Posted 11/19/09 at 08:36:26 PM by Ryan Whitwam

If you run a Windows Home Server, you can look forward to November 24th when Microsoft will be releasing Home Server Power Pack 3. It will be pushed out to all current users via Windows Update. While it is a somewhat major update, it will install automatically if you have Windows Update configured to install patches itself.

Power Pack 3 makes a number of improvements to the system. Users can expect Windows 7 enhancements relating to backup and restore of Windows 7 PCs, Windows 7 Libraries integration, enhancements for Windows 7 Media Center. There will also be better support for netbook computers.

Most of the upgrades seem to Windows 7 related, but some improvements to TV recording are there as well. Recorded TV can be automatically archived on Home Server Power Pack 3. Microsoft is also including an improved console view. Overall, it looks to be a nice update. Let us know how it goes when you get it.

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Posted 10/07/09 at 08:15:45 PM by Norman Chan

Acer’s entry-level easyStore H340 gives you everything you need to attach a robust Windows Home Server to your network, with plenty of room to expand. Its technical specs edge out HP’s comparably-priced LX195—both are budget servers equipped with a 1.6GHz Atom processor, but the H340 includes 2GB of RAM and 1TB of included disk storage. The feature that really sets Acer’s offering apart, however, is the availability of four hot-swappable drive bays, meaning you can add three additional 3.5-inch SATA drives with ease. And if those aren’t enough, the H340 also has five powered USB ports and even an eSATA port for you to go nuts with expansions.

Continue reading this review after the jump.

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Posted 10/07/09 at 08:05:36 PM by Norman Chan

If you don’t need terabytes of backup space for your network, the newest member of HP’s MediaSmart family may be the right fit for you. With 640GB of storage, the LX195 makes sense if your home network consists of just two or three PCs. Like its higher-end siblings, the LX195 lets you perform Mac OS backups, though you’ll have to partition additional drive space for Time Machine. Storage capacity is the LX195’s big weakness, since there are no extra internal drive bays or eSATA ports for additional hard drives. To enable WHS’s file duplication feature or add additional storage space, you’ll have to attach external drives with USB.

The LX195’s strengths lie in its small size and low power usage. It’s no bigger than a desktop speaker, and can be hidden out of sight under your desk. Its Atom processor draws very little power (especially when idle), and we couldn’t even hear the server operate during backups.

Continue reading this review after the jump.

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Posted 09/29/09 at 04:34:18 PM by Mark Edward Soper

With Windows 7 coming down the pike in less than a month, it's time for Microsoft to update its Windows Home Server product to support new features in Windows 7, such as Libraries and image-based backup. Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 (announced in July and now available in beta via Microsoft Connect) provides the Windows 7 support Windows Home Server needs, but that's not all that's new.

Windows 7 and Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 are designed to play nicely together, thanks to updates that support Windows 7 libraries and WHS backup that's Action Center aware (so Action Center will no longer nag a Windows 7 user that backups aren't happening when WHS does its backup thing). To find out what else is new in Windows Home Server, and for the latest on when "beta" comes off the title, join us after the break.

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Posted 09/12/09 at 04:45:29 PM by Justin Kerr

It still hasn’t been formally announced yet, but if these Chinese shaky cam photos are to be believed, Asus might soon be following Acer into the Windows home server market.

The new Asus Mini TS is about 600 MHz faster than the Acer easyStore unveiled back in May, but the trade off is two fewer internal SATA slots. This drawback might not be as bad as it sounds however because it cuts down on the bulk of the device, and the 6 USB 2.0 slots, and 2 eSATA ports might actually make it a better option for some.

So far Asus hasn’t confirmed the authenticity of the photos which leads us to believe if these pictures are legit, it’s likely still in the prototype phase meaning it won’t hit store shelves until 2010. If you’re looking for a portable home server option in the future however, this might be one to watch.

Click the jump to see a full breakdown comparison between the Acer and Asus offerings.

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

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. For an overview of what's new in Power Pack 2, join us after the jump.

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Posted 01/02/09 at 04:59:36 PM by Mark Edward Soper

If you have a shiny new PC running Windows Home Server (or an old PC you've refurbished for Windows Home Server) that includes Power Pack 1 (get it here), it's time to grab a new version of the Windows Home Server Technical Brief for Media Sharing from the Microsoft Download Center.

Version 1.1 uses the Word 2007 .docx format, so if you're not running a .docx-compatible word processor, you'll need a copy of OpenOffice 3.0, or you can add the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats  to Office XP or Office 2003 installations.

So, what's new in this technical brief? Changes include

• Revised instructions for browsing for photos, music, and video from an Xbox 360; you now use My Xbox instead of the Media blade in the Xbox 360 Dashboard
• Simplified instructions for creating playlists on Windows Home Server and for working with playlists you created before moving music to Windows Home Server.

Enjoy!

Image courtesy of Tranquilpc.files.wordpress.com.
 

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Posted 09/09/08 at 03:25:41 PM by Mark Edward Soper

I Started Something's Long Zheng has figured out one of the best ways to find out what Redmond has up its sleeve: read the want ads! Right now, he notes, Microsoft is looking to improve Windows Home Server's UI in version 2 by adding Windows Media Center UI integration, Live Mesh UI Integration, and making the complete backup and restore feature in WHS more Time Machine-like (proving once again that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery). The next version of Windows Home Server is currently code-named "Vail,"  by the way.

So, what are you hoping for when Windows Home Server gets its v2 makeover? See us after the jump for your chance to chime in.

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