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Power Up with Windows Home Server Power Pack 2

Posted 03/25/09 at 04:44:26 PM  by Mark Edward Soper

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Microsoft releases Windows Home Server Power Pack 2 via Windows Update

Windows Home Server's latest update, Power Pack 2, is now available via Windows Update, the TechNet Windows Home Server Team Blog reports. WHS users must have Power Pack 1 installed before they can receive Power Pack 2. If you missed Power Pack 1, get it here.

Power Pack 2 fixes a number of irritating bugs left over from Power Pack 1 and the original release, and adds new features. MS MVP Philip Churchill's MS Windows Home Server blog has an excellent rundown (with screen shots) of what's new in Power Pack 2. Here are the highlights:

  • You can now view WHS shared media folders via either Vista or Windows 7 Media Center or a Media Center Extender (such as an xBox 360)
  • Media Center Extenders no longer need to use the Guest account.
  • WHS now supports MP4 audio and video files, including metadata.
  • Remote access is simpler and now includes a configuration and repair wizard.
  • WHS backups and restores are now more reliable.
  • Notification messages use fewer processor resources.
  • Vista file copies to a WHS shared folder are no longer limited to the free space on the WHS primary drive, but can be as large as all of the drives connected to WHS.
  • WHS now features a Recorded TV gallery so you can watch your TV recordings with Windows Media Center.

Before you install WHS PowerPack 2, be sure to grab the release documentation (WHS_ReleaseDocs_PP2.doc). This file, as well as documentation for the original and Power Pack 1 releases, are available here. In addition to a new features list, the documentation includes information on a registry fix needed for using the Windows Media Center Connector software with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 beta and what to do if the upgrade doesn't install automatically.

Have you tried Power Pack 2? Hit Comment and tell us what you liked best or what still needs work.

COMMENTS:3
TAGS: operating system, Software, OS, update, Windows Update, Windows Home Server, Microsoft Update, Power Pack 2
COMMENTS
avatarGreat for MP4 Streaming..

Submitted by spentnickles on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 7:20am

I was using TVersity to stream my media (MP4's reencoded with Handbrake) from my WHS out to an X360, a PS3 and other computers in my house...  It worked, but not so well when streaming to the PS3....  Ok, so I installed PP2 yesterday and WOW.  I am impressed with the streaming capability improvement...  My movies work better from the WHS standard then they do with TVersity. 

I have around 80 DVD's reencoded ranging in size from around 1.5Gb up to 2.5Gb in size, tested about 20% of them and they all worked without flaw...  Even Fast Forwarding worked - while streaming.  I'm runing a Gigabit network, WHS is Core2Duo with 4Tb of storage...  I'm not sure how I ever lived without my server...  This PP is small, but makes a good product even better...  This has got to be one of Microsoft's best products to date.

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avatarPP 2

Submitted by ajuhawk on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 4:31am

So far so good.  I've been using SageTV on the WHS for a long time now (WHS does all my recording) and that's been working great, but I may play with the new  MC integration just to see how it works.

Fixing the remote access will be good as it was 50/50 whether it would work in the past, so hopefully that will be more reliable now.

Oddly enough, I had to do my first restore on a PC Monday, right before this update, and it worked just fine.  My wife got a trojan on her computer and couldn't get rid of it, so we just restored back to before she had it and everything is good again - a very good safety net!

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avatarWelcome Upgrade

Submitted by Fixedu on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 4:34pm

I welcome this upgrade. Remote access configuration is simplified and I wish I had it with SP1 trying to make it play nice with my Linksys WRT310N UPnP. I really like the recorded TV folder and integration with Media Center, now I might use Media Center more. I have been using BTV as it supported M4v and will podcast shows for my Ipod and Iphone, now Ill try to make it play nicely with the Recorded TV folder if possible. I stream my video over the internet with webguide add-in, so I will be curious to see if the m4v will stream with it now. I have not been unfortunate enough yet to have had to use the backup restore function, but it is nice to know it is more reliable. 

I've upped my standards, now up yours!

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