problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:46:55 Z

When I click on the link for the connector once at http://server:55000, it tries and fails to open:

http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

What drive and which directory is this supposed to refer to?

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:53:28 Z

try start>run>\\server

Should open the shares

then goto software>WHS connesctor>run setup from there

Still......

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:01:14 Z

I can get to it ...

by default, I found WHS on the C: drive.

I manually copied it to the shared software drive which is really:

d:\shares\software

so now I have:

C:\whs

and

D:\shares\software\whs (shared as \\server\software)

that have copies of the connector.

The issue is: Where should I put the software for it to work with \\server:55000?

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:06:21 Z

You should not have to copy software anywhere, it should allready be there

\\servername\Software\Home Server Connector Software

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:14:28 Z

You may want to check out this duplicate post on the same issue: http://forums.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=3463127&SiteID=50

Here is a summary of the issue:

Windows Home Server ships with a Shared Folder named "Software"
In the "Software" shared folder there are a couple of sub-folders that SHOULD NOT BE DELETED OR RENAMED
- Add-Ins
- Home PC Restore CD
- Home Server Connector Software
If you DELETE OR RENAME THESE SUBFOLDERS YOUR WINDOWS HOME SERVER WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY

There are a couple of things you can do:

(1) Do a "Server Reinstallation" to format the operating system partitition and reinstall the Windows Home Server software, which will re-install these Sub-folders

(2) On an OEM built box (e.g. HP MediaSmart, FSC Scaleo, Belinea o.center) - a backup copy of the "Software" Shared Folder can be found in c:\shares\software - you would need to copy the contents of the above sub-folders back to the visible "Software" shared folder on your home server

(3) On a System Builder built box, you will find a subset of the Windows Home Server Connector software in the c:\whs directory.

Key thing is to not delete the "Home Server Connector Software" sub-folder from the "Software" shared folder.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:26:25 Z

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:06:02 Z

Can you please supply us with the files that are supposed to be in each of the 3 directories.

I manually recreated the "Home Server Connector Software" directory and copied everything in WHS to it and the http://server:55000 link is fine now. Can I manually restore everything else?

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:06:46 Z

I cannot supply the files to you. If you delete these sub-folders than you can get them back by doing a "Server Reinstallation" of your home server, which will do a complete reinstall of the Windows Home Server software on the C: partition of the primary hard drive.

Or you can install a 2nd copy of home server either on a real machine or a virtual machine and copy the files and these sub-folders to a USB Flash Drive and then put them back on your home server.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:11:23 Z

Sorry - did not want you to supply the files, rather can you provide the file listing by directory (print screen or dir list)?

Seems like a reinstall is a lot of work just to load those directories specially if the files are already in WHS.

If I have to do the reinstallation, do all add-ins, and PP1 need to be removed, or does a reinstalation act as a "repair"?

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:13:44 Z

Add-Ins
Home PC Restore CD
Home Server Connector Software

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:32:33 Z

can you get me a listing of the files that should be in those 3 directories ...

thanks in advance.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:47:34 Z

Home Server Connector Software
- setup.exe
- WHSConnector.msi
- WHSConnectorInstall.exe
- WHSConnector_x64.msi
- WHSVersionUpgrade.dll
- WHSVersionUpgrage_x64.dll
- WHS_ConnectorHelp.chm
- FOLDER - "DOTNETFX20"
  - dotnechk.exe
  - dotnetfx.exe
- FOLDER - "WindowsInstaller31"
  - WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe

Then you just need to create the other 2 subfolders

Home PC Restore CD
Add-Ins

Don't worry about the files in these last 2 sub-folders. The "Home Server Connector Software" sub-folder is the really important one and it SHOULD NEVER BE DELETED OR RENAMED.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:11:49 Z

Strange. I did not remove those folders/files but I do not have those after installing the Power Pack 1 software.

\\server\Software\Windows Home Server\Home Server Connector Software

Folder - DOTNETFX20

Folder - WindowsInstaller31

File - Setup.exe

File - WHSConnector.msi

I have the Home PC Restore CD folder and the Add-Ins folder as well inside the Software\Windows Home Server\ folder.

/confused

I can try to set up a Virtual PC 2007 box and install Home Server to get the connector software. Is there any known issues if I go about this route?

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:16:23 Z

DatAsian wrote:

Strange. I did not remove those folders/files but I do not have those after installing the Power Pack 1 software.

\\server\Software\Windows Home Server\Home Server Connector Software

Folder - DOTNETFX20

Folder - WindowsInstaller31

File - Setup.exe

File - WHSConnector.msi

I have the Home PC Restore CD folder and the Add-Ins folder as well inside the Software\Windows Home Server\ folder.

/confused

I can try to set up a Virtual PC 2007 box and install Home Server to get the connector software. Is there any known issues if I go about this route?

Did you do a clean install or did you do an upgrade from an RTM install of Windows Home Server?

I merely gave a listing of the files on my home server that had the RTM build and I updated to Power Pack 1 via the update package. I have not tested all scenarios. Usually, the best way to recover these files that someone inadvertently deletes because they don't think they are important is to do a "Server Reinstallation" and then reapply the Power Pack 1 update package.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:50:49 Z

I believe it was an upgrade from an RTM. I ordered a 750GB drive so I'll give the server reinstallation after it arrives. Thanks!

