Speed up Data Transfer to Shared Folders

When moving files to your Home Server Shared Folders you may find that Windows Explorer can be a little slow when copying or moving files or folders. That’s why in the past we have recommended a third party tool that speeds up the process over Windows.

Another program is freeware TeraCopy which does the same thing and integrates into the right-click Explorer menu. You just right click on the file you wish to copy/move and click on the TeraCopy menu item which opens up the TeraCopy interface with the file in a queue waiting for you to click on either Copy To or Move To.

TeraCopy

As well as doing the job really fast TeraCopy lets you pause a large transfer if you need your CPU for a more intensive task and if you have a problem with one of your files, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case will skip the file and not terminate the entire transfer. TeraCopy will then show you the failed file transfers and let you fix the problem and recopy only the problem files.

TeraCopy

Add-In: Tab Manager

Tab Manager 1

Developer Brendan Grant has a new add-in for us. Tab Manager displays a vertical list of all installed add-ins within Windows Home Server which saves you having a cluttered tab tool bar full of lots of add-ins.

Tab Manager 2

More info and the download are available from here.

Job Opportunity's on the WHS Team

Today Microsoft published at www.microsoft.com/jobs new Jobs that are available within the Windows Home Server Team! So if you are one to work hard and play hard, here are the details:

First offer – Lead Software Development Engineer (Redmond):
http://members.microsoft.com/careers/search/details.aspx?JobID=56B1651B-7A03-4CF9-B72D-EDDB2765C927&start=1&interval=50&SortCol=DatePosted

Second offer – Software Development Engineer in Test (Redmond):
http://members.microsoft.com/careers/search/details.aspx?JobID=1FB3B852-F02E-45F6-BEB7-0E7E0BE9CAF8&start=1&interval=50&SortCol=DatePosted

Third offer – Senior Software Development Engineer (Shanghai):
http://members.microsoft.com/careers/international/default.aspx?lang=EN&loc=CHN&job=90582387

 

Thanks to ?ukasz Foks for the info. More details are available via Windows Home Server Blog.

WHS Presentation/Demonstration in BC, Canada

If you live in or near BC in Canada then VANTUG (Vancouver Technology User Group) will be securing a visit from Kevin Beares, the Windows Home Server Community Manager in Redmond on February 4th. The Windows Home Server (WHS) Technology and Features Presentation/Demonstration starts at 6PM and Kevin (WHS Community Lead) will discuss and/or demonstrate the following:

  • Microsoft’s goals for the digital home and where WHS fits into achieving those goals
  • The technology behind WHS
  • The features of the product
  • Available pre-packaged hardware and hardware requirements if you want to “roll your own”
  • Third party extensions to WHS
  • Power Pack 1 announced at CES 2008
  • Beyond WHS V1

There will also be some great draw prizes including 40 copies of WHS (wow!) webcams and wireless mice.

Follow the following link to register.

Add-In: Advanced Admin Console

Advanced Admin Console

This is an add-In intended for advanced users that allows you to administer and have full control over your Home Server at any time. It allows to jump to the following areas of your Home Server within the Home Server Console:

  • Control Panel
  • Printers and Faxes
  • Administrative Tools
  • Start Menu
  • “My Computer” (Which really should be called “My Server” on Windows Server SKUs)
  • My Network Places
  • Workgroup
  • Network Connections

You can also launch a Command Prompt, PowerShell (if installed), Task Manager and Registry Editor from the add-in menu as well. Thus, it is unnecessary for the majority of administrative tasks to connect to your Home Server via Remote Desktop.

More info and the download are available from Andreas’ Space.

Home-Serv from Hi-Grade

Home-Serv 1000

We Got Served have details of a new range of Windows Home Server hardware, this time from Hi-Grade. The Home-Serv 1000 and 2000 are both powered by an Intel Celeron 1.8Ghz processor and come with either 512MB of memory and 2x250Gb HDD’s or 1024Mb of memory and 2x500Gb HDD’s. The Home-Serv 1000 is priced at £350 whilst the higher spec Home-Serv 2000 is priced at £450.

Home-Serv 2000

Get the specs from Hi-Grade.

The Week in Review – Sunday's Summery

What was going on this week at mswhs.com? Here’s your chance to catch-up if you missed something!

  • The French Review the HP MediaSmart Server

    Frenchman Benjamin Gauthey takes us through the setup and installation of his HP MediaSmart Server. I must say along with the details Benjamin has provided some great scrren shots. Original article in French. English version translated via Google Language Tools.

