One of the developers on the Windows Home Server team, Gautam, was goofing around on a Mac during his off hours and put together this awesome set of instructions and screenshots for running the Windows Home Server Console on a Mac.
This article describes how to configure your Mac to be able to get the Home Server Console on it. You will need to Download and Install Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac.
If you already have it installed, you can skip to Configure it to Connect to your Windows Home Server Console
Download and Install Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac
1. On your Mac, go to the Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac website [microsoft.com].
2. Click on Download Remote Desktop Connection Client 2.
3. On the bottom right side of the page, in the Details section, scroll all the way down.
4. Click on your preferred language to start the download.
5. Once the file downloads, the Remote Desktop Connection Wizard should open up. Step through the wizard.
6. Eject the Remote Desktop Connection by right clicking on the icon on your desktop.
7. Great! Now you are ready to configure the Remote Desktop Connection Client to connect to your Home Server.
Configure the Remote Desktop Connection Client 2 for Mac to connect to the Windows Home Server Console
1. Open Finder. Click Applications in left menu. Click Remote Desktop Connection.
2. Type in the name of your Home Server.
3. In the File menu, click on Save As. Save your file. It’s easiest to save it on the Desktop.
4. Go back to the File menu and click on Edit Connection. Select the file you saved in the last step.
5. In the Login tab type –
a. User name: Administrator
b. Password: Your home server password.
c. Domain: Name of your home server.
6. In the Display tab, change the Colors to Millions.
7. In the Applications tab, make sure Start only the following Windows-based application when you log in to the remote computer is checked and type the following for Application path and file name: C:\Program Files\Windows Home Server\HomeServerConsole.exe /b
8. In the Security tab, select Always connect, even if authentication fails.
9. In the File menu, click on Save.
10. Now, right click on your recently saved file, click Open With, click Other…, scroll down and select TextEdit. Click on Open.
11. Change the number below DesktopHeight to 675 and number below DesktopWidth to 992.
12. Save the file and close it.
13. Now, click on the file you just saved to connect to the home server!
14. If you are unable to connect try connecting using your IP address of the home server.
To find your home server’s IP address, log on to the console from another computer. Go to Settings, Remote Access, Router Details
Open the file like in the above step and change the connection string to the IP address. For most of you it should be something like 192.XXX.X.XXX
Last month, Microsoft Canada reported survey results by Ipsos Reid that found Canadians value personal information but aren't taking measures to keep it secure. Zibb.com and a few other online outlets picked up the story. Read it here.
Sadly, 55% of respondents said that they have actually lost important files from their PC. Faced with this disheartening prospect, women were more likely to feel devastated or like crying (22%) and, the majority of women (51%), claimed they would pay $100 dollars to retrieve lost or damaged photos from their PC.
“It’s clear that for Canadians the PC is much more than just a workstation, there is an emotionally attachment to items stored on their PCs – like photos, music and financial documents—but it’s also clear that the majority of Canadians put those items at risk every day.” Barry Zeidenberg, Director - Retail Marketing, Microsoft Canada
- Steven
The Windows Home Server team is excited to have 2 new MVPs added to our MVP family. Please join me in welcoming our latest additions:
I look forward to their continued contributions to the Windows Home Server Community.
-Jonas
This just in! Congratulations are due to our friends at Hewlett-Packard, whose MediaSmart Server 487 product took home a coveted Engadget Editors’ Choice award for ‘Best Storage Device for 2008’.
We like to think our Windows Home Server OS had a little bit to do with the award. ;-)
It’s certainly nice to see the industry recognize quality products.…Here’s to many more awards!
- MP
Sorry, I couldn’t resist the alliteration. ;-) My enthusiasm must have boiled over after seeing all the great reception we’ve seen to the Power Pack 2 update and the MSDN release this week (we’ve counted close to 50 mentions in articles and blogs). So thank you, Home Server community for spreading the word!
In case folks haven’t seen these, here’s but a smattering of some of the articles that have been posted this week. It’s clear that the Media Center tie in enabled by Power Pack 2 is getting the bulk of the press, followed closely by the addition of Windows Home Server to MSDN.
Engadget even featured us in their weekly HD Podcast, which was nice.
And there are many more, so my apologies if I’ve omitted any others that are worth mentioning. Which articles would you want to share?
Have a great weekend everyone!
