What is Windows Home Server?

HomeServerSync Add-In for Windows Home Server Out Now and Special UWHS Reader Offer

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2010

We have been talking about HomeServerSync for Windows Home Server from Tranquil PC for quite a while now, including having a number of exclusive articles. Now that HSS is out how would you like 465 days of service for the price of 365? We have a very special promo code….

You can learn more about HSS by reading this article, and you can read our review of the final beta for the Windows Home Server Add-in and also for the Sync Client and even some of the cool things you can do with the VPN component like backing up your computer over the Internet when you are away from home.

In a nutshell, Home Server Sync is an add-in for Windows Home Server that enables you to backup your important files to an offsite backup location. As part of the subscription, you get 100GB of secure data storage. You also get a client component that enables you to sync files from your computers to your Windows Home Server on a schedule that you set, and you also get a very easy to use VPN component that you can utilise for many different tasks.

The are 3 vital components to HomeServerSync, that work in harmony to provide the ultimate in data security, remote access and PC to WHS to PC synchronisation:

100GB of offsite backup storage is included with more available if needed.
Provision of a unique private network, allowing full access to WHS Console and WHS Shares from anywhere in the world, via internet connection.
Multi PC synchronisation system that not only protects data but means that one PC can receive or send updates to ‘shared’ files and folders on other PCs

I have been using it for a number of months now, and have feed back a lot, and I do mean a lot of comments to Tranquil, pretty much all of which have been taken on board and addressed – which is pretty good going!

So, if you are interested in subscribing to HSS, and I cannot recommend it enough, we have an offer for you.

When you take out your subscription, use the Promo code U098 and instead of getting a 12 month subscription, you will get an extra 100 days free! So you will get 15 months for the price of 12 – now that is a good deal!

So what do you have to do…

First you must request a fully functional 15 day trial by sending an email to: trial@homeserversync.co.uk

The email will contain information and location of the registration page. On that page you complete all your details and on there you must enter the Promo code U098

You will then be directed to the download page.

Any time during the 15 day trial you can take out your subscription, or at the end of the 15 day trial the service will stop working.

After the subscription is taken out, the 365 day subscription is added and then is increased to 465 days direct on your account.

Simple as that! So, you get all of the above for just £139 (including VAT).

And you don’t have to just be in the UK to use this, anyone, anywhere in the world can use this service.

So what you are waiting for?

Just remember to enter the Promo code U098 on the registration page or you won’t get the 100 days extra free if you take out a full subscription!

You can also learn more at the HomeServerSync website.

AR Drone from Parrot Update

Tech

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2010

0

With the release of the AR Drone from Parrot just around the corner, more information is starting to come out.

As we reported last week, the AR Drone is finally being released this month.

Today’s information is what the box and its contents will look like – maybe not that of an exciting announcement but it means the AR Drone really is just about to be released!

The box will contain:

AR.Drone box contents: 1 AR.Drone, 1 indoor hull, 1 outdoor hull (3 colours available, check the colour sticker on the packaging side), 1 battery, 1 charger, 4 mains adapters, 1 stickers for outdoor hull for multiplayer battles, 1 Quick Start Guide

And yes, I do still want one!

If you have never seen of these AR Drones flying, check out the video I took at CES this year by clicking on the link at the start of this article.

Air Video, iPad and Windows Home Server, a match made in Heaven

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2010

0

The Digital Lifestyle has a very interesting post on using Air Video, and iPad and Windows Home Server to deliver content. You should check it out.

Ian, Garry and myself talked iPads and media streaming on the Media Center Show podcast recently.

Now the Digital Lifestyle has posted an article on how to use an app called Air Video to stream media from your Windows Home Server to your iPad.

The article starts:

In my continued pursuit of integrating my iPad with my home entertainment setup I have been using an application that is simply excellent. If you have an iPad or iPhone and a Windows machine that stores your media your dreams can be realised with this little application.

The Application is called AirVideo and is available in the iTunes App Store, there are currently two versions available, a free version and a paid version which costs just £1.79, the difference is the number of files visible in the free versions is limited, so pay the money it is definitely worth it.

So if you have an iPad and a Windows Home Server, and you would like to stream your digital content to it, you should really check out this article.

Click here to read the full article.

Nice article Chris.

Would You Like to Test Drive Internet Explorer 9?

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2010

2

Microsoft have released the fourth platform preview for Internet Explorer 9 – would you like to give it a test drive?

