MS Windows Home Server

By Philip Churchill on April 22nd, 2009

HP MediaSmart Server EX48x – Move your iTunes Library

MediaSmarthome.com has a guide on how to move your iTunes library to your HP EX485 and EX487 MediaSmart Server.

The 3 page guide explains how to move your iTunes library over whilst retaining all your settings including album art, playlists and ratings. By following the tutorial all new music added to the library will automatically be added to the Music Share making it available to everyone on your network.

Read it here.

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By Philip Churchill on April 22nd, 2009

WHS and Media Center Integration

Pat Coddingtom from The Digital Lifestyle.com has posted his integration plan for Windows Home Server and Media Center along with his network map for his home system.

Pat’s takes us though his network and build lists for both his WHS and his Vista Windows Media Center and explains how he integrates and uses both systems, including:

A macro which launches the add-in Lights out to turn off all the lights 30 minutes after they leave the house and every evening.
To welcome guests at night the porch light is turned on if motion is detected at the front of the house and 5 minutes after motion ceases it turns off.

These are just 2 examples. You can read the full post here.

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By Philip Churchill on April 21st, 2009

Using Subsonic to Stream from WHS

If you would like to stream your music from Windows Home Server without using any third party service, then the good news is that website Computing On Demand has a guide to using the free media streamer Subsonic to accomplish this.

The comprehensive 3 page guide takes you through the easy installation and setup process of this software which can stream any audio or video format over HTTP.

You can read it here.

UPDATE: A Digital Home Blog also has details on using Subsonic with Windows Home Server which is available here.

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By Philip Churchill on April 21st, 2009

Part 3 of Securing your Windows Home Server and Network

Part 3 of the series Securing your Windows Home Server and Network is available for your reading pleasure.

In this third part the different types of Internet service provider or ISP interface service and equipment that are normally used by home and small business networks are explained. As well as the different types of Internet service provided by cable, telephone, and satellite companies.

You can read it here.

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By Philip Churchill on April 20th, 2009

Home Server and Windows Media Center Meet – Birmingham UK

The 1st UK Windows Media Center and Home Server User Group meeting takes place tomorrow evening in Birmingham.

To share knowledge about both products, there will be sessions on advanced Windows Media Center, Windows Home Server and Media Center Development as well as a good look at Windows 7.

Hardware and software will be demonstrated and to answer any questions there will be Microsoft MVPs present including myself, Andrew Edney, Terry Walsh, Andrew Cherry, Simon May and Ian Dixon.

The event will be held at the Aston Science Park in Birmingham on Tuesday April 21st from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM with free food provided. You still have time to register for this free event, which you may do so here. If your coming along, I shall see you there.

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By Philip Churchill on April 17th, 2009

Upgrade MediaSmart Server Hard Drives

Website "Scott Hanselman’s Computerzen.com" tells us how he upgraded 2 of the hard drives in his HP MediaSmart Server and how he reclaimed space from old backups.

Scott states:

“I love my Windows Home Server, it’s saved my *ss and my marriage. ;)”

Read it here.

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By Philip Churchill on April 17th, 2009

Backup the HP MediaSmart Server

Website 4Hak3rs has a guide on how to backup your HP MediaSmart Server without using tools like Acronis Backup, Driveimage XML or Ghost.

Following the details on the site enables you to have an updated partition.table and volume.image file which you can then burn to a DVD or keep on a 8GB USB key.

You can read about it here.

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By Philip Churchill on April 16th, 2009

Windows Home Server – Tweaked

Fellow MVP Drashna has published a version of Windows Home Server known as the "X:\Files Edition".

Now at version 1.4, the X:\Files Edition is basically the Power Pack 1 version of Windows Home Server with updates, drivers, add-ins and tweaks integrated into the installation media.

For example the installation image includes all Server 2003 and WHS updates, Windows Media Player 11, Internet Explorer 7 and driver packs for mass storage devices, network cards and chipset drivers amongst others. And these drivers are also present in the Restore image to enable an easier restore experience too.

Also included are 17 add-ins as well as registry tweaks and system utilities such as LLTD Responder, AnyService Installer and the Server 2003 Resource Kit, enabling a "fuller" Windows Home Server system when installed from scratch.

Drashna states that the X:Files Edition is meant solely for people with legitimate copies of Windows Home Server

More details are available from here.

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By Philip Churchill on April 16th, 2009

Building Windows Home Server

Practically Networked Logo

The site for small network builders, "Practically Networked" has an article about how to Build your own Windows Home Server which takes you through the installation stage. Next week writer Joseph Moran explains to us how to set up the client machines, add storage to the server and configure many of Windows Home Server’s key features.

You can read it here.

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By Philip Churchill on April 15th, 2009