Just a quick post to say that there is a new “Dummies” book on the market – Computer Forensics for Dummies. I have had a quick flick through it and it looks very good. I will post a review once I have finished going through it but from first glances it looks like an good book if you have an in interest in Computer Forensics.
RSA Security Conference Next Week
This RSA Conference Europe 2008 is almost upon us – next Monday in fact!
There is still time to register, and if you are still not sure if you want to attend, take a look at the agenda here: http://www.rsaconference.com/2008/Europe/Agenda/Agenda_at_a_Glance.aspx
I will be going and will report each day on anything interesting that happens, so stay tuned.
RSA Conference in 2 Weeks Time
The RSA Conference Europe 2008 is now less than 2 weeks away. It looks really interesting, and as previously mentioned there will be displays of the Enigma machine, amongst other things.
You can still register at http://www.rsaconference.com/2008/Europe/Home.aspx.
Windows 7
Ok, this week Microsoft finally annouced the official name for Windows 7 – and yes, is Windows 7! Not exactly that exciting – so who knows, maybe it will change its name before it finally gets released!
Congratulations to New WHS MVPs
Just wanted to say a hearty congratulations to the two new Windows Home Server MVPs – Donovan West and Sam Wood. Welcome to the “Homies”.
And well done to Grey, Terry and Ken who were renewed for another year.
RSA Security Conference in Europe
Just a quick post to say that the RSA Security Conference in Europe is still open for registrations. This year they will have a display of various Enigma machines. More information about them can be found here:
http://www.rsaconference.com/2008/Europe/Agenda/Enigma_Machine_Display.aspx
More information on the conference, including information on how to register can be found here.
http://www.rsaconference.com/2008/Europe/Home.aspx
I will be attending and reporting from the event, and I will post more information on the show and what to expect in the upcoming weeks.
Windows Home Server Forums Updated
If you are a visitor to the WHS forums, you will notice that they have just changed and have a new look.
The new location is: http://forums.community.microsoft.com/en-US/tag/windowshomeserver/
Power Pack 1 in German, French and Spanish
For those of you not using the English language version of Windows Home Server, Microsoft have now released a German, French and Spanish version of Power Pack 1. These will all be included in the automatic Windows Updates from 12th August but if you really want it now you can use the following links to download:
If you are anxious to have Power Pack 1 on your home servers, then you can use the following links to find the German, French, and Spanish Power Pack 1 update packages:
WHS Mentioned in Windows Vista Magazine
Just a quick one to say that the September 2008 issue of Windows Vista The Official Magazine has an article on home storage and mentions WHS, along with a blurb written by me on WHS, with the one of the worst pictures of me ever! Enjoy 🙂
Power Pack 1 Now Available
This week saw the release of the long awaited Windows Home Server Power Pack 1, which includes not only support for 64 bit Vista, but also the fix for the data corruption bug. You can download this Power Pack now, or wait a few weeks for it to appear via Windows Update.
Here is what Microsoft had to say:
The team is pleased to announce that Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 has been released to manufacturing (RTM) and is now available on the Microsoft Download Center!
The English version is available now and German, Spanish and French versions will be available on the Download Center soon. Windows Home Server customers who don’t download it on their own will receive Power Pack 1 via Windows Update in August, and the new Chinese and Japanese versions will RTM in August, too.
As many know, Power Pack 1 provides a range of new enhancements, including support for home computers running Windows Vista x64 editions, backup of home server Shared Folders, improvements to remote access, more efficient power consumption and improved performance. And, of course, it delivers a fix for the data corruption bug. Documentation for Power Pack 1 (Build #1800, to those who have been part of the beta testing) is available here.
Our OEM partners will be updating their systems with Power Pack 1 and HP will release a software update for the HP MediaSmart Server, delivering enhanced media streaming capabilities from PacketVideo, server-side anti-virus from McAfee and compatibility with 64-bit home PCs.
Windows Home Server can now be purchased in 50 countries worldwide. And a growing ecosystem of third-party software developers have released or announced approximately 60 Add-in programs extending Windows Home Server’s capabilities. The Windows Home Server SDK has been updated for Power Pack 1, too, including new support for the client PC side, i.e. notifications to/from home computers.
We continue to hear fantastic feedback from our customers about how Home Server is helping them protect their digital media, share it with friends and family, and access it from outside of the home. Thank you to our beta testers and partners for helping us ship Power Pack 1, and to the Home Server community as a whole for its ongoing support and enthusiasm.
The Windows Home Server Team”
Windows Home Server and Digital Photography Webinar
Find out how Windows Home Server is the perfect companion for digital photography!
Join HP and Microsoft for another set of FREE live webcasts, this time focusing on how to leverage the HP MediaSmart Server for digital photography. Learn from guest experts on recommended workflow, photo-focused features of the product, and maybe a few photography ‘tips and tricks’. The first in this series is on July 17.
To register for both events please visit our webcast page: http://www.windows.com/hpmediasmartwebinar
Make sure you hurry to register – the last webinar was “sold out”.