If you would like to, point your current browser over to the IE 9 test drive page.

You have to download the 16MB file first and then run it.

Some information you should know before installing the platform preview:

Why do you call it a platform preview?

As you can see, the Internet Explorer Platform Preview is not a full web browser. It’s intended to give Web developers an early look at the Web platform technology coming in the next release of Internet Explorer. To distinguish it from a full browser, we call it a platform preview.

Why doesn’t Platform Preview have a back button or address bar?

Our focus with Internet Explorer Platform Preview is to provide a vehicle with which Web developers can see our progress and start planning if and how they want to support new HTML5 capabilities in the future. It is not intended for daily browsing. For a more detailed discussion of the architecture of Platform Preview see Why No Back Button?

Why not just release a full beta?

The Platform Preview is not intended to replace the beta version that will be released as a full browser once the build has reached the customer quality bar for release. Microsoft is releasing the Platform Preview to give developers the opportunity to test and provide feedback on the underlying platform for Internet Explorer 9. You can find more about what is implemented in the release notes.

How often will be you be updating this?

We hope to release a new version of Internet Explorer Platform Preview approximately every 8 weeks.

There are more things to be aware of and you can read all about them on the FAQ page

Is My Movies the Windows Home Server and Media Center’s Ultimate add-in?

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2010

3

Our friends at the Home System Integration site have posted an interesting article on My Movies – you should check it out.

The Home System Integration site is a new kid on the block (welcome guys!).

They have done a very good article on My Movies which is, in my opinion, a must have addition to any Windows Home Server and Media Center, which as you will read, is Tom’s opinion too.

Here is the start of Tom’s article:

My Movies was created by a company based out of Århus, Denmark called Binnerup Consult headed up by none other than Brian Binnerup. Originally started a sa spare time project known as “My DVD Collection” for Media Center 2004, this program (or “Add-in” in Windows Home Server speak) has become over time one of the “must have” Add-ins for WSH. The really great thing? This program is, for a good portion of the features, free! Yes, you can get all of the actual programs for free! The more advanced features within those programs require a number of points on your account, which you have the choice of accumulating either by purchasing them or by contributing meta-data to the services. The company will even start you out with the maximum 2500 points for 21 days so that you can experience the product in its entirety, all you have to do as ask for a trail! More information about that can be found here.

Assuming you are running a Windows Home Server, My Movies comes in three separate pieces at a minimum:

My Movies for Windows Media Center

My Movies Collection Management

My Movies for Windows Home Server

Here is the key point from the article:

Here’s the point people: if you are running a Windows OS centric home, you have a Windows Home Server, and want to have the richest movie management / watching experience for your HDTV I’ve found so far in the Windows Media Center / Windows Home Server world….

You can read the entire article here.

And I look forward to more great articles in the future from the guys.

TwonkyManager 2.0.2 New Beta is Now Available

Andrew Edney

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Aug 4, 2010

0

Twonky have released a new TwonkyManager 2.0.2 beta which you can try now.

What’s TwonkyManager you might ask:

So, you’ve hooked up your gaming system, TV or photo frame to your Internet connection, now how do you make the most of it? With TwonkyManager loaded on your Windows® PC, you control your media experience in every way. You even have the power to stream online media to your different devices, because TwonkyManager now includes TwonkyBeam™, a convenient add-on for your Internet browser that works with popular sites, including Flickr®, Last.fm™ and YouTube™.
Don’t have a Windows PC or just looking for a server? Don’t worry. We still have TwonkyServer available for Mac®, Linux, Windows Home Server or Windows. Please see TwonkyServer.

Here is what Twonky has to say:

Here is our first TwonkyManager 2.0.2 release candidate. This build will be replaced with a new one sometime next week.

