YOU ARE IN: MICROSOFT WINDOWS HOME SERVER

Microsoft product manager Todd Headrick... "We designed this to solve a problem, most home users don't know their ISP, let alone their IP address, so you can't make the product too complicated..."
 

You may not have heard of Microsoft Windows Home Server - yet! But you will soon as it is the latest idea from MS and for once it is a good one! If you already have a couple of computers at home you may have considered linking them together with a network. Indeed they may already be connected if you have a BT Home Hub or a router, it may just be that they haven't yet been set up properly so that you can copy files from one computer to the other.

Microsoft have been working in strict secret on this new software for over a year and they have now released their latest Operating System / Backup Utility called Windows Home Server. It will work with any Windows operating system from 2003 upwards and its main purpose is to connect all the computers in a home or small office and make them work together and support each other. On top of that it will save you losing data when your computer hard disk goes wrong! Scroll down and we'll tell you more.

Click here to see a video of Bill Gates showing the main features of Windows Home Server

So what can you do with Windows Home Server installed on a spare computer in your home and why would you need it?

• First, your computer will back itself up each night without your having to do anything. No longer need you worry about losing all your data.
   

• Second you can play any of your sounds or videos on any of your home computers or even on your home Hi-Fi or television.
   

• Third (and this is a good one) in the future you will no longer need to read your emails on one computer. If you normally answer your emails on your laptop it may be more convenient to check your email in the study desktop computer. Until now you would have had to transfer the email to your laptop at a later date. This will soon no longer be necessary - all your emails will be available to read and reply to on all your computers!
   

• Fourth, (this is the killer)! Let's say that your hard drive has been making funny noises for ages but you have ignored it. However this time when you switch on you get the dreaded "Operating System Not Found" - your hard drive has crashed and died! All that you need to do is install a replacement drive, pop in the supplied recovery disk, then click a couple of buttons and the next morning your computer will be working again! No reinstallation of programmes or Operating System. Everything is back as it was before it went wrong. Windows Home server just restores the whole lot! That alone makes W.H.S. worth buying. W.H.S.? It means something different in the U.K. but that won't worry the mighty Microsoft. ;-)
   

• Lastly there is a wonderful facility which lets you access any of your compatable home computers from anywhere in the world! Yes we did say anywhere (on the internet). With each copy of W.H.S. comes a free web address. You type this into any browser, private or public and after entering a password find yourself looking at the same screen as you would see on your computer at home. You can run programmes, install software, answer emails or anything else that you can do now. Even switch on your TV tuner and watch BBC1 or Ch4 or any channel that you can watch at home live on your computer the other side of the world! After that you can turn your home computer off, safe in the knowledge that you can switch it on again from your remote location when needed! We'll repeat that - automatic switch on and switch off from anywhere on the internet!

Yes, we said that this was a killer system!

What do you need to get this all up and running?

Basically an older computer will do nicely with the necessary new software installed. A computer with a minimum of a 1Gig processor and half a Gig of memory will be fine - although as always a faster machine will do no harm. Most people will have a suitable machine to use already although we recommend installing new hard disks to ensure maximum reliability. You will need to be aware that all existing data on the computer will be lost before you start to install the new stuff.

Next you will need to consider where you are going to site your new home server computer. Remember it must be left switched on all the time so fan and motor noise might be an issue, also it needs to be near a point on your existing network, but it does not need to be near your internet router (although this may make installation a bit easier). Please note your server must be physically wired into your network, you can't use a wireless connection for the server. Server to router wireless connection is not supported, although your can continue to use you laptop wirelessly as you do now. We can advise on all this if required.

At HorstedKeynes.Com we intend to make Windows Home Server networking a speciality subject. We have already been on a taster course and are able to offer villagers expert help with both setup and use of this new system. One that actually looks as though it might be useful for home and business computer users. Please look back soon when we hope to be able to give you a lot more details. We bought our copy of Windows Home Server for about £70 including delivery.

We'd love to hear your thoughts or any questions that you may already have. Usual number or preferably email.

COMING SOON OUR WINDOWS HOME SERVER HELP PAGES

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