Macrium Reflect 7 Free Edition is the latest version of the data backup program for Microsoft Windows devices.
The new version of the application can be downloaded from the developer website. It is offered as a web installer that requires Internet access to download all program components to the local system.
Note that the download may exceed 800 Megabytes if you select to download the program with PE (Preinstallation environment) components.
Macrium Reflect checks for new versions automatically once per day by default. Existing users may get the new version this way as well.
Tip: Check out our overview of free drive backup programs for Windows.
Macrium Reflect 7 Free Edition
Macrium Reflect 7 Free Edition comes with three major new features compared to previous versions of the backup software.
The most surprising change is that the free edition is now licensed for commercial use under certain circumstances. Macrium notes that the license covers “making backups of single machines” that are “restored to the same PC (or a replacement PC in the case of hardware failure)”. Rescue media needs to be created on the PC that is restored.
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The company lists two specific scenarios in which a commercial license is not granted:
- Repair shop scenario, where Macrium Reflect is used to copy the contents of a hard disk to a new device.
- Deployment scenario, where Macrium Reflect is used to copy a ‘golden image’ to multiple PCs.
You may select commercial during installation of the program when the program prompts you to select the free edition license that you require. If you select commercial, you are required to register an account whereas home users don’t.
Read also: LogFusion: free realtime log monitoring for Windows
The new version of the backup program comes with viBoot 2 integration. ViBoot 2, an update of the original viBoot introduced in Macrium Reflect 6, enables users to create, start, and manage Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines using previously created disk image files.
The third and final new version of Macrium Reflect 7 is an improved task scheduler which improves compatibility with Windows 10’s Anniversary Edition and later editions of the Windows 10 operating system.
Closing Words
Macrium Reflect is a powerful disk backup program for Windows. The new version does not change that and opens up use for some commercial scenarios as well.
Now You: Which backup software do you use, and why?