From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore a
single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...


https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch Tuesday
MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM link
did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.
--

Dennis in Cincinnati
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sat, 4/18/2026 6:53 AM, Dennis wrote:

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore a single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch Tuesday
MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM link
did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I have a copy of Macrium 7.3 here, which failed the same way after
Patch Tuesday this month.

psmounterex.sys

That is most likely to be the "Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist".

One entry I found in Google, stated that a patch with a release number
after the end of the free 8.0 , could fix this, but I'm a suspicious
person and your result seems to fall in line with my expectations.
We'll just have to wait and see if anyone with a later Macrium, is
experiencing no problems at all with their OS-level backups or mounts.

Paul
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sat, 4/18/2026 10:26 AM, Paul wrote:

On Sat, 4/18/2026 6:53 AM, Dennis wrote:

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore a
single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen saying
psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...


https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch Tuesday
MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM link
did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I have a copy of Macrium 7.3 here, which failed the same way after
Patch Tuesday this month.

psmounterex.sys

That is most likely to be the "Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist".

One entry I found in Google, stated that a patch with a release number
after the end of the free 8.0 , could fix this, but I'm a suspicious
person and your result seems to fall in line with my expectations.
We'll just have to wait and see if anyone with a later Macrium, is experiencing no problems at all with their OS-level backups or mounts.

By the way, this issue was identified in 2023. Now, three years later...

Paul


--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:53:27 -0400, Dennis wrote:

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore a single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

Getting the same error here.

I found the following link on the web...

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Tnx for that!

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch Tuesday
MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM link
did not work for me.

I've read the CONS, so not going to mess with the registry.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the effort.

But you can turn the option off, reboot, mount the image, then turn the
option back on again and then reboot?

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

That's good to know!

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I'm still using 8.0.7783, because, well, it's free. I've been using the
free version(s) for a long time. This problem might be the incentive for
me to finally give them my money, although mounting images isn't
something I do that frequently...
--
s|b
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On 4/18/2026 6:53 AM, Dennis wrote:

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore a single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch Tuesday
MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM link
did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

Use Veeam Backup. It's much better and it is still free to use.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On 4/18/2026 7:26 AM, Paul wrote:

On Sat, 4/18/2026 6:53 AM, Dennis wrote:

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore a
single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen saying
psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch Tuesday
MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM link
did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I have a copy of Macrium 7.3 here, which failed the same way after
Patch Tuesday this month.

psmounterex.sys

That is most likely to be the "Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist".

One entry I found in Google, stated that a patch with a release number
after the end of the free 8.0 , could fix this, but I'm a suspicious
person and your result seems to fall in line with my expectations.
We'll just have to wait and see if anyone with a later Macrium, is experiencing no problems at all with their OS-level backups or mounts.

Paul

Fyi...
Ace Aspire A515-51G i7-8th Gen with TPM 2.0
Win11 25H2 Pro Build/Version 26200.8246 updated with latest April patch(Security Update KB5083769)
Macrium V8.0.7783 installed (free version)
No new UEFI/BIOS updates available(last available was Mar 4 2019)

Additional info:

Core Isolation not available on this 2016 i7 8th Gen
- driver incompatibility
Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist - Is Enabled

No issues mounting *.mrimg disk images(EFI, MSR, Windows, Windows RE)
and/or restoring one or more files from images created in Jan, Feb, Mar,
Apr 2026(the latter before/after KB 5083769) via File Explorer and
Macrium UI.
--
...w-i|#-o-#-n|#
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:29:14 -0400, Rocinante wrote:

Use Veeam Backup. It's much better and it is still free to use.

Why is it much better?

(And by free, you mean: install the trial and after 30 days it's
crippled?)
--
s|b
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:16:40 +0200, "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:53:27 -0400, Dennis wrote:

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore a
single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen saying
psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

Getting the same error here.

I found the following link on the web...


https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Tnx for that!

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch Tuesday
MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM link
did not work for me.

I've read the CONS, so not going to mess with the registry.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the effort.