http://www.twonky.com/upfiles/betas/Two … rSetup.exe

New Features

– Playlist-related Fixes
1. When you reorder songs stored on another PC running TwonkyServer or TwonkyManager, your playlists’ song order will not change.
2. If you restart or rebuild the database of another server running on your network, you will not lose any saved playlists.
– Updated Media Server – Includes TwonkyServer 6.0.1, which has numerous bug fixes.
– Includes TwonkyBeam 1.2 – After installing TwonkyManager, you have the option to install a new version of TwonkyBeam, which includes the improvements noted in the next section.
– Media Feed Improvements
1. Fixed a problem that broke YouTube streaming
2. Trial users can now change some media feed settings or view personalized media feeds.
3. Fixed issues where media feeds settings pages appeared blank or contained incorrect options.
– Improved DivX Streaming – Fixed an issue where the server couldn’t stream some DivX videos to a ZyXEL DMA.
– Improved iTunes 9 Playlist Import – Fixed problems importing some iTunes 9 playlists
– Clear Queue Command – Right-click on any device icon to clear its playback queue.
– Photo Preview Fix – All photo thumbnails should be visible and will not interfere with music playback when opened.
– Video Thumbnail Fix – Fixed a caching problem that caused an incorrect video thumbnail to appear after rebuilding the server database. Now, pressing F5 will flush the cache of thumbnails entirely and update it with the correct images.
– Auto Copy Fix – Auto-copied photos should appear in TwonkyManager automatically after pressing F5, without having to switch views first.
– Disable Local Loopback – Advanced users can adjust the Twonky configuration file to disable the local loopback address that TwonkyServer advertises on the network (e.g. 127.0.0.1). Local loopback caused problems with some Control Points because they would select the wrong address, and then no media appeared when browsing TwonkyManager or TwonkyServer. To prevent this, advanced users should add “disablelocalssdp=1 DLNA-1950” to the Twonky configuration file.
– Easier Server Selection – It’s now easier to select a media server when a large number of media servers are available on a network.
– New TwonkyManager Player Icon – All PCs running TwonkyManager now appear with laptop icons in the Now Playing section. You can change this icon to a desktop PC if desired.
– Updated Documentation – Installation instructions, help and release notes have been updated.
– Fixed problems with expired trial messages
– Fixed a problem that prevented SHOUTcast and Handpicked radio feeds from appearing.
– Fixed a problem where errors were received when registering a Facebook account.
– Fixed problems with playlist names that occurred after a server rescan or database rebuild
– Now all custom metadata (e.g. photo ratings, keywords, descriptions) are preserved when upgrading from TwonkyManager 2.0 to 2.0.2
– Fixed some sorting problems that only occurred in Browse view.

You can also check out their forum post here.

So why not check out the beta and let us know what you think.

Unboxing Porn from Revision 3 The iPad

Andrew Edney

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Aug 4, 2010

2

Here at UWHS we are big fans of, er, unboxing, so this new series of videos from Revision 3 really appealed to us.

Revision 3 have a number of videos on different subjects and produce them on the regular basis – there is always something there to appeal to everyone.

Now they have started to produce unboxing videos, but as we know they can be a bit boring, so they have taken the initiative and made them a little more interesting.

Take a look to see what I mean.

Here is how Revision 3 describe this episode:

We all love gadget unboxing videos. The voyeuristic and vicarious thrill of watching somebody open up a new gadget is as thrilling as window shopping but as entertaining as paint drying. It doesn’t have to be that way. Join us for our first rather sexy undressing of Apple’s new iPad.

You can watch the video below:

You should also check out the other unboxing porn episodes as well, they are great and we will be watching out for new episodes.

Well done in producing something both interesting and very funny. Or maybe that’s my mind talking!
There unboxing was so much better than our unboxing of the iPad.

And Dave – these are for you!

Tech Tip on a Tuesday – Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder

Timothy Daleo

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Aug 3, 2010

2

Diehard told me about this little Windows 7 jewel at the beginning of the year. I have not heard anyone mention it so I thought I would tell everyone about it today. If you write articles, blog, troubleshoot PCs or just like cool tools, then this one is for you.

Problem Steps Recorder – What is it?

This Windows 7 application records your mouse clicks and actions while taking screenshots of everything you do! Just try and it and you will see.

You can use Problem Steps Recorder to automatically capture the steps you take on a computer, including a text description of where you clicked and a picture of the screen during each click (called a screen shot). Once you capture these steps, you can save them to a file that can be used by a support professional or someone else helping you with a computer problem.

Using Problem Steps Recorder

Open Problem Steps Recorder on your Windows 7 PC by going to the Start Menu and typing PSR.

Before You Start – Important Settings Adjustment

The default is 25 screens. You can always increase or decrease the number of screen shots. Problem Steps Recorder only records the default number of screen shots.

For example, if you took 40 screen shots during a recording but only had 25 screen shots as the default, you would be missing the first fifteen screen shots. I always change mine to 100 as a habit.

IMPORTANT: YOU HAVE TO CHANGE IT EACH TIME YOU START THE PROGRAM!

