Windows 10: Macrium Relect Free recovery drive allow system files?

On a learning curve for making disk images (not clones) for my desktop and wife's laptop, both Windows 10.

I need to determine a storage size for the recovery drive USB using the Macrium Reflect tutorial, but there's a variable I'm unclear on. Will be ordering USB's when this gets cleared up.

While boning up, I noticed the Windows 10 method for creating a recovery drive has an option to include, or disregard, system files. Including system files necessitates a large USB (32 to 64GB recommended). If disregarding system files, the USB size can be much smaller.
Ref tutorial: Create Recovery Drive in Windows 10

While reading the Macrium Reflect tutorial, I can't find an obvious option for adding or excluding system files.
Ref tutorial: Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect

Does Macrium Reflect recovery drive deal with system files, or no?

:)

 

Recovery drive only needs 512mb, even with "Back up system files" selected

Hello Matt,

We realize the inconvenience you have experienced. Let us know few things to analyze the issue.

• What is the exact message that appears?
• Is there any problem while initiating the backup process?

Suggest you to check initiating the backup process by ignoring the message to see if include the system files too. I mean to say allow the check box to include the system files and then initiate the backup process to see if it works correctly.

Warning:

• 
  Creating a recovery drive will erase anything already stored on your USB flash drive. Use an empty USB flash drive or make sure to transfer any important data from your USB flash drive to another storage device before using it to create a USB recovery drive.
  

Let us know how it went.

 

Recovery Drive

Hi,

Thank you for posting your concern. In some cases, this could happen if you created a system restore point on your computer. Windows will use the recovery drive to revert to the previous time where your computer is working properly, or where you created
it. Please don't attempt to put any files in the recovery drive or the restore process will fail. To give you more suggestion and helpful information, we would like to more about your computer. Please answer the question below:

• Did you make any changes to your computer before this issue occurs?
• Have you install Windows Update before getting the Recovery drive?
• Which version of Windows are you using? To check it, follow the steps through this
  link.
  

In the meantime, you can check the files inside the recovery drive and confirm if there are essential files that you need.

We'll be waiting for your response.

 

Creating Recovery Drive including System Files

Hi,



Thank you for coming back to us.



As you said the recovery drive is only 512 MB, it seems that you have not selected the all the drives. It is not possible that the recovery drive is only 512 MB. The C:\ drive itself is more than 3 GB because of the operating system files are installed
on it. So, try selecting all the drive and check if you are able to create a recovery drive.



If the issue still persist, it could be due to the Volume shadow copy is not running on Windows background. Let’s try turning on the Volume shadow copy and check. Follow the below steps.

• 
  Press Windows key + R, type services.msc and press
  Enter.
  
• Locate for Volume shadow copy, check if the services is running. If is not running, right click on it and click on Start. (If it is running stop it, and start it again manually).

We look forward to hear from you for further assistance.