The T7-HSA Tranquil Harmony Home Server is now shipping with the latest September (2007) updates for Windows Home Server and I must say that is a quick implementation of the patch. Well done Tranquil PC.
By the way, If you already own a Tranquil T7-HSA Home Server, the updates will be automatically applied (via Windows Update service) to your unit.
PerfectDisk 8.0 for Windows Home Server is an automatic defragger for our home server’s which we looked at here.
If you have tried the trial version and like it then we can save you some money. If you use the following coupon code that we have arranged with Raxco you save 20% off PerfectDisk for Windows Home Server as well as all products in the Raxco Software e-commerce store.
The single copy of PerfectDisk 8 for Windows Home Server is priced at $39.99, and also includes a copy of PerfectDisk 8 Professional for one of your client PCs will become $31.99 (£15.94) after the coupon code is applied, which is an $8 (£3.98) discount and the home site license which is available for $99.99, and provides a single license of PerfectDisk 8 for Windows Home Server and up to 5 licenses of PerfectDisk 8 Professional becomes only $79.99 (£39.86) a $20 (£9.96) saving.
Click “Download Now” under the “PerfectDisk 8 for Windows Home Server” heading and enter Coupon Code: MSWHS-BLOG20
This coupon code is valid through to 30 November, 2007.
We looked at Diskeeper for Windows Home Server back in August (2007), a defrag tool for our home servers. Since then Diskeeper have been in touch and have given us a download version of Diskeeper Home Server for our readers (you lucky people
). They have extended the time out period to 45 days (it usually times out after 30 days), but otherwise, it’s a full working version.
This download is Diskeeper 2007 Home Server. It has never been released to the public from their site. The final release will actually be Diskeeper Home Server 2008 which will launch in the last quarter of this year. That’s the one which will snap right into the WHS console, not to mention some killer new features and even more automation.
In the meantime enjoy this trial on us and install it directly on to the server.
After installing the latest update to Windows Home Server (941913) it asks you to re-boot, once you have, the console icon in the system tray will change to red on the client machines. On clicking on the icon a window will appear, stating that that you need to upgrade your Windows Server Connector.
You will need to click Upgrade. At this point your machine will proceeded to uninstall the ‘old’ version of the Connector software and install the updated version.
Some people are experiencing the new version not getting installed. If this is the case with you we have 3 solutions that you can try:
1) Firstly navigate within your Shared Folders to, Software, Home Server Connector Software and click on setup.exe (not WHSConnector.msi) to install the connector software.
2) If this does not work you will need to remove your existing “Windows Home Server Connector” software from add and remove programs and reinstall the new version using setup.exe from the location stated above.
3) And thirdly pjtaylor from the WHS forums had another update problem and a solution:
Within the Home Server Connector Software folder, I noticed I had two SET*.TMP files that were the same approximate sizes as the SETUP and MSI files but with newer timestamp’s (6/9 as opposed to 6/7). I renamed those accordingly, ran SETUP and all now seems to have connected okay.
So to clarify if you have two temporary (TMP) files which are similar in size to the WHSConnector.msi and Setup.exe files within your SERVER\Software\Home Server Connector Software folder this is what to do:
UPDATE: Joel Burt has stated that the Windows Home Server Team have determined the cause of this problem and are working on a resolution. In the meantime they suggest using step 3 as listed above or another option is to copy Setup.exe and WHSConnector.msi from the folder C:\WHS on the server to the “\\server\software\home server connector software” path.
Will Windows Home Server be Microsoft’s next flop? That’s the title of a blog entry on ZDNet about our loved home servers by David Berlind. I think somewhere along the line his got the wrong end of the stick..How can you compare a Linux server to Windows Home Server?
If you have some spare dosh at the ready then Microsoft are offering an online self-paced course entitled “Course 7044: Setting Up Windows® Home Server for a Consumer Technology Solution”
Taking approximately 2 hours to complete the objective is that at the end of the course, students will be able to set up Windows Home Server in a connected home.
Microsoft’s description is:
In this online course, you will learn the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively install, configure, and maintain a Windows Home Server in a Microsoft Consumer Technology solution. To begin with, you will learn how to install Windows Home Server on the dedicated home server PC. Next, you will learn how to configure the Windows Home Server PC, including setting up a data backup and restore system and troubleshooting networking issues with the Home Server. You will also learn how to maintain the other networked PCs in the Consumer Technology Solution. This online course will help you prepare for certification exam 70-625. This online course is composed of a rich multimedia experience coupled with comprehensive technical labs. This course will also help you prepare to become a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist. To get the most out of this course, it is recommended that you have a broad working knowledge of how PCs interoperate with numerous consumer electronics offerings such as Televisions, Audio Equipment, Portable devices, Peripherals, and Entertainment services found in customers’ homes.
