Reviewer's Guide for Windows Home Server
Microsoft Corporation Published: September, 2007 Version: 1.0a

Abstract

This Reviewer's Guide provides a detailed overview of the features and functionality of the Windows Home Server software.
Windows Home Server Reviewers Guide
The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. This White Paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. Unless otherwise noted, the companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted in examples herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.
2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, Windows Vista, and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. UPnP is a certification mark of the UPnP Implementers Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Contents

Introduction... 4 Windows Home Server Product Features... 6 Home Computer Backup and Restore... 6 Shared Folders and Server Storage... 8 Remote Access.... 11 Enabling Remote Access... 15 Testing Remote Access Connectivity... 18 Home Network Health Monitoring... 19 Media Sharing.... 20 Windows Home Server Console.. 21 Third Party Add-ins.... 23

Introduction

Windows Home Server helps families simplify the way they keep and share their documents, photos, videos, and music. Windows Home Server brings it all together for families with multiple personal computers.and music.

Protect

Windows Home Server automatically backs up your home computers. Computers and individual files can be easily restored. Additionally, computer health monitoring allows you to see the health of computers running Windows Vista in your home. You will know if your anti-virus programs and other system software are up-to-date.

Connect

Every member of the family can access what they need on the home server from another computer in the house. You can also share information with faraway friends and family through a personalized Web address, or access your own files from a computer with a Web browser when youre away from home.

Organize

Your family photos, videos and music, and other important documents are together in one central place. Folders can be created by subject or topic, so your family can stay organized and up-to-date.
You can simply connect a new hard drive to Windows Home Server as your storage needs increase. Also, application developers can create innovative Windows Home Server Add-Ins to expand the functionality of your home server. For example, Add-ins can be created for home automation, home webcams, media sharing, and home security solutions, Windows Home Server will be part of the family todayand in the future.
Windows Home Server is simple to set up and easy to use. It provides a reliable, familiar way for families to stay connected, whether theyre in the next room or across the country. The Windows Home Server Getting Started Guide provides the following information: Before you Begin o System Requirements o Network Requirements o Supported Operating Systems for Home Computers Setup o Windows Home Server Setup o Windows Home Server Connector Software Quick Configuration o User Accounts o Shared Folders o Computer Backups o Server Storage o Windows Home Server Settings Troubleshooting Product Support
Also, please refer to the Windows Home Server help files for additional details on the features and functionality of Windows Home Server.
Windows Home Server Product Features
Home Computer Backup and Restore
Windows Home Server will automatically back up your home computers to the home server and allow you to easily restore the entire computer or an individual file or folder to a previous point in time. The Windows Home Server Backup solution uses an innovative method to back up only the data that has not already been backed up before. Even if you have several copies of the same data on different computers, the data is backed up only once on your home server and your home server keeps track of what data was stored on each home computer on each day. This makes it very efficient in terms of the time it takes for backups to complete and also the amount of space that is used on your home server.
Figure 1: Computers & Backup tab in Windows Home Server Console
Automated Daily Backup of your Home Computers Computer backups are automatically configured when you install the Windows Home Server Connector software on your computers. Backup is performed on a daily basis for every configured computer. Restore an Entire Home Computer Restoring a home computer to a previous point in time is easy. If you want to restore your computer to a previous point in time, you boot the home computer from the Home Computer Restore CD. The computer will connect to your home server and provide a simple wizard for restoring a single hard drive or multiple hard drives from a backup of that computer that is stored on your home server. Restore Individual Files and Folders You can also restore individual files or folders by selecting a home computer and a specific backup of that computer from the Windows Home Server Console application. A Windows Explorer window is displayed with the files and folders that were backed up for that computer on that day. You can easily drag and drop individual files or entire folders from this Windows Explorer window and store them on your Windows Desktop or another location on your home computer.

Figure 2: Backup Settings
Shared Folders and Server Storage
Windows Home Server Drive Extender is a revolutionary new storage technology that enables you to use internal and/or external hard drives of varying sizes for additional storage on your home server. In addition, the person who administers Windows Home Server can enable Folder Duplication for specific Shared Folders on their home server, so two copies of a shared folder exist.
Figure 3: Shared Folders tab in Windows Home Server Console
Pre-Defined Shared Folders Your home server is pre-configured with the following shared folders: Photos, Music, Videos, Public, and Software. From the Windows Home Server Console you can specify the user permissions for these folders and create any number of new shared folders.
Easy to Add More Storage From the Windows Home Server Console you can add a new hard drive to your Server Storage using a simple wizard. The amount of storage available to your shared folders and home computer backups increases proportionally. The hard drives you add can be either internal or external (e.g. USB 2.0 or FireWire). Shared Folder Duplication If you have two or more hard drives in your home server, Windows Home Server helps protect against hard drive failures by ensuring that files stored in shared folders are automatically duplicated across multiple hard drives. Duplication is configurable on a per shared folder basis, so a given shared folder has two copies, with each one being stored on a separate hard drive.
Figure 4: Server Storage tab in Windows Home Server Console
What makes Windows Home Server Shared Folders and Storage unique? Allows easy addition of more hard drives As you add more hard drives to your home server, they are represented in Server Storage as a single large collection of available storage space. You no longer need to deal with E:, F:, G:, etc. drive letters as you add more hard drives. Works with both internal and external hard drives You can grow the amount of available storage by adding either internal or external (e.g. USB 2.0 or Firewire) hard drives to your home server. Shared Folder Duplication Supports reliability by duplication of designated shared folders so important data will be stored on separate hard drives helping to provide protection against hard drive failure. Duplication is configurable on a per shared folder basis, so a given shared folder can have multiple copies, with each one being stored on a separate hard drive. Easy to remove hard drives It is also easy to remove hard drives through the Windows Home Server Console. The files and folders on the hard drive are automatically moved to other hard drives in Server Storage so that over time you can remove the older, smaller hard drives.