Click Start Record.

On your PC, go through the steps on your computer to reproduce the problem or document a process. You can pause the recording at any time and resume it later.

When you are done Click Stop Record.

In the Save As dialog box, type a name for the file, and then click Save (the file is saved with the .zip file name extension).

fter you save the file, open the ZIP file to see the mht file.

Double click on the mht file. The document will open in your browser.

The Output File

The output file is a mht file with information such as time, action and full screenshots. Click on the images to see them full size. SWEET!

Down at the bottom the file shows additional details.

Add your comments in PSR

You can also add comments while using Problem Steps Recorder. When you want to add a comment, click Add Comment. Use your mouse to highlight the part of the screen that you want to comment on, type your text in the Highlight Problem and Comment box, and then click OK.

Conclusion

This is best tool ever for those of us who write and use screenshots for our articles! One of your clients having an issue with a PC? Use PSR to document the issue!

The only bummer is that some mail programs see this type of file as a virus threat so you will have to send it over Outlook or another mail program or use an external drive.

Hope you enjoy it. Thanks again to John “Diehard” Zajdler for the heads up. Interesting.

Tim

Halo 2600

News

Andrew Edney

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Aug 3, 2010

1

I’m a big fan of Halo, and also of the old Atari 2600 console – now I can play Halo on it. You have to check this out.

When I was a little boy we had an Atari 2600 games console, and I spent many MANY hours playing on it, marvelling in the cool graphics and game play. I loved Combat!

Today I found this online:

Yes, that’s right – Halo on the Atari 2600! Well ok, it’s not quite the same version at the original Xbox version, but who cares! Its Halo on the Atari 2600!

Here is what Anthony over at the Extra Guy site had to say as well:

Ever wonder what the Master Chief’s adventures would have been like, oh, 30 years or so ago? Ed Fries, former VP of publishing at Microsoft, has made that dream a reality with Halo 2600.

The game is available in Flash form at Code Mystics — click the link to play. Players explore the game world with the arrow keys and shoot with the space bar. Expect to see tiny pixelized versions of all your favorite enemies, like Grunts or Elites. There’s something charming about the chiptuned version of the iconic Halo chant that precedes the game as well.

The game will also be available at the Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas — which is holding its second and final day today — in Atari 2600 cartridge form. It’s being said there were only 500 of these suckers made, so snap one up if you have the means to do so. Those who would prefer to play in their own emulator can download a file of the game here.

You too can play Halo 2600 online, right now!

I miss my Atari 2600!

LaCie 5big Backup Server Finally Here

Andrew Edney

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Aug 3, 2010

1

Cast your mind back to CES in January 2010 – LaCie announced their entrance in the Windows Home Server arena with the 5big Backup Server. Well 8 months later here it is!

Well today, LaCie have finally announced the release of the 5big Backup Server – and it is about time too!

We first talked about it at CES and then we had a bit of a hands on look a few days later.

Price wise, as you will see the 5big Backup Server is not cheap, but remember it does come full of disks (5TBs to be exact – there is also a 10TB model) and has a three year warranty and is out now.

Country	Suggested Price
Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Italy	€1,239
France	€1,249
Finland	€1,359
UK	€1074.99
Switzerland	CHf 1,729
Denmark	5,789 DKK
Norway	9,459 NOK
Sweden	13,709 SEK
USA	$1,199.99

More info when we get it, and hopefully a review very soon.

For now you can check out the LaCie website for more information.

How To Backup Your Computer Over the Internet with HomeServerSync VPN

Andrew Edney

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Aug 2, 2010

2

You get a VPN service as part of the Tranquil PC HomeServerSync Windows Home Server Add-In. Did you know what you can do with that? For example, backup your laptop over the Internet.

You can use it when you are away from your home network to connect to your Windows Home Server (ok you might say, you can do that now with WHS Remote Access), but did you know you can access the WHS Console from your laptop or netbook, and even better you can perform backups of your machine over the Internet.

Firstly you have to have your Windows Home Server running and have the HomeServerSync add-in installed and configured.

Then you have to make sure you have installed the client sync on your laptop or netbook.

You don’t need to be running HSS Sync just to use the VPN (but you can if you want to use that functionality).

So, make sure the VPN is running by double-clicking on the Tranquil VPN Connect icon on your desktop.

You can confirm it is running by looking for the VPN icon in the task tray.