[Editor’s Note: A couple more clippings to pass along…]
MP
Possibly lost among the frenzy of the Power Pack 2 release, and the addition of Windows Home Server software to MSDN, was the update today of our very own product website. While clearly not a complete overhaul, we think it’s improved in a couple of key ways:
- A simpler and more contemporary layout
- Snappy scrolling graphics that feature direct links to popular pages on the site
- Redesigned links to Free Eval and Demo pages
- Added a few more Windows Home Server add-ins to our growing ‘featured list’ page. (Be sure to let us know if you want yours added too ;-)
We encourage you to come check it out and let us know what you think.
Here’s a quick link right to our top page: www.microsoft.com/windowshomeserver, as well as a snapshot of what it now looks like.
Enjoy!
MP
A key benefit of Windows Home Server is the versatility and power it offers as a development platform. Even when Windows Home Server software was still in the beta stage, we published a software development kit (SDK) so that 3rd party developers could develop interesting add-ins for the product. See the original post, "Developers, Developers, Developers".
There are currently 100+ add-ins developed for Windows Home Server (up from 70+ in January of this year). We have a dedicated Windows Home Server Add-ins page on the Microsoft web site. There are also a number of other sites dedicated to this topic, such as the Forums on We Got Served and Windows Home Server Add-ins.
At the Professional Developers Conference last fall, we received a huge amount of interest in Windows Home Server from the developer community (standing room only in information sessions). MSDN availability will increase awareness of Windows Home Server with a larger community of professional developers and help further grow the ecosystem of software applications built for Windows Home Server. Effective today, Windows Home Server is available under Operating Systems on the MSDN Subscriptions Download Page. (Instructions for downloading.)
Hat's off to Loren on MediaSmartServer.net Forums and Alex Kuretz for catching us during the MSDN testing phase last week! Enjoy the real deal.
We are pleased to announce Windows Home Server Power Pack 2. Power Pack 2 fixes known issues and adds new features to improve the Windows Home Server experience. Enhancements include: Improvements to remote access configuration, enhanced functionality for computers running Windows Media Center, and content streaming support for Windows Media Center Extenders. Power Pack 2 adds Italian language support on new home servers.
Power Pack 2 will be made available via Windows Update. Users need to have Windows Home Server with Power Pack 1 already installed on their home server. Power Pack 2 will automatically install as part of Windows Update if Automatic Updates is enabled on the home server. (How to turn on automatic updates.) The English version release date is March 24th. Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish is currently scheduled to be available before the end of April.
Overview of enhancements:
Remote Access
· The Remote Access Settings page is redesigned to make it easier to use.
· A Web-hosted diagnostic service is used to more accurately test if remote connectivity is available from outside the home network.
· New and improved initial configuration and repair wizards, as well as better troubleshooting guidance for common home networking issues that can prevent Remote Access from working properly.
Windows Home Server Console - Remote access settings
Windows Home Server Console – Configuring remote access
Windows Home Server Console – Troubleshooting guidance
Media Sharing & Windows Media Center
When the Windows Home Server Connector software is installed or updated on a Windows Media Center computer, the next time a user starts Windows Media Center they will be prompted to install the Windows Media Center Connector.
· Windows Media Center computers will automatically have access to content stored in shared folders on the home server. Music, Photos, Videos, and Recorded TV folders are enabled by default.
· Windows Media Center Extenders can access and stream multimedia content stored on the home server. Access permission can be granted on an individual folder basis.
· Windows Home Server now supports streaming MP4 files, a popular format for high quality multimedia, to Xbox 360 and other devices that support the MP4 format. Metadata such as title, artist, composer, album, and genre now appears in the music or video library.
Windows Media Center – Windows Media Center Connector installation reminder
Windows Media Center Connector – Installation wizard
Windows Media Center Connector – Installation wizard
Windows Home Server Console – Configuring Windows Media Center Extender access
Windows Media Center – Videos folder on Windows Home Server
For additional information, please read the Power Pack 2 Release Documentation.
It is very rewarding for our team to deliver another update for Windows Home Server. We continue to hear fantastic feedback from our customers about how Windows Home Server is helping them protect and organize their digital media, access it away from home, and share it with friends and family. Thank you to our beta testers and partners for helping us ship Power Pack 2, and to the Windows Home Server community as a whole, for its ongoing support and enthusiasm.
