HP EX485/487 Memory Upgrade

If you would like to install another operating system on your ageing EX485/487 MediaSmart, then you will need to do some hardware upgrades.

EX485-487 Memory Upgrade

Fellow MVP and former HP employee Alex Kuretz has part 2 of his guide available which follows on from the CPU upgrade (in part 1) to the memory upgrade. Alex even recommends some suggested memory modules to buy  and is a great read for EX485/487 owners thinking of upgrading.

You can read Alex’s post here.

Tranquil PC Home Servers from Dabs

UK based Dabs.com will shortly stock and supply the SQA-5H Home Servers from Tranquil PC.

SQA-5H Home Server - Series 2

Tranquil PC’s SQA-5H Series 2 servers feature a high performing dual core CPU, 5 hot swappable hard drive bays, high quality design and low power consumption. The SQA-5H is the ideal option for storage and back-up in your connected home.

More details on the  SQA-5H Home Server is available from here.

Add-In: Grid Junction 1.6

The UPS management add-in Grid Junction has had an update.

Grid Junction 1.6 Events Tab

Version 1.6 includes the following changes:

  • Improved existing communication protocols
  • User interface enhancements
  • Improved scripting support with GJ client
  • Added additional UPS hardware support

Grid Junction 1.6 Actions Tab

More details on Grid Junction are available from here.

The Home Server Show Podcast Episode 132

home_server_show_small

This weeks episode of The Home Server Show podcast has Carlos Carreras from DataCore explaining about their DE replacement add-in for WHS2011 users. From beta timelines to pricing, that off course is interlaced with the weeks Home Server news and views from Dave and the guys.

You can catch episode 132 from here.

How to Make a Wooden Hard Drive Enclosure

If you require anew hard drive enclosure to backup your Home Server, then instead of buying an enclosure how about building one out of wood?

With some teak plank, ply, Perspex, wood glue, some tools and 6 hours of your time, you could make this:

Wooden Hard Drive Enclosure

Very nice!

If you are interested in making one yourself, then you can find instructions on Lifehacker.

Add-In: Remote Notification 1.5.0.7

The Advanced Alerting and Reporting add-in for Windows Home Server has had an update.

Remote Notification 1.5.0.7

Version 1.5.0.7 of Remote Notification is a minor update comprised mostly of a small bug fix plus several new statistics added to the Daily Reports.

Here is what’s new:

  • Bug: Client Health errors in Daily Reports now correctly display Red instead of Yellow
  • Feature: Client Backups “Last good backup” time in Daily Reports now displays “Never Backed Up” instead of Jan 1 1601
  • Feature: Daily Reports now display Available and Total amount of both physical memory and virtual memory
  • Feature: Daily Reports now display additional Windows Update statistics: Last installed date, Last checked for updates date, and Reboot required
  • Feature: Changes to the Remote Notification service to speed up start time

You can download this latest version from here, and existing users can find the upgrading guide here.

Devices to access your Data from Anywhere

tom’s GUIDE has a look at Plug computers, which enable you to access your data from anywhere.

Their guide looks at the TonidoPlug and PogoPlug and how you can accomplish cloud computing using a NAS, network drive or a wireless router. Or off course using Windows Home Server or Amahi Home Server.

pogoplug

An interesting read which you can find here.

SBS 2011 Training – Also Ideal for WHS2011 Users

With Small Business Server 2011 Essentials being some what similar to Windows Home Server 2011, the Official SBS (Small Business Server) Blog on TechNet has links to some great content to help learn the ins and outs of the software.

SBS 2011 Essentials Scenario Walk Through

Including Learning Bites, scenario videos and a click-thru including a technical training Labcast. Its all great learning material which you can find here.

Connector Software not Installing for Logitech Webcam Owners?

Today after installing a fresh RTM copy of WHS 2011 I came to the part where I opened the web browser to http://server/connect and downloaded the connector software for Windows, but upon installing it the following error appeared:

"Cannot connect the computer to the server because either another software installation is in progress, or, the computer has a restart pending. Either complete the installation process, or, restart the computer and try to connect again."

Umm.. A quick reboot of the computer and server but still the error appeared. A quick search on Microsoft’s WHS Forums revealed that an application on my Windows 7 PC was setting a pending reboot flag in the registry. A registry edit using the info contained in the first post here, but still the WHS client software would not install.

With Regedit still open I could see that the file name in question beside the registry change I had just changed was related to my Logitech Webcam, so this time I uninstalled the cam and upon reboot success – The software finally installed.

Who would have thought that a Logitech webcam would have stopped the connector software from installing, and I’m not the only one experiencing this.

Now that the connector software is  installed I have reinstalled the Logitech webcam software and all is working normally, so if your web cam is a Logitech and you are installing WHS2011, bookmark this post.

Samsung Said to be Selling Hard Drive Division

Today The Wall Street Journal have had inside information that Samsung Electronics Co. is considering selling its money-losing hard-disk-drive business to raise cash to invest in new growth areas.

samsung-F4EG

Samsung is looking to sell the unit for $1.5 billion, but it may consider a deal under $1 billion, with a potential buyer for the business being hard-disk maker Seagate Technology Inc.

If Samsung do depart the hard drive business this will just leave major players Seagate and Western Digital.