windows-home-server interview questions
Top windows-home-server frequently asked interview questions
Can anyone suggest a good solution for sharing media resources in the home environment for a family of 5. Hardware currently in the home includes -
- Windows Home Server
- 4 Laptops
- 1 desktop
- 3 xbox 360's
- 3 mobiles
Network connections include a 40Mb (getting 37Mb) FTTC internet connection.
The hardware is spread across -
- Living Room, TV and 360
- Conservatory, TV and 360
- Dining Room, Nothing, need something to stream to here
- Main bedroom, TV (need something to stream to here)
- 13 yo Daughters bedroom, TV (need something to stream to here)
- 10 yo sons bedroom, TV, 360
- 4 yo sons bedroom, TV (need something to stream to here)
- Office, desktop PC, need to be able to stream to here
What I'm looking for is a way to get all the music and dvd's onto the Windows Home Server, which I've already found software to do. Then I want to be able to share all the music and dvd's across all the devices. In addition I would like to be able to make use of streaming media services to the tv's (eg youtube, iplayer, etc).
Requirements include being able to watch the media on the tv's (currently acheived through xbox 360's but I need to add the ability to 3 more rooms which at the moment is looking like needing the purchase of 3 more 360's + something for the dining room ). Also be able to watch on the laptops and download to the phones for use on the go. Each user should be able to have their own favourites, playlists and ratings independently of each other.
Ideally looking for a consistent user experience across the devices as the user's aren't all overly tech savvy, especially my wife.
I've searched the internet and specifically searched SuperUser, but can't find any good suggestions that meet all the requirements. My current thought is using Zune on the 360's and laptops, with the addition of swapping current phones for windows phones to use zune on them as well. This would require adding more 360's though as mentioned earlier and also Zune Pass seems to support only 3 pc's and 3 devices, I'll need alot more than that. Whilst I like the 360's, having 6 in the house sounds excessive especially when they are for media streaming.
Hope that all makes sense, and if it does, any thoughts? Main thing I'm struggling with is the independent favourites etc and consistent ui experience.
Source: (StackOverflow)
Question in short:
How to install an alternative OS (debian preferred) on a headless server and what OS to use for a home media/dataserver.
My questions now is:
How to do it?
The server will, in rescue mode, accept an PXE boot image via tftp.
But from that point on the whole process needs to run completely automatic until the point where the server accepts an ssh login as there is absolutely no possibility to hook up an display to that server without breaking it open and soldering VGA cables.
The solution:
In the end I used a PXE preseeded booting... i packed the preseed.cfg into the initrd.gz file and pushed everything to the machine on netboot via DHCP/TFTP.
Source: (StackOverflow)
Has anyone out there run Windows Home Server for a while? I'm building a NAS box and I'm wondering if its features are compelling enough to warrant purchasing rather than the open source alternatives (ie, FreeNAS, OpenFiler)
Also share if you have any issues accessing from non-NTFS sources, Mac, Linux, etc.
Source: (StackOverflow)
Does anyone have any good, well priced online backup solutions for Windows Home Server?
I've looked at using s3 but the pricing ends up to expensive with the amount of data I have. Mozy and alike don't support WHS. I was considering just getting a cheap linux VPS and using rsync to backup, if thats possible with WHS.
Any thoughts or solutions you have appreciated.
Source: (StackOverflow)
I want to set up a proxy server to run on my windows home server. Obviously I want it to be secure and only usable by me. And it needs to be reasonably easy to set up and configure.
Does something like that already exist?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I have got this file that I can't delete. It happened after a system crash, so the CHKDSK kicked in upon next reboot. After that, I can't delete the file.
THis is on Windows Home Server, and the file is one of those hidden Thumbs.db, and my WHS reports a "File conflict" on the file, the reason: Access Denied"
What I have tried so far, running as an Administrator:
Delete: Access Denied
TakeOwn.exe : Access Denied
Attrib.exe -s -h : Access Denied
cacls.exe : Access Denied (even whe trying to display the current owner)
Rename: File not found (its hidden)
Re-boot in to safe mode and tried the above: Access Denied
Running the above commands as Local System: Access Denied
Tizer Unlocker: Fail (Doesn't find anything locking the file)
File Assasin: Crashes ("FindRemoteFileHandles returned NULL value.")
I have used the CHKDSK /f again, rebooted since some suggestions is that the file has been corrupted, but that didn't change anything.
Any suggestions ?
Update: In a total separate scenario, I experienced a similar situation; Access Denied when trying to take ownership of a file. It turned out that the file was owned by TrustedInstaler, which is not possible to override just by being an Administrator. In this case, one can use psexec /ids cmd to elevate yourself to System and then TakeOwn.exe /a
Source: (StackOverflow)
I'm planning to add a DLNA compatible DVD/Blue-ray player to my home theater setup. I also have my Windows Home Server with a lot of videos and photos.
Can a DLNA DVD player connect to my Windows Home Server and stream videos without any additional software on the WHS?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I have a Windows Home Server v1 (based on Windows Server 2003). I recently upgraded my machine to Windows 8, but now I am unable to get write access to my network shares. The ones that are set for Read - Everyone I can read, but otherwise I have no access.
