By on January 08th, 2009

New Windows Home Server Hardware

New hardware partners for Windows Home Server has been announced at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas where the latest consumer electronic products are shown to the public. At the Microsoft booth at the convention center are 2 large displays with new hardware from Acer, Shuttle and VIA alongside the existing “Squash” SQA-5H from Tranquil PC and the newly announced MediaSmart Server’s from HP.

Acer will be entering the market with the Aspire Easy Store Home Server, powered by Windows Home Server.

The unit is equipped with a Intel Atom 230 Processor and has a maximum storage capacity of 4TB and space for up to four 3.5" internal hot-swappable SATA hard disk drives.

AspireEasyStore 

The model shown (TS.R360W.011) will come with 1x1GB DDR2 800 memory and 1x640GB HDD and also comes with a 6-month free trial of McAfee Total Protection Service, although other 1 drive and 2 drive models will be released including one with 2 x 640GB hard drives for the Japanese, European and Taiwan markets. The Acer Aspire Easy Store Home Server is expected to hit retail in March.

The Acer Aspire Easy Store Home Server will also include add-ins to:

  1. Save energy by scheduling standby and resume times for the server, by using the Lights Out add-in.
  2. A DLNA complaint media streaming server similar to TwonkyMedia Server.
  3. A "One-touch USB copy" button will upload data on a device connected to the front-loading USB port; the data is automatically sorted and stored by file type into designated folders.

Shuttle famous for their small form factor (SFF) PCs have 2 models which will be available from the 1st quarter of this year in the US.

Shuttle

The SH-K4500 has 2 hard drive bays and the SH-K4800 which has 3 bays. Both are powered by the Intel Celeron 450 and come with 1GB of RAM. Both models will also come with 1 x 500GB hard drive and will cost $450 and $499 respectively. Both models will be sold online at retailers like New Egg.

Via who is a pioneer in low power, high performance chipsets have 2 models in their lineup.

VIA ARTiGO A2000 - Angle View

The 2 drive bay ARTiGO A2000 which is powered by the Via C7 and the NSD-7800 which can hold up to 8 hard drives, again powered by the Via C7.

Via NSD-8000

Both units are available in the US, Europe and Asia.

Hardware • Windows Home Server
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By on January 06th, 2009

DIY Windows Home Server Diary

Glenn Sullivan is an IT professional by trade but a newbie to Windows Home Server who had been running his house off of a pair of real old servers, that is until be plugged in his kill-a-watt meter.

Running close to 400W! made him realize that he had to make a change.

Glen has been keeping a "diary" of his DIY Windows Home Server build and would like to hear your comments about how it will all work out. The rest of his parts should arrive by tomorrow and Glen’s "diary" will keep us informed on how things are set up, migrated and customized.

You can read his blog posts here.

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By on January 05th, 2009

Home Server Show Podcast #28

The Home Server Show Podcast

The Home Server Show Podcast #28 has the latest news for Window Home Server enthusiasts, and in this episode there is a discussion on the new EX485 and EX487 from Hewlett Packard.

You can listen and/or download the show from here.

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By on January 02nd, 2009

MVP Time

Another year passes and I receive an email from Microsoft congratulating me for being re-awarded as a a Windows Home Server MVP, for the second year.

Congratulations also to author Andrew Edney who has been re-awarded this year and also to the four new MVPs. Eric B Rex, editor, author, and cofounder of whshelp.com. Christopher Courtney aka drashna, a major contributor over on We Got Served. Olaf Engelke, who has been an MVP in a different discipline for a number of years and Martin Rothschink, creator of the LightsOut add-in for WHS.

On behalf of myself I would like to thank the Windows Home Server Team for re-awarding me on behalf of this site mswhs.com

Thanks to MVP Ken Warren for the details.

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By on January 01st, 2009

New Years Resolution: Back up your Home Data Regularly

On the Intel Software Network Blog today is sound information on protecting your personal and family data by making sure that you backup your data regularly. Now, if you own a Windows Home Server we have it easy because our computers are backed up every night as we are cozy in bed (unless we work shifts off course), but for those of you without a Windows Home Server make sure that you make it a New Years resolution to back up your data regularly using a product like Acronis True Image or Genie Backup Manager.

Believe me, if it hasn’t happened to you before losing your precious family photos or your collection of documents and music isn’t a nice experience. Take the easy route and purchase Windows Home Sever.

