Small Business Specialist Pete Cullen has a mini review of the CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server add-in.

My personal favourite feature of the product is that it allows your to select and backup files on network drives, not just locally on the WHS itself.  This is a small limitation of Carbonite, which can only backup files that are stored on your local hard disk.

You can read it here.

Episode 65 of the Home Server Show podcast is out with the latest news and views. This weeks guest speaker is Timothy Daleo from usingwindowshomeserver.com on his Tech Tips on a Tuesday Morning and on a Friday Night series.

Catch it here.

Its nearly hear. Microsoft has officially announced that next Tuesday on the 24th of November Power Pack 3 will be available via Windows Update.

The release will be available in Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish and users must have Windows Home Server with Power Pack 2 already installed on their home server to receive the update.

Power Pack 3 (PP3) improves the Windows Home Server experience with both Windows 7 and Windows Media Center by providing backup and restore of computers running Windows 7, Windows 7 Libraries integration, enhancements for Windows Media Center, and better support for netbook computers.

If you missed our previous post on what’s new in PP3, here’s a refresh for you:

• Windows 7 Libraries integration
  When you install the Windows Home Server Connector and log on a computer running Windows 7, you can access the Windows Home Server shared folders from the Windows 7 libraries.
• Windows 7 Action Center backup warning suppression
  After you install the Windows Home Server Connector to enable the home server backup for your computer running Windows 7, you can suppress the Action Center warning reminding you that Windows Backup has not been set up.
• Windows 7 power settings
  You can configure your computer running Windows 7 to wake up at a scheduled backup time and then go back to sleep after the backup finishes.
• Console support for Windows 7
  Windows 7 is properly displayed as the operating system shown in the Computers & Backup tab.
• Windows Search
  Windows Search 4 is included to improve query search times, indexing times, and reliability. Extended Remote Discovery increases the efficiency of searching across all your libraries running Windows Search 4.  Files encrypted with EFS are now supported.
• TV archive
  Windows Home Server can automatically archive recorded TV by moving your recordings from a Windows Media Center computer to your home server in the format of your choice.  This enables playback in the correct format for your home computers and/or portable devices.
• Console view
  You can view information about your home server’s storage space, hard drives, backup status, and more from Windows Media Center.

Can’t wait till Tuesday, can you?

The defragmenter for our Home Servers has been updated.

Diskeeper 2010 HomeServer edition has been updated to include IntelliWrite which prevents the majority of fragmentation before it even happens and for any fragmentation that does occur, Diskeeper 2010 utilizes a powerful defragmentation engine to rapidly handle any remaining fragmentation with zero impact on system resources.

Diskeeper 2010 dramatically improves system performance from faster file reads and writes. By curtailing the excessive I/Os associated with fragmentation, wear and tear on the drive is greatly reduced, resulting in extended hardware life. Behind the scenes, free space is consolidated, further reducing the chances of future fragmentation, and the location of the most commonly used files is optimized for faster access. All of this occurs with zero impact on system resources.

Other features include:

• NEW! IntelliWrite fragmentation prevention technology
• Terabyte Volume Engine (TVE)
• Breakthrough Technology! InvisiTasking
• Real-time defragmentation
• Uncompromising file and free space defragmentation
• "Defragmentation Intelligence" enhancements
• Automatic online directory consolidation
• Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) Compatibility mode
• Boot-Time Mode
• Home Network support

Diskeeper 2010 HomeServer is available for $59.95 whilst owners of Diskeeper 2009 HomeServer  can upgrade for $35.97 saving $23.98.

More info plus a 30 day trial download is available from here.

Intel and Windows Home Server have teamed up to give you the chance to win Home Server’s, Microsoft Zune HD 16 GB digital audio players and 1 TB Western Digital Caviar Green Hard Drives.

To win you need to say how a home server would bring peace of mind to YOUR life, or why you really want one, but as a haiku.

What’s a haiku, I hear you cry?

A haiku is a three line, one stanza, traditional Japanese poem lacking rhyme and metaphor; the first line must have 5 syllables, the second line 7, and the third line 5.

So, what you waiting for, head over to Win a Home Server.com for a chance of winning some booty.

Asus have just announced the TS Mini, a Home Server which is powered by the Intel Atom N280 (1.66GHz) processor and features 2GB DDR2 memory, Gigabit Ethernet, storage space for 2 internal SATA hard drives, with 6 USB ports and 2 eSATA ports for future expansion.

Remarkably the Asus TS Mini consumes only 24.5W when idle and just 27.9W during normal use, an area which is defiantly awesome.