  • Video Time
    • Enthusiast site Channel 10 chats with Joel Sider from the Windows Home Server Team about the different hardware and add-ins that are available in this 5 minute video. Windows Home Server CES 2008 Update
  • The 4 Myth’s of Windows Home Server
    • Windows IT Pro has an article entitled Coming Home to Windows Home Server, Part 3 which lists the 4 myth’s of Windows Home Server. I could only find the mobile page of this article, so it lacks a few graphics.UPDATE: With thanks to Simon Butler here is the more colorful link with reader comments.…
  • Todd Headrick from the WHS team Interviewed

    Ian Dixen is back from CES with an interview from Todd Headrick from the Windows Home Server team for his Media Center Show. Todd in his 14 minute interview talks about Power Pack 1 which can be heard in this Podcast approx 25 minutes in. A iTunes and direct download link are available. […]

  • Fujitsu Siemens Product Manager talks SCALEO Home Server

    The guys over on at the German home server blog has posted (in English) an interview with the Product Manager for Fujitsu Siemens who discusses details about the SCALEO Home Server and SCALEO Power Management add-in. Read it here.

  • InformationWeek Review
    • Business technology site InformationWeek have a comprehensive review of Windows Home Server. The 6 page article discusses the features available within the software and for those of you that don’t want to go the DIY route it discusses what’s available off the rack. Finally third-party software…
  • Change your Web Site Image on the WHS Remote Access Site
    • Website Home Server Hacks have a tutorial  on changing your web site image on the Windows Home Server remote access site. Read it here.
  • The Best Network Storage for Home and Small Business
    • PC Magazine looks at the best network storage for home and small business. Included in the roundup is the HP MediaSmart Server EX470, the LaCie Ethernet Disk mini–Home Edition, the Iomega StorCenter Pro 150d (3 terabyte) and finally the NetApp StoreVault S300.We wont spoil it for you but one of…
  • Home Server from Apple – Time Capsule
    • Macworld Expo is under way in San Francisco and CEO Steve Jobs has announced Apple’s new offering which will be available from this February (2008). Time Capsule will automatically back up every Mac in the home with its large server grade hard drive and a built in Airport Express base station…
  • Windows Home Server Team Blog in 2nd Position
    • Musings, Ramblings, and the Occasional Useful Information is what The Sean Blog is all about and they currently have a list of the top 25 blogs on TechNet and MSDN. And currently at the number 2 position is the Windows Home Server Team Blog. Yahoo, open the champagne….is there a doctor in the…
  • Add-In: Windows Home Server Disk Management
    • Windows Home Server Disk Management is a new add-in which is an extension of the server storage interface, making it easier to identify the hard drives via a visual display. Seeing which drive is the system drive and the amount of data being used on each drive has now become easier. Features…
  • HP’s Opinion on the WHS Issue
    • HP emailed me yesterday with details about the Windows Home Server data corruption issue. Here’s what they had to say:On December  21st, Microsoft announced that in some situations, customers could experience data corruption/loss when using Windows Home Server. While this issue occurs only during…
  • How to turn on duplication of the backups database
    • Blogger Scott Hanselman has the details on how to turn on duplication of the backups database, which is disabled by default on Windows Home Server.Scott says that there could be a performance hit once it is enabled via a registry key and reminds us that it is totally unsupported but as he states…
  • MSDN and Windows Home Server a no-go
    • As you may be aware, discussions were underway between the the Product Group and the Subscriptions Teams regarding making Windows Home Server available to MSDN subscribers and at the time it looked promising. But unfortunately the bad news is that it will not be available as a MSDN Subscriber…
  • Data Corruption Issue Knowledge Base Article Updated
    • The Knowledge Base article from Microsoft documenting the data corruption issue has been updated. Updated on January 11th and now at revision 3.0 the latest info published is that the WHS team have now reproduced the issue which is extremely good news as now it will be easier for a fix to be worked…

The French Review the HP MediaSmart Server

Frenchman Benjamin Gauthey takes us through the setup and installation of his HP MediaSmart Server. I must say along with the details Benjamin has provided some great scrren shots.

Original article in French.

English version translated via Google Language Tools.

Video Time

Enthusiast site Channel 10 chats with Joel Sider from the Windows Home Server Team about the different hardware and add-ins that are available in this 5 minute video.

Windows Home Server CES 2008 Update

The 4 Myth's of Windows Home Server

Windows IT Pro has an article entitled Coming Home to Windows Home Server, Part 3 which lists the 4 myth’s of Windows Home Server. I could only find the mobile page of this article, so it lacks a few graphics.

UPDATE: With thanks to Simon Butler here is the more colorful link with reader comments.