Windows Home Server FAQ and Known Issues Forum

How to Troubleshoot Network Connection Problems with Windows Home Server

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:52:49 Z

How to: Troubleshoot Network Connection Problems with Windows Home Server

This FAQ attempts to describe some known reasons for network connection problems with Windows Home Server and give hints, how to solve them. Since home networking configurations may be very different and complex, not each scenario can be covered.

Symptoms

When you try to install the Connector software from CD, the shared folder \\Server\Software\Home Server Connector Software or the Website http://server:55000 the server cannot be found at some point. The same can happen at a later time, if you try to open the console from the context menu of the already installed Connector. The error messages may vary, they may look like Server not found, The operation cannot be completed at this time or Password incorrect.

Causes

The problem can be caused by various different reasons:

· A 3^rd party security suite on the client may block the ports necessary for the communication between connector and server. (Possible solution: Uninstall the security suite.)

· The server and the clients are located in different IP subnets. (Possible solution: Connect the machines to the same network or disable the rogue DHCP server, if one exist additional to the router.)

· A router sends unnecessary or wrong DHCP settings to the client, causing name resolution troubles. (Possible solution: see below)

· A manual made entry in the hosts file is no longer valid. (Possible solution: Check the hosts file, remove or correct the faulty entry.)

· NVidia drivers on the server block Remote Desktop connections. (Possible solution: See FAQ How to handle error message “The Password is incorrect” attempting console access)

· Faulty network hardware or drivers.

· Multiple network cards in one machine.

· IIS misconfiguration on the server. (Possible solution: Check, if some application changed the ASP.NET settings in IIS to version 1.x instead of 2.x and change this back)

· Power Save settings of the network adapter (Possible solution: Change on the Power Management tab of the network card in device manager)

· date/time and time zone differences between client and server

Diagnostics
Since the complexity and variety of home networks makes it not easy, to pinpoint the reason for troubles, some methods will be described, which should narrow down the specific problem.

ipconfig

The command ipconfig allows you, to read the IP configuration of network adapters in the command line. It can be necessary to execute the command on both the client and the server as follows (menus may differ depending from the operating system):

· Open Start/All Programs/Accessories and click Command Prompt.

· In the black window type the command

ipconfig /all

If you wish to post the output, click the System menu on the left side of the title bar, select Edit/Mark and mark the block with the mouse. Hit the Enter key to finish the marking and copy the marked text into the clipboard. From here you can paste the information into notepad or the forum posting window, so that the output looks similar like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : MYWHS

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : xxx.yyy.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : xxx.yyy.com

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SiS191 1000/100/10 Ethernet Device

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0A-E4-85-DD-13

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.103

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 13, 2009 6:07:15 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 13, 2009 6:07:15 PM

The output may vary (so for Vista and Windows 7 you will see IPv6 addresses as well).

This information helps, to find some of network configuration settings, which may cause Connector software to fail.

Primary DNS Suffix, DNS Suffix Search List, Connection-specific DNS Suffix:

In a home network these settings should be empty. If they are not, and if the value is a valid Internet Domain name (like many ISPs tend to configure), the router will take the name of the server, attach that suffix and query the DNS server of the ISP for resolution of the name. This will in each case fail, since the external DNS server cannot resolve your internal server, but the exact result may differ.

If the DNS server of the ISP is authoritative for the domain represented by the suffix and not a server in this domain has the same name like your Windows Home Server, it could respond with a name resolution failed message. If it is not authoritative for the domain, it will try to find a DNS server, which is authoritative and can resolve a name in that domain. This can end with the same result, name resolution failed. After getting this message back, the client can either attempt to resolve the name via broadcast, or it already did run into a timeout. If the later, a repeated attempt may establish a connection successfully.

But the DNS Server of the ISP can also return a wrong IP address – if either the server name exists in the Internet domain or if the authoritative DNS server returns a generic address for all unresolved names (i.e. the advertisement website for the domain hoster). In this case the client attempts the connection to this wrong address, which fails.

Workarounds:

Method 1: Removing the DNS suffix from the router

Drawbacks of this method: not always applicable, depending from the router/ISP

You will find the domain given as suffix usually somewhere in the routers configuration interface. It depends from the model and the ISP, if you can successfully remove it. If you cannot remove it, but alter the value, try a single label name, i.e. Workgroup. These are not resolved through the Internet. After that at least a reboot of the client and the server are necessary. If the suffix still is stuck in the configuration, you may have to renew the IP address on the client. To do this, open a command prompt (on Vista/Windows 7 as Administrator) and enter the following commands:

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

Method 2: Configuring manual IP addresses on all clients and the server

Drawbacks of this method: typos may cause connectivity issues, later changes of the router hardware may leave the machines disconnected, time consuming

If you cannot figure out, how to remove the DNS suffix from the router, or if the router stops to connect to the ISP, if you do so, it may be useful to configure manually IP addresses, subnet settings, default gateway and DNS server on each machine. Stay in the same subnet (i.e. 192.168.0.xx) as the router did offer, but stay outside of the address range the router reserves for DHCP (you should be able to see this range in the configuration of the router). As default gateway and DNS server use the IP address of the router. How to configure the IP address manually, should be documented in the Help files of your operating system.

Hint: If you change the IP address of the server as well, be especially careful on headless machines, since each typo will end in a necessary server recovery.

After altering the servers IP address in that way, you will have to run discovery.exe in C:\Program Files\Windows Home Server on each client PC to reestablish the connection.

Method 3: Alter the hosts file on each client

Drawbacks of this method: static assignment of IP address will often be forgotten overtime and so cause connectivity issues, if the server changes the IP address (due to a router reset/hardware change or a server reinstallation)

The hosts file is a text file without extensions, which can be found in the folder C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc. If you want to edit this file in Vista or Windows 7, open Notepad as Administrator from the context menu in its shortcut. In Notepad click File/Open, navigate to the mentioned folder, select All Files (*.*) instead of Text files and open the file hosts.

It looks like

# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.

# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each

# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should

# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.

# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one

# space.

# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual

# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.

# For example:

# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server

# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

::1 localhost

For the Windows Home Server add a line on the end, for the example configuration above would this be

192.168.0.103 MYWHS

Close Notepad and save the changes.

Node Type

This is often set to Unknown. Especially modern operating systems like Vista and Windows 7 rely on name resolution via DNS and do not use the old method via NetBIOS any more by default.

To enable name resolution via NetBIOS, you can open the TCP/IP configuration of the network adapter on all clients and the server.

Click the Advanced button, select the WINS tab, click the radio button Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP and confirm the change.

IP Address

The first digits of the IP addresses on the client and server should match (in the example above 192.168.0). If this is not the case, the machines are either in different subnets or misconfigured.

Subnet Mask

This should be identical on each of the machines.

Default Gateway, DHCP Server and DNS Servers

In a normal home network environment these entries should be identical and point to the IP address of the router. Sometimes the DNS servers of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) are directly listed here, which leads to the same effects as the wrong DNS suffixes.

Lease obtained/Lease expired:

If this DHCP setting is too short configured, the client needs to renew its IP address very often. This may cause problems during a bare metal restore of a client using the Restore CD. If this setting can be changed, this is possible only in the routers own interface.

Other helpful diagnostic commands

ping

The ping command sends a packet to the server and gets an answer back. In a command prompt you enter

ping servername (replace servername with the name of your Windows Home Server)

to attempt a ping to the server by its name. If it works, you will see lines similar to

Pinging MYWHS [192.168.153.103] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.153.103: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

If this fails or the reply comes back from the wrong IP address (usually one in the Internet), try to ping the server by its known IP address:

ping 192.168.0.103

nslookup

This command shows the DNS server configured for the client. If you enter the name of your Windows Home Server in the appearing prompt, that DNS server should either respond with the internal IP address or the server or not find the server. If the address listed is an external, this is the reason for the failing connection attempts. You can leave the nslookup prompt with the command exit.

nbtstat

This command allows to validate NetBIOS name resolution (which is of interest, if the shortcut Shared Folders on Server does not work).

A command like

nbtstat –A 192.168.0.103 (replace the IP address with the known IP address of your server)

should return something like:

Local Area Connection:

Node IpAddress: [192.168.153.111] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table

Name Type Status

---------------------------------------------

MYWHS <00> UNIQUE Registered

WORKGROUP <00> GROUP Registered

MYWHS <20> UNIQUE Registered

WORKGROUP <1E> GROUP Registered

WORKGROUP <1D> UNIQUE Registered

..__MSBROWSE__.<01> GROUP Registered

If no result is listed here, NetBIOS network connectivity may not be given (or you attempt to use the wrong IP address). Many routers allow you to show, to which machines they assigned IP addresses or did allow connections.

Best greetings from Germany

Olaf

Frequently Asked Questions about Remote Access

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:22:06 Z

Below are a list of useful resources along with some of the most Frequently Asked Questions regarding Remote Access Troubleshooting. Before asking your question on the forums, please see if these FAQs answer your questions. If the answers to these questions do not resolve your issue, please post your question along with the answers to the questions located at the end of this FAQ.

Resources:

Step by step instructions for configuring common routers for Windows Home Server Remote Access (Thanks to Alexander Kent, Windows Home Server MVP)

Microsoft Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool

FAQs:

1. When I attempt to configure my Remote Access website, the configuration wizards fails when attempting to configure my router?

a. Check to make sure the UPnP is enabled on your router. If you do not see an option for UPnP, check to see whether there is a firmware update that will enable UPnP, or that UPnP is supported by your router.

