I'm unsure about certain details regarding Macrium Reflect backup software.
I'm unsure about certain details regarding Macrium Reflect backup software.
Hi everyone.
I'm experimenting with Macrium Reflect backup software but I have some questions that aren't clearly answered. I've read a few things, watched some tutorials, but it seems like important details are missing.
Question 1:
By checking the box "if possible create a full synthetic backup," I believe I grasp that the program will combine the incremental backups into the last complete backup after a certain period. I’m curious—after merging all the increments, can I restore the system to the point when one of those incremental backups was made?
For example:
Monday – I make a full backup.
Tuesday – an incremental backup.
Wednesday – another incremental backup.
Thursday – the software merges everything into a synthetic backup, including all increments from the 20th.
Friday – I want to restore my system to the state it was when I created an incremental backup on Tuesday. Is that feasible?
Question 2:
Retention: when I set "retain 1 full backup," what happens if I make a new full backup each month? Does it remove the older backups and keep only the latest ones?
Question 3:
How does "incremental forever" function when paired with "create a synthetic backup"? The name sounds like it would generate one full backup and then only increments, but what if I enable "create a synthetic backup if possible" along with the "incremental forever" option?
Thanks to anyone who can help clarify these points.
Massimo
For question 1, it's suggested to refer to Macrium's KB:
https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/displa...ng+backups
Retention and consolidation - Knowledgebase 8.0 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase
knowledgebase.macrium.com
Retention and consolidation - Knowledgebase 8.0 - Macrium Reflect
Question 2: Keeping one full backup equates to having a week's worth of backups. If you plan full backups every Monday and incremental backups on other days, the system will perform a full backup each week, clearing older backups afterward. To reach two weeks of backups you'd need two full backups and 14 restore points, ensuring the oldest backups aren't removed until the end of the third week. An example shows a setup with two weekly fulls and 14 restore points, resulting in three weeks of restore points available.
Question 3: Your understanding is accurate. The system will perform a single full backup followed by incremental backups, with the synthetic full merging to create a "full backup" that aligns with the current date.
I think so, though I haven't tested it.
I use the synthetic option, but I've never attempted to recover an Incremental 'in between'.
Correct.
But how long should you keep the Incrementals?
I have reviewed the links you shared, but it seems I’m not quite suited for these kinds of details. It’s really confusing for me.
Well, it's good to revisit the complete image from time to time. A two-year-old full is somewhat unnecessary. Incremental versus differential approaches matter. Incremental captures just the changes since the last incremental update. For a restore, you require the original full and every incremental step in between. Missing any one will cause failure. Incremental updates are minimal and provide quick backups. Differential updates include all changes since the last full. You only need the complete image plus a single differential. However, as time passes, the differentials grow increasingly large. Consider all the changes expected in six months—they represent the entire differential and a full image six months from now.
And would the initial complete backup always stay intact? I don’t want any changes (like a synthetic backup) to merge with the first full one. In short, I need the complete backup to be safe from being deleted, altered, merged, or modified in any way. I also want the option to restore the system to a previous state a few days ago if something goes wrong. How can I set this up? What options should I configure on that planning, retention, purge, merge, or synthetic page? This is really frustrating—I’m trying to figure it out but it’s getting harder.
If you require a complete initial backup that remains permanent, I recommend performing the first full backup and saving it to an external storage device. This ensures you have a stable, unchangeable copy. You might also consider using Macrium to generate a bootable disk image of your system, which you can store on the same external drive. On your system, you could then apply Forever Incremental with Synthetic Full and configure the retention period to 14 or 21 days. This approach provides several weeks of backups that you can restore from once the retention period expires. Once the retention period ends, the system typically replaces the original backup with the Synthetic Full if that option is enabled. It’s generally not advisable to rely solely on a single full backup followed by differential or incremental backups. If issues arise, restoring from the larger synthetic backups becomes more feasible. The industry standard suggests weekly full backups complemented by incremental or differential backups throughout the week.