Remote Access

After you have turned Remote Access on and configured a user account for Remote Access using the Windows Home Server Console, you can use a web browser on a computer from outside your home to access your home server and home computers remotely.

Figure 5: Remote Access Home page
There are three things a user can do from the remote access interface: Remote Access to Shared Folders Users can download files and folders, and upload one or more files to the shared folders on their home server while away from home. You can also search through the Shared Folders when you are trying to locate a specific file or files. Remote Access to Home Computers Connect remotely to the computers in your home. Run an application as if you were sitting in front of your home computer. Remotely Connect to the Windows Home Server Console If the need arises, you can access the Windows Home Server Console while away from home to add new users, add new shared folders or check the health of your home network.
Figure 6: Remote Access Shared Folders page
To connect to one of your home computers, on the Computers tab, click the name of the home computer. You can connect only a computer that is Available for connection and that is running one of the following operating systems:
Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 (SP2) Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Windows XP Tablet Edition with SP2 Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Business, or Windows Vista Enterprise
Figure 7: Remote Access Computers page
What makes Remote Access unique? Remote Access to Home Computers After logging into your home server, you can quickly connect to a home computer and run an application as if you were sitting in front of that computer. Personalized Internet Address You can register for a personalized Internet address so that you can remotely access your home server using your personalized Internet address (e.g. http://SmithFamily.HomeServer.com/home) Remote access permissions set for each user You can define up to 10 users and for each user it is easy to enable or disable the ability to remotely connect to your home server.

Enabling Remote Access

By default, Remote Access is disabled for your home server. To enable Remote Access, open the Windows Home Server Console, choose Settings, and then Remote Access. There are 3 simple steps that you need to complete to make your home server remotely accessible from outside your home. Open the Windows Home Server Console, click Settings, and then click Remote Access.
Figure 8: Remote Access Settings page
1. Ensure that Web Site Connectivity is Turned On. If it is, three network ports (80,443 and 4125) on the Window Home Server firewall are open, so that your home server accepts incoming requests from the Internet. 2. Configure your router. In this step, Windows Home Server configures the persistent port forwarding from your UPnPcertified router to your home server, as follows: Port 80: http:// web requests Port 443: https:// web requests using Secure Sockets Layer Port 4125: remote desktop proxy

3. Select a Domain Name. Choose a personalized domain name for your home server (for example, SmithFamily.homeserver.com). Click Setup to run the Domain Name Setup Wizard which prompts you to enter your Windows Live ID, and then you can select a domain name for your home server.
Important You may need to add services from your broadband provider to use Windows Home Servers remote access features. For example, you will need certain ports to be open to use these features. Some broadband providers block certain ports for customers on some service plans. Also, some broadband providers terms of service may limit or prohibit setting up and running of servers on their networks by some customers on some service plans. Make sure that your use of Windows Home Server features follows your broadband providers terms of service. Please contact your broadband provider if you have questions about their terms of service.
Windows Home Server includes a built-in dynamic DNS client feature that binds your personalized domain name to the external IP address that is assigned by your ISP.
Important You do not need to forward TCP port 3389 from your router to your home server. To remotely connect to your home computers and to the Windows Home Server Console, you only need to enable port 4125. Note Windows Home Server needs the UPnP architecture in order to automatically configure your router, but not all broadband routers properly support the UPnP architecture. The Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool checks your router to see if it supports certain technologies. You can use this tool on a computer that is running either the Windows Vista or the Windows XP operating system. The tool is available at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=100267 If your router does not pass these tests, then you need to manually forward the TCP ports (80, 443, and 4125) from your router to the IP address of your home server. For more information, see the documentation for your broadband router or visit the PortForward web site at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=100269
Next, enable Remote Access on at least one user account. User accounts that have Remote Access enabled must have a strong password. The strong-password policy requires passwords that are at least 7 characters long and that contain characters from at least three of the following four categories: Note For improved security, choose long, complex user names and long, complex passwords for your user accounts that have Remote Access enabled. Uppercase letters Lowercase letters Numbers Symbols (such as !, @, #, etc.)
Testing Remote Access Connectivity
After you configure Remote Access, test the remote connectivity from within your home and from outside of your home. Run the following tests from one of your home computers to see if Remote Access is working properly: http://<servername>/home - Connects over your home network to the Windows Home Server home page, using port 80. https://<servername>/remote - Connects over your home network to the logon page for Windows Home Server Remote Access, using a Secure Socket Layer connection on port 443.