But you can turn the option off, reboot, mount the image, then turn the >option back on again and then reboot?

True.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

That's good to know!

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I'm still using 8.0.7783, because, well, it's free. I've been using the
free version(s) for a long time. This problem might be the incentive for
me to finally give them my money, although mounting images isn't
something I do that frequently...

I mount images more often than restoring.
--

Dennis in Cincinnati
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

Dennis <nobody@nowhere.invalid> wrote:

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:16:40 +0200, "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

[Lots deleted.]

I'm still using 8.0.7783, because, well, it's free. I've been using the >free version(s) for a long time. This problem might be the incentive for
me to finally give them my money, although mounting images isn't
something I do that frequently...

I mount images more often than restoring.

Same here. After a backup, I mount the image to access the backed up
C: partition and restore a recent file and bit-compare it to the
original. Just a simple test to verify the integrity of the image.

BTW, based on this thread I fiddled with Core Isolation and now Memory Integrity and Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection are both off
and I can't turn them back on because Memory Integrity has found an
*other* incompatible driver (OlyCamComm.sys, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP). Sigh!

Thanks, Microsoft, for issuing updates which create new problems! :-(

Yes, (for me) this is the second problem this month, the other one is
this laptop hibernating for no good reason after some short-ish time ('Hibernate after' is set to 960 Minutes / Never (On battery / Plugged
in) and the battery was at some 50%, so no 'Critical battery action' -> Hibernate.) Double sigh!

No, I don't feel better now! :-)
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On 4/18/26 1:13 PM, Zaidy036 wrote:

On 4/18/2026 11:45 AM, s|b wrote:

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:29:14 -0400, Rocinante wrote:

Use Veeam Backup. It's much better and it is still free to use.

Why is it much better?

(And by free, you mean: install the trial and after 30 days it's
crippled?)

search: Windows 11 Macrium Reflect replacement
and I get this:
AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite Free are two recommended
alternatives to Macrium Reflect for Windows 11 users, especially since Macrium Reflect's free version has been retired. Both options offer
reliable backup and restore features suitable for personal use.

But have you tried them?
I've used AOMEI, can't remember why.

When I first got Acronis, I had a simple laptop with an 80G 2.5" IDE drive. It came out
easy. I had just bought a 100G (wow 20G) larger and wanted to clone or image/reimage.
I was sure there would be no issue just unplug and plug, so I did. Boy did that give me
some level of trust. But that was really long ago and Probably Acronis 8 maybe, (now in
the 20's).
--
Linux Mint 22.3, Mozilla Thunderbird 140.9.1esr, Mozilla Firefox 149.0.2
Alan K.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

Dennis <nobody@nowhere.invalid> wrote:

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore a single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch Tuesday
MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM link
did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

Memory Integrity does just fuck up Macrium. It fucks up other software.
I use jaksta Media Recorder to snatch video streams. A while back, it
had a problem with its driver not being signed. They got around to
signing it, but then encountered a problem with Memory Integrity. Their drivers wouldn't work if Memory Integrity was enabled. Many drivers accidentally are compatible, but some have to be designed to be
compatible. Most drivers expect to access real hardware. Some won't
see Hypervisor is pretending to present virtualized hardware. Some
drivers refuse to function with faked hardware. The drivers are not incompatible with the real hardware. They're incompatible with the
faked, er, emulated, er, virtualized hardware presented to them.

https://www.sophos.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-turn-off-memory-integrity-if-its-causing-problems

Besides Macrium and jaksta, I hit other problems with Memory Integrity.
I turned it off. Memory Integrity is actually supposed to turn itself
off if an "incompatible" driver is detected, but that doesn't always
happen. Microsoft wants to tout Memory Integrity as another layer of
defense against malware, but has yet to prove it does what they claim,
or cannot be circumvented. Seems more of a case of "it could happen, so
let's design something to prevent it ... we hope". Then search the Web
on "memory integrity incompatible" to see how widespread and long the
problems have occurred, and Microsoft's solution is you disable Memory Integrity, or hope it auto-disables on detecting an incompatible driver.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On 4/18/2026 4:23 PM, Alan K. wrote:

On 4/18/26 1:13 PM, Zaidy036 wrote:

On 4/18/2026 11:45 AM, s|b wrote:

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:29:14 -0400, Rocinante wrote:

Use Veeam Backup. It's much better and it is still free to use.