2. I’m using a router along with my ISP provided device. I am unable to access my Remote Access website. The Windows Home Server Console reports that my website is unavailable from the internet.

a. What is likely occurring is that your network is operating in what is referred to as a “Double NAT” configuration. Your ISP provided device as well as the router that have connected are interfering with each other. You can either remove the router, or check your ISPs support website to find out how to place their device into what is called “Transparent Bridge Mode.”

3. My router is configured properly, however the Windows Home Server Console reports that my website is not available outside my network, and when I attempt to access my server from outside my network, I am unable to connect.

a. Your ISP may be blocking the ports required for Windows Home Server Remote Access to work. Contact your ISP and confirm that ports 80, 443, and 4125 are not blocked.

4. I’m trying to access my Remote Access website from home using my chosen web address; however I get an error saying that the page cannot be displayed.

a. Your router is preventing the connection. If you are within your home network, use Windows Explorer to access the Shared Folders on your Windows Home Server, and use Remote Desktop Connection to access computers within your home. If you must access the Remote Access website from within your home, use the internal name of your server. (i.e. http://hpserver )

5. Remote Access is configured correctly for my Windows Home Server, however, there are periodic times where I am unable to access my server remotely.

a. Your router may need to be rebooted. Unplug the device, wait 30 seconds, and then reconnect the device. If you find that you are having to reboot your router many times, consider replacing the device.

6. My ISP uses Dynamic IP address assignments. My IP address has changed, yet the Windows Home Server Console still is reporting my old IP address. I am unable to access my Remote Access website.

a. This issue can occur when the Windows Home Server Dynamic DNS service fails to update the Dynamic DNS provider with the new IP address. The best fix is to power cycle your Windows Home Server, and the issue should be resolved.

Required Questions for Troubleshooting

1. Which version of Windows Home Server are you running? This information can be found in the Settings area of the Windows Home Server Console.

2. What is the make/model of your router? Have you upgraded to the latest firmware?

3. Who is your Internet Service Provider? If you are using DSL, who is your provider and what is the make and model of your DSL modem?

4. What is your external IP Address as displayed in your router? (This is useful for determining if NAT issues exist)

5. Can you connect to http://yourname.homeserver.com from:

a. Inside your home

b. Your office or other workplace

c. An additional location (coffee shop, friend’s house)

6. What is the error message you receive when attempting to access your Remote Access website?

7. When you do an nslookup or ping yourname.homeserver.com, does it resolve to your actual external IP address? You can find this address in your router, or by using a website like http://whatismyipaddress.com from within your home network.

8. Inside your homenetwork, can you successfully visit http://servername ? If not, what is the error message you receive?

9. Is UPnP enabled on your router? If not, please turn UPnP on and retry the Remote Access Configuration wizard.

10. Have you tried to manually forward ports 80, 443, and 4125 through to your Windows Home Server?

11. From a PC on your home network, can you successfully complete the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool without errors? If there are errors, what are they?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/using/tools/igd

http://www.tomontech.com

How to handle error message “The Password is incorrect” attempting console access

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:35:56 Z

How to handle error message “The Password is incorrect” attempting console access
Windows Home Server allows the Administrator to manage the system with the Windows Home Server console. The console will usually be started by right clicking the Connector icon on a client PC and entering the Console password, which is identical with the password of the account Administrator on the server. Another method would be the connection to the server via the Remote Access webpage.
There are some situations, in which the console cannot longer be accessed, because the password is rejected as wrong, even if there is clearly no typo, no CAPS lock enabled by mistake, no unintentional change in keyboard layout and no broken keyboard.

Reason:
Some NVidia video drivers (in some cases also ATI) can break Remote Desktop access. This may happen after a driver upgrade or after upgrading other components sharing the same resources, i.e. .NET Framework.
Since the Windows Home Server console is nothing else than a specific Remote Desktop connection, it will also fail to this behavior.

Diagnostics:
You can test this by attempting to connect using the Remote Desktop Client (in some cases a Remote Desktop connection without loading the console may still be possible). The Remote Desktop Client can be found in the Start menu under All Programs/Accessories (or the Communications subfolder here). The exact path depends from the client operating system and its patch level.
After starting the Remote Desktop client, enter the name of your server in the Computer field.
Enter Administrator as user name (other credentials are not supported) and as password provide the console password.
After confirming the credentials, you should see the desktop of the Windows Home Server within the Remote Desktop session and receive a warning page informing you about the potential risks.
In the Start Menu on Remote Desktop click the shortcut to start the Windows Home Server Console and check, if it works properly from here.
If you cannot connect via Remote Desktop, you will need to perform a local login on your server, using attached keyboard and monitor. Since the situation caused by NVidia video drivers will only arise on a self built system with a video card, this specific problem should not happen on server appliances provided by the larger OEMs.

On the affected system open the Event Viewer via Start/Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Event Viewer and check for entries like this:
Event Type:          Information
Event Source:       Application Popup
Event Category:    None
Description:Application popup: \SystemRoot\System32\RDPDD.dll failed to load

This can easy be overlooked, since it is not declared as error or warning, but as plain information.

Solutions:
If you find this entry, following fixes may work:
Method 1:
Uninstall the NVidia video driver.
Eventually check for a more up to date video driver and try, if this fixes the behavior.
Method 2:
Disable hardware acceleration on the server. To do this, right click the desktop, and select Properties to show the Display Properties.
On the Settings tab click Advanced/Troubleshoot and turn off Hardware acceleration.
Method 3:
Create a text file with the extension .reg (i.e. remote.reg) with following content:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]
"SessionImageSize"=dword:00000020

Save it in one of your shared folders on the home server.
From within a desktop session on your server, double click it. Confirm that you want to merge the content of the file with the registry and after succeeding, reboot the server.
Hint: If Notepad opens after doubleclicking the file, there may still be a hidden extension .txt behind the .reg extension. In this case in Windows Explorer under Tools/Folder Options on the View tab uncheck Hide extensions for known file types. Rename the file appropriate.

Best greetings from Germany
Olaf Engelke

FAQ: I can't get Power Pack 2 to download and install

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:23:36 Z

A number of users are having problems getting Power Pack 2 to download and install, even if they run updates repeatedly through the Windows Home Server console.

By far, the number one reason for this issue is users who are running a beta version of Power Pack 1, most often build 1771. When you installed a beta version of Power Pack 1, you were informed that you would need to manually uninstall it in order to install the RTM version, or to install some updates to Windows Home Server. Power Pack 2 requires Power Pack 1 to be installed, and will only install if it's the RTM version. The current, pre-Power Pack 2 versions were a mix of builds 1800.0, 1800.24, and 1800.36, if I recall correctly.

So if your Windows Home Server resources show up as build 1771 in the Console, Settings screen, Resources view, please manually uninstall Power Pack 1 and then run updates through the Console until it reports there is nothing further to install.

If your resources are showing some version before 1771, you don't have Power Pack 1 installed, and are at risk of a rare but very serious data corruption bug which was fixed in Power Pack 1.

If your resources are showing build 2030, you have Power Pack 2 installed already.

I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)

How to update Realtek NIC drivers during Bare Metal Restore

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:44:29 Z

How to update Realtek NIC drivers during Bare Metal Restore

During a Bare Metal Restore, the NIC drivers for the Realtek family of network cards may need to be manually updated using the XP/Windows Server 2003 driver. The Windows Home Server restore CD will indicate the "inbox" driver for the restore CD is present; however, this driver may not work and there will be no network connectivity. The solution is to download the drivers from the Realtek site and install them during Bare Metal Restore using a USB key outlined in the process below.

Note: Passively placing the drivers on the key will not work as the existing drivers are already loaded. You must follow the steps below.

1. Download network driver from the Realtek Website:

http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=7&PFid=10&Level=3&Conn=2

a. Download the Windows XP(WinServer2003) Driver.

2. Extract the zip file onto the USB flash and plug the USB flash into the client PC.

3. Apply the downloaded NIC driver with Windows Home Server Restore CD

a. On the detect hardware screen, select the appropriate time/currency format and keyboard/input method

b. Detect hardware dialog will detect one network device but it will not be usable because of hardware and driver incompatibility.

c. Manually update the driver from the USB flash

i. Select the “Show Details…” button

ii. Scan USB flash to update the driver

iii. Press the “Install Drivers…”

iv. Push “Scan” button to scan for new/updated drives

v. A dialogue box will pop up:

"Drivers were found for your hardware.

Click OK to see all detected hardware."

vi. Select OK

d. Verify that you have updated the Network driver. You should see your specific hardware listed in the “Detect Hardware” dialog screen.

Lara Jones [MSFT] | Program Manager
Community Support and Beta | Windows Home Server Team
Windows Home Server Team Blog
Connect Windows Home Server
Windows Home Server

FAQ: How do I resolve file conflicts

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:12:36 Z

The following list shows common file conflict messages and the common steps to resolve the issues. If you still cannot resolve the issue or if you receive a message that is not on this list, submit a bug to Microsoft.

File is Open

Files that remain open for more than 24 hours are reported with a “File is open” conflict warning. Files must be closed so the Drive Extender (DE) migrator process can duplicate them. If a file is never closed, the Drive Extender migrator process will not be able to make a second copy of the file on a second hard drive.

This conflict can also occur with media sharing. If you have computers or Media Center Extenders that monitor shared folders on Windows Home Server, stop monitoring the shared folders until DE can make a pass and set your computer or Media Center Extender to monitor the shared folder again

The system cannot find the drive specified

A device attached to the system is not functioning

Symptoms: These messages indicate that Windows Home Server cannot find a hard drive that was added to Server Storage on your home server.