Once that is done you can open the Windows Home Server Console, or even run a backup just as you would do if you were on your home network (which in essence you actually are – via the VPN).

It is not as fast as if you were on your home network, as you are reliant on the Internet connection speed, but it is certainly better than not having the capability.

So if this feature, added to the other features of HomeServerSync doesn’t do it for you, then I don’t know what will!

You can learn more about HomeServerSync by reading this article and you can order it from Tranquil PC’s website.

UPDATE: When you take out your subscription, use the Promo code U098 and instead of getting a 12 month subscription, you will get an extra 100 days free! So you will get 15 months for the price of 12 – now that is a good deal! See here for details.

BYOB Episode 6

Tech

Andrew Edney

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Aug 2, 2010

0

The guys over at BYOB, our very own Tim included, have released episode 6.

Here’s what they have to say about this weeks show:

Welcome to episode 6 of the BYOB Podcast. This week we are focusing on CPU’s as well some tech news. We hope you enjoy this episode and let us know how we can improve.

Hardware News:

NEC ready’s a new Generation USB 3.0 that claims faster performance and lower cost.

http://www.techreport.com/discussions.x/19326

Corsair add another three Sanforce SSDs to their family of drives

http://www.techreport.com/discussions.x/19311

CPU Checklist:

1. What are you going to use the machine for?

a. Gaming

b. HTPC

c. General Purpose

2. How much is your total budget for the machine?

a. $300-$500

b. $500-$750

c. $750-$1000

d. Over $1000

3. How much of your budget should you allocated for the CPU?

a. For Gaming, you should budget at Least $250-$300 for the CPU

b. For an HTPC I would budget around $125

c. For general purpose – ???

4. Is this an upgrade or a new build?

a. If this is an upgrade then you will want to see what is available for your socket type.

5. Do I plan to use any existing memory? If so, what type is it.

a. Make certain that the new motherboard/CPU will be compatible

Definitions

Frequency: Usually in GHz, Higher is better. Simply the speed at which the cpu operates. The higher it is, the faster your cpu will be, but the more heat it will dissipate too.

Core: The architecture will also make a difference not just the speed of the processor

FSB: is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the Northbridge.
QuickPath or Hyper-transport speed: (Quick Path Interconnect) In MHz or GHz, Higher is better. The speed at which you’re CPU communicates with the I/O hub.

Number of cores: 1, 2, 3 4, or 6: Higher is better. These days, you should consider the processor an envelope containing processing chips. The number of cores is the number of chips within the processor. The more you have, the more your cpu can multi-task, but the more heat it will dissipate.

Generally speaking, at the Ghz, a Quad core will perform better than a dual core, however in single thread applications, such as gaming a dual core that has turbo mode may perform better.

Which core?: Gulftown (6 core 32mn), Bloomfield (Quad 9-series 45mn), Lynnfiled (Quad Core 45mn 95W), Clarkdale (Dual Core 32mn)Yorkfield (Quad Core 45mn 95w), Wolfdale (Dual Core 45MM 65w), Conroe, Phenom, Kuma, Atom and ULV etc. Simply the name designing the architecture model for a given core. Each one have their pros and cons. Newer designs usually bring improvements in performance, features and lower power consumption.

Cache: There are three levels of cache: L1, L2 and L3, measured in KB or MB. This is ultra-fast on-board memory. The more, the better.
Thermal power: Measured In Watts, the lower, the better. Typically the theoretical maximum amount of power that can be consumed by the CPU. Widely used to have a general idea of how much heat the CPU will produce. The higher, the more you will pay on your electricity bill. Also, the more heat, the more noise from the fans that need to exhaust that heat.

As usual you can listen to the show here.

Review of the Iomega eGo USB 3.0 500GB Portable Hard Drive

Reviews
Tech

Andrew Edney

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Aug 1, 2010

0

Are you ready for a portable USB 3.0 hard drive? If the answer is yes then Iomega have a 500GB model that might be right for you.

Here is how Iomega describe the eGo USB 3.0 portable hard drive:

Experience blazing USB 3.0 transfer speed to match the fast pace of your digital life! The Iomega® eGo Portable Hard Drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is super fast – up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0.

