The home theater news site "Missing Remote" has a comparison of Windows Home Server systems. They compare a home brewed frankenstein build, in a Antec P180B chassis alongside a custom built WHS housed in a Chenbro ES34069 and a HP MediaSmart Server EX475.
The five page article goes through each configuration with a parts list and pricing details, which you can read here.
The Addin Cleanup Tool is a small handy utility that will remove add-in entries from the list of installed add-ins, that can’t be removed anymore due to a problem with uninstalling the add-in.
Normally the procedure would be to edit the registry and deleting a key, but now this tool from ASoft does the job for you and also creates a backup of what was deleted as well.
More information is available from here.
If you would you like easy to follow steps on how to configure Windows Home Server for remote access then Steven Warren has the details for you over at TechRepublic.
Read it here.
The Shuttle KPC K45 is a barebone system which could be ideal for Windows Home Server.
Available for approx $99 (£80 UK) in barebone form, the unit comes complete with case, an Intel 945GC small form factor (SFF) motherboard and a 100W power supply. You only need to supply your own CPU, memory and hard drive/s.
The motherboard can support 3 hard drives, (2 x SATA II and 1 x IDE ATA 100) and although the drive bay can only hold two of them, a third could be housed within the case at a push. Four external USB 2.0 sockets allow for further expandability.
The board can handle LGA775 processors from the Celeron D through to the Core 2 Duo and up to 2GB of DDR2 667 memory. A gigabit LAN port is provided as well as an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics adaptor
The small cube design is very energy efficient, and uses approximately 30W while idling and less than 55W under full load. Which is roughly 30W less than other systems. It is also very quiet at just 28db.
More information is available on the KPC K45 barebone from Shuttle.
As we reported back in August, the Japanese version of Windows Home Server is available in the Epson Endeavor SV110H. And here are some more shots courtesy of ubergizmo.com.
Very cute (the cats as well!) is the Endeavor. Although the SV110H can only accept a single 2.5′ hard drive, it is extendable via external USB drives. And I must say it’s very small.
IT Trainer, Community Leader and MVP Mitch Garvis has written a post regarding Windows Home Server on his blog "The World According to Mitch".
Mitch states:
“…how simple WHS is to install, use, and maintain…I am hooked on the product, but why shouldn’t I be… I’ll never have to touch it again! :)”
Give Windows Home Server – How did I ever live without it? a read.
One enterprising Home Server user has integrated Vista Media Center (VMC) and Windows Home Server (WHS) in a novel way. Within his customized white case, (which he hand sprayed himself) are mounted two Micro ATX motherboards on top of each other. One is for Vista Ultimate, and thus VMC and the other is dedicated to Home Server. Off course having 2 motherboards within the one case also requires two PSUs and this setup is accomplished with a mixture of four SATA and PATA hard drives. Three are housed in the drive bay and are for the exclusive use of WHS and the other is mounted in a box within the case for Vista’s use.
The custom setup is completed with an internal mounted miniature USB powered auto sensing hub which connects the Ethernet inputs from both motherboards to a single output. And he has also bi-wired the power and reset buttons to the front panel so the switches control both motherboards at once.
Impressive stuff! More details of the build including a 10 minute video of the project is available from here.
Developer Brendan Grant has announced that he shall cease development on his four add-ins Tab Scroller, Tab Reorder, Tab Manager and Media Connect Controller. Brendan states that those mentioned rely on unsupported and undocumented capabilities of the Windows Home Server Console, and since he now works on the WHS Team that it would be inappropriate he continue development on these particular add-ins.
Although these add-ins can still be used be aware that there will be no future revisions. Brendan also mentions that his other two add-ins are a different story. DHCP4WHS and Web Folders do not rely on any undocumented/unsupported bits of the Home Server Console and so development shall continue.
Read the full story here.
The latest Home Server Show #18 is now available. The 17 minute podcast has the latest news as well as information on the Power Pack 1 fix (KB950133) and details on the memory announcement from HP. Your host Dave reads the latest emails and also has some requests for add-ins, which the community would like to see developed.
Listen from here.
Yesterdays announcement on HP allowing memory upgrades on their MediaSmart Server’s without voiding the warranty has started some new “chatter” on the matter.
Of course the original walk through on how to upgrade the memory is available from MVP Donavon West’s site Home Server Hacks, where he details all the steps necessary to dissect the HP Server.
The Home Server Show has also posted a walkthrough but this time via a 3 part video podcast. Here is Part 1, Part 2 and the final Part 3.
Finally Windows expert Ed Bott is actually a bit disappointed by this announcement, and you can read his views here.
