Macrium Reflect is a very useful software tool for creating system images on your Windows PC. Moreover, you can also use it to backup all your important files. It usually works without causing any issues on your Windows system. However, you might occasionally encounter some errors while using Macrium, and “Clone failed- Error 9” is one of the most common ones among them.
Error 9 usually occurs when you are trying to clone a drive. And, like most other software glitches, it can have innumerable causes. So, you might need to try the methods we have listed below to get an effective solution.
Macrium Reflect Error 9: Causes and Fixes
There could be a wide range of explanations for the failure of Macrium Reflect to clone your drive. So, you must consider them all while trying to fix the problem.
Are you unable to find the cause of the problem? Then, consider the following ones and apply the appropriate solutions for them:
Connection Issues with the External Storage
Macrium Reflect might show the “error 9” message due to a connection problem between your device and external drive. This is one of the most common causes behind this error. So, you must check the connection between your device and the external drive first. Only then you should move on to other solutions.
Make sure the cable you are using is connected firmly at both ends. If that does not work, try reconnecting the drive to your device. Then, try to clone your drive again and check whether the error persists. If you get the “error 9” message again, that might indicate damage to the cable. So, use a different one to get an effective solution.
The Antivirus is Interfering with the Process
Your antivirus software might often identify harmless files and apps as threats. In such cases, the program will usually block them from your computer. This annoying issue is another common cause behind the “error 9” message on Macrium Reflect. So, you must check whether your antivirus has interfered with the cloning process.
Open the antivirus app and check whether it has blacklisted Macrium Reflect. You can also simply disable the antivirus while cloning your drive. Enable it again once you are done and consider getting a different software if required.
The Target Drive has a File System Error
Macrium Reflect might fail to clone your drive due to a file system error in the target drive. In such cases, you must take the appropriate steps to fix this error. Cleaning up the target disk is a viable solution in such situations. So, you might want to try that out if the previously-mentioned methods did not work.
Clean Up the Target Disk
You have to connect the target drive to your computer to clean it up. So, you cannot proceed with this solution if there are connection issues with the drive. You must use the diskpart tool on your PC to clean up the target drive for cloning. In case you are wondering, you can find it using your Windows Start search box. Enter “diskpart” and grant permission to open this program if your device asks for it.
Enter “list disk” to bring up a list of all connected drives on your screen. Then, use the “select disk x” command and enter the disk number in place of “x”. This will select your target disk for cleaning it up. So, type and enter “clean” after that to begin the cleanup process. Wait until the process is complete, and then restart your computer. This can do the trick in fixing the “error 9” message in many cases.
Use a Different Disk
The aforementioned cleanup process must take some time to complete. Do you want an immediate solution to the error? Then, you must simply use a different drive as the target drive. Clone your drive to it, and then you can deal with the faulty disk later on.
Bad Sectors on the Source Disk
Have you been using the device drives for quite a long time? If yes, you must consider bad sectors as a possible cause of the problem. Many Macrium Reflect users have reported that bad disk sectors prevent cloning a drive.
So, this is quite a common cause behind the “error 9” message. And, you can fix it by running the CHKDSK tool. Apart from that, you can also simply opt for ignoring bad sectors in the Macrium Reflect settings.
Run the CHKDSK Tool on Windows
If you cannot complete the cloning process, the problem might often lie in the source disk. And, the CHKDSK can provide you with a very effective solution in such cases. You need to run the Command Prompt on your PC with administrator privilege to use this tool. Enter “cmd” in the Start menu search bar and click “Run as administrator”. Grant permission to your PC, if required, for opening the program.
Enter “chkdsk x: /f /r” and enter the letter of the source drive in place of “x”. Your device will then find and fix the bad sectors in the selected drive. Wait for the procedure to finish, and then exit the program. Restart your computer before you try cloning your drive with Macrium Reflect again.
Ignore the Bad Sectors
Macrium Reflect does not ignore bad sectors by default. So, you need to change its settings to ignore the bad sectors. Launch Macrium and go to its Advanced settings menu. Open the Advanced Backup Options and check the box next to “ignore bad sectors when creating images”.
What if these Solutions do not Work?
Are you unable to complete the drive cloning procedure with Macrium Reflect? Then, you can opt for creating an image of the disk instead. Click on “Image this disk” and see whether the app can complete this process. If it cannot, then you can simply use another software for cloning the drive. After all, there are many other viable disk cloning tools available out there.