Cause: This is usually happens if the hard drive is turned off or if a hard drive cable is disconnected.

Resolution: Ensure that all hard drive cables are connected, and that any external hard drives are turned on before you turn on your home server. If the problem persists, replace the hard drive cables. As a last resort, consider replacing the hard drive.

If the hard drive is permanently damaged, remove it using the Storage tab on the Console to save at least the duplicated files.

The group or resource is not in the correct state to perform the requested operation

Symptoms: This message indicates that a tombstone file is pointing to a shadow file that no longer exists on the home server.

Cause: This usually happens if there are hardware problems with one or more hard drives or if a non-certified anti-virus application is quarantining the shadow files, while leaving the tombstone files intact.

Resolution: Delete the files identified in the File Conflict messages. The data for these files no longer exist on your home server or the data is in an incorrect state.
In some cases you may not be able to delete the file from your home server using the home server shared folder. If this happens, use the following procedure to delete the files.

1. Access the Windows Home Server desktop. To do this, use the steps described in the section titled “How to Access the Windows Home Server Administrator’s Desktop…” later in this document.

2. From the administrator’s desktop open a command prompt window on your home server and

3. From the command prompt, navigate to the file indicated in the warning message, starting at D:\shares\. For example, to clear a hidden file attribute, use the following steps:

4. Open a command prompt window and using D:\shares as a stating part, navigate to the path where your file is located.

5. Type: attrib -h [[Drive:][Path] FileName] /s /d and hit enterTo delete the file, type DEL [filename] and hit enter

The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable

Data error (cyclic redundancy check)

The system cannot find message text for message number *** in the message file

Symptoms: These messages indicate that the Windows Home Server operating system has found a hard drive with bad sectors or some other intermittent problem. In addition, the following messages may also appear in the Windows Home Server System Event Log:

Event ID	Details
7	The device, [device name], has a bad block. For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp .
26	Application popup: Windows - Corrupt File : The file or directory [File path is corrupt and unreadable. Please run the Chkdsk utility
55	The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable. Please run the chkdsk utility on the volume [volume name].

Cause: This is usually caused by hard drive hardware problems.

Resolution: Try to correct the problem by running a full surface scan of the hard drives in your home server:

1. Ensure your home computers are not accessing files in your home server shared folders.

2. Use the steps described below to access the Windows Home Server administrator’s desktop.

3. Open a command prompt window.

4. Type the following command at the command prompt to perform a full surface scan of the primary hard drive:
chkdsk /r
Confirm the volume dismount.

5. Repeat the scan for the other hard drives by typing the following command at the command prompt:
for /d %1 in (c:\fs\*) do chkdsk /x /r %1

6. Depending on the size of the hard drives and the amount of data stored on your home server, the chkdsk command may take many hours to complete.

7. While chkdsk runs, additional file conflicts such as “The system cannot find the drive specified” may occur. This is to be expected because chkdsk dismounts the data volumes to complete its operation.

More information about chkdsk can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/187941/.

If the problem happens again, add a new hard drive and remove the failing hard drive by using Server Storage tab on the Console. If you have enough free space, you can remove it without losing any files.

If you are unable to remove the hard drive using the Server Storage tab, try the following:

1. Disconnect the hard drive from your home server.

2. Remove the hard drive using the Console Server Storage tab. The disconnected hard drive has a “Missing” status.

The semaphore timeout period has expired

The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error

Symptoms: This message indicates that a hard drive controller driver is waiting for an overlapped read/write operation to complete.

Cause: This is usually caused by problems with a faulty hard drive controller driver or possible hard drive hardware problems or MFT corruption. MFT corruption will indicate WINERROR 1117 STATUS_DRIVER_INTERNAL_ERROR.

Resolution: Ensure that you are using the proper driver for your hard drive controller that is certified to work with Windows Server 2003. If the problem persists, replace the hard drive controller with a supported make or model. For MFT corruption, run chkdsk /x c:\fs\* from a command prompt.

The parameter is incorrect

Symptoms: Usually seen when copying files to home server shared folders.

Cause: Usually due to two hard drives which have the same free space available.

Resolution: Try to correct the problem, stop the copy operation and resume once the file conflicts disappear.

How to Access the Windows Home Server Administrator’s Desktop

To connect to your Windows Home Server Administrator’s Desktop from any home computer running Windows XP Professional, follow these steps:

1. On your home computer, click Start, click All Programs, then click Accessories.

2. In the Accessories menu, click Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection. Or press Windows + R keys, type mstsc.exe and Hit Enter

3. In the Computer text box, type the name of your home server.

4. Click Connect.

5. When the Log On to Windows dialog box appears, type “Administrator” as the user name and type your Windows Home Server Console password for the password, and then click OK.

6. The Remote Desktop window opens, and you see the desktop settings, files, and programs that are on your home server.

To connect to your Windows Home Server Administrator’s Desktop from any home computer running Windows Vista Business or Ultimate or Enterprise editions, follow these steps:

1. On your home computer, click Start, click All Programs, and then click Accessories.

2. In the Accessories menu, click Remote Desktop Connection.

3. In the Computer text box, type the name of your home server.

4. Click Connect.

5. When the Log On to Windows dialog box appears, type “Administrator” as the user name and type your Windows Home Server Console password for the password, and then click OK.

6. The Remote Desktop window opens, and you see the desktop settings, files, and programs that are on your home server.

Lara Jones [MSFT] | Program Manager
Community Support and Beta | Windows Home Server Team
Windows Home Server Team Blog
Connect Windows Home Server
Windows Home Server

How to recover data after server failure

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:16:14 Z

How To: Recover Data after Server failure

Windows Home Server as the backend of a home network is not immune to hardware defects, bad drivers, misconfigurations, incompatible software installations or user errors. While it offers possibilities to backup the content of shared folders and even the client backups, these processes have to be done manually and need a lot of additional external storage space. So these will often not be performed regulary.

We can consider following scenarios:

The system does not boot any more, but the disks are all ok. Recommended method: Server Reinstall.
The system disk is broken, the data disks are ok. Recommended method: Server Reinstall after replacing the disk. If you can still access the DATA volume of the disk, proceed as described below to copy eventually stored files.
The system disk is ok, but one or more data disks fail, or Windows Home Server Console reports disks as missing. Recommended method: Data recovery has priority. Try to get the data out as described below.

If your Windows Home Server still boots, you can check the event log of the server for error details. To do this, log in locally or via Remote Desktop client to the server desktop. Use the account name Administrator and the console password for login.
In Start/Control Panel/Administrative Tools click Event Viewer.
Check the System and Application logs for errors (red marked) and warnings (yellow marked).
If you find ntfs errors, double click them to see the details. In case of unreadable sectors get a replacement disk.

After broken hardware is replaced, the next step would be to try a server reinstallation (which may be named different, if you got your Windows Home Server as an OEM product). This special installation mode will only wipe the system volume on C: (and with it all user accounts, customizations, installed Add-Ins and applications, applied updates), but leave the data intact. (A new installation will wipe all drives, so be carefull, what you select.) Be patient, since rebuilding the tombstones can take a long time without clear information on the screen, what is going on.
Before adding the clients again and redo the configuration tasks, run Windows Update through the console first. Repeat this after necessary reboots, until you don't get new updates offered any more. This is necessary to eliminate potential bugs.

If you get no server reinstall offered, this can depend from the sequence, in which the disks are detected by the Bios or which drivers are provided initially. The former or new system disk must always be detected as drive 0. If you are using SATA disks, it may be more convenient to select the IDE (ATA/PATA) mode in the settings of the SATA controller. In this case Windows Home Server setup can use built in drivers. Be aware that using SATA drivers may require, to present these drivers a second time during setup using a floppy disk.

If a server reinstall fails, is not offered or is not possible due to severely broken hardware or the configuration cannot be reused due to a replacement of main hardware components, and you don't have a recent backup on another disk or location, you need to copy the data manually to a new location.

To do this:

Attach the disks one by one to a Windows PC either via internal ports or using an adaptor cable USB to SATA/IDE. This PC can be one of the clients, or a fresh installed Windows Home Server. Do not add this disk to the storage pool, before you have copied all data to the server share or external storage. The already configured storage pool devices must offer enough free space to handle the data from the disk besides old client backups (which will be lost in such a recovery scenario).
In Control Panel of that PC open Folder Options.
On the View tab select Show hidden files and folders.
Click OK.
In Windows Explorer look for the DATA volume on the former Windows Home Server disk (including the D: drive of the former primary disk), which will usually have gotten a drive letter in the system. After opening this volume in Explorer you should see the hidden folder DE. (Be aware, that in configurations with multiple disks in the server this folder may not exist on each disk or be empty.)
Within the folder DE you should find a subfolder shares.
This contains parts or all (or none) of the data in the former shared folders or duplicates of this data (if Folder Duplication was selected).
Copy this data either to the new server installation by accessing the server shares through the desktop shortcut Shared Folders on server or to another storage location. Do never target the file system of drives belonging to Windows Home Server directly (i.e. d:\shares)!
Repeat this for each DATA disk.

Do not forget to check the consistency of data (can files still be opened, are they the most current version) before reusing the disks in the storage pool.

Best greetings from Germany
Olaf

FAQ: How do I upgrade from the evaluation/trial to a full copy of WHS?

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:05:10 Z

Answer: it isn't possible to "upgrade" the 120 day evaluation software to a full installation without reinstallation. Microsoft has embedded a "time bomb" in the core OS which will progressively disable your server after 120 days. This time bomb is not tied to the product key, and can't be disabled.