Now transfer large video files faster than ever before! You will need a PC with a USB 3.0 port for the best performance (drive is backward compatible for USB 2.0. Iomega Drop Guard™ feature helps protect the drive from drops up to 51 inches. Iomega® Protection Suite includes Trend Micro™ Internet Security, Roxio Retrospect® Express Backup software, Iomega QuikProtect, and MozyHome™ Online Backup service to protect your data and your computer. (Software available via easy download). This is a great travel companion that lets you take your files, photos and music anywhere. The eGo is protected by a 3-year limited warranty! (registration required for extended warranty)

Fast—Up to 10 times the speed of USB 2.0;transfer speeds up to 5 Gbits/s*Up to 10 times the speed of USB 2.0; transfer speeds up to 5 Gbits/s*

Mobile—compact, portable storage so small you can take it everywhere you go

Rugged—The Drop Guard™ feature protects the drive when dropped up to 51 inches>

Secure—Iomega Protection Suite included to protect your data and your computer. All software available via download and at no additional cost!

3 Year Warranty—with product registration

What is USB 3.0?

The website EverythingUSB.com describes USB 3.0:

USB 3.0 is the next major revision of the ubiquitous Universal Serial Bus, created in 1996 by a consortium of companies led by Intel to dramatically simplify the connection between host computer and peripheral devices. Fast forwarding to 2009, USB 2.0 has been firmly entrenched as the de-facto interface standard in the PC world for years (with about 6 billion devices sold), and yet still the need for more speed by ever faster computing hardware and ever greater bandwidth demands again drive us to where a couple of hundred megabits per second is just not fast enough.

In 2007, Intel demonstrated SuperSpeed USB at the Intel Developer Forum. Version 1.0 of the USB 3.0 (confusing, isn’t it?) specification was completed on November 17, 2008. As such, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has taken over managing the specifications and publishes the relevant technical documents necessary to allow the world of developers and hardware manufacturers to begin to develop products around the USB 3.0 protocol.

In a nutshell, USB 3.0 promises the following:

Higher transfer rates (up to 4.8 Gbps)

Increased maximum bus power and increased device current draw to better accommodate power-hungry devices

New power management features

Full-duplex data transfers and support for new transfer types

New connectors and cables for higher speed data transfer…although they are backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices and computers

SPECIFICATIONS

This drive only comes as a 500GB drive and requires you to have a USB 3.0 port on your computer.

Only very recent desktops and laptops will have USB 3.0 ports on them, so if you are not lucky enough to have them yet you will need either a desktop PCI Express Adaptor or the laptop Express Port adaptor.

Windows Home Server Client Backup Notifier from Sam Wood

Andrew Edney

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Aug 1, 2010

8

Sam Wood, Windows Home Server MVP and the developer of the must have Windows Home Server Add-In Disk Management, has put together an application that emails you about your backups.

Here is what Sam has posted on his blog:

The We Got Served forums have a dedicated board for user-submitted ideas for Windows Home Server Add-Ins. I like to know what users think WHS is missing, so I keep an eye out for any new posts.

Yesterday, Ron Levenberg posted an interesting request:

I would love to be able to get a daily e-mail that confirms to me that all my PCs connected to my home server have been backed up successfully and, if not, which PCs don’t have current backups. It could be something like the Computers & Backups page data. I don’t want to login to the server to verify this, and I certainly don’t want to View Details for each PC to make sure all of yesterday’s backups are good.

Because I thought this sounded like a great idea, I’ve baked a console application to do just that.

Windows Home Server Client Backup Notifier (what a name!) can be run from a command-line, or as a scheduled task, and emails you high-level information about the state of your client backups.

The output looks like this:

CLIENT1 (192.168.1.22)
---------------------------------
Last Good Backup: 31/07/2010 2:58:01 p.m.
Last Backup Status: Complete
Current Health Status: Normal

CLIENT2 (192.168.1.23)
---------------------------------
Last Good Backup: 1/08/2010 4:31:20 a.m.
Last Backup Status: Complete
Current Health Status: Normal

CLIENT3 (192.168.1.24)
---------------------------------
Last Good Backup: 1/08/2010 6:11:19 a.m.
Last Backup Status: Complete
Current Health Status: Normal
Backup is running

I’ve tested the SMTP functionality with Google’s SMTP server, and with a ‘normal’, non-encrypted, SMTP server and it works great.

Download WhsClientBackupNotifier here.

I’m interested to know how many people find this useful. If you try it out, or if you encounter any bugs or issues, or want to offer a suggestion for improvement, get in touch.

Well done Sam, that is excellent work. I look forward to seeing your next project.