You can run the following tests from a computer when you are outside of your home and you have access to an Internet connection. These tests check if your personalized domain name (for example, SmithFamily.HomeServer.com) is working properly: http://<yourname>.HomeServer.com/home - Connects over the Internet to your home server, using port 80. You should see the Windows Home Server home page. https://<yourname>.HomeServer.com/remote - Connects over the Internet to your home server, using port 443. You should see the logon page for Windows Home Server Remote Access.
Important Some broadband providers restrict the use of port 80, so you may find that, although you can connect to your home server by using https://, you cannot connect by using http://. Please contact your broadband provider if you have questions about their terms of service. If these tests give negative results, do the following to try to connect directly to your home server with the external IP address that your broadband provider assigns: http://<external_IP_address>/home Connects over the Internet to your home server, using port 80. You should see the Windows Home Server home page. http://<external_IP_address>/home Connects over the Internet to your home server, using port 443. You should see the logon page for Windows Home Server Remote Access.
Home Network Health Monitoring
Windows Home Server monitors its own health status and the status of your computers that are running Windows Vista, and it notifies you of any issues or problems that are found. Windows Home Server monitors the following health information: Home Computer Backups Monitors that your home computers are being backed up on a regular basis and that the backups are completing successfully. Server Storage and Shared Folder Duplication Monitors the hard drives in your home server and helps ensure that the shared folders that have enabled Folder Duplication have enough space on your hard disk drives to store two copies of the shared folder. Security Center Status for Windows Vista Collects the Security Center status from your home computers running Windows Vista and helps you centrally monitor the health status of your computers from the Windows Home Server Console. The tray application provides you with a high-level indicator of the health of your home network. The icon can change to the following colors:
Green your home network is healthy Yellow your home network is at risk Red your home server has found a critical problem Blue this computer is currently being backed up to your home server
If a problem is found, you can connect to the Windows Home Server Console to get more detailed information.

Media Sharing

Your home server is pre-configured with the following shared folders that can be used to store your media files: Photos, Music, and Videos. Additionally, these shared folders can be enabled for media streaming from the Windows Home Server Console. You can selectively turn on Media Library Sharing for each of these shared folders so that your music, photos, and/or videos can be accessible from an Xbox 360 entertainment system or another supported digital media receiver that is attached to your home network.
Figure 10: Media Sharing Settings
View Photo Slideshows from a Home PC You can store your digital photos in the Photos shared folder on your home server so you access them from your home computers or from an Xbox 360 in your home.
Stream Music in your Home Similarly, you can store your music on your home server so you can access and play it from your home computers or a digital music receiver on your home network.
Store your Videos on your Home Server Your home server can be used to store your collections of videos and recorded TV from a computer running Windows Media Center.
Windows Home Server Console
The Windows Home Server Console is the application used to configure your home server. It is not intended to be used by everyone in the household. You access the Console from any computer that has the Windows Home Server Connector software installed by double-clicking the Windows Home Server task bar icon. When you run the console application it will ask you for the home server password and then will connect to your home server.
Figure 11: Configuring User Permissions for Shared Folders
The Windows Home Server Console provides you the ability to: View the Backup Status of your Home Computers The Computers & Backup tab allows you to view the backup status and configure backups on the computers where you have installed the Windows Home Server Connector software. Configure User Accounts The User Accounts tab allows you to add up to 10 user accounts. You can change the shared folders that users have access to and enable remote access for each user. Each user will automatically be provided with a shared folder that only they (by default) have access to (e.g. \\server\users\jeff). Configure Shared Folders The Shared Folders tab allows you to add and remove shared folders and change properties of shared folders. If you have two or more hard drives in your home server, when you create a new folder, you can select Enable Folder Duplication so two copies of the shared folder will exist on separate hard drives. Configure Server Storage The Server Storage tab allows you to view, add, and remove hard drives on your home server. You can see the status of your server storage, and attempt to repair any hard drives that show a status of Unhealthy. You can also see a graphical representation of the total disk space usage on your home server. View the Health Status of your Home Network The Network Health indicator provides you with Healthy, At Risk and Critical health notifications for your home server, and your home computers. Adjust Server Settings You can change the configuration settings for your home server, such as: Windows Update settings, Computer Backup settings, Password policy, and the date and time. Additionally, you will find the ability to restart your home server.