The Windows Home Server Team
We all know that we should backup our computers in case of hard drive failure, disaster, trojan virus, or simple wear and tear. Yet, every time I meet customers and I ask them, when was the last time you actually did a backup of every computer in your home protecting your important data, memories and well… life? The answer almost always is: <Insert shoulder shrug here and look of despair> Windows Home Server and its automatic image based backup software technology, gives you peace of mind and the ability to quickly and easily restore your digital life after your system has crumbled and all hope is seemingly lost.
There are plenty of backup software packages out there. The top reviewer sites, CNET reviews , Top Ten reviews and PC Magazine reviews detail the many features and attributes of backup software programs such as Acronis True Image and Genie –Soft. When you compare features side by side, none of them have the same backup capabilities of Windows Home Sever with its consolidated image based backup technology allowing you to quickly restore your entire system including programs, files and settings, usually in less than one hour. I will ask it again, as I often have… How many of you have 4-8 hours to rebuild your computer or hire someone to do it? Most of you probably don’t even have the software from the OEM or cannot remember where it is to do this.
What exactly is image based backup software and why is it better for me? J.D Biersdorfer from the New York Times did a great job of explaining the differences in an article for the Personal Tech column entitled "Backing Up is Not So Hard" .
“In file-based backup, the program saves copies of files and data on the computer to an external hard disk, recordable disc or removable drive after someone tells it what files to backup. Image-based backup software, on the other hand, makes a snapshot or “disk image” of the computer’s entire hard drive and everything on it, including programs, settings and the operating system. An image-based backup can come in handy if, say, the computer’s hard drive completely dies, because the backup can be copied into a new hard drive, fully restoring the contents.”
Windows Home Server is like a time machine for the computers it protects. When your hard drive crashes and time comes to restore files from a backup, it is a very simple process; simply insert the boot CD, type your password then sit back and let the Windows Home Server restore your entire hard drive of your computer back to a previous point in time.
What really makes Windows Home Server stand out from the pack of other backup software products is all of the other things it does in addition to providing a rock solid backup solution, easy to expand storage, such as file sharing, streaming media and remote access. Windows Home Server OEM partner versions like HP MediaSmart, Acer easyStore, VIA and Shuttle combine the hardware & backup software into a convenient plug & play package providing the easiest way to enable your backup needs.
Choose Windows Home Server because of its image based backup software and restore capabilities or for the file sharing and streaming media connections it creates within your networked home. Either way… won’t you sleep better when you know that your digital life and memories are safe?
Moira & Kevin
The largest technology showcase in the world, CeBIT, is underway in Hannover, Germany. According to the CeBIT web site, "...4,300 exhibiting firms from 69 countries" are participating. The Microsoft Germany team is in attendance and Windows Home Server is in the spotlight.
The report from the show floor is that the number of visitors to the booth is quite good.
Below are images of the Windows Home Server area before and after the show opened.
Hardware being showcased in the booth includes the Fujitsu Siemens SCALEO Home Server, the 2nd generation HP MediaSmart Server, and the newly announced Acer Aspire easyStore Home Server. Here's one of the first articles coming out of Germany. Acer: Windows Home Server mit bis zu 3TB kommen (WinFuture).
- Steven
If your photography is your passion, Windows Home Server is a better way to store, organize, protect and access your digital pictures. In the March issue of Picture Business Magazine there is a brief article titled, "Microsoft's Data Protection Plan".
In recent months, our team has attended a couple of professional photography events such as Spotlight on Imaging at CES and Wedding & Portrait Photographers International. Professional photographers recognize the need to protect their work and reported that they employ a number of different ways to store and back up their photos.
- Manually copy photos onto a CD, DVD or external hard drive
- Use a backup program to copy photos to another hard disk
- Configure an external hard drive, network attached storage device or even another computer on the network to keep a second copy of photos
Windows Home Server can simplify this process immensely! Automatic image-based backups, redundant copies of photos stored on separate hard drives, and an easy way to add more storage space are just a few of the benefits.
In order to help professional photographers and aspiring amateurs better understand Windows Home Server, we are pleased to launch a photography-specific web page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/photos/.
We will be adding more content over time. Please check it out and let us know what you think!