To upgrade to a full version of the software, you will need to perform a server reinstallation. This is a special installation mode, which allows you to refresh the operating system (or the entire system disk if recovering from an issue which required replacement of that disk) without affecting your shares or backups. You will lose any users you've created (if you recreate the user after the reinstallation, the user will be reconnected with his/her folder in the Users share with no data loss), and any add-ins you've installed will have to be reinstalled. If you've customized your server in other ways (installed software in a Remote Desktop session, tweaked the OS, etc.) you will have to re-do those customizations.

To perform a server reinstallation:

Boot your server from the installation media.
At the screen which shows your hard drives, make sure that all drives are visible. If some of your data drives aren't visible, add drivers for them. If your system drive isn't visible, you'll need drivers for that too. In that case, storage drivers must be on floppy disk (or other media that will be readable in text mode setup).
When you reach the screen which asks what kind of installation you want to perform, you should have two options: New installation and server reinstallation (or server recovery). Choose server reinstallation. If you don't see both options, do not proceed! New Installation will erase all data on all disks visible to setup! Instead, post in the Hardware and installation forum. (Note: Microsoft doesn't offer any support for Windows Home Server through normal retail support channels. The people who help you in the forum are all volunteers; if someone doesn't get back to you instantly, try to be understanding. :) )
After choosing server reinstallation, your server will reboot into text mode setup. If you needed drivers for your system disk, watch the bottom of the screen closely for the "Press F6" prompt. Tap F6 several times when it appears; you should then be given the opportunity to add drivers.
Once you've added all required drivers, leave the installation media in the DVD drive (Removing the DVD partway through the process will usually cause setup to fail) and go do something else. It will take some time for installation to finish; it's done when you reach the (Vista-like) Welcome screen.

I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)

How to restore a client PC, if the network connection does not work in the CD based restore environment

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:53:01 Z

Windows Home Server has the feature, to allow a complete restore of a client PC. This restore needs a working network connection to function. Sometimes this network connection cannot be established after booting from the Windows Home Server Home Computer Restore CD, because:

drivers for the installed network adapter are not available in the basic Vista PE package, which is the base for the recovery environment
the drivers in the clients folder "Windows Home Server Drivers for Restore" are copied to an USB stick, but not accepted in Vista PE (be also aware, that the recovery CD is a 32 Bit environment, so if your drivers are from an installed 64 bit Vista, they cannot work)
the most current network drivers from the maker of the network card or the chip fail as well (after you have unpacked these drivers to an USB stick)
the network connection gets established, but data transfer fails due to network errors
the connection is wireless, which is not supported for restore (Windows PE cannot handle encrypted connections and the amount of data to be restored does not fit well into the bandwidth of most wireless environments)

In such cases you need:

a second client PC with Windows Home Server Connector software installed and a free port to attach a hard disk from the first PC (this can be IDE or SATA as the original disk is or a USB to IDE/SATA adapter cable)
knowledge, how to remove and connect a hard disk

If these prerequisites are given, perform the following steps:

Disconnect the power plug from each PC, which you need to open to access the hard disk.
Detach the disk from the PC, which you want to restore. (Don't forget, that a hard disk is a sensitive electronic and mechanical device.)
Attach it to the second PC as a secondary drive (either by connecting to an internal port or with an USB to SATA/IDE connector).
Boot that PC up.
Restore the disk by running ClientRestoreWizard.exe, which can be found in Program Files\Windows Home Server on the client PC. Be carefull here with the selection of the target disk to not overwrite the wrong disk with the backup from the other PC!
After restore has been completed: Shut down the second PC and move the disk back to the original PC.

Best greetings from Germany
Olaf

November QFE KB957825 Known issues

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:23:32 Z

November QFE KB957825

Known issue:

This update allows Windows Home Server to report the total drive space available rather than the space available on the primary drive. This was implemented to fix the following bug:

https://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=348990

However, the side effect is that mapped drives appear to report inaccurate information (more space than the capacity of the drive). There are two new bugs about this issue. The master bug is located on the Connect site at:

https://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=384243

If you wish to validate a bug, please validate the master bug.

Known issue: Cannot update Connector: Page Not Found

If you have difficultly updating your Connector software (for example, if you see a “Page Not Found“ error), please check this post by Ken Warren.

Filing a Bug:

If you have problems with the update that you cannot resolve in the forums, please feel free to file a bug on the Connect site. You will need to join the Windows Home Server program and once you are in the program, click Feedback. Please be sure to submit client and server CABs as these are essential to the bug triage process. You can use the x64 or x86 Windows Home Server Toolkit to collect and send the CABs. See the Windows Home Server Toolkit User Manual for more information about using the Toolkit.

Additional resources:

You can also check out the Windows Home Server blog for additional information about the update.

Microsoft KB article: KB957825

X64 toolkit

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.aspx?na=45&p=2&SrcDisplayLang=en&SrcCategoryId=&SrcFamilyId=71ef4793-5f81-4ef7-8c7d-fe905094ab13&u=details.aspx%3ffamilyid%3d8C536513-E0BC-4594-86B2-E65C6ED809B6%26displaylang%3den

x86 toolkit

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.aspx?na=45&p=2&SrcDisplayLang=en&SrcCategoryId=&SrcFamilyId=8c536513-e0bc-4594-86b2-e65c6ed809b6&u=details.aspx%3ffamilyid%3d71EF4793-5F81-4EF7-8C7D-FE905094AB13%26displaylang%3den

Manual

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.aspx?na=45&p=1&SrcDisplayLang=en&SrcCategoryId=&SrcFamilyId=71ef4793-5f81-4ef7-8c7d-fe905094ab13&u=details.aspx%3ffamilyid%3dD6B60E67-4CC8-49F0-BEFF-A2556881E4BF%26displaylang%3den

Lara Jones [MSFT] Windows Home Server Team

I have Windows XPSP3 installed .Why can’t I use remote access to log into my Windows Home Server?

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:43:38 Z

I have Windows XPSP3 installed why can’t I use remote access to log into my Windows Home Server?

You cannot connect to a remote computer or start a remote application when you use Terminal Services Web Access or Remote Web Workspace on a Windows XP SP3-based or Windows Small Business Server 2003 SP1-based computer

Workaround:

To work around this issue, follow these steps:

Start Internet Explorer.
Visit the Web site that is causing this problem.
If you are using Windows Internet Explorer 7, follow these steps:

On the Tools menu, point to Manage Add-ons, and then click Enable or Disable Add-ons. The Manage Add-ons dialog box appears.
In the list of add-ins, search for the Microsoft Terminal Services Client Control ActiveX control or for the Microsoft RDP client Control ActiveX control.
Click the control, click Enable, and then click OK to close the Manage Add-ons dialog box
If you are using Internet Explorer 6, follow these steps:
On the Tools menu, click Manage Add-ons. The Manage Add-ons dialog box appears.
In the list of add-ins, search for the Microsoft Terminal Services Client Control ActiveX control or for the Microsoft RDP client Control ActiveX control.
Click the control, click Enable, and then click OK to close the Manage Add-ons dialog box.

Add the site to your Trusted Sites in Internet Explorer.
Restart Internet Explorer.
Try to connect to the remote computer. Or, try to start the remote application.

How to reinitialize a disk, which is not accepted for the storage pool

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:42:41 Z

How to reinitialize a disk, which is not accepted for the storage pool

Sometimes you may experience one of following symptoms, if you try to add or readd a hard disk, which is currently not part of the Windows Home Server storage pool:

the disk is not listed in the console
the disk is listed in the console, but cannot be added to the storage pool or as server backup disk

In both situations the disk is present for the operating system, if you check the Disk Management Console. To do this, perform following steps:

Login to the Windows Home Server desktop locally or via Remote Desktop client.
Click Start/Run, type diskmgmt.msc and click OK.

Your new disk should be visible in the lower area of the Disk Management Console.
(If the disk is not listed here, it is either not properly connected, physically broken or you need to add drivers for the mass storage controller, to which the disk is attached.)

In some cases such disks could be detected and added successfully via console after recreating the Master Boot Record (MBR) and deleting old volumes on it.
(You should not try this with a disk, which has known bad sectors.)
To do this, attach the disk to a system (can be a client PC or Windows Home Server), open a command prompt and enter following commands:
diskpart
list disk
Check the output of this command carefully and try to figure out, which disk is the disk, which could not be added. If you are not sure (this can happen especially on a server with multiple disks), you may wish to perform this action on a client PC with only one normal disk to avoid an erratic identification.
select disk x
Replace the x with the number of the volume, which represents the disk you wish to reinitialize.
Stop here, if you are not fully sure, since the next command will wipe all data from that disk!
clean
exit

Try now again to add the disk to the Storage Pool or as Server Backup Disk.

Remark: If you want to give away a disk, which had private stuff on it before, you can use clean all instead of clean in the described sequence to wipe all sectors on the disk, making an unwanted data recovery a very hard job for the new owner.

Best greetings from Germany
Olaf Engelke

How to solve boot problems after restoring a client disk

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:17:53 Z

How to solve boot problems after restoring a client disk

Windows Home Server allows you to restore saved NTFS partitions to the harddisk. Sometimes these restored systems do not boot. System starts over and over again, or you get a Bluescreen of Death (BSOD) stating some cryptic message like Ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt.

Common reasons for this can be:

hidden vendor made or own FAT32 partitions on the original system, which are not saved and therefore cannot be restored
different hardware
issues with the restored backup

Hidden partition no longer available
Often you can recreate the special partitions on a new disk by using the system tools, supplied by the maker of the hardware, before you start the restore process.