Third Party Add-ins

Windows Home Server is based on the proven technologies of the Microsoft Windows Server operating system and is designed to be a platform upon which other solutions can be developed. Your Home Server Can Do More Windows Home Server has been designed with extensibility in mind, so that software developers can develop innovative Add-Ins, such as home web cameras, family information management software, home automation and home security solutions that work with your home server. Large Ecosystem of Software and Hardware Partners Microsoft has partners throughout the world that have built and are continuing to build new software and hardware solutions that work with Microsoft Windows software. As these partners become familiar with Windows Home Server, we will probably see solutions delivered that will enhance the usefulness and functionality of your home server.
For the latest information on Windows Home Server, please visit the product web site at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=100260 The Windows Home Server team blog is also a useful source of news, insights and information, available at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=100265

Getting Started Guide

Getting Started

Windows Home Server

Microsoft Corporation Published: June 2007

Part No. X13-75398-02

Abstract
This document contains information about installing and configuring Microsoft WindowsHomeServer. For the latest information about installing, configuring, and using WindowsHomeServer, see Release Documentation for WindowsHomeServer at the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/ fwlink/?LinkID=84725). Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the companies, organizations, products, domain names, email addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted in examples herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, email address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Server, and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Contents

Windows Home Server Overview. 5 Before You Begin. 7 System Requirements. 7 Network Requirements. 9 Supported Operating Systems for Home Computers. 10 Wireless Support. 10 Windows Home Server Media. 11 Setup. 13 Step1: Connect and Power On. 13 Step2: Complete Windows Home Server Setup. 14 Troubleshooting Setup. 17 Adding Storage Controller Drivers. 17 Adding Drivers for Your Network Card. 18 Step3: Install the Windows Home Server Connector Software. 19 Windows Home Server Quick Configuration.21 User Accounts. 22 Shared Folders. 23 Computer Backups. 24 Server Storage. 24 Windows Home Server Settings. 25 More Information. 27 Troubleshooting. 29 Product Support. 31 Windows Home Server Documentation. 31 Technical Support Information. 31 Support Options. 32
Windows Home Server Overview
The Microsoft Windows Home Server operating system helps you centralize and connect your digital things, enabling you to share, store, access, and automatically protect your most important pictures, videos, music, and files.
WindowsHomeServer provides the following: Automated backup and simple restore of your home computers. WindowsHomeServer provides you with the peace of mind you want by automatically backing up your home computers and your important files every night, making it easy to restore an entire home computer or just a file to a previous point in time. Access and share everything from anywhere. WindowsHomeServer enables you to easily and more securely access your files and home computers from inside and outside your home. You can use WindowsHomeServer to store your important files in a central location, for access anytime and anywhere. A server that grows with you. WindowsHomeServer grows with you to meet your needs, today and into the future. It is incredibly easy to add hard drives as you need more space for your pictures, videos, music, and files. WindowsHomeServer is an easy-to-use, affordable solution that enables you to unleash the power of your home network. 5

Before You Begin

Find a suitable place to put your home server before you run WindowsHomeServer Setup. The location you choose must have an available, wired network connection either to your broadband router or to a switch that is connected to your broadband router.

System Requirements

The minimum system requirements for WindowsHomeServer are moderate compared to typical modern desktop computer hardware. It is possible to repurpose an old desktop computer to run WindowsHomeServer. However, if you do this it is important that you are aware of the risks. Examples of the problems you may encounter using old hardware are as follows: Lack of support for device drivers (specifically for network and disk subsystems). WindowsHomeServer uses technologies from the Microsoft Windows Server2003 operating system, and therefore it works only with drivers that are designed for Windows Server2003. Many components for older consumer desktop computers do not work with WindowsHomeServer. Limited hard-drive lifetime. Hard drives have moving parts in them, and they operate under very tight tolerances. Every hard drive has a projected lifetime, and a hard drive from an old computer will likely fail sooner than a new hard drive. Older chipsets do not support USB2.0. This is important if you plan to use external USB hard drives as part of your server storage. The older USB standard (USB1.1) is significantly slower and less reliable for storage, and it is not supported on WindowsHomeServer. For the best experience, it is recommended that you purchase new hardware that you can dedicate to running WindowsHomeServer. For more information about hardware experiences and recommendations from other WindowsHomeServer users, see the WindowsHomeServer Community Forums at the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/ ?LinkID=83211). The following table defines the minimum hardware requirements and the recommended hardware for WindowsHomeServer. The minimum hardware requirements define the minimum hardware specification that you need to install WindowsHomeServer. The recommended hardware describes the hardware that you need for a better WindowsHomeServer experience.

