reflect is intuitively designed and organised with simple to follow wizards guiding you through tasks. 

Getting started with Macrium Reflect

Techie Tuesday: Macrium Reflect Quick Start

# Techie Tuesday: Macrium Changed Block Tracker

**Macrium Reflect Changed Block Tracker (MRCBT)** reduces the amount of time it takes to perform incremental and differential images by monitoring the changes to an NTFS formatted volume in real-time. This is especially relevant when a file system contains very large files, such as virtual hard disk (VHD) files, where speed improvements are significant and can reduce the Incremental image time from hours to minutes or even seconds.

Implemented as a kernel mode filter driver, sitting below the NTFS file system driver, MRCBT is able to intercept all I/O requests to the logical volume and maintain a record of which blocks have changed.

Through discussions with our customers and after careful consideration, we decided to remove the functionality from MRCBT that allowed it to detect whether a volume had been mounted outside the current Windows session (i.e. USB flash drives and dual-boot systems) and instead, focus solely on optimizing MRCBT to reduce incremental backups times in the current Windows session. This decision enables us to provide one of the most robust Changed Block Tracking solutions available to date.

Traditionally, Macrium Reflect has detected changes to the file system by comparing the NTFS Master File Table (MFT) on the source volume, with the MFT of the most recent image in the backup set. While this is method is one of the quickest solutions available, we do not consider it an optimal solution when used in a continuous incremental scenario, especially if multi-GB files are present in the file system.

With our Changed Block Tracker driver enabled, the first incremental/differential image taken since Windows was restarted will be performed using the traditional method. This ensures that any changes to the NTFS file system that may have occurred outside of the current Windows session are recorded into the image file. From this point on, any incremental/differential images that are taken, within the current Windows session, will use our Changed Block Tracker technology.

A reboot is required after installing Macrium Reflect to enable CBT. You can create images without rebooting but CBT will only be enabled after a restart.

Due to technical limitations with Windows XP, Macrium Reflect Changed Block Tracker will only work on Windows Vista and higher operation systems.

After the first image of the current Windows session an **icon will appear on the volume** prepared for CBT:

![techie-tuesday-macrium-changed-block-tracker-2.jpg](https://strapistoragemacrium.blob.core.windows.net/strapi-uploads/uploads/techie_tuesday_macrium_changed_block_tracker_2_74e8ca0726.jpg)

The next Incremental or Differential image of the volume will use CBT. You will see the following line in the Image log:

![techie-tuesday-macrium-changed-block-tracker-3.jpg](https://strapistoragemacrium.blob.core.windows.net/strapi-uploads/uploads/techie_tuesday_macrium_changed_block_tracker_3_737a26049a.jpg)

**CBT Init Success** indicates that the Incremental is using the CBT driver. Note that the **‘Looking For Changes’** operation will be nearly instantaneous with no progress shown.

### Macrium CBT Driver Tools

Macrium CBT Driver Tools is a small Windows utility to install and monitor the Macrium CBT driver. Macrium CBT Driver Tools provides the user with a visual representation of the changed blocks and of the various performance metrics reported by the kernel mode driver. **Macrium Driver Tools** can be found here: C:\\Program Files\\Macrium\\Reflect\\MrCBTTools.exe

![techie-tuesday-macrium-changed-block-tracker-4.jpg](https://strapistoragemacrium.blob.core.windows.net/strapi-uploads/uploads/techie_tuesday_macrium_changed_block_tracker_4_2a8bdc82d6.jpg)

Selecting a drive shows performance metrics and tracked block information for the chosen drive. The darker shades indicate a higher percentage of changed blocks.

**Note**: The red blocks indicate the physical location of the MRCBT tracking file on the volume. This view will be reset when a Macrium Reflect backup of the volume is started.

Clicking on one of the shaded blocks will cause Macrium Driver Tools to display a list of files that are currently using the clusters within the block.

#### **Performance Metrics**

**Session Start Time**

The date and time that MRCBT started monitoring the volume. This value will be reset when the volume is mounted, normally when Windows is restarted.

**Number of Writes**

The total number of write operations on the volume that MRCBT has monitored since the session started.

**Number of Paged Writes**

The total number of write operations on the volume, flagged as PAGING\_IO, that MRCBT has monitored since the session started.

**Number of Tracked Writes**

The total number of write operations on the volume that MRCBT has tracked since the session started.

**Number of Excluded Writes**

The total number of write operations on the volume that MRCBT has excluded, due to already having a record of a change to that disk area, since the session started.

**Number of Failed Writes**

The total number of write operations on the volume that MRCBT has failed to track since the session started. NOTE: If this value is anything other than zero. Macrium Reflect will fall back to the normal method of generating an incremental backup.

**Time Tracking**

The total length of time that MRCBT has taken to track writes on the volume since the session started.

**Average Time Per Tracked Write**

The average length of time that MRCBT is taking to track each write operation on the volume since the session started.

**Number of Changed Blocks**

The total number of changed blocks on the volume since the session started.

**Number of Changed Bytes**

The total number of changed bytes on the volume since the session started.

**$CBT Starting LCN**

The first Logical Cluster Number (LCN) of the MRCBT tracking file.

**$CBT Ending LCN**

The last Logical Cluster Number (LCN) of the MRCBT tracking file.

**Bytes Per Logical Cluster**

The number of bytes per logical cluster for the volume, as reported by NTFS.

**Bytes Per Block**

The number of bytes per block, as reported by Macrium Reflect.

**Volume Mount Count**

The total number of times that the volume has been mounted by NTFS this session.

### Enabling and disabling CBT

CBT is enabled by default. You can change whether CBT is enabled or disabled by selecting **“Enable Changed Block Tracking for Incremental Backups”** check-box in the “**Advanced Incrementals”** page of the **“Reflect Defaults”** dialog box.

![techie-tuesday-macrium-changed-block-tracker-5.jpg](https://strapistoragemacrium.blob.core.windows.net/strapi-uploads/uploads/techie_tuesday_macrium_changed_block_tracker_5_ba8b682788.jpg)

**Note:** You can enable or disable CBT at any time without affecting your Image sets.

We recommend enabling the Delta Indexes for Incremental Backups option as this will produce the smallest incremental image files in the shortest amount of time. Please see [Delta Indexes for Incremental Backups](https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW80/Delta+Indexes+for+Incremental+Backups)

You can download a free 30-day Trial of Macrium Reflect for [Home](/products/home) or [Business](/products/business/standalone/workstation) use.

macrium-reflect-changed-block-tracker.jpg

Macrium Reflect Changed Block Tracker (MRCBT) reduces the amount of time it takes to perform incremental and differential images by monitoring the changes to an NTFS formatted volume in real-time.

Techie Tuesday: Macrium Changed Block Tracker

Your #1 resource for data backup, recovery, imaging and deployment insights and tips to help you develop your organisation's disaster recovery plan. | 2017

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