I started noticing backup files with label "ERROR_LOADING File" in the backup directory. backup files created on five consecutive days have this label. When I check the backup log for each of these days it reports successful backup. I am unable to open the files using any apps.
When I try to open one of the files with Notepad or Word the error files display the following "9642FB8D1312587B-11-11.mrimg.error_loading"

Read through the 1st page in this thread and you'll find some information on that error.  I wouldn't attempt anything until someone gets back to address your specific situation.

https://forum.macrium.com/44686/FIguring-out-what-a-backup-is-of

First thank you for your reply. The situation looks the same as what I am experiencing.
I know what the backup is of but I guess that means I do not have any files to restore data from those specific dates.
It's a significant coincidence that the dates of the files they were asking about were also in the same time frame as my problem files - wonder if there is some sort of software bug?
Your response reminded me that I should have included more information like a screen shot and version numbers so I will address those shortcomings now.

Macrium Reflect is kept updated to the latest version offered and it is set to auto upgrade.

The desktop also is upgraded as often as updates are offered

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dpholmstrom - 22 February 2021 8:23 PM

First thank you for your reply. The situation looks the same as what I am experiencing.
I know what the backup is of but I guess that means I do not have any files to restore data from those specific dates.
It's a significant coincidence that the dates of the files they were asking about were also in the same time frame as my problem files - wonder if there is some sort of software bug?
Your response reminded me that I should have included more information like a screen shot and version numbers so I will address those shortcomings now.

Macrium Reflect is kept updated to the latest version offered and it is set to auto upgrade.

The desktop also is upgraded as often as updates are offered

The additional information may be very helpful.  Wish I could be of more help but above my pay grade (and knowledge) .. Perhaps @jphughan will come along and have a look.  Good luck!

It's strange that the Reflect icons aren't showing up even for the actual image files, as opposed to the renamed files that have an "error_loading" extension.  It also doesn't help that the files in question aren't sorted by name.  But as I mentioned in a post I wrote in the thread that was linked above, those backups have been evicted from the set.  So essentially what seems to have happened here is that when your 2/18 backup was being created, Reflect had a problem reading at least the backup created on 2/13.  It may also have had a problem with the other backups that now show "error_loading", but even if it was just that 2/13 backup, that would have rendered all subsequent backups that existed at that point unusable if they're all Incrementals.  So Reflect renamed those backups to remove them from the set, and then your 2/18 backup was created as an Incremental of the most recent GOOD backup at that point, which was your 2/12 backup.  And from there it seems backups have carried on as normal.  So you do NOT want to try to reintroduce those "error_loading" backups into your current set.  If you had to try to salvage data from them, you'd want to copy those backups and all preceding backups in the set (but NOT any newer backups) over to some OTHER folder, then rename the "error_loading" backups to reintroduce them into the set.  And from there you could try to see what you could get out of them.  But if you don't intend to do that, then I would delete them, since they're currently just taking up space and will never be purged by the retention policy since again they're not even considered legitimate backups at this stage.  But again, you absolutely do NOT want to do that within your "active" backup destination folder.

There is no point trying to open a Reflect backup in Notepad or Word.

As to what caused the "error_loading" issue in the first place, there isn't enough information here to answer that question.  You said, "It's a significant coincidence that the dates of the files they were asking about were also in the same time frame as my problem files", but I don't know who "they" are or what these "problem files" you're referring to are.

I will add this tidbit to the above post.  Looking at your screen shot, it looks like you have one backup definition file (.XML) stored within the folder your backups are located.

The XML files are stored by default in C\Users\Users Name\ Documents\Reflect. It is not recommended to store the XML files in the same location as your backups. See this KB article:

https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/_FILE_SECURITY

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jphughan - 22 February 2021 8:42 PM