Requirement CPU

Minimum 1GHz Pentium3 (or equivalent)
Recommended Pentium4, AMDx64, or newer processor. WindowsHomeServer includes a 32-bit operating system, which runs on 32-bit and 64-bit (Intel EM64T and AMD x64) architectures. Future versions of WindowsHomeServer may support 64-bit processors only, so it is recommended that you use a 64-bit compatible processor in order to make sure that you can upgrade to future versions.

RAM Hard drives

512MB 70GB internal (ATA, SATA, or SCSI) hard drive as the primary drive, and any number of additional hard drives of any capacity. The primary (system) hard drive should be as large as possible to ensure that you can copy a large number of files or multiple large files to your home server at the same time.

Same as the minimum At least two internal hard drives with 300GB as the primary (system) hard drive

Network interface card

100Mbps Ethernet network interface card
100Mbps (or faster) Ethernet network interface card from the Windows Server Catalog Web site (http://go.microsoft. com/fwlink/?LinkId=86748)
You also need the following devices in order to install WindowsHomeServer. When you are done installing it, you no longer need a keyboard, mouse, or monitor attached to your home server. You can install and use the WindowsHomeServer Console on your home computers to configure WindowsHomeServer.

Requirement DVD drive

Description Internal or external DVD drive. Your home server must be capable of booting from this internal or external DVD drive in order to install WindowsHomeServer. Follow the computer manufacturers instructions to configure the computers BIOS to boot from the DVD drive. Compatible monitor Keyboard, mouse, or other compatible pointing device

Display Other devices

Note Setup is not supported on laptops. Install WindowsHomeServer only on desktop or server hardware.

Network Requirements

To successfully use WindowsHomeServer, your home network must meet the following requirements:
Requirement Server connection Home computers
Minimum 100Mbps wired connection One or more computers that are running a supported operating system, with either a wired or a wireless network connection Broadband connection An external Internet broadband router/firewall device with 100Mbps wired Ethernet connection. Additionally, WindowsHomeServer assumes that your home computers get their IP address from the router/firewall device on your home network.
Internet connection Broadband router/ firewall device
Supported Operating Systems for Home Computers
The Windows VistaTM Operating System Windows Vista Home Basic Windows Vista Home N (European Union only) Windows Vista Home Premium Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Business N (European Union only) Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Ultimate The WindowsXP Operating System WindowsXP Home with Service Pack2 (SP2) WindowsXP Professional with SP2 WindowsXP Media Center Edition2005 with SP2 and Rollup2 WindowsXP Media Center Edition2005 with SP2 WindowsXP Media Center Edition2004 with SP2 WindowsXP Tablet Edition with SP2
The following operating systems for home computers are supported to work with WindowsHomeServer:

Wireless Support

You must use an Ethernet cable to connect your server to your broadband router or switch. Wirelessly connecting your server to your broadband router or switch is not supported. After you connect your server to your home network, home computers that are wirelessly connected to your home network can connect to your server.

Windows Home Server Media
WindowsHomeServer Installation DVD
The following media are included with WindowsHomeServer: Use this DVD to install WindowsHomeServer on your home server. WindowsHomeServer Connector Software CD Use this CD to install the WindowsHomeServer Connector software on your home computers. WindowsHomeServer Home Computer Restore CD Use this CD to restore a home computer from a backup that is located on your home server.
You can get WindowsHomeServer up and running in three easy steps: Step1: Connect and power on. Step2: Complete WindowsHomeServer Setup. Step3: Install the WindowsHomeServer Connector software.
Step1: Connect and Power On
Use a wired connection to connect your home server to your broadband router or to a switch that is connected to your broadband router. Then connect your home server to an electrical outlet. Press the power button on your home server to turn it on.
Step2: Complete Windows Home Server Setup
To complete Windows Home Server Setup
1. Disconnect any external USB or FireWire (IEEE 1394) hard drives. If Setup detects any connected USB or FireWire hard drives, it warns you to disconnect them before proceeding. You can add external hard drives to your home server after Setup is complete. 2. Boot from the Windows Home Server Installation DVD. a.Place the DVD in the DVD drive of your home server. b.Restart the computer and boot from the DVD. c.Windows Home Server Setup starts. 3. On the Welcome screen, click Next. 4. On the Load Additional Storage Drivers page, ensure that all of your hard drives appear on this page. If they do not, click Load drivers to add drivers for hard drives that do not appear on this page. For more information, see Adding Storage Controller Drivers, later in this document. Click Next. 14
5. On the Select an Installation Type page, select the Installation type as New Installation, and then click Next. 6. On the Select your Regional and Keyboard Settings page, select the format of your time and currency and select the language of your keyboard or input method, and then click Next. 7. On the End-User License Agreement page, review the End-User License Agreement. If you accept the agreement, select I accept this agreement, and then click Next. You must agree to and accept the license agreement to continue Setup. 8. On the Enter your Windows Home Server Product Key page, type your Windows Home Server product key, and then click Next. 9. On the Name Your Home Server page, type a name for your home server, and then click Next. The default name is SERVER. The name you choose can contain the following: 15 characters maximum, with no spaces Letters (at least one), numbers, and hyphens 10.Review the Formatting Hard Drives page. To continue, click the I acknowledge that all data on these drives will be lost check box, and then click Next. To confirm that you want to continue, click Yes. 11.On the Ready to install Windows Home Server page, click Start. This step may take several hours to complete. Your home server will reboot multiple times during Setup. No additional input is required from you during this time. 12.When the Windows Home Server Welcome page appears, click Next. 13.On the Windows Home Server password page, type a password, the password confirmation, and a password hint, and then click Next. This is the password that you use to configure your home server from the Windows Home Server Console. The password is case-sensitive, and it must be strong. A strong password must be at least seven characters long, and it must contain at least three of the following four character categories: Uppercase characters Lowercase characters Numbers Symbols (such as !, @, #, etc.) A password hint helps you remember the password. If you forget the password, the password hint is displayed to help you remember it, so make 15