Steven
Microsoft marketers are doing some great work to get the word out about Windows Home Server in their respective countries. As noted in previous posts, Windows Home Server has been sold in over 50 countries around the world. Earlier this month Philip Churchill commented about a Users Banquet in Tokyo Japan, which prompted me to consider this post. I'm pleased to share some examples of Windows Home Server marketing outside of America.
| Belgium ![clip_image001[6]](http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/homeserver/WindowsLiveWriter/WindowsHomeServerMarketingaroundtheworld_E44E/clip_image001%5B6%5D_thumb.jpg)
Windows Home Server showcased at @Next event. | Canada 
Microsoft Home Magazine in Canada paired up with the popular host of a technology TV program to complete some “How to” video segments on Windows Home Server. |
| Germany ![clip_image001[9]](http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/homeserver/WindowsLiveWriter/WindowsHomeServerMarketingaroundtheworld_E44E/clip_image001%5B9%5D_thumb.jpg)
Integration in the MSN Christmas Special. Many articles in leading magazines. | Netherlands ![clip_image001[12]](http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/homeserver/WindowsLiveWriter/WindowsHomeServerMarketingaroundtheworld_E44E/clip_image001%5B12%5D_thumb.jpg)
Photography focused outreach with Zoom Magazine article, web site landing page, banner advertising, community contest and local event. |
Steven
Today the Windows Home Server team is releasing a small update to the product. This update improves the process by which the Windows Home Server Connector Software gets updated. Additionally, this update resolves certain issues that could occur when restoring files and folders from Windows Home Server, such as the opening of a Home Computer Backup stalling at 79% to 81% complete. The update should be automatically downloaded and installed on your home server over the next several days, if you have Windows Update turned on.
You can check if you have Windows Update turned on, by opening the Windows Home Server Console - Settings - General page.
The Knowledge Base article (#961030) for this update will be posted shortly at this link.
-Jonas (Community Program Manager for the Windows Home Server Team)
I recently saw a post from Donavon West at Home Server Hacks titled, Syncing Two Windows Home Servers. Donavon wrote up an excellent “how to”. I was able to replicate his 3-step process with my own home servers.
With the recent introduction of the new HP MediaSmart Server EX485 and EX487 models, discussion of synchronization seems timely. A few months ago, Philip Churchill at Server For The People posted a terrific roundup of reviews. Here’s a new & upgraded features list:
· MAC backup utilizing Time Machine
· Media Collector – Searches your home PCs for your files and then stores it in the correct folder on your home server.
· Remote Media Streaming of your Music, Videos and Pictures
· Amazon S3 Internet backup
· DLNA streaming
· iTunes Server
At CES 2009, Proxure announced KeepSync for Windows Home Server. Many users are anxiously awaiting the Windows Home Server add-in.
Why would a user want to have two home servers? A plausible scenario is for a “Do It Yourself” home server to coexist (or be replaced) with a sleek new device such as the HP MediaSmart Server, Acer Aspire EasyStore Home Server or others from Shuttle, and VIA. Or a user wants 2 home servers in order to replicate their data to a separate location in the home. Or a user has more than 10 PCs or more than 10 media devices they want to stream content to. Of course, there is another very good reason… Because it is cool.
|
|
|
Photo courtesy HomeServerHacks.com
|
What is your reason?
JB
Like many of you enthusiasts out there, I’ve had the chance to play around with the Windows 7 Beta over the past few weeks. While I’ve certainly been impressed with its stability, ease of use and overall ‘smooth’ operation, what really struck home its value to me as a media fanatic – and relevance to Home Server - was reading a recent post on Gizmodo on the ‘Play To’ feature found in the upcoming operating system.
With more music stored up on my Windows Home Server than I care to think about (luckily all safely duplicated across a number of HDDs), I have a veritable mountain of media at my disposal. But actually accessing it – even with a number of networked streaming devices scattered thru my home – had proven illusive. Somehow, navigating thru countless (and somewhat awkward) media management UI was enough of a barrier (and a distraction) for me to not want to really put this scenario to use on a regular basis.
Until Win7, that is. With the music library on my HP MediaSmart Server as the backend, I can now fire up my trusty Windows Media Player UI on any Win7 PC in the house, point to an album, artist, genre or even playlist and with a right click, send a ‘play to’ command to my networked Roku Soundbridge in the kitchen – or the Xbox 360 in the basement. And a few seconds later, I’m enjoying said musical entertainment over ‘real’ speakers (vs. my laptop’s puny imitation). No confusing UI to navigate, or additional remote to pick up. All done from the comfort of my couch on my laptop.
What better way to showcase the combined value of the unlimited centralized storage of the Windows Home Server and the ease of use of Windows 7 awesome media features? One more reason why it’s a good idea to have both up and running in your house. (reason #1 of course – backing up your computer to Windows Home Server prior to loading Win7 – just in case. It’s still in Beta, after all. ;-)
MP
