MS Windows Home Server

We have some questions from our readers that we are posting here so (hopefully) you can help answer them. First off we have Jacques from Switzerland, who asks the following:

Do your PC’s wake up each night and go to sleep automatically after being backed up by WHS ?
I have three PC’s, all with Windows Vista installed. Two of the PCs do no go to sleep after the backup in the night, the third PC works fine most of the time, but once a week it does not backup. I think this problem is more related with Vista’s sleep mode rather than with Windows Home Server, but I am sure that I am not the only one with this …
Many thanks for your help

Next up is Bob Crook, who is experiencing slow transfer speeds:

I currently have two Windows Home Servers running, one pre-release and one new full version, both with Gigabit Ethernet Cards, and both connected to a Gigabit network switch.  Since it is not possible to transfer one hard drive from one WHS to another without losing data, is there any workaround that anyone has found for huge data transfers? I have noticed that I am only getting a transfer rate of around 4 megabits per second copying speed between the two servers so moving all my data is taking a long time to say the least. Is the response “Oh well” or do we pray for someone in the 10Gbe industry to produce a low cost card and switch just for us. Maybe someone can develop a USB connection device like the file transfer cables used between computers to speed up such a transfer process.

Thirdly Wm Johnston has an issue with the WHS Connector software:

I got my copy of the OEM WHS Today and have been unable to get the connector software to work no matter what I do. I have even copied it form the WHS Install CD with the same results. Is there a download version with fixes, or a work around. I beta tested and everything went great with all the different versions on my equipment. I’m at a loss why the OEM release is giving everyone so many problems.
Any help, suggestions. Thanks.

And finally Jermaine asks the following:

Do you guys know that if I buy a Media Server and put a movie onto it, would I be able to go to work, log-on to the server and be able to watch it?

There we go, four people thinking of buying a Windows Home Server system or that already have one but are having some sort of problem that require your help. Over to you!

Let’s Talk Computers which has been broadcasting computer news and reviews since 1989 has an interview with Joel Sider, Senior Product Manager for Windows Home Server, who discusses the features of WHS.

The 15 minute interview from November 10, 2007 is available for Real Audio or Windows Media Player formats from here.