Added on top of the Windows Home Server software, Asus have added their own pieces of software:

WebStorage Service
The Asus TS Mini also offers users a year of free 500GB Web storage space allowing you to boost your storage or synchronize backups online for improved data security. Additionally, you can save large peer-to-peer files on the Web, and share data with user accounts worldwide.

Media Streaming
The TS mini makes it easy for you to stream photos, music, video and other digital content to various devices including TVs, computers, Media PCs, and gaming consoles—for all-around content access as well as allowing you to stream music and multimedia content through the online connection.

Xtor Manager
With the ASUS Xtor Manager, you can directly backup, synchronize and manage your files and folders between external USB and eSATA storage devices and TS mini.

ASWM Management
ASWM, real-time system health monitoring tool, helps users to monitor online and system status of TS mini, including fans, temperature, disks, drives, network, memory and CPU. Once errors occur, the system will instantly send error report to pre-configured email.

The ASUS TS mini is available for pre-order in the US in 500G and 2TB models at $349 and $529, respectively from both Amazon (1) (2) and Newegg (1) (2).

More details are available from here.

For those of you who fancy a read, here is the press release for the Asus TS Mini Home Server:

ASUS Unveils TS Mini Server for Today’s Small Office/Home Office

– Compact, energy efficient and pre-installed with Windows® Home Server, the TS Mini serves the need to access and share content on-demand –

Fremont, California (November 18, 2009) – ASUS, a worldwide leader in personal computers, today introduces the TS mini small office/home office (SOHO) server. The TS mini targets modern home and small office users that frequently exchange data from multiple computers and require access from various locations. The TS mini secures documents, multimedia, and other digital content into a sleek repository. It further safeguards data on multiple computers across the home or office with automatic backups and cloud storage. TS mini allows centralized file access with local networks, attached storage devices and remotely over the internet. Equipped with an Intel® Atom™ processor, the TS mini delivers quiet, energy efficient, always-on access. Operating on the Microsoft® Windows™ Home Server Platform, it simplifies management of digital content. The TS Mini is available now for pre-order at Amazon.com and NewEgg.com starting at $349.99 USD.

“Consumer demand for rich content that can be accessed anytime, anywhere, on any device is fueling innovation in networking and storage of media and data in the home,” said Seth Bobroff, general manager, Data Center Group – Storage, Intel Corporation. “The Intel® Atom™ processor in the TS mini enables ASUS to deliver the ability to stream media, share files and protect data while remotely accessing it, all in a sleek and energy-efficient 2-bay design.”  

“We are pleased to welcome ASUS, one of the industry’s leading PC manufacturers, to the Windows Home Server family,” said Leslie McGuire, Microsoft Director of Windows Server Marketing. “Customers tell us they want an easy and inexpensive way to store, manage and protect their digital content. ASUS helps them achieve all of that with their TS Mini Server, which includes a robust option for adding data capacity through external Web storage.” 

Easy Backup and Restoration of Home Computers

The TS mini can automatically back up data from up to 10 computers daily. With six USB and two eSATA ports, the TS mini lets users directly back up, synchronize, and manage their files across various USB and eSATA devices and the internal hard disk drive. In a recovery scenario, users can bring individual computers or the entire office back online by loading the latest recovery information saved on the TS mini.

Convenient Content Sharing and Easy Remote Access

The TS mini makes it easy for users to stream photos, music, video and other digital content to various devices including TVs, computers, Media PCs, and gaming consoles—for all-around content access. With the Remote Access feature, users outside the local network can also leverage their personal Windows Live™ account to access the TS mini and its content. Additionally, they can stream music and multimedia content through the online connection.

Large Data Capacity with Exclusive Web Storage

For additional storage capacity, the ASUS offers TS mini users a year of free 500GB storage over the Web. Users can boost their storage or synchronize backups online for improved data security. Additionally, users can save large peer-to-peer files on the Web, and share data with user accounts worldwide.

Energy-saving Features

In line with global energy-saving initiatives, the TS mini uses minimal power—consuming 24.5W when in idle mode and 27.9W during activation. The TS mini is the ideal choice for 24/7, non-stop data center operation.

Pricing

The ASUS TS mini is available in 500G and 2TB models at $349 and $529, respectively.

