Microsoft Windows Home Server - WHS will automatically backup and restore your PCs and allow you to share and access files from any machine in the house as well as giving you remote access to those files and PC’s as well. This site will guide you on your journey of discovery with WHS.
Happy Forth of July
For those of you not in the USA. Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Have a wonderful day!
Chris Gray, lead developer for Windows Home Server at Microsoft talks about centralizing television and music onto Windows Home Server using Media Center. Integrating lights and power outlets and harnessing the power of the Web are also discussed. As Chris says:
I would also like to link to a real-time weather application so that if it was going to rain, for example, then the lawn sprinklers wouldn’t turn on.
You can find the article Customize Windows Home Server here on MSDN magazine.
Due to the amount of add-ins that have been released in the last 7 days, there is a special 7 minute episode of The Home Server Show. Dubbed the 4th of July edition, show #8 looks at the latest releases for our Home Servers.
A big welcome to the new Most Valuable Professional’s (MVP’s) who join Microsoft’s network of exceptional technical community leaders, whose area of expertise is Windows Home Server.
These 4 join the existing 7, bringing the total of Windows Home Server MVP’s to 13 11 (woops! Slipped on the keyboard. Thanks Andrew). Great Stuff!!!
PC Magazine has a massive review on Home Network-Attached Storage (NAS). Many units are given the once over, including the HP MediaSmart Server EX470. From How to Choose? to So What’s Windows Home Server? All the details are available here.
The Home Server Show #7 is available for your listening pleasure. As well as the latest news, in this episode AutoExit 2008 R2 developer Nick Asseloos chats about this great add-in.
Available from here.
If you missed the Windows Home Server Add-in Webcast by HP and Microsoft then it is available for replay from here.
It was good to see what the highest rated add-ins were under the following categories:
Website Creation and Customization:
Media and Streaming:
Power Management:
Home Server Management:
The main features which are included in Power Pack 1 were discussed:
And the HP MediaSmart Server Software Update was also discussed. As we already know, to be included in this update is:
But the big news from HP is that the update will be available at the same time as Microsoft’s full public release of Power Pack 1.
The webcast ended with a special offer from New Egg, which enables you to save $75 on the purchase of a HP MediaSmart Server, which is good for either the EX470 (500GB) or the EX475 (1TB). During the checkout process enter the following code HP75MS, but hurry as the offer ends 8th July 2008.
As well as the free HP MediaSmart Webinar this Wednesday (25 June), Microsoft has announced two further webinars. The first is scheduled for July 22nd and is on digital photography with the MediaSmart Server and the other is mobile warriors with the date to be announced.
More details are available from here.
If you are testing Power Pack 1 Public Beta it is important that your bug reports (if any) go to the right place. The bug reporting form on MS Connect should be used for this, as this is the only way that the Home Server team can track and subsequently fix any issues that you bring up.
Every submitted bug report should include accompanying CAB numbers so that the Home Server team can look at the logs and try to help resolve the issue. Depending on whether you are experiencing an issue related to your home server, your home computer, or both, you need to submit the logs and the CAB numbers for your home server, your home computer, or both as well.
This CAB number can be obtained once the Windows Home Server Toolkit has been installed. More information on how to install the Toolkit, and how to get a CAB number from your home server or home computer are available from Pages 21 and 22 of the Release Documentation that is downloadable from Connect.
On thing to note is if you are using the Vista 64bit version of the Windows Home Server software then the Windows Home Server Toolkit can not be installed on it. In this case Zip the following folder and upload it with your bug.
XP Machine:
%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Home Server\logs
Vista Machine:
%SystemDrive%\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Home Server\logs
Home Server logs:
%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Home Server\logs
The Home Server Show Podcast number 6 is available with the latest in Home Server news. This weeks show details lots of great add-in’s and is available from here.
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