sure you provide a helpful hint. The password hint can be seen by anybody who clicks on the link to display it. You will have to reset your server if you forget the password and the password hint does not help you remember it. 14.On the Help protect Windows Home Server automatically page, click On or Off to configure Automatic Windows Updates, and then click Next. The recommended setting is On to keep Windows Home Server uptodate. 15.On the Customer Experience Improvement Program page, determine if you want to participate in this program, click Yes or No, and then click Next. The Customer Experience Improvement Program helps improve Windows Home Server by reporting information about your computer hardware and how you use your home server. This information is collected without interrupting you. No information collected is used to identify or contact you. 16.On the Windows Error Reporting page, decide if you want to automatically send error reports to Microsoft, click Yes or No, and then click Next. 17.The Windows Home Server Setup is finished page appears, indicating that Setup is finished. If Setup did not automatically install a driver for your network card, the following message appears: Make sure your home server is connected to the network and that you have the appropriate drivers for your network card. To install the correct driver, follow the instructions in Adding Drivers for Your Network Card in Troubleshooting Setup before you shutdown your home server. 18.Click Continue to close the final Setup page. 19.Log off. 20.Shut down the computer; disconnect the keyboard, mouse, and monitor; and then restart the computer. Windows Home Server is meant to be a remotely administered device. Configure Windows Home Server from a home computer after you install the Windows Home Server Connector software. Note Some computers may not boot without an attached keyboard or monitor. See your computer documentation for BIOS settings that allow it to boot without an attached keyboard or monitor. 21.Proceed to Step 3: Install the Windows Home Server Connector Software, later in this document. 16
Note After Setup is complete, you have 30days to activate WindowsHomeServer. You will receive an activation reminder in the form of a health notification on the console within the first 30days. If you do not activate within 30days, you cannot continue to use WindowsHomeServer. You can activate WindowsHomeServer from the Resources page on WindowsHomeServer Settings.

Troubleshooting Setup

The most common issue during WindowsHomeServer Setup is storage controllers that need to have drivers manually installed. Windows includes drivers for many storage controllers, but it may not include drivers for your specific hardware. Additionally, you may need to manually install network-card drivers for your specific hardware.
Adding Storage Controller Drivers
If you have hardware that requires storage drivers that are not included with WindowsHomeServer, use the following information to complete Setup. Important WindowsHomeServer works best when each attached hard drive is accessed as an individual hard drive. Some computers and mainboards can be configured so that the hard drives are managed as RAID by the BIOS on the mainboard. For best results, you should turn off this configuration before installing WindowsHomeServer. If you see the following message during Setup, you need to manually add drivers for your storage controller: Windows Home Server Setup Error Hard drive capable of hosting Windows Home Server was not found. Would you like to load additional storage drivers? Use the following procedure to set up your home server. To manually install a storage-controller driver 1. Find the drivers for your storage controller. These are provided by the hardware manufacturer, and they might also be available on the manufacturers Web site. 2. Create a folder called DRIVERS on a floppy disk or a USB flash drive, and then copy the drivers into the folder. 3. Boot the computer from the WindowsHomeServer DVD. Make sure the floppy drive or USB flash drive is attached before you boot the computer. 4. At the WindowsHomeServer Setup Error dialog, click Yes to load the additional storage drivers. 17
5. On the Please select your drivers INF file dialog box, navigate to the INF file in the DRIVERS folder on your floppy disk or USB flash drive, select it, and then click Open. The driver loads. 6. Setup now continues normally.
Adding Drivers for Your Network Card
If you have a network card that is not supported by WindowsHomeServer, your home server will not have network connectivity after Setup completes and your home computers will not be able to connect to your home server. At the end of WindowsHomeServer Setup, you are informed if a network-card driver was not automatically installed. If a network-card driver was not installed, you need to manually install it. You can also use Control Panel (click Start, click Run, type Control), Network Connections to check if a network card is installed. If you dont see a network connection associated with the network card in your home server, you need to manually install the proper network-card driver and then reboot the server. To manually install the driver, obtain it from the manufacturer, and then follow their installation instructions. Important Restart your server after you manually install the network-card driver. The installation of the WindowsHomeServer Connector software on your home computers may fail if you do not restart your server. For the latest information about Windows Home Server issues, see Release Documentation for Windows Home Server at the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=84725).

