By on September 10th, 2008

Senior Product Manager Talks Windows Home Server

Steven Leonard, Senior Product Manager for Windows Home Server chats with hosts John Iasiuolo and Sharon Fry on the radio talk show Java with John.

The core functionality of Home Server is discussed in this 45 minute show which is from the same people who bring you the radio talk show Computer Outlook, which is all about computers.

You can listen to it here.

Information gathered from the Windows Home Server Team Blog.

News • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 10th, 2008

Setup an Email Server on Windows Home Server

If you would like to set up an email server on your Windows Home Server which also gives you the ability to use your Microsoft given WHS hostname as your email address (yourname@xxxx.homeserver.com), then we can lead to to a guide.

hmailserver 

Joe DiFiglia lists all the steps necessary using the FREE version of the software hMailServer over at his web site computing.on.demand, which you can read here.

Tutorial • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 09th, 2008

Using WHS for Longer Term Archiving

Developer Brendan Grant has written an article highlighting that some users are using Windows Home Server for longer term archiving. e.g.to safeguard the last state of a PC before it is scrapped.

Brendan states while this is an option, there are a few areas that should be considered before relying on Windows Home Server for long term archiving, one of those being that WHS can only backup up to 10 PCs, which includes those PCs which are no longer actively being backed up.

One solution is to use Virtual PC 2007 to create a new virtual machine and virtual hard disk and store your archives their instead. If that is the route you would like to take then Microsoft’s Brendan will take you step by step through the details.

Read it here.

Tutorial • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 09th, 2008

HP MediaSmart Server Price Drop

Great news for those of you in the US wishing to purchase a MediaSmart Server. Yesterday HP announced that it is dropping the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for both models in the range, the EX470 and the EX475 of the MediaSmart Server.  You should see these price drops reflected in HP’s channel partner prices very soon.

You can now purchase the EX470 for $549.99, a $50 drop in MSRP and you can purchase the EX475 for $649.99, a $100 drop in MSRP.

News • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 08th, 2008

WHS Vail to include Windows Media Center Integration

Blog iStartedSomething has posted details that on Microsoft’s Careers sub-site a job posting has appeared for a Software Development Engineer. Within the subject matter are some good hints of what is coming up for the next major release of Windows Home Server.

On the heels of a tremendous reception by customers for version 1 of Windows Home Server, the team just released power pack 1 last week, and is beginning the planning of the next big release. To staff up a rock solid team for delivering the top notch UI for the next release, we are looking for a developer with a strong passion for slick UI. You would be responsible for designing and coding the very visible and highly confidential UI capabilities that we are adding to Windows Home Server. Just to give a couple of examples – Time Machine compete UI for backup and restore, Windows Media Center integration UI, Live Mesh integration UI etc.. are three of the top UI deliverables for our next version. Yes, we are positioning ourselves as THE backup and Media Server within the home by this release. We do not take UI lightly and have assembled a team that will bring the concept of ‘servers’ into the home with rave reception by both analysts and consumers.

SDE Vacancy

So that can we learn from this information, going through it stage by stage:

  • The team is at the planning stage for the next big release of WHS
  • A top notch slick user interface is to be delivered

And most excitably, three of the top user interface’s for the next big release are:

  • Time Machine complete UI for backup and restore
  • Live Mesh integration UI
  • Windows Media Center integration UI

“Time Machine compete UI” can be interpreted as a “Time Machine like” user interface that competes with the Time Machine user interface for backup and restore OR a Time Machine integration UI. Live Mesh integration is great news as Mesh will then be compatible with our Home Server’s and perhaps the best news, is that those that also own a Windows Media Center will have Media Center integration with Windows Home Server.

The job description above also adds that:

Yes, we are positioning ourselves as THE backup and Media Server within the home by this release.

WeGotServed also posted details that another vacancy has been posted online for a Program Manager within the Windows Home Server team. Part of the description reads:

…you will get to work with teams both inside and outside of Windows Home Server, including eHome and Windows Live teams.

This is interesting as the eHome team does the work on Windows Media Center and the Windows Live team works on Live Mesh, thus confirming what we wrote above that Live Mesh and Windows Media Center were being integrated with Windows Home Server.