The modules and lessons include an overview, Setting Up Windows Home Server for a Consumer Technology Solution, Installing and Configuring Windows Home Server, Maintaining Networked PCs in a Connected Home with Windows Home Server, a Managing Windows Home Server Lab and a Glossary.
The price is $39.99 (£26.29) and the subscription lasts for 3 years. Hopefully you will complete it long before then?
More details at Microsoft’s E-Learning website.
It is now available and I have just installed the 17.8MB High Priority Update for Windows Home Server. It says on the Windows Update site that this update improves the user experience during initial Windows Home Server configuration and backup and there is also a link to a Microsoft Knowledge Base article which explains that this update package improves setup and configuration of Windows Home Server-related products such as Windows Home Server Connector and Windows Home Server Remote Access. Additionally, this update package changes the way that home computer backup technologies handle network interruptions.
This update package includes the following improvements:
As you can see within the console the User Accounts Tab now has details on what you should know before adding a user account.
Resources within Settings now shows that Windows Home Server Backup & Restore has been updated to version 6.0.1500.6. All the other modules are at 6.0.1500.0, why? I am not sure. I would have thought that the others would have shown 6.01500.6 also since in the accompanying Knowledge Base article it shows at the bottom under File information all files updated to the latest version number.
After installation the update is listed on the server in Add or Remove Programs as “Update for Windows Home Server (KB941913)” when Show updates is ticked.
As with most Microsoft products, updates to Windows Home Server will be delivered throughout the lifecycle of the product and as promised the first update to Windows Home Server is due today. The update will enhance the usability and improve the out-of-the-box experience for end users. In addition to delivering the update to existing Windows Home Server customers via Windows Update, the updated software has been made available to OEM and distribution partners as well.
Windows Home Server has come a long way from its inception, and these enhancements will help people to use and enjoy the full range of the product’s features.
Functionality improvements in the update include:
The out-of-the-box experience warns users not to reboot Windows Home Server while updates are being downloaded and applied. A text message has been added to the “Windows Home Server Update” step of the home server setup explicitly instructing users to not reboot their home servers.
Windows Home Server Connector Firewall Blocking Issues. The installation of the Windows Home Server Connector software can fail due to firewall software installed on a home computer. The Windows Home Server Connector software and corresponding help files have been updated to help further identify and troubleshoot issues with firewall software or incorrect proxy server settings on home computers.
Remote Access Configuration and Troubleshooting. Remote Access configuration steps and corresponding help files have been enhanced to help a user better understand and troubleshoot issues with their home network router/firewall and broadband provider’s offering.
Users and Passwords. Based on feedback from our customers and partners we have made changes to provide additional guidance on creating user accounts and passwords on Windows Home Server. The User Accounts tab in the Windows Home Server Console has been improved to provide additional information and user education about user accounts and passwords to first-time users of the product.
Improvements in Home Computer Backup technologies. Network interruptions may occur in a home network environment because of some connectivity problems. This update enhances the backup technologies in Windows Home Server, helping customers backup a home computer if a network interruption occurs.
Using Single File Restore no longer asks users to reboot when driver is installed. The file system driver installation required to mount a backup on a user’s home computer incorrectly reports that it requires a reboot to complete installation. A text message has been added to the Opening Backup dialog to ignore the reboot request.
OEM product users are no longer asked to enter a product key during initial setup. Our OEM hardware partners pre-configure and pre-activate their offerings with a Windows Home Server product key. In the initial release, users were asked to enter a software product key, which was an unnecessary step. Customers who purchase non-OEM built systems will still be required to enter their software product key.
Well there we have it the first update for Windows Home Server. If you configured your home server to automaticly install updates from Windows Update then no user intervention is required, but if you set it to not check for updates then you will need to log on to the Console, go to Settings and on the General tab under Windows Update click Update Now.
Today we have a Podcast for you. Recorded live in August (2007) at the NRW 07 Community Conference in Germany, Microsoft MVP Frank Solinske offers his thoughts on Windows Home Server.
Add-In “Recorded TV Manager for WHS” is based on Recorded TV Manager 2. A stand-alone application designed to help manage your collection of television programs recorded from Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition and Microsoft Windows Vista (dvr-ms files).
This add-in is a different incarnation of that software which has been adapted to the WHS platform. It uses a Windows service application on the Home Server to monitor Media Center recorded TV folders and automatically move or copy content throughout your home server network.
The Beta is not yet officially released since some kinks are still being ironed out, but if you would like to try it out you can download the pre-Beta release and follow the directions on this page for installing it on WHS.
Developer Frederick J Drasch also has a video which he used for the Code2Fame Challenge which explains more about his add-in Recorded TV Manager for Windows Home Server.