Step3: Install the Windows Home Server Connector Software
The WindowsHomeServer Connector software does the following: Connects your home computer to Windows Home Server. Automatically backs up your home computer nightly. Monitors the health of your home computer. Enables you to configure and remotely administer WindowsHomeServer from your home computer.
To install the Windows Home Server Connector software
1. Insert the WindowsHomeServer Connector CD into a computer that is connected to your home network. The WindowsHomeServer Connector Wizard starts. 2. Complete the wizard to connect your computer to WindowsHomeServer. Run the WindowsHomeServer Connector Wizard on all of your other home computers to connect them to WindowsHomeServer. Run the wizard on one computer at a time. Note If you do not have your Connector CD, you can install the Connector software from the Software shared folder on WindowsHomeServer. 19
Windows Home Server Quick Configuration
The following are tasks that you can do as soon as WindowsHomeServer is set up and your home computers are connected. From the WindowsHomeServer Console, configure the following items: User accounts Shared folders Computer backups Server storage WindowsHomeServer Settings To learn more about configuring WindowsHomeServer, click Help on the console to open the WindowsHomeServer Console Help.

User Accounts

After you complete WindowsHomeServer Setup and install the WindowsHomeServer Connector software on all of your home computers, you are ready to add user accounts for the people in your household. User accounts are required in order to control access to the shared folders on WindowsHomeServer.

To add a user account

1. From a home computer, right-click the WindowsHomeServer tray icon, and then click WindowsHomeServer Console. 2. Type the WindowsHomeServer password, and then click Next. 3. On the WindowsHomeServer Console, click the User Accounts tab. 4. Click Add, and then complete the Add User Account Wizard. 5. Repeat for each user account that you want to add. Note When you create user accounts on Windows Home Server, use logon names that match the logon names of your existing user accounts on your home computers. Also, use the same password that you use for your existing user accounts. This makes it easier to access shared folders on WindowsHomeServer. If the user accounts and passwords do not match, you will be prompted for a user name and a password when you open WindowsHomeServer shared folders.

Shared Folders

Shared folders are places for you to organize and store files on WindowsHomeServer so that you can share them with other people on your home network. The following shared folders are created automatically on WindowsHomeServer: Photos Music Videos Software Public A personal shared folder for each user account You can easily add more shared folders to meet your needs.

To add a shared folder

1. From the WindowsHomeServer Console, click the Shared Folders tab. 2. Click Add. 3. Complete the Add a Shared Folder Wizard. Note A personal shared folder is created each time you add a new user account by using the Add User Account Wizard. By default, only this user account has access to the personal shared folder. Users can store personal files in this personal shared folder.
By default, all of the hard-drive volumes on each home computer are backed up every night after you install the WindowsHomeServer Connector software. You can customize the backup of each of your home computers from the WindowsHomeServer Console.

Computer Backups

To customize a home-computer backup
1. From the WindowsHomeServer Console, click the Computers & Backup tab. 2. Right-click the computer that you want to customize, and then click Customize Backup. 3. Complete the Backup Configuration Wizard to choose hard-drive volumes to back up and to exclude folders from the backup.

Server Storage

If you want to add more storage to WindowsHomeServer, you can add external USB2.0 hard drives, external FireWire (IEEE1394) hard drives, or internal hard drives by using the Server Storage tab on the WindowsHomeServer Console. Caution Your hard drive will be formatted when it is added to your server storage. Make sure that you copy any files that you want to save from the hard drive before adding it to your server storage. Important If you add an external USB hard drive, use a USB2.0 hard drive. Both your computer hardware and your hard drive must support USB2.0 for optimal performance. Using USB1.1 devices can cause poor performance and unpredictable results.

To add a hard drive

1. Connect or install the hard drive and power it on (if necessary). 2. From the WindowsHomeServer Console, click the Server Storage tab. 3. Under Non Storage Hard Drives, right-click the new hard drive, and then click Add. 4. Complete the Add a Hard Drive Wizard to format the hard drive and to add it to your server storage.
Caution If you want to remove an external or internal hard drive from your home server, use Remove on the console Server Storage tab. Right-click the hard drive that you want to remove, and then click Remove so WindowsHomeServer can safely move all of the files off of the hard drive before you disconnect it.
Windows Home Server Settings
Click Settings on the WindowsHomeServer Console to open the WindowsHomeServer Settings dialog box: You can use WindowsHomeServer Settings to configure the following items:

General

Configure the date and time. Configure the regional settings. Configure Windows Update. Configure Customer Experience Improvement Program. Configure Windows error reporting.