Source: (StackOverflow)
A HTPC and a Home Server seem to have a lot of overlap. Both are designed to be on (or on standby) all of the time. Both have modest CPU requirements but should have large storage capacities. Has anyone put Windows Media Center and Windows Home Server software on the same machine?
Source: (StackOverflow)
If a network has a Windows Home Server setup, how well can a Mac running Leopard 10.5.8 take advantage of the services provided by the Windows Home Server system? I'm specifically looking for Time Machine functionality, but am curious what other features could be used by the Mac.
Source: (StackOverflow)
What ways are there to copy a windows home server backup to an offsite location?
I'm talking specifically (and only) about the automated backup of my entire machine, and not the shared network folders.
I am 90% working away from home on my laptop which has a 640GB drive so the shared folders are essentially useless to me. I backup every night, but if my house burns down or broken into the I'm in serious serious trouble !
I'm really looking for some alternative way to back up my entire machine - which much not interfere with the reliability or speed by which my WHS backs up my laptop every night. Either a way to 'export' a complete machine backup from the server, or recommendations on non-conflicting software I can backup to a 1TB drive at work are what I'm looking for.
Note: I believe that WHS uses its own completely proprietary backup and doesn't use things like any 'backup bit' or 'archive bit'. I just dont want to install some other backup software that will conflict.
PS I'm now running Windows 7 and just realized that I should probably check out the backup functionality it gives me. I assume that won't conflict right!
Edit: Thanks for the hosted solutions. I'd also appreciate ways to backup to an 'offsite' location that I control - like my office vs. my home. The hosted solutions I think will be too slow or expensive for my needs.
Source: (StackOverflow)
I'm looking for some weather logging software that I can run as a Windows Home Server add-in, or as a service on my Home Server, so I don't need to log into my Home Server to log weather data.
I have an Oregon Scientific WMR918 weather station, and an HP MediaSmart EX485 Windows Home Server. The two are currently connected through a serial bluetooth adapter, but that shouldn't matter as the computer sees it basically as a serial device.
I'm currently using Cumulus to log data and upload to Weather Underground, but it is a regular windows application, so I need to remain logged into my Home Server by RDP in order to run the software (I disconnect, but don't log off so the session remains open).
Ideally I would like something to run as a service or WHS add-in, so that it runs all the time without logging in, can log data from my WMR918, and can upload to Weather Underground.
Thanks!
Source: (StackOverflow)
Firstly - I've used search, I've run through all the topics tagged with these ones, but couldn't find anything satisfying.
I'm trying to build a home server machine, which should be a low-power always-on backup and file sharing station. On the software side, I've decided on Windows Home Server and at the moment am trying to find proper hardware at the lowest price possible.
The biggest problem is the motherboard. It should be compatible with Intel Atom processors (as they appear to be the most efficient and low-power ones), should be able to run at least two (four would be great) sata HDDs, support RAID and have at least four USB ports.
Integrated Video and LAN would be great (and it's really hard to find MoBos without them too).
The only motherboard with all of these specs I could find was the Supermicro X7SLA-L-O, but it has the Atom 230 integrated, which is slow on HD Video. And it starts from around $120.
On the other hand, there are many MoBos with integrated Atom 330 and 2 sata ports, but with no RAID. And their starting from $80, like Intel D945GCLF2 (can't post more than one hyperlink, please google).
Maybe I should go with the latter one and add a PCI SATA Controller Card (again - please google)? It would be cheaper and more feature complete.
What would you suggest?
P.S. Could any kind of failure of the Sata Controller Card damage drives (and the data on them) connected to it?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I don't have any Windows Media Center setup, only a Windows Home Server that shares the media (Pictures, Music and Movies). Will a Xbox 360 be happy streaming this content from the WHS?
As far as I know, the Xbox 360 could act as a Media Extender, but that requires a Windows Vista/7 Media Center setup, but this is not what I have.
Edit: This is meant to be a replacement for an old Xbox classic. No interest in other software and/or hardware alternatives. What I'm really asking is; given a Xbox 360 connected to a Windows Home Server share, what features will I be missing compared to as it being a Media Center Extender?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I really hate the way that WHS backs up at a particular time in the morning.
First of all I don't EVER want my computer turning on when I am not there. EVER. I have a Core-i7 laptop which literally could burn the house down quite easily if it were to turn on in a bag.
I also don't ever want my PC to sleep unless I tell it to. I don't have hibernation or sleep enabled and this is the only way that WHS will sleep after a backup is complete.
I know that Windows 7 has the ability to disable waking up when on battery power but it doesn't seem to work on my laptop.
These are the possibilities (with wake timers left as default):
- 'Wake this computer for backup' ON - it turns on in my bag if i forget to turn it off - and stays on when the backup is complete.
- 'Wake this computer for backup' OFF - it backs up in the morning, but I need to leave the machine on all night.
- I say 'Backup Now' and then it backs up immediately. I can turn it off when its done if I'm still awake, but then that backup appears as 'locked' in the console and not 'automatically managed'.
What I'd really like to do is :
- Click 'Backup and Sleep' and then go to bed.
- It will backup immediately and then sleep the PC.
- This backup must be 'automatically managed' and not appear as a 'locked backup' in my console
- Show me a confirmation that everything was backed up successfully (or not) when I turn it on.
Is there any way to achieve this?
Source: (StackOverflow)