New Years Resolution: Back up your Home Data Regularly

Intel Software Network Blog

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By on January 01st, 2009

Add-In: DVD Manager 0.0.030 Alpha

The DVD Manager add-in which moves moves your Media Center recordings to your server for storage and management has been updated. Version 0.0.030 Alpha has fixed the "rips to a video file sometimes had the wrong audio track" issue and also has the following new features:

  • Re-use your old folder rips by ripping to a file from an existing folder rip.
  • If you don’t have a DVD drive inside of your WHS, now you can rip using your client PCs! The DVD Manager client installs much like the add-in for WHS but can run on your client PC and rip the DVD to the same share you set in the add-in’s preferences. Currently there isn’t way to monitor the percent complete but you can run this on as many PCs as you’d like (the log is merged on the server, so you can view that if need be), even ripping at the same time. The client also requires AnyDVD or DVD34 to decrypt the DVD and the Windows Home Server Connector software installed.

More details are available from here.

add-ins • Windows Home Server
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By on December 31st, 2008

The Year in Review 2008 – Part 2

We are more than half way through the year already and August see’s Power Pack 1 (PP1) available in German, French and Spanish. By the end of the month Windows Home Server officially launches in Japan with a Japanese version too.

In September we are asked what we would think if there was 2 versions of WHS, a “basic” household version and a “advanced” household version and what would be the user limit for each version.

Also this month a job posting for a WHS Software Development Engineer gives insight that the next version of Windows Home Server, codenamed “Vail” will include Media Center integration.

October see’s even more MVP’s join the clan. Donavon West of Home Server Hacks, newcomer Sam Wood and Alex “Yakuza” from MediaSmartServer.com.

By the end of October it is announced at PDC2008 that Live Mesh would be available within the Windows Home Server product at some time in the future (and here). Also during PDC2008 it is announced that WHS would soon be available on MSDN.

The 1st of November saw Microsoft announce a 30% price reduction on the Windows Home Server software, bringing the price down to approximately $120 in the US and £80 in the UK. Some users experience issues when upgrading the video drivers on their integrated graphics or video card that has a Nvidia chip on it . Windows Home Server is further enhanced this month too, when Microsoft releases an update which fixes six issues with the product. And finally Microsoft’s diagnostic and troubleshooting tool, the Windows Home Server Toolkit has an update.

December see’s a leak that the model names for “Encore”, (HP’s codename for the next MediaSmart Server range) could be called the EX485 and EX487 and more news comes to light that the Windows Home Server software will be available shortly to MSDN and TechNet subscribers.

Finally the end of the month, and year the end of the year and HP announce that the next generation of MediaSmart Server’s will include Mac backup, online backup and smart power management amongst many additional features.

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By on December 31st, 2008

Add-In: Grid Junction RC1

The add-in for managing an Uninterruptible Power Supply Battery Backup System via the Windows Home Server Console has been updated.

Grid Junction Script 1.3

Version 1.3 Release Candidate (RC1) of Grid Junction improves stability, performance and enhanced UPS compatibility. Also some UI changes and a "custom action" script facility has been added as well as bug fixes.

Grid Junction 1.3 Events

More details are available from here.

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By on December 31st, 2008

Add-In: My Movies for Windows Home Server 1.04

My Movies for Windows Home Server has been updated to version 1.04.  It is suggested that you upgrade as this release is mainly fixes as well as offering some minor improvements.

My Movies for WHS 1.04

My Movies for Windows Home Server:

  • Functions as a standard server for My Movies clients.
  • Includes a fully automated "Movie Disc Copier".
  • Includes a fully automated "Music Disc Copier" (CD Ripper).
  • Includes automatic monitoring of movie folders added to or already located on a WHS share.
  • Functions as a meta-data provider, without the need for a My Movies client for Microsoft DVD library, Niveus Movie Library, Open Media Library, Media Portal, and hopefully soon XBMC.

More details are available from here.

Thanks to The Home server Show for the details.

add-ins • Windows Home Server
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By on December 30th, 2008

You’ve Been Quoted

I have heard some excellent quotes this year about Windows Home Server and since we are coming to the end of the year, here are some of my favorites:

…the best little server for the working class!
Bob Robinson

…your story may be the 21st century version of the parting of the Red Sea! Perhaps Microsoft should market WHS as a modern day miracle!
Kevin Weilbacher – SBS MVP

…the simple fact is that WHS _just freakin’ works_. Without you having to do ANYTHING.
Author Charlie Russel

Windows Home Server could be better titled as "Windows’ Really Small Business Server."
Attorney Ross Kodner

And finally I shall leave you with this from Blogger Paul Hammond:

There are two types of people in the world.  Those who HAVE lost data, and those that WILL.  Which are type of person are you?

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