Otherwise these problems can be solved by some manual interaction:
Operating system: Windows Vista
If you have a Vista DVD, you can boot from it and try to run the Startup repair.

Operating system: Windows XP
You can be carefully already during the restore process. At the end you get offered a button Check boot.ini. If you use this button, Notepad will be opened with the boot.ini file in it for editing (what to edit, you will see later in text). If you forgot this step, you can:

repeat the restore process to get to this button again
attach the disk to another PC as secondary drive
boot with a Vista DVD and use the command prompt found in system repair options or
get a BartPE CD, boot from that and use the command prompt

If you performed any but the first option, open a command prompt.
Enter following commands (confirm each line with Enter key):
c: (if you have the disk attached to another PC, the drive letter will be different)
cd \
attrib -r -s -h boot.ini (with the default attributes the boot.ini cannot be overwritten, so you have to change them)
notepad boot.ini

The boot.ini you get also presented, if you use the Check boot.ini button on the WHS restore CD after restore is finished (you should download the latest restore CD for this to function properly).

You will now see text like:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Window XP Professional" /noexecute=optout /fastdetect

This will be often found on laptops, which had a hidden service partition on the original disk. Because one partition is gone, change the (2) in both lines to (1).
Save the file, close notepad and change the attributes back by executing the command
attrib +r +s +h c:\boot.ini
exit

Reboot the system (or attach the disk back to the original system before) and check, if it comes up now.
If you have a full Windows XP CD (and not one of the limited recovery disks) you can also follow the steps in method 2 in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477.

Different hardware
Changes of the hardware platform to restore are not supported.
If you have to do it anyway, because the original hardware got lost or is totally damaged, try to stay within the same family to reduce potential boot issues due to a different HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer).
Issues caused by this often result in a stop error 0x0000007B. This can point either to wrong mass storage drivers (which happens, if you transfer a Windows system partition from IDE to SATA or vice versa) or to a different HAL.
Issues with mass storage drivers after moving from IDE to SATA hardware can sometimes be solved by changing the settings of the SATA controller in the Bios to IDE (PATA, LEGACY) mode, if it allows.
If not, you may have to perform a repair installation with Windows XP.
Check also http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324103 for detailed handling guideline of stop 0x0000007B in Windows XP.

With Windows Vista you may be able to enable AHCI mode in the registry. This is in detail outlined in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976.

Do also not forget, that transfering a Windows installation to new hardware will usually trigger Product Activation for Windows and for installed applications. Since in old installations old components can slow down the system on new hardware or cause instabilities, performing a fresh install and transfering only the data from backup is the recommended way.

Issues with the restored backup
Sometimes the saved backup will not restore all files or settings properly. Symptoms may be error messages, the system runs not as stable as before or you cannot access some files.
In such situations you can try to:

restore from an older backup
perform a repair installation
perform a fresh installation and restore only data files

Be also aware, that some files are on the exception list for the backup (i.e. MCE TV recordings). These will not be found in the backup at all, so if you wish to keep such files protected you should take care of those files by storing them on a shared folder manually or via script.

Best greetings from Germany
Olaf

How to check all the drives in your server for errors

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:52:14 Z

You may be asked to check all the drives in your server for errors as a troubleshooting step, or you may be experiencing file conflicts or other errors and need to do this. If you simply open a command prompt and use chkdsk on each drive, you may spend many hours waiting (and rebooting your server to force the dismounting of drives).

You can use the following batch file to force chkdsk on all your drives. Copy the code below and paste it into notepad, then save it (on your server) as e.g. "checkall.cmd":

net stop pdl
net stop whsbackup
chkdsk D: /x /r  
chkdsk C: /x /r
for /d %%1 in (C:\fs\*) do start chkdsk /x /r %%1

Log in to your server, copy the file to the administrator's desktop, and run it in a command prompt from there.

When you run this file, you may see a variety of warnings and network health notifications from your server. These are normal, and are a result of forcing the dismount of all storage volumes. When the batch file finishes running, note any errors then reboot your server.

I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)

How to fix share access issues where user name and password are requested

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:54:09 Z

Sometimes, you will install the connector on a PC, create a user on Windows Home Server that matches the user you're logged in as locally, and yet you get asked for a user name and password when you try to view a share on the server. This may occur because Windows distinguishes between the user name and the display name. The display name is what's shown on the logon screen on the client, or in the standard User Accounts applet in Control Panel. The user name is the actual user that logs in. Sometimes, particularly on PCs from OEMs, there will be a default account when the computer is set up, and that account's display name will be changed as part of setup. Changing the display name doesn't affect the user name, however, and it's the user name that Windows Home Server uses to authenticate.

You'll need to inspect the user names in the Advanced User Accounts Control Panel. On the client that's not connecting successfully:

Start → Run → type 'control userpasswords2' → press Enter.
If you are using Windows Vista and have UAC turned on, there will be a confirmation prompt. Confirm that you want to do this and continue.
There will be one or more user names listed. Probably none of them will match the user you think you're logged in as. You can find out who you are actually logged in as by running the command echo %username% in a DOS command prompt.
Find the user that was returned from the DOS command above, or select each user in turn and click on the Properties button. You will find that one user will show a 'Full Name' that matches who you think you're logged in as. Change that user's 'User Name' to match the logon name of the appropriate user on Windows Home Server.

The Advanced User Accounts Control Panel is not the only interface available in Windows for changing the user name, but it's the most straightforward. You can safely change the user name without causing any problems; the display name will remain associated with it, as will any files or folders that are owned, etc.

How to fix "Page cannot be found" type errors when upgrading the connector

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:29:23 Z

Windows Home Server stores certain files in the home server shares, because they need to be available in a variety of ways. Included are the Windows Home Server Connector install files. Power Pack 1 documentation includes a list of the critical folders, which should not be moved or deleted.

If you have deleted them, you will need to recreate the connector software folder to upgrade the connector when you have installed Power Pack 1. The only supported way to recover that folder if it has been removed is via a server reinstallation. However, you may be able to recover by:

Recreate the folder "Home Server Connector Software" in your Software share.
Create a folder "DOTNETFX20" in the "Home Server Connector Software" folder.
Create a folder "WindowsInstaller31" in the "Home Server Connector Software" folder.
Log on to your server using Remote Desktop. Be cautious when logged in in this fashion; it's unsupported, and there are tools available which, while familiar from other operating systems, may cause severe issues (up to and including complete data loss) when used on a Windows Home Server based computer.
In Remote Desktop, copy the following files to "\\localhost\Home Server Connector Software" (Note: there is a .cmd file which should perform this step: C:\WHS\ConnectorInstallAssistant.cmd):
- C:\WHS\setup.exe
- C:\WHS\WHS_ConnectorHelp.chm
- C:\WHS\WHSConnector.msi
- C:\WHS\WHSConnector_x64.msi
- C:\WHS\WHSConnectorInstall.exe
- C:\WHS\WHSVersionUpgrade.dll
- C:\WHS\WHSVersionUpgrade_x64.dll
In Remote Desktop, copy the following files to "\\localhost\Software\Home Server Connector Software\DOTNETFX20":
- C:\redistr\dotnetchk.exe
- C:\redistr\dotnetfx.exe
In Remote Desktop, copy "C:\redistr\WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe" to "\\localhost\Software\Home Server Connector Software\WindowsInstaller31".

There may be additional steps required in order to completely restore connector installation functionality, depending on whether you have made other changes to your server.

If you have an OEM product (an HP MediaSmart Server, for instance) there may be additional files and folders required by the OEM extensions to the WHS platform. In this case, you may be forced to perform a server recovery according to the instructions in the manuals you received with your server, as I see no easy way to recover those files.

Windows Vista SP1 shows as Longhorn on WHS Console

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:56:46 Z

For all those of you who are now upgrading your Vista clients to SP1, you will notice that the WHS Console now incorrectly refers to it as Windows Longhorn.

This causes no problems and is a known bug and the fix will be included with Power Pack 1 when it ships.

Andrew

FAQ: Previous Versions for files on Windows Home Server Shared Folders may not function correctly.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:22:46 Z

Previous Versions for files on Windows Home Server Shared Folders may not function correctly.

Introduction
Windows Home Server uses Volume Shadow Services to support Previous Versions functionality for files stored in Shared Folders on the home server. Windows Home Server normally triggers a snapshot every 12 hours, enabling users to access previous versions of files stored in Shared Folders on a home server, through the Previous Versions functionality available in some Windows client operating system editions.

Symptoms
When accessing previous versions of files and folders in Windows Home Server Shared Folders, you may see one of several error messages, instead of the expected results. This issue occurs if the following conditions are true:

You are using an HP Media Smart Server.

Your Windows Home Server has more than one hard drive added to Server Storage by using the Windows Home Server Console, and
The file is in a Shared Folder that does not have Folder Duplication enabled, and
The Windows Home Server has been rebooted since the time the snapshot being accessed was taken

The Windows Home Server has three or more hard disks added in Server Storage, and
The file or folder has no shadows on the primary hard disk drive, and
The Windows Home Server has been rebooted since the time the snapshot being accessed was taken

If the above conditions are true, one or more of the following results may be seen when accessing Previous Versions of Shared Folders on a home server from Windows Explorer on a home computer:

No Previous Versions will be listed.
When attempting to View a Previous Version of a file, a user will see a file not found error. Windows uses the default program for the file type to attempt opening the file for viewing, so the specific text of the error depends on the software being used to view the Previous Version. For example, WordPad will display the error:
“\\<server>\<share>\<date time stamp>\<filepath>\<filename>
“Cannot find this file.”
“Please verify that the correct path and file name are given.”
When attempting to view a Microsoft Word (.doc) file it is possible to View a Previous Version of a folder, but if the files within meet the conditions above, you will still see an error.
When attempting to Copy a Previous Version of a file or folder, a user will see the error “Cannot copy <filename>: Invalid file handle.”
When attempting to Restore a Previous Version of a file or folder, a user will see the error “Cannot copy <filename>: Invalid file handle.”