It's strange that the Reflect icons aren't showing up even for the actual image files, as opposed to the renamed files that have an "error_loading" extension.  It also doesn't help that the files in question aren't sorted by name.  But as I mentioned in a post I wrote in the thread that was linked above, those backups have been evicted from the set.  So essentially what seems to have happened here is that when your 2/18 backup was being created, Reflect had a problem reading at least the backup created on 2/13.  It may also have had a problem with the other backups that now show "error_loading", but even if it was just that 2/13 backup, that would have rendered all subsequent backups that existed at that point unusable if they're all Incrementals.  So Reflect renamed those backups to remove them from the set, and then your 2/18 backup was created as an Incremental of the most recent GOOD backup at that point, which was your 2/12 backup.  And from there it seems backups have carried on as normal.  So you do NOT want to try to reintroduce those "error_loading" backups into your current set.  If you had to try to salvage data from them, you'd want to copy those backups and all preceding backups in the set (but NOT any newer backups) over to some OTHER folder, then rename the "error_loading" backups to reintroduce them into the set.  And from there you could try to see what you could get out of them.  But if you don't intend to do that, then I would delete them, since they're currently just taking up space and will never be purged by the retention policy since again they're not even considered legitimate backups at this stage.  But again, you absolutely do NOT want to do that within your "active" backup destination folder.

There is no point trying to open a Reflect backup in Notepad or Word.

As to what caused the "error_loading" issue in the first place, there isn't enough information here to answer that question.  You said, "It's a significant coincidence that the dates of the files they were asking about were also in the same time frame as my problem files", but I don't know who "they" are or what these "problem files" you're referring to are.

Again thank you

+x

 

capair45 - 22 February 2021 8:52 PM

I will add this tidbit to the above post.  Looking at your screen shot, it looks like you have one backup definition file (.XML) stored within the folder your backups are located.

The XML files are stored by default in C\Users\Users Name\ Documents\Reflect. It is not recommended to store the XML files in the same location as your backups. See this KB article: (https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW7/_FILE_SECURITY).

Sorry but I have confused the problem by posting a screen shot collected while using the "Open Word" command. Here is the folder view and it shows the icons that you spoke of.

Sounds like I should just get rid of the defective files and the "macrium_write_test" file but it looked like you warned me not to delete files from my backup directory so I don't know of any way to accomplish their removal.
I don't remember telling Macrium where to save the Backup definition file but the article pointed to by the link in your response must have been deleted. 
Regards the Backup definition file, maybe I need to delete the "My Backup" xml file and then recreate the backup plan but first would have to find the setting that tells Macrium where to store the Backup Plan. But then there is that warning you gave me about deleting files from the backup directory.

You can delete backups that have an "error_loading" extension since they're not even considered part of the backup set anymore.  But if you ever want to delete "real" backups, the recommended way to do that is within Reflect under the Restore tab by selecting a backup and choosing Other Actions > Delete.  That mechanism means you won't have to disable Image Guardian if you use it, and it will also make sure that any backups that depend on the backup you're deleting will also get deleted.  This prevents ending up with "orphaned" backups uselessly taking up space.  And since Reflect will SHOW you any additional backups that would be deleted as a result of your original selection, you have the opportunity to see the ramifications of your selection in case that might be news to you.  That would not be the case when just deleting within Windows, so that "sanity check" can potentially save an undesired outcome.

As to your definition file, the link to the KB article I mentioned in that thread is still valid -- here it is again.  You choose the save location after you click Finish on the backup wizard.  If you check the box to save the job you just defined as an XML file, you have a name field you can specify.  To the right of that is a "..." button where you choose where to save it.  The default on a new installation is \Documents\Reflect, but that dialog remembers the last path you used.  So you may have changed that when you first defined that job.

+x

 

jphughan - 22 February 2021 9:44 PM

You can delete backups that have an "error_loading" extension since they're not even considered part of the backup set anymore.  But if you ever want to delete "real" backups, the recommended way to do that is within Reflect under the Restore tab by selecting a backup and choosing Other Actions > Delete.  That mechanism means you won't have to disable Image Guardian if you use it, and it will also make sure that any backups that depend on the backup you're deleting will also get deleted.  This prevents ending up with "orphaned" backups uselessly taking up space.  And since Reflect will SHOW you any additional backups that would be deleted as a result of your original selection, you have the opportunity to see the ramifications of your selection in case that might be news to you.  That would not be the case when just deleting within Windows, so that "sanity check" can potentially save an undesired outcome.

As to your definition file, the link to the KB article I mentioned in that thread is still valid -- here it is again.  You choose the save location after you click Finish on the backup wizard.  If you check the box to save the job you just defined as an XML file, you have a name field you can specify.  To the right of that is a "..." button where you choose where to save it.  The default on a new installation is \Documents\Reflect, but that dialog remembers the last path you used.  So you may have changed that when you first defined that job.

Thank you again, I believe I am all set now. That will be confirmed after tonight's backup runs.

Glad you're back to normal.  Let us know.