Why is it much better?

(And by free, you mean: install the trial and after 30 days it's
crippled?)

search: Windows 11 Macrium Reflect replacement
and I get this:
AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite Free are two recommended
alternatives to Macrium Reflect for Windows 11 users, especially since
Macrium Reflect's free version has been retired. Both options offer
reliable backup and restore features suitable for personal use.

But have you tried them?
I've used AOMEI, can't remember why.

When I first got Acronis, I had a simple laptop with an 80G 2.5" IDE drive.-a It came out easy.-a I had just bought a 100G (wow 20G) larger and wanted to clone or image/reimage.
I was sure there would be no issue just unplug and plug, so I did.-a Boy
did that give me some level of trust.-a-a But that was really long ago and Probably Acronis 8 maybe, (now in the 20's).

Not yet.
Using Macrium Reflect 8.0.7783.0 on Win 11 Pro 24H2 and no problems
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sat, 4/18/2026 1:13 PM, Zaidy036 wrote:

On 4/18/2026 11:45 AM, s|b wrote:

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:29:14 -0400, Rocinante wrote:

Use Veeam Backup. It's much better and it is still free to use.

Why is it much better?

(And by free, you mean: install the trial and after 30 days it's
crippled?)

search: Windows 11 Macrium Reflect replacement
and I get this:
AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite Free are two recommended alternatives to Macrium Reflect for Windows 11 users, especially since Macrium Reflect's free version has been retired. Both options offer reliable backup and restore features suitable for personal use.

You still have to calibrate new-to-you backup tools.

While you are transitioning to a new tool, you should still make a disaster-image with the tool that "seemed to work" in the past.

Boris found that AOMEI was not restoring the GPU Attribute field
on a partition. He reported it to AOMEI and it was rapidly fixed.
This is the field that marks the OS-related partitions as
"critical" for automated backup purposes.

If I was shopping for a new tool, I would be checking whether
the tool could back up my mixed-use disks with EXT4 on them.
Most tools have a "response" to foreign (or unrecognized) partitions,
and doing a "dd copy" works for Microsoft Reserved for example.
Microsoft Reserved has no file system inside it.
If you do a lot of foreign partitions, "dd" images are not
all that efficient as a storage mechanism.

Clonezilla (that ncurses masterpiece), deals with a selection of
partition types, it doesn't have a mounter, but there may be
one person out there, working on something. It may take a number
of years before such is ripe. The images in that case, bear some
similarity to virtual machine containers (the unused clusters
or inodes are not copied). In the Windows ecosystem, the
backup tools offer the option of the "smart" copy where
the unused clusters are not in the backup. In Macrium there
is a switch to switch to "dd mode" (not the default) and back up
the disk in a verbatim fashion.

You can back up a disk with "dd" and compress the output, but
the unused clusters represent wasted storage in the image. Zeroing
the white space (sdelete64 or zerofree in another place) replace
random-content unused cluster content with zeros, making compression
of a dd image easier. And I wrote my own "zeros compressor" to
fit into a dd pipe, to speed up the operation (that's so the
compressor of choice doesn't waste a lot of time compressing
zeros). dd | zeroscompressor | gzip > output

But we don't resort to "dd" all that often. Usually you sink
that low when the disk is sick and you are hoping to save "most"
of it.

If you've never done image backups before, doing a "dd" backup
is your reference method, because... it works. That's how
you cover yourself against mishaps during restore-testing
with the tool you are calibrating. You will need a few spare
disks for this sort of thing (not something which is
particularly cheap at the moment).