Note: This issue only affects Windows Home Server. This issue does not affect any other versions of Windows Server or any versions of Windows Small Business Server.

Status
Microsoft is researching this problem. Until this problem is resolved you should not rely on Previous Versions for the Shared Folders on Windows Home Server to roll back files and folders to previous states, or to restore deleted files and folders from the Shared Folders on a home server.

Known Issue: When you use certain programs to edit files on a home computer that uses Windows Home Server, the files (KB 946676)

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:22:02 Z

March 14th, 2008

Steps to complete when contacting the Windows Home Server Team to report an issue:

To invite you into our Connect program, we need to ensure you have a Connect account. These steps should be helpful in getting through this process.

Creating A Connect Account

1.       Go to http://connect.microsoft.com > from the upper right corner, click ‘Sign In’

2.       Sign in with Live ID (this can be any email account that is associated with Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger) ex. Hotmail.com email account)

a.       If user has no Live ID, click the Sign In button > click ‘Sign Up Now’

3.       From the lower left corner of the page (after you have signed in), click ‘Manage Your Connect Profile’ or click here https://connect.microsoft.com/profile.aspx > after you have read the information, click ‘Continue’

4.       Terms of Use: Please read the terms of use agreement fully before clicking ‘I Agree’ > Once you click ‘I Agree’ to the TOS, please click ‘Manage Your Profile’ again to enter your registration information

a.       Required information

                                                               i.      First and Last name

                                                             ii.      Country

                                                            iii.      Email

                                                           iv.      Email format preferences

                                                             v.      “I would like to be contacted about participating in other Microsoft Connect programs” must be selected as ‘Yes’

b.      Communication Preferences

                                                               i.      The “I would like to hear from Microsoft” checkbox must be checked to allow Microsoft to contact you regarding any submitted feedback

5.       Click Continue > Welcome to Connect! Message is displayed

6.       Specify a handle (nickname) to be used in lieu of your real name (required) > click Continue

7.       Reply to whsforum@microsoft.com indicating that you have completed your connect registration

Thank you for participating in the community forums!

-Marc

January 21st, 2008

Help the Windows Home Server Team with this issue:

Presently we have numerous forum users participating in ongoing investigations into this issue, however any additional information will help us as we work toward a fix. The integrity of our users data is paramount to us, and working toward a fix is our highest priority. If you have experienced data corruption we invite you to contact us as soon as possible at whsforum at microsoft dot com to join the investigation.

Prior to contacting us, please sign up at http://connect.microsoft.com - be sure that during signup you choose Yes to allowing Microsoft to contact you.

Please only contact us at this alias if you have experienced data corruption - continue to use the community forums for technical support and questions.

Note: Home servers using a single drive are not susceptible to the data corruption issue.

Thank you for your continued patience and support!

_______________________________________________________________

January 10th, 2008

What cannot be apparent from the December 28th KB update is that on December 25th at 1:20am we had isolated how to reproduce the issue in a consistent manner. Being able to do so grants us the opportunity to closely observe the issue as it occurs to discover why the problem occurs from beginning to end. Once the problem is identified (stage 1), a fix must be coded(stage 2) and tested, tested, tested (stage 3). These stages will take time and considerable effort, and the Drive Extender team as a whole is fully committed to this issue until it is resolved.

I can say with confidence that when used as currently advised, Windows Home Server is still one of the most solid Version 1 products we have released to date. File corruption only occurs if certain conditions are met, using specific applications; it does not occur randomly or rampantly. Until a fix for this issue is released: Edit files locally on your home computer only; store, stream and backup your stuff on your Windows Home Server.

KB946676 reads:

When you use certain programs to edit files on a home computer that uses Windows Home Server, the files may become corrupted when you save them to the home server

View products that this article applies to.

Article ID	:	946676
Last Review	:	January 11, 2008
Revision	:	3.0

TECHNICAL REVISIONS

The following table lists significant technical revisions to this article.

Date	Revisions
December 20, 2007	Original publication date
December 28, 2007	Updated the article to document more information about the scenario in which this issue occurs
January 9, 2008	Updated the article to indicate that Microsoft can reproduce the issue and is currently working on a fix

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.

SYMPTOMS

When you use certain programs to edit files on a home computer that uses Windows Home Server, the files may become corrupted when you save them to the home server. This issue occurs if the following conditions are true:

•

You edit files that are located in a shared folder on the home server.

You use one of the following programs to edit the files or to save the files to the home server:

•	Windows Vista Photo Gallery
•	Windows Live Photo Gallery
•	Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
•	Microsoft Office OneNote 2003
•	Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
•	Microsoft Money 2007
•	SyncToy 2.0 Beta

Note: You may also experience this issue when you use other programs.

Note: This issue affects only Windows Home Server. This issue does not affect any other versions of Windows Server or of Windows Small Business Server.

CAUSE

This issue may occur because of a recently discovered problem with Windows Home Server shared folders and with certain programs.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post more information in this article when the information becomes available. This issue can now be reproduced by using an automated test harness. This process will help Microsoft develop a fix.

Until an update for Windows Home Server is available, we recommend that you do not use the programs that are listed in the "Symptoms" section to save or to edit program-specific files that are stored on a Windows Home Server-based system.

MORE INFORMATION

Before you store files on a system that is running Windows Home Server, make sure that you have a backup copy of any important data files. You can still use the Windows Home Server home computer backup process to back up and to restore files on your home computers.

Troubleshooting: Connector install failures

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:14:39 Z

Typical install failures

This document explains how to troubleshoot setup issues

Reminder: there are different phases of client software installation:

Install. That’s usual software installation. Files are copied and registered.
Discovery. Connector software tried to find WHS over UPNP. That’s the screen with Vista circle cursor going round and round.
Authentication: You are asked to enter the password for your Home Server
Configuring the software. Connector software does webservice calls to join WHS. That’s what you see in the very end with either two green marks on the screen (good!) or anything else, usually with some red circles and crosses (bad!)

The most typical failure in phase one is not having admin privileges or not being logged on as an admin on the home computer where you are trying to install the Windows Home Server Connector software.

The most typical problem in phase 2 are: Discovery goes to a “Locate your server manually” page.

The most typical problems in phase 3 are:

- You receive a message saying that you cannot connect to the server

- You receive a balloon saying that your password is incorrect

If Discovery.exe goes to a “Network error” page, you most probably failed phase 4 (or in some cases 3). You might also see some errors or warnings on the “configuring” page.

Steps-by-step troubleshooting for the copying files phase

Verify that you have administrative privileges on the home computer, enough space on the disk and you are logged on as an admin.
If the software tells you that it found incompatible products, uninstall .net framework and any Visual Studio/SQL server beta products you have
Open the msi log on the machine (in %temp%\HomeServerClientMsi.log) and the setup log (in %temp%\HomeServerClientSetup.log) and look for errors

Steps-by-step troubleshooting for discovering the server

Verify that your home server is turned on connected to the network
If you build the home server yourself or if the home server has mouse/monitor, verify you have network drivers and the server has an IP. (type ipconfig /all on the server and verify you have a valid IP)
Connect the server and the home computer into the same router. If you have multiple routers in your home, server discovery might not work.
Try to see if you can reach the home server. From a command prompt, type “ping <servername> (default is server) and nslookup <servername>. Both should work and the IP addresses printed by the two commands should match
Choose “Find my server manually” and type the server name in the edit box
If 5 does not work, open serverdiscovery.log and look for errors. Most probably the error will come from ParnerManager.dll. In this case, proceed with troubleshooting Join issues as explained in the server join troubleshooting doc

Steps-by-step troubleshooting for authenticating with the server

Follow the steps 1 to 4 as for discovering the server
If nothing works, open the pcdiscovery.log, look at last ERROR: line. Look up the error for the HRESULT. If it is not obvious, and the error comes from partner manager, follow the instructions in the server join troubleshooter.

Steps-by-step troubleshooting for configuring the software

If the configuring page displays a warning, read the warning text carefully and proceed to the next screen. You might have some disks that cannot be backed up for various reasons (not NTFS).
Follow the steps 1 to 4 as for discovering the server
If nothing works, open the pcdiscovery.log, look at last ERROR: line. Look up the error for the HRESULT. If it is not obvious, and the error comes from partner manager, follow the instructions in the server join troubleshooter

Additional information may be found at this link.

When I open a backup I get a dialog box asking me to restart my computer. Why do I get that?

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 07:55:48 Z

You will get a message saying that "Windows has installed new devices, in order for them to be fully functional you need to restart your computer." You get this message because when a backup is opened it loads a disk driver that allows you to open the backup as a separate disk. If you restart your computer you will have to start the process of opening the backup all over again. Do not restart your computer, the backup will open and you should not have any issues.

Known Issue: Home Server Storage can’t calculate size for a shared folder

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:19:08 Z

Symptoms:

Size calculation for certain folders listed below the pie chart In the home server console Server Storage never stops.

In the home server console Shared Folders tab, some folders appear with size unknown.

Cause:

In order for Windows Home Server to calculate folder size “Administrators” and “System” require “Full Control” privilege or folder calculation will fail.