Power Pack 1 Public Beta Now Available
The public beta of Power Pack 1 is now available to download:
The Windows Home Server team is proud to announce the availability of a Power Pack 1 Release Candidate for public beta testing. The update package can now be downloaded from https://connect.mircosoft.com/windowshomeserver in the downloads section. Please be sure to review the release documentation contained within the download package for Power Pack 1.
Please also be sure to check out the Windows Home Server forums for important support information, an up to date list of known issues and some great test ideas. They can be found at the link below.
http://forums.microsoft.com/windowshomeserver.
Below is a set of instructions to prepare a home server for testing the beta of Power Pack 1:
- Ensure you have a complete backup of all of your files. While internal testing so far indicates that we have fixed the data corruption bug in the beta release, the whole point of a beta test is to validate internal testing. This means there is a risk that our internal tests have not detected all issues. As a beta tester it is your responsibility to ensure that your data is backed up and protected before you install the beta.
- If you are setting up a new home server to run the beta, download and install the “Windows Home Server RTM Evaluation Edition” from Microsoft Connect.
- Ensure that Windows Updates are enabled for your home server. Your home server must have all the latest updates from Windows Update installed before you install the beta Power Pack 1 update package.
· To turn on automatic updates:
· Go to the Windows Home Server Console > Settings > General page.
· Click On (recommended) in the Windows Update section.
· Click Update Now to get the latest updates immediately
Please turn on the Customer Experience Improvement for your home server. The information provided to the team through this program is invaluable in helping us understand how we are doing against our testing goals.
· To turn on Customer Experience Improvement:
· Go to the Windows Home Server Console > Settings > General page.
· If you agree to opt-in to this program, ensure the Help make Windows Home Server better in the Customer Experience Improvement section is enabled.
Please ensure that you have a backup of all of your files and data. If your data set is large (the larger the better for testing purposes) this will take a while, so you might want to get started now!
The Windows Home Server team
E-mail: whsbeta@microsoft.com
F-Secure Home Server Security Release Candidate
Got this from the guys over at F-Secure today:
Dear customer,
This message is sent to everyone participating to the F-Secure Home Server Security beta program.
We just released a Release Candidate version of the product. It is available for you to download through this link:
http://support.f-secure.com/beta/downloads/fshssbeta.msi
Note: Before you install F-Secure Home Server Security 2009 RC, uninstall any previous version of this software and any other potentially conflicting products, such as other antivirus or server security software.
Release Notes:
http://support.f-secure.com/beta/downloads/fshssbeta.rtf
Quick Installation Guide:
http://support.f-secure.com/beta/downloads/whs_qig.pdf
All the feedback such as bug reports should be sent to us by e-mail at address av4whs-beta@f-secure.com.
Yours,
F-Secure beta piloting team
Power Pack 1 Public Beta Almost Ready
The public beta of WHS Power Pack 1 is almost here – this was recently sent out by Microsoft:
The Windows Home Server team is pleased to announce details of the public beta of Windows Home Server Power Pack 1. This public beta will include the fix for the data corruption bug described in Knowledge Base article #946676 as well as a host of other bug fixes and new capabilities. The Power Pack 1 download is planned to be available in early June and Beta participants are encouraged to sign up and begin preparing now.
Due to the nature of the shared folder data corruption bug (KB #946676) a broad beta test program with sufficient time for feedback is required. The timeline for a final release will depend on this feedback and testing, in order to deliver a fix of the highest quality. To meet our goals for the beta test we need the number of beta testers who are actively using and testing the Power Pack 1 beta to ramp up very quickly. Therefore we are asking beta testers to begin preparing in advance.
Below is a set of instructions to prepare a home server for testing the beta of Power Pack 1:
- Ensure you have a complete backup of all of your files. While internal testing so far indicates that we have fixed the data corruption bug in the beta release, the whole point of a beta test is to validate internal testing. This means there is a risk that our internal tests have not detected all issues. As a beta tester it is your responsibility to ensure that your data is backed up and protected before you install the beta.
- If you are setting up a new home server to run the beta on, download and install the “Windows Home Server RTM Evaluation Edition” from Microsoft Connect.
- Ensure that Windows Updates are enabled for your home server. Your home server must have all the latest updates from Windows Update installed before you install the beta Power Pack 1 update package.
o To turn on automatic updates:
§ Go to the Windows Home Server Console > Settings > General page.
§ Click On (recommended) in the Windows Update section.
§ Click Update Now to get the latest updates immediately
- Please turn on the Customer Experience Improvement for your home server. The information provided to the team through this program is invaluable in helping us understand how we are doing against our goals.
o To turn on Customer Experience Improvement:
§ Go to the Windows Home Server Console > Settings > General page.
§ If you agree to opt-in to this program, ensure the Help make Windows Home Server better in the Customer Experience Improvement section is enabled.
- Please ensure that you have a backup of all of your files and data. If your data set is large (the larger the better for testing purposes) this will take a while, so you might want to get started now!
Thank you very much for getting ready to beta test Power Pack 1. More details and installation instructions will be sent within the next 1-2 weeks.
Best wishes,
The Windows Home Server team