The next part of the description within the vacancy states:

Windows Home Server Code Name “Vail” will be a great project to have on your future resume.

This confirms that “Vail” is the official codename of the next major release of Home Server as we stated back in February (2008).

Also mentioned is that  new connected home capabilities would include  multiple SKUs: “premium” and “basic” as we discussed in our previous post Two Versions of Windows Home Server.

Things are defiantly looking good on the WHS horizon!

Program Manager Vacancy

You can check out these vacancies if you are interested, which are based in WA – Redmond. Software Development Engineer and Program Manager.

News • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 06th, 2008

A Smarter Shared Folders on Server Icon

If your Windows Home Server is not made by HP then you have the boring plain "Shared Folders on Server" icon on the desktop. But how would you like to change it to the one that HP MediaSmart Server owners have, a picture of the MediaSmart Server itself. If you do, then your in luck because blogger Taimur Asad of redmondpie.com has packaged up the .ICO and .PNG versions of the icon into a zip package.

Once downloaded unzip and right-click on the "Shared Folders on Server" icon on the desktop and click "Properties". Click on the "Shortcut" tab and then the "Change Icon…" button. Click the "Browse…" button next to "Look for icons in this file" and navigate to the location where you unzipped the icon package you downloaded. The file you are after is "HP MediaSmart Server.ico". Once this is located you can click Open, OK and OK again to navigate out of all the open boxes.

WHS Icon Before and after

Hey presto. A smarter, better looking Home server desktop icon.

The download package can be downloaded from here.

Tutorial • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 06th, 2008

How to Install PHP5 MySQL6 on IIS6 Windows Home Server

Apart from the numerous tutorials already out there for Windows Home Server users, Wandy sae-tan has added a couple more. The first is How to install PHP 5 and MySQL6 on IIS 6 Windows Home Server and the second is How to install WordPress on IIS 6 Windows Home Server.

Tutorial • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 06th, 2008

5TB of Storage

5TB of Storage

A software engineer by the name of bryanpeabody isn’t happy with his 1.5TB of storage space on his Windows Home Server, and is planning to upgrade it to 5TB!

Read the full story here.

News • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 06th, 2008

Low Cost Nettop Suitable for WHS

Low-cost desktop computers or Nettop’s are becoming more popular and can be a good choice for a DIY Windows Home Server build.

MSI Wind PC 

The MSI Wind PC (MS-6496-06S) is one beauty featuring an Atom 1.6GHz processor on board and space for up to 2GB of RAM. Although it only has one HDD drive bay the 2nd CD/DDD bay could easily be converted with drive rails to accept a second drive and with 6 USB2 connectors, external drives can also be connected.

The barebone Wind PC can be stood vertically or laid down horizontally, due to it’s small size (65mm x 240mm x 300mm) and consumes less than 40W of power at full-speed operation.

With low acoustics and complete with integrated graphics and Gigabit LAN this Nettop is available for $150 in the US and £123 across the pond in the UK.

More information is available here.

Hardware • Windows Home Server
Full Story
By on September 05th, 2008

F-Secure Home Server Security 2009 Released

F-Secure Home Server Security 2009

F-Secure’s 2009 consumer lineup was officially launched on the 3rd September (2008) and included Home Server Security 2009. Especially designed for Windows Home Server it protects your server in real time from virus’s, spyware and other forms of malware. Accessible from within the Console it updates automatically keeping Home Server Security 2009 fully protected against new, fast-spreading viruses.

F-Secure state that great emphasis has been placed on keeping the impact that the included automatic scanning has on the performance of your data and processor to a minimum.

One Home Server licence with protection for up to 3 PCs is available for the yearly price of $49.45 is the US, £39.95 in the UK and for €65.90 Euros. If  during the purchase process you close "Your Shopping Cart" web page, a popup will appear offering 10% off the regular price with a link to access it. 

F-Secure Online Wellbeing campaign and Home Server Security 2009 support page.

F-Secure Home Server Security 2009 Console 

More information is available from here, here  and here. Note: This 3rd link offers a link to download a trial version which is currently NOT available.

Other Software • Windows Home Server
Full Story