Paul


Paul
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

Dennis wrote:

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore
a single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen
saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch
Tuesday MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM
link did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the
effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I did the same thing you did and purchased a lifetime license. I am at 8.1.8631. I have no problem listing mrimg files in explorer and opening
them by clicking on them. I have been surprised a couple of times with Macrium sending updates to my version. Using 25H2 Pro.
--
<Bill>

Brought to you from Anchorage, Alaska



--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

Bill Bradshaw wrote:

Dennis wrote:

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore
a single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen
saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...


https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch
Tuesday MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM
link did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the
effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I did the same thing you did and purchased a lifetime license. I am
at 8.1.8631. I have no problem listing mrimg files in explorer and
opening them by clicking on them. I have been surprised a couple of
times with Macrium sending updates to my version. Using 25H2 Pro.

The above was able to run Macrium 8 because I was unable to install the
April update to 25H2. On a computer where the April update is installed I
get the error so it was the last windows update that broke it. There are a lot messages regarding this on the Macrium forum and it appears it may only apply to version 8 and not 10(?) of Macrium. Hopefully Macrium will take
pity on us and come up with a fix.
--
<Bill>

Brought to you from Anchorage, Alaska


--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:59:24 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net>
wrote:

Dennis wrote:

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore
a single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen
saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...


https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch
Tuesday MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM
link did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the
effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I did the same thing you did and purchased a lifetime license. I am at >8.1.8631. I have no problem listing mrimg files in explorer and opening >them by clicking on them. I have been surprised a couple of times with >Macrium sending updates to my version. Using 25H2 Pro.

Yep. I like Macrium. I passionately hate the subscription software
model.
--

Dennis in Cincinnati
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

Bill Bradshaw <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

Bill Bradshaw wrote:

Dennis wrote:

FYI.

Yesterday I had the need to mount a Macrium image in order to restore
a single file.

When I double-clicked the .mrimg in File Explorer I got a screen
saying psmounterex.sys could not be loaded.

https://imgur.com/a/lN4ZdKk

I found the following link on the web...


https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/335035-macrium-reflect-8-driver-blocked-psmounterexsys-cause-and-workaround/

Apparently a certificate has been revoked, possibly by the patch
Tuesday MS update earlier in the week.

The MBAM registry workaround and reboot mentioned at the above MBAM
link did not work for me.

So I typed Core Isolation in the search bar and turned off Memory
Integrity and Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and rebooted.

That fixed the problem, but left me a little less secure for the
effort.

This driver problem only affected image mounting. Image backups and I
assume restores still worked.

I don't know if newer versions of Macrium are affected.

Note: I bought a lifetime license for Macrium v8 about the time that
they switched to an annual subscription model. This is why I'm still
using v8.

I did the same thing you did and purchased a lifetime license. I am
at 8.1.8631. I have no problem listing mrimg files in explorer and
opening them by clicking on them. I have been surprised a couple of
times with Macrium sending updates to my version. Using 25H2 Pro.

The above was able to run Macrium 8 because I was unable to install the April update to 25H2. On a computer where the April update is installed I get the error so it was the last windows update that broke it. There are a lot messages regarding this on the Macrium forum and it appears it may only apply to version 8 and not 10(?) of Macrium. Hopefully Macrium will take pity on us and come up with a fix.

Reflect v8 was the last one that had a free version. I paid for Reflect
v8 Home to get incremental backups included, and the Image Guardian
which prevents ransomware from moving, renaming, or delete the backup
files. A new version wouldn't do anything more for me since my hardware
has not changed. I don't need a new version that supplies an updated
driver that detects virtualized hardware is presented to it by
Hypervisor, especially since I disabled Memory Integrity for its incompatibilties with other software. Microsoft even recommends
disabling Memory Integrity, so it was a clear choice to do so.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:13:27 -0400, Zaidy036 wrote:

search: Windows 11 Macrium Reflect replacement
and I get this:
AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite Free are two recommended alternatives to Macrium Reflect for Windows 11 users, especially since Macrium Reflect's free version has been retired. Both options offer
reliable backup and restore features suitable for personal use.

I saw a YT vid explaining Hasleo Backup Suite Free. Seems like a worthy replacement.
--
s|b
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2