Specifications

ASUS HOME SERVER TS mini
CPU	Intel® Atom Processor N280 1.66GHz
Memory	1GB/2GB DDR2-800
Hard Drive	500GB/2TB, 7200 RPM
Networking	1x 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) RJ45 LAN
Interfaces	6x USB 2.0, 2x eSATA, 1x K-Lock
LED Indicators	System, HDD1, HDD2, Network status indicators
AC Power Adapter (Watt)	Output: 19V, 90W  Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
Dimensions	9.6" (H) x 3.8" (W) x 8" (D)
Weight	3.3/3.9 kg; 7.26/8.58 lbs.
Operating System	Powered by Microsoft Windows Home Server
Accessories	Quick start guide User manual AC adapter (90W) Power cord RJ45 LAN cable Software installation CD Recovery DVD Restore CD HDD screws package Warranty card

Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit www.asus.com for more details.

The latest mini-itx main board from Intel is the D510M0 which is equipped with the Intel Atom Dual Core D510 processor (2x 1.66GHz and 2x 512K cache) and the Intel NM10 Express Chipset, providing more than enough power for a Windows Home Server home build.

As well as the 2x hyper threaded 1.66GHz CPUs (4x CPUs in Task manger) the north bridge controller is on the SAME silicon as the CPUs, improving overall performance.

An early tester of the D510M0 board is Tranquil PC who had this to say:

(We) will be using this new board in numerous new PCs and Servers, including the new MiDASS series of Home Servers.  There is talk, that the board will also be made available on it’s own too.

Due to be shipped in early January 2010 by Tranquil PC the TDP is only 13W (that’s the CPU and the North Bridge) and would suggest that, with suitable air flow, the D510 can be passively cooled by the fitting of a heat sink, making a quiet Home Server solution.

More details are available from here.

Two top technology websites have reviews on the HP StorageWorks X510 2TB Server.

The re-badged EX495 MediaSmart Server for the small business user, gets great reviews with SlashGear being "impressed" and neowin saying it "is a solid unit" which "should be on your list to check out".

SlashGear’s review and neowin’s.

Australia’s APCMag.com is highlighting the new Home Server design by Intel which utilizes the Atom CPU.

The bespoke platform is specifically designed for the Windows Home Server platform and is being developed in conjunction with Gigabyte, and is known as the "Little Butte".

As well as Gigabit Ethernet and the single memory slot there is capacity for 4 x internal SATA hard drives as well as 2 x eSata ports and 4 x USB 2.0 for further expansion.

A front panel connector for a visual control panel and/or status indicators is also provided as well as an embedded switch on the rear panel which boots the server into a WinPE environment for recovery from a system crash.

More details are available from APC Magazine Online.

COMPUTERWORLD has a holiday gift idea article on storage devices.

The article looks at various devices including the Media Hub Home Entertainment Storage by Linksys, , Seagate’s DockStar and Acer’s Aspire easyStore H340 Home Server.

You can read it here.

Episode 64 of The Home Server Show podcast is up with the latest news and chat about antivirus protection on Windows Home Server, a home build in a 20 bay Norco case and lots more.

Listen in here.

The Dell Inspiron Zino HD is a small 8" by 8" desktop computer with 4 external USB 2.0 ports and 2 eSATA connectors. Comprising an Athlon Dual-Core processor and up to 8GB of RAM it is a contender for a home build Home Server, although it only has space for one internal SATA II hard disk.

With 2GB of RAM with a 1TB hard drive the unit works out as $379, although prices start at $229.

More details on the Dell Inspiron Zino HD are available from here, CruchGear also has an article on the 5 best uses for the $229 Dell Zino HD.

The ComputerTV video network takes a look at the Acer Aspire EasyStore Home Server.

In this 6 minute video, the EasyStore is taken a good look at, and is worth a look if you are thinking of purchasing one.

Website "Major Arcana" is about the rantings of 2 anime tech geeks who this week take a look at Windows Home Server and the Acer Aspire Easy­s­tore H340.

The guys give Home Server a solid 9 out of 10 and point out the products good points as well as its bad ones too, which you can read about here.

On Tuesday (10th Nov 09) Windows Home Server users were receiving the following error in their Home Network Health tab within the Console:

Windows Home Server was unable to update Windows Live Custom Domains with your current IP address. Your web site may not be available on the Internet.

This was due to a problem with the Windows Live Custom Domain service, a spokesperson for Microsoft had this to say:

Today the Live DNS service had a hiccup that prevented updates for records on the .homeserver.com domain name.  Thus if your WAN IP address changed on your router, the home server was unable to update this record, and remote access was not available.  This may have been accompanied with an alert from the home server.  If your WAN address did not change during the last 24 hours, remote access was unaffected.

The issue is now resolved and the Live DNS service is now 100% functional again.