Resolution:

Assuming the failing folder is \\server\shares\photos.

Reset security owner permissions on the shared folder:

For Windows Vista

1. Click Start Button

2. Type in the search bar, “MSTSC”

3. In the remote desktop windows, type your Windows Home Server name. This is usually “Server” and click Connect.

4. For username type, “Administrator” for password, type your Windows Home Server Console password.

5. Reset owner information:

a. Right click on the d:\shares\photos folder, select properties, and security tab.

b. Click on the advanced button.

c. Click on the Owner Tab. Make sure administrator account is listed.

d. Select “replace owner on sub containers and objects” option.

e. Click Apply.

f. Repeat for all photos shadow directories which may be found under D:\DE\shares\ and under C:\FS\[some number or digit]\de\shares\

1. Reset security permissions on the shared folder:

a. Right click on the d:\shares\photos folder, select properties, and security tab.

b. Click on the advanced button.

c. Click on the Permissions tab.

d. Check the “replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects” option.

e. Click Apply.

2. Reboot.

For Windows XP

1. Click Start Button

2. Click Run

3. Type in the search bar, “MSTSC”

4. In the remote desktop windows, type your Windows Home Server name. This is usually “Server” and click Connect.

5. For username type, “Administrator” for password, type your Windows Home Server Console password.

6. Reset owner information:

a. Right click on the d:\shares\photos folder, select properties, and security tab.

b. Click on the advanced button.

c. Click on the Owner Tab. Make sure administrator account is listed.

d. Select “replace owner on sub containers and objects” option.

e. Click Apply.

f. Repeat for all photos shadow directories which may be found under D:\DE\shares\ and under C:\FS\[some number or digit]\de\shares\

7. Reset security permissions on the shared folder:

a. Right click on the d:\shares\photos folder, select properties, and security tab.

b. Click on the advanced button.

c. Click on the Permissions tab.

d. Check the “replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects” option.

e. Click Apply.

8. Reboot.

Known Issue: KB941913 fails to install.

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:31:58 Z

During a Windows Update on your Windows Home Server, KB941913 may fail. Here are the work around steps if it fails to install:

Error message:

"The following updates were not installed:
Update for Windows Home Server (KB941913)"

For Windows Vista

1. Click Start Button

2. Type in the search bar, “MSTSC”

3. In the remote desktop windows, type your Windows Home Server name. This is usually “Server” and click Connect.

4. For username type, “Administrator” for password, type your Windows Home Server Console password.

5. In the Windows Home Server remote desktop window, click the Start Button.

6. Click Command Prompt

7. Type, “sc delete whssetup”

8. Hit Enter

9. Run Windows Update again

The package should now install without issues.

For Windows XP

1. Click Start Button

2. Click Run

3. Type in the search bar, “MSTSC”

4. In the remote desktop windows, type your Windows Home Server name. This is usually “Server” and click Connect.

5. For username type, “Administrator” for password, type your Windows Home Server Console password.

6. In the Windows Home Server remote desktop window, click the Start Button.

7. Click Command Prompt

8. Type, “sc delete whssetup”

9. Hit Enter

10. Run Windows Update again

The package should now install without issues.

How to fix permissions issues on Windows Home Server shares after RC -> RTM Upgrade

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 04:12:37 Z

If you are experiencing permissions issues on Windows Home Server after an RC -> RTM upgrade, and you are getting errors such as 'Invalid File Handle', please follow these steps.

1. Log into your home server via Remote Desktop.

2. For each one of the shared folders which contains files exhibiting this issue, e.g. Music, Photos or a specific user folder e.g. d:\shares\users\mark (don’t try this on d:\shares\users):

a. Right click on the folder, select properties, and security tab.

b. Click on the advanced button.

c. Check the “replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects”

d. Click apply.

Thanks to Mark Vayman of the Windows Home Server team for these steps!

Windows Home Server Toolkit (revised)

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:16:33 Z

The Windows Home Server Toolkit is a collection of tools that help you troubleshoot issues with Windows Home Server. The toolkit is made up of the following components:

· Error Reporting

The Error Reporting tool collects log files from your home computer and sends them to Microsoft. These log files are useful to the Support professionals when they are troubleshooting issues with Windows Home Server.

· Windows Home Server Connector Troubleshooter

The Windows Home Server Connector Troubleshooter is a program that runs on your home computer to help you troubleshoot problems with installing the Connector software. It runs a series of tests to check the most common Connector Setup problems, and it recommends possible solutions.

· Windows Home Server Add-In

You can also use the Troubleshooter to install a Windows Home Server Toolkit Add-in on your home server. With this Add-in, you can run troubleshooting tasks from the Windows Home Server Console Settings page.

Installing the Windows Home Server Toolkit & Home Server Add-In

On the Home Computer:

1. Launch the WHSToolkit.msi installer

a. click Run if a security warning is presented

2. Select ‘I accept. . .’ > click the Install button > click the Finish button

3. The Windows Home Server Toolkit installation is now completed

When you start the Connector Troubleshooter from the Start menu, the Troubleshooter runs in “simple mode.” It runs tests and displays a summary of the results. It also provides suggestions to help you successfully install and configure the Connector software.

You can also start the Troubleshooter in “advanced mode.” Some of the functionality of the Troubleshooter is available only in advanced mode. Follow these steps to start the Troubleshooter in advanced mode:

1. In Windows Vista or XP, Click Start > click Run > type “cmd” in the open text box (without quotes) > a command prompt launches

2. At the command prompt, type “cd /d %ProgramFiles%\Windows Home Server\Toolkit” (without quotation marks) to change the current directory.

3. Type “ConnectorTroubleshooter.exe –a” (without quotation marks) and press Enter to start the Troubleshooter.

Installing the Windows Home Server Toolkit Add-In

1. From the home computer (that the Toolkit has been installed onto), click Start > click Run > type CMD > click OK

2. In the command prompt window, type in “cd /d %ProgramFiles%\Windows Home Server\Toolkit” (without quotation marks) > press Enter

3. In the command prompt window, type in “ConnectorTroubleshooter.exe –a” (without quotation marks) > press Enter > the Connector Troubleshooter will launch

4. From the Connector Troubleshooter, click the Server menu from the top of the window > click Publish Server Add-In

5. Select your home server from the Server Name pull-down menu > enter the Administrator password in the Password field (the same password used to log in to the Console) > click Ok

a. A ‘Finished!’ dialogue window will appear > click OK

6. To complete the Add-In installation, launch the Console from the home server taskbar icon

a. From the Console, click Settings > Add-ins

b. Click the Available tab > click the Install button from the ‘Windows Home Server Toolkit’ listing

c. The installation will complete and display a dialogue indicating that the Console will close > click OK to close the Console

d. Re-launch the Console to use the Toolkit

Creating and Submitting Logs

Once the Windows Home Server Toolkit Add-in is installed, you can easily send in your log files. To send log files to the Windows Home Server Team, please follow these steps:

1. From a home computer, launch the Console from the task bar > click the Settings button

2. Click the Toolkit button > click the Support tab

3. Click Send > a dialogue will appear providing additional information > click ‘Collect and Send’ > a dialogue window will appear with your CAB ID number, be sure to write this number down before clicking OK

a. NOTE: You may see an error stating that Talq has thrown an exception: “Cannot find file. . .” To remedy this, please connect to your home server using Remote Desktop and verify that your Internet Connection settings are set to automatically detect settings. Once selected, click Send once more to try again.

i. To verify connection settings, please follow these steps:

1. Click Start > Control Panel > Internet Options > Connections Tab > LAN Settings > check the ‘Automatically detect settings’ checkbox > click OK

4. Click OK to close the Settings window

You can use this Add-in to do the following:

· Send log files from Windows Home Server to Microsoft to investigate problems.

· Check the health of your server storage.

· Open a command prompt on your home server.

· Open Event Viewer.

· View the Windows Home Server log files.

· Change the trace levels for the log files to record more or less information.

· Change the settings for the backup-health notification.

· And more….

You can download the most recent version of the Toolkit from the Microsoft Web site ( http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=98872 ). If you want to upgrade the Toolkit to a newer version, first uninstall the existing Toolkit and Add-in.

To read the Windows Home Server Toolkit Privacy Statement, see "Windows Home Server Toolkit Privacy Statement" at the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=96499).

How do I upgrade from RC to RTM?

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:04:51 Z

To upgrade from Windows Home Server Release Candidate (RC) to Windows Home Server RTM, you must boot from the RTM DVD, and select Server Reinstallation as the setup option. This will upgrade your server, and you should not have any data loss.

Do not attempt to upgrade from RC to RTM from within Windows itself. It will not upgrade properly. Only upgrade by booting off of the DVD, and selecting the Server reinstallation option.

Will Windows Home Server be available on MSDN / Technet?

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 23:59:24 Z

Windows Home Server will not be offered on MSDN or TechNet with the initial release. The team continues to listen to the community feedback and may consider changing this decision in the future. An evaluation edition of Windows Home Server will be orderable from the product pages on http://www.microsoft.com in the coming weeks.

Users: How many user accounts can you define on Windows Home Server?

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:43:56 Z

What is the limit for the number of users?

PC Backup: How many computers can I backup with Windows Home Server?

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 19:20:47 Z

Is there a limit to the number of computers that I can install the Windows Home Server Connector software on?

Storing Outlook PST files on your home server is not supported.

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 17:18:00 Z

This is not supported per knowledge base article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019/

Network PST storage can lead to corruption. Please store PST files locally only.

Setup: What are the hardware requirements for setting up Windows Home Server?