Backup

Configure the Backup Time. Configure Automatic Backup Management. Run Backup Cleanup.

Passwords

Change the WindowsHomeServer password. Configure the User Accounts Password Policy.

Media Sharing

Configure Media Library Sharing for the Music, Photos, and Videos shared folders, so that you can stream digital media from WindowsHomeServer to a device that supports Windows Media Connect.

Remote Access

Configure Web site connectivity. Configure your broadband router. Configure your domain name. Configure the settings for your WindowsHomeServer Web site.

Add-ins

Install and uninstall WindowsHomeServer Add-ins.

Resources

Activate WindowsHomeServer. View hardware information about your home server. View WindowsHomeServer version information. Learn more about WindowsHomeServer. Connect to the WindowsHomeServer Community. Contact Product Support. In addition, you can shut down WindowsHomeServer from the Settings dialog box by clicking Shut Down. For more information about WindowsHomeServer Settings, click Help on the Settings dialog box.

More Information

You can get more information about WindowsHomeServer from the following locations: Click Help on the WindowsHomeServer Console to open WindowsHomeServer Console Help. On a home computer, right-click the WindowsHomeServer task tray icon, and then click Help to open WindowsHomeServer Help. For more information about WindowsHomeServer documentation, see the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/ fwlink/?LinkID=85098). To share ideas and information with other WindowsHomeServer enthusiasts, see the Windows Home Server Community Forums Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/ ?LinkId=83211). To research troubleshooting tips, see the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/ fwlink/?LinkId=88097).

Troubleshooting

If you are having problems setting up WindowsHomeServer, make sure you do the following: Plug in and power on your home server. Connect your home server with a wired network connection to your broadband router or to a switch that is connected to your broadband router. If you are having problems setting up the WindowsHomeServer Connector software on your home computers, make sure you check the following: Connect your home computer to your home network (using either a wired or a wireless connection), and make sure the home computer is on the same logical network as WindowsHomeServer. Make sure firewall software on your home computer is not blocking access to WindowsHomeServer. If your computer has been joined to a corporate network (such as a corporate laptop), check with the corporate network administrator about the IPsec policy. This may block access from the corporate computer to WindowsHomeServer. For the latest information about WindowsHomeServer, see Release Documentation for WindowsHomeServer at the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=84725).

Product Support

Windows Home Server Documentation
To download a copy of this guide and for self-help content specific to WindowsHomeServer, see the Microsoft Web site at http://go.microsoft. com/fwlink/?LinkId=85098.
Technical Support Information
Support Information Online TTY Users http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/ ?LinkId=86561 Microsoft text telephone (TTY/ TDD) services are available at (425) 635-4948 in Washington state or (800) 892-5234 in the U.S. Call (866) 857-9850 in Canada. The support options described in this guide are available in the United States and Canada only. Support elsewhere may vary. For regional contact details, visit http://go.microsoft. com/fwlink/?LinkId=62344. If there is no Microsoft subsidiary office in your country or region, please contact the establishment from which you obtained your Microsoft product to inquire about available support. Microsofts support services are subject to then-current prices, terms, and conditions, which are subject to change without notice.

Worldwide

Conditions

Evaluation versions

Evaluation versions of this product are not supported. Visit the Windows Home Server Community Forums Web site to communicate online with others about Windows Home Server at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/ ?LinkID=83211.

Support Options

Computer manufacturers, System Builders, and Microsoft offer customers of the Windows Home Server operating system a range of service and support options. You can select the support level that best fits your particular needs. Information about each service is briefly described below.
Support Option Computer Manufacturer or System Builder Distributed If your product came installed with a new computer or device, the hardware manufacturer or system builder provides technical support and assistance for WindowsHomeServer. Please contact them directly for support. Self Support For self-help tools and content specific to WindowsHomeServer, see the Microsoft Web site at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/ ?LinkID=85678. Windows Home Server Community Forums Visit the Windows Home Server Community Forums Web site to communicate online with others about Windows Home Server at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/ ?LinkID=83211.

Benefits of Service Your hardware manufacturer or system builder has the best information for supporting WindowsHomeServer on their hardware.
WindowsHomeServer documentation Other online resources
Information about: Announcements FAQ and Known Issues Software Hardware Suggestions
Incident-based support Assisted pay-per-incident support from Microsoft. Phone support: User Support - (866) 234-6020 Developers - (800) 936-5800
Issues that cannot be resolved by other support options Microsoft specific issues
For more information on Windows Home Server, please visit: www.microsoft.com/windowshomeserver IS IT GENUINE? If you believe that the Certificate of Authenticity label or the Microsoft software you obtained with your system is not legally licensed and/or might be counterfeit, please send e-mail to Microsoft at piracy@microsoft.com, or go to www.microsoft.com/howtotell.
2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, the Windows logo, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.