With Windows Home Server being used more in the SOHO space, journalist Mary-Jo Foley asks:

So which should a small business user choose: Foundation or WHS?

Although Foundation Server does allow up to 15 users, it is not a “media” server as Windows Home Server is. So I know what I shall be choosing!

You can read Mary-Jo’s report here.

Microsoft employee Raymond Chen gives his experiences of Windows Home Server. From going from a "wait until it breaks, and then panic" model to an Acer Aspire EasyStore H340, Raymond now randomly selects a file from a backup just to make sure the backups are working – Which of course they are.

Website CruchGear have a review of the EX495 MediaSmart Server from HP.

HP sure knows how to make a Windows Home Server. The company has been at it for years now and the latest model does just about everything better than the previous models. That’s how it’s suppose to be.

The pros and the cons are also highlighted but best of all CruchGear are also giving you the opportunity of winning a brand new EX495.

This weeks episode of The Home Server Show podcast has a HTPC flavor to it. Speaking about HTPC, Media Center, My Movies and Media Browser as well as Windows Home Server, you can catch episode 63 here.

TwonkyMedia have put together a list of best practices for anyone wanting to share media over a home network.

The list includes network-related tips, server & storage suggestions (including Windows Home Server), digital media adapter suggestions and media related tips which are handy for any Windows Home Server user.

So head over here to have a browse.

Website lifehacker list Five Great Add-Ins to Power Up Your Windows Home Server Console.

lifehacker list their favorites, which are:

• Windows Home Server Disk Management
• AutoExit for WindowsHomeServer
• Remote Notification
• LightsOut
• Grid Junction

You can read more about them and also watch some short related videos here.

.NET developer Travis Illig is stating that a in-place upgrade for PerfectDisk doesn’t work for Windows Home Server:

PerfectDisk has a feature to "check for updates" from within the Windows Home Server console. It’s OK to use the "check for updates" feature to see if there’s an update, but do not install the update from there.

First, trying that will fail because the Windows Home Server console is open (Catch-22, eh?). Second, if you try to do the update from Windows Home Server via Terminal Services, it doesn’t quite do what you expect. I think the engine gets updated, but the console add-in doesn’t or something. Stuff gets messed up. Just don’t do it.

Travis shows us the proper sequence of events to install an update to PerfectDisk for WHS for a problem free upgrade.

You can read it here.

The Windows Home Server Blog has a short video interview with Jonas Svensson, Community Program Manager on the WHS team who tells us what his role entails as well as telling us his favorite features in Windows Home Server as well details on his two WHS machines.

Show 62 of The Home Server Show podcast with some great chat on Windows Home Server as well as Windows 7.

Get it here.

Episode 229 of The Media Center Show podcast has an interview with fellow MVP Andrew Edney about Windows Home Server, the latest hardware from HP and Lenovo, Power Pack 3 and Windows 7 including Andrew’s new book Windows 7 Tweaks, Tips and Tricks.

You can give it a listen here.

PC Pro has given the HP MediaSmart Server EX490 a recommended badge, giving it 5 out of 6 for it’s overall rating :

So while the MediaSmart EX490 gets a definite thumbs up, we suggest you take stock of your needs – and the devices on your home network – before taking the plunge. For basic home server duties a cheaper, simpler option, such as the Tranquil T2, may work just as well. But if the sophistications of the EX490 fit your home and your budget then go for it: it’s a capable and excellently designed little server.

You can read the review here.

What’s the easiest way to get your hands on a Windows Home Server?

You can either buy a commercial model or build your own and lifehacker, the website that helps you get things done smarter and more efficiently takes us through both scenarios as well as showing us how to take full advantage of the available features including add-ins of Windows Home Server.

Read it here.

What would you expect to find in a Hello Kitty doll’s house?

Perhaps an Acer H340 Windows Home Server (1) alongside a Windows 7 PC (2) and a printer (3)!

I may be a married man in my 40s, but I now want a dolls house! (for the wife of course).

Thanks to fellow MVP Yoshihiro Okabe for the pics taken at the Windows Home Server booth at ITpro EXPO 2009 in Tokyo.

The radio talk show "Computer Outlook" has Steven Leonard the Senior Product Manager on the Windows Home Server team and Jonas Svensson the Program Manager for Windows Home Server on the show chatting Windows Home Server.

From an overview to different builds with lots of questions answered too, including on Windows 7 you can find the show under 10/25/09 Java with John.