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 01:43:56 Z

What are the high-level hardware requirements for getting a box up and running?

Troubleshooting: Router and Dynamic DNS

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:23:23 Z

Router and Dynamic DNS trouble shooting.

1. Most tests require Internet connectivity. Make sure WHS can access the Internet. This is first test in Domains.

2. Not all tests are run all the time.

3. Your system may be working perfectly even if some tests fail.

Router

A. Your router doesn't support UPnP error message -

This means WHS wasn't able to discover a router using UPnP.

Make sure your router supports UPnP and that the UPnP features of your router are turned on.

Also, make sure that your WHS is connected directly to your router with a wired connection.

B. Tests

1. Verifying your router supports UPnP -

WHS is trying to discover your router using UPnP. If this test fails, WHS will not be able configure your router automatically.

Remote Access will continue to work correctly if you've manually configured your router.

2. Configuring your router -

WHS is trying to update your router. If this fails, WHS has failed to configure your router automatically.

[There is not much a user can do beyond this point, except submit TALQ report].

3. Verifying your web site is available on homeserver -

WHS is trying to access http://<servername>. If this test fails, Turn Remote Acess On\Off.

Also, try restarting the server.

4. Verifying your Remote Access is available on homeserver -

WHS is trying to access https://<servername>. If this test fails, Turn Remote Acess On\Off.

Also, try restarting the server.

5. Verifying your router is accepting web site connections -

WHS is trying to access http://<your public IP address>. If this test fails, your may have one or more of the following symptoms

a. Your port forwarding mappings on your router are not done correctly.

b. WHS cannot connect to the Internet. If you are using Window Live Domains Service, make sure "Connecting to Windows Live" test passes.

c. Your router doesn't handle certain requests correctly.

If you are using Window Live Domains Service, and Status is "Working" ignore this failure.

To find <your public IP address>, check your router configuration website.

Run the IGD tool at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/using/tools/igd to find whether your router supports UPnP

6. Verifying your router is accepting Remote Access connections -

WHS is trying to access https://<your public IP address>. If this test fails, your may have one or more of the following symptoms

a. Your port forwarding mappings on your router are not done correctly.

b. WHS cannot connect to the Internet. If you are using Window Live Domains Service, make sure "Connecting to Windows Live" test passes.

c. Your router doesn't handle certain requests correctly.

If you are using Window Live Domains Service, and Status is "Working" ignore this failure.

To find <your public IP address>, check your router configuration website.

Run the IGD tool at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/using/tools/igd to find whether your router supports UPnP

7. Verifying your network configuration -

WHS is comparing <your public IP address> as Windows Live Domains sees it with what your router reports using UPnP.

If this test fails, make sure your WHS is connected directly to router and has an Internet connection.

Tests (5), (6) or (7) may fail even though your system is working perfectly.

This will happen if your router has a bad UPnP implementation and doesn't handle certain requests correctly.

Internet Domain Name

A.Tests

1. Verifying your Internet Connection to Windows Live -

WHS is trying to get to Windows Live using your Internet connection. If this test fails, make sure your WHS is connected to the Internet.

Turn Remote Access ON\OFF and try rebooting your WHS.

2. Updating Windows Live Custom Domains -

WHS is trying send your IP to Windows Live. If this test fails, make sure your WHS is connected to the Internet.

Try running through the "Change" wizard again.

3. Verifying your web site is accessible from the Internet -

Windows Live Custom Domains is trying to access http://<your domain name>.homeserver.com/home

If this test fails, your router is not configured correctly or your ISP is blocking port 80. Try temporarily connecting your WHS to your modem directly and re-run this test. If this test succeeds, you need to check if your router is configured correctly.

4. Verifying Remote Access is accessible from the Internet -

Windows Live Custom Domains is trying to access https://<your domain name>.homeserver.com/remote

If this test fails, your router is not configured correctly or your ISP is blocking port 443. Try temporarily connecting your WHS to your modem directly and re-run test. If this test succeeds, you need to check if your router is configured correctly.

5. Verifying Windows Live Custom Domain records -

WHS is comparing <your public IP address> as Windows Live Domains sees it with what Internet Name Servers are reporting. If this test fails, make sure you have an Internet connection. Also, confirm that you haven't reused your domain name on another machine.

If (3) fails, but (4) succeeds, access your website using https://<your domain name>.homeserver.com/remote

Troubleshooting: Windows Home Server Connector Issues

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:18:36 Z

The WIndows Home Server Connector software uses a web service that resides on the Windows Home Server for connecting a home computer to your home server. If you are having issues with joining a home computer to your home server, this could be a problem with the way that your Internet Explorer proxy settings are configured. Most home environments do not use proxy servers, so the best method to resolve the home computer join issue, is to disable proxies in Internet Explorer. To do this, follow the steps outlined below.

· Open Internet Explorer

· Click on Tools -> Internet Options

· Click on the Connection Tab

· Click on the LAN Settings button

· Uncheck the box labeled “Automatically detect proxy settings”

· Click OK twice

· Close IE

Attempt to reinstall Windows Home Server Connector software on that home computer.

Setup: During the installation of the Windows Home Server software, I get a "blue screen" failure?

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 20:10:45 Z

Is this a problem with my hardware or is something wrong with the DVD media that I am installing the Windows Home Server software from?

Setup: I don't want my server to be named "SERVER". Can I change the name of my server?

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 07:00:15 Z

How do I change my server's name?

For those posting in FAQ's, just a little FYI.

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:37:18 Z

FAQ's are not meant to be replied to and added to by anyone other than the Windows Home Server team. If you have a question/comment about any of the threads posted in the FAQ's, please post them here!

Due to an issue with the forum software, posts that get sent to FAQ's can never be seen by us moderators even though it states we can.

PC Backups: How to backup your home computers on your home network for the first time!

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 20:39:10 Z

Windows Home Server backs up the first PC completely during the first backup, and it is highly recommended to have this first machine connected through a wired connection to your home network. After the first backup, Windows Home Server only backs up new information or information changes at the cluster level. So, if more than one computer has the same cluster information, Windows Home Server does not need to back this up twice. For example, if you had the same song on multiple computers, it is only backed up once on the home server but the home server remembers that both the computers have that song. Wireless computers backup a lot slower than wired computers. Wireless 802.11G runs at 54Mbs while most wired home networks now run at at 100Mbs. Wireless throughput does not always run at its highest speed due to interference or bandwidth sharing. That is why you should backup the wired computers in your home first before you do your wirelessly attached computers, with a manual backup. After the wired computers finish, common files will not be resent over the slower wireless connection.

After completion of the first home computer backup, future home computer backups will run much faster.

Setup: How to replace system drive and how Windows Home Server handles the primary hard drive.

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:47:58 Z

Instructions at bottom.

First, some backgrounder information on how the Drive Extender storage system works.

Windows Home Server, when initially installed on a machine, formats all internal disks. On the first disk (we call this the primary disk) we create two partitions and format them with NTFS:

C: (10GB) - used for the system
D: (the rest) - the "Primary" data partition

Subsequent disks are formated as one NTFS partition and are known as "secondary disks".

The primary data partition (the second partition on the primary disk) is special because that is where Drive Extender starts working it's magic from. This is where all "tombstones" are stored. Tombstones are really NTFS reparse points that DE understands. They are tiny files that redirect to one or two "shadows". The shadows are where your data really is, and shadows always exist on partitions other than the primary. If duplication is on for a shared folder there will be 2 shadows. If duplication is off there will be 1.

Any-hoo, during server setup (booting from the setup DVD) you are asked if you want to "New Installation" or "Server Reinstallation".

If you choose Server Reinstallation we will re-install the OS on the first partition of your primary (first drive), but will not touch the second (the primary data) partition if it is already there (if it is not there because it is a new disk it will be created). In this "Server Reinstallation" mode, setup will also NOT format any other disks (internal or external)…it just leaves them alone.

Near the end of the setup process something we call “RebuildPrimary” will execute which goes through all of the secondary drives and rebuild all the tombstones that should be on the primary (but aren’t because it’s a new drive). It turns out that in Beta 2 RebuildPrimary is invoked regardless of whether the primary needs rebuilding or not…we’ll address this later.

Caveats:

We do not duplicate the backup database. The backup database should be preserved across a Server Reinstallation.
You must have duplication on for the data you care about to guarantee that you do not loose data in this process.
You must make sure that the duplication process has completed.
RebuildPrimary can take A LONG time because it has to look at EVERY file on the secondary drives and determine whether there is a tombstone for it or not, and create one if needed.
After the process is complete you will lose all user account data, add-ins and other settings on your server. You will have to use the Home Server Console to re-create all of your user accounts. You will also have to re-set permissions on all your shared folders.

Summary of instructions:

Primay disk fails (or you want to replace it with a bigger one)
Shut the system down, yankout the drive and put the new drive in
Boot the system from the Windows Home Server setup DVD
When it asks what kind of installation you want choose "Server Reinstallation"
We will re-create the 20GB system partition as well as the primary data partition
Drive extender will do what we call a "RebuildPrimary"
When done you will have to re-create user accounts in the console, re-setup Remote Access, re-install and setup add-ins, and reconfigure any other setting change you may have done.

-cek

Users: What should I use for "logon name" when creating a new user?

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 20:01:51 Z

When I go to create a new user, what should I enter into the "logon name" field?

Remote Access: What ports do I need to forward from my broadband router/firewall to my home server for remote access?

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:49:36 Z

In order to get remote access to work, I assume I need to forward some ports from my broadband router/firewall to my home server - what ports do I need to forward?