For 3 days only you can get PerfectDisk 10 Windows Home Server for 30% off, and this applies to either the single pack which also includes a license for 1 connected PC too or the site license which also includes 10 licenses for other connected PCs.

Single Pack includes 1 PerfectDisk Pro license to also defrag 1 PC in your WHS environment Normally $ 49.99 NOW $34.99 Saving $15

Site License includes 10 PerfectDisk Pro licenses to also defrag every connected PC in your WHS environment Normally $ 99.99 NOW $69.99 Saving $30

Ssssh keep this 3-day secret sales event secret, it says – Or if it was it isn’t now! Just enter code PDSECRET30 at checkout, but hurry as it expires Thursday 29th October.

More details and to order are available here.

Automated Home has a great home build article their calling the JukeBox MkII

Comprising a 2.60GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5300 on a ASUS P5Q Deluxe motherboard with 4GB of RAM and a Corsair 450W “80 Plus” PSU this build is impressive especially once you add the 8 SATA hard drives to the mix.

Read it here.

Website Paraesthesia asks the question “One year on is Windows Home Server all I thought it would be?”

The post goes through the decent parts of WHS as well as the not so decent parts. The author of the post concludes the article by asking, would I still recommend a Windows Home Server?

You can find the answer here.

Last week to coincide with the launch of Windows 7 we were offering a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate and a copy of Windows Home Server to one lucky person who sent us a tweet telling us the best thing they like about Windows 7 and WHS together as one.

Yesterday we had a marvelous piece of technology pick a winner (my wife picking a winner from a winter hat) and we would like to say congratulations to Brian Coats, the winner of both Windows 7 and a copy of Windows Home Server. We have been in contact with Brian and both pieces of software are in the post to him today – Well done!

With all the latest Windows Home Server news and views this weeks episode is also on Windows 7.

Catch show #61 here.

Another review of the MediaSmart EX495 from HP, this time courtesy of Gizmodo.

The review explains what the unit still does compared with the EX48x range and what it does even better.

Read it here.

Photography website PhotoDoto is giving away a HP MediaSmart EX490 Server.

All you need to do is leave a comment to their post explaining how you would use the MediaSmart server, but make sure you do before the competition ends on the 6th November.

More details and the rules are here.

With Windows 7 being officially available today we wanted to treat you to something special.

So if you have not got yourself a copy of Windows 7 yet or you haven’t got a copy of Windows Home Server (What!) then we have a copy of both up for grabs, both courtesy of our friends at Microsoft HQ. And the copy of Windows 7 is the Ultimate build with both the 32 and 64-bit versions, full version NOT upgrade.

One lucky person can win both by telling us the best thing you like about Windows 7 and WHS together as one.

To enter follow us on Twitter and send us a Tweet with your answer, re-tweeting about this competition with a link to this post will give you an extra 2 free entries – Let the Twittering commence!

One winner will be announced Sunday 25th October, competition closes Midnight Saturday 24th October, comments left to this post below will not be entered, Tweeting and re-tweeting is the only method of entry.

Today’s a big day as Windows 7 has hit General Availability (GA) and is now available for purchase by the masses.

Windows 7 includes an improved Backup and Restore Center, which integrates well with Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 (PP3), with Home Server being the best way to backup off course as its a setup and forget routine instead of a manual backup process.

Although currently in beta, PP3 will suppress the Windows 7 Action Center Backup warnings and you will no longer receive a notification to back up your computer when its being handled by WHS.

PP3 also adds the Music, Photos and Videos shared folders on your home server to Windows 7 Libraries making the content available in Windows Explorer, Windows Media Center, Windows Media Player and other applications that use Windows 7 Libraries. This allows you to quickly access all your content in one organized place that is always available, searchable and expandable. You can also search a specific library without having to know where the files are stored.

And remember if you are doing an upgrade to Windows 7 make sure that you do a manual backup of your PC from within the Windows Home Server console, Computers & Backup, Backup Now and naming the backup something like "Pre 7 Backup".

P.S. If you would like to watch the live Windows 7 launch event from New York with Steve Ballmer it will be available from here today (Oct 22) at 8 a.m. PDT/11:00 a.m. EDT

Tech writer Bob Rankin asks the question Is Your Hard Drive Dying?

Although not specifically written for Windows Home Server his post is good reading as it highlights the signs to watch out for for WHEN* your  hard drive is about to fail, whether it is in your Home Server, your client PC or some other place.

Bob’s post is available to read here.

*Notice we used the word WHEN and not IF, because ALL hard drives DO eventually fail – Another reason to make sure that you have a Windows Home Server automatically backing up your computers every evening.