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:31:32 Z

T. Headrick wrote:

Home Server Connector Software
- setup.exe
- WHSConnector.msi
- WHSConnectorInstall.exe
- WHSConnector_x64.msi
- WHSVersionUpgrade.dll
- WHSVersionUpgrage_x64.dll
- WHS_ConnectorHelp.chm
- FOLDER - "DOTNETFX20"
  - dotnechk.exe
  - dotnetfx.exe
- FOLDER - "WindowsInstaller31"
  - WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe

Then you just need to create the other 2 subfolders

Home PC Restore CD
Add-Ins

Don't worry about the files in these last 2 sub-folders. The "Home Server Connector Software" sub-folder is the really important one and it SHOULD NEVER BE DELETED OR RENAMED.

I seem to remember removing those subfolders right after I created CD's after RTM installation.

With Remote Desktop Connection, I did an un-install of the Beta update. After letting the server re-boot, I used RDC again to create the subfolders above. I copied the "setup.exe" and the six files begining with "WHS" from the /WHS folder. I copied the files in DOTNETFX20 and WindowsInstaller31 from folders of the same name on the RTM CD.

Then I ran the Beta Update exe and let it re-boot. When I could connect with the old Connector software, the warning about upgrading the Connector was there. It ran as expected. Now it seems to be happy with itself. I'm going to get a glass of something and start testing tomorrow after tonight's backups.

c

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:36:22 Z

I have an HP EX470 and after installing PP1 and restarting my desktop indicated that I needed to update the WHS connector, but the link to http://hpserver:55000/ was not visible in the message that popped up.

Launching the WHS Console's network health screen, I saw the link to http://hpserver:55000/ but clicking on the button to install the connector just went to a bad URL page.

I then realized (after reading this thread) I had renamed the "Home Server Connector Software" and "Home PC Restore CD" folders very soon after I had first setup my EX470 (and I don't recall getting any warnings that this migth be a bad thing or that these folders were locked or special in any way). I had changed both folders to start with WHS so that they were clearly different than my own folders in an attempt to help protect them from unintentinal modification or deleting. If nothing else, it would have been helpful to have a ReadMe in these folders (or at the root level of the Software folder warning me to not delete or rename these folders (but it woudl be even nicer if these folders were all grouped into a folder called WHS or something similar to keep the root of \software less cluttered.

In any case, since I hard renamed my WHS connector folder the update failed to update any of the files in this folder. After reading these forums I realized what I had done wrong, but I was a bit surprised that the PP1 update didn't recreate this folder if it didn't already exist and copy the new files into it.

Next , I remoted into the WHS and looked for the c:\shares\software folder, but it doesn't exist on my HP EX470. Digging around some more, I did find some new files in the C:\whs folder that I then copied to the (now correctly renamed) "Home Server Connector Software" folder.

How the button to install the connector (from the http://hpserver:55000/ page) downloaded the install and I then launched the "mini install". But after the mini install reached 100% (for downloading the main install), it then aborted with an error. This happened on both of the computers I have registered with my WHS.

I worked around this problem by launching the setup.exe from the Home Server Connector Software directory (containing the files I had copied from the C:\WHS folder) and after uninstalling my current version and installing the new version everything seems to be working correctly (however the install on my laptop froze up at the very end when it should have exited even though it seemed to get everything installed correctly).

In my opinion, this whole sitaution with these "special folders" and the Connector Install needs to be revisited because it is simply too easy for a user to screw things up without realizing it and the process for recovering isn't very straightforward.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:00:53 Z

I had the same problem, I had moved the "Home Server Connector Software", I put it back etc, rebooted server, still wasnt finding it..

So i remote desktop into the server, went to my computer, C:, then a folder called "WHS". it was there. I copied and pasted it into the "Home Server Connector Software", all is good..

Make sure you copy across:
WHSConnector.msi
WHSConnector_x64.msi
WHSConnectorInstall.exe

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:49:09 Z

These guys are not dreaming - I had a similar problem.

After installing PP1 beta I immediately successfully upgraded the connector software on 2 XP Pro machines by following the link to the URL. I also installed the connector for Vista x64 successfully from the same URL.

I then tried to do the same thing on third XP Pro (it dual boots with the x64) and Win2003 Server and both of them downloaded the stub installer, ran it, then it stopped at 0% downloading the true installer saying "it can't find the server". Hilarious.

I shared C:\WHS and ran setup.exe from there (\\home\C$\whs\setup.exe) and it installed without any problem.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:25:04 Z

Same thing happened to me as well.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:14:03 Z

Ah, the perrils of being a tinkerer. But that's why we're playing with a pre release bit of software

If (like me) you removed those pesky little directories......

Just follow the advice above and recreate them. The go to your server's desktop/control panel/add-remove programs. Check the box to show updates. Remove the Powerpack update. Restart.

Reinstall the update as you previously did. hey presto. All working. Far quicker than a 'repair' or 'reinstall'.

Cheers

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:44:12 Z

Trefdraeth wrote:

Ah, the perrils of being a tinkerer. But that's why we're playing with a pre release bit of software

If (like me) you removed those pesky little directories......

Just follow the advice above and recreate them. The go to your server's desktop/control panel/add-remove programs. Check the box to show updates. Remove the Powerpack update. Restart.

Reinstall the update as you previously did. hey presto. All working. Far quicker than a 'repair' or 'reinstall'.

Cheers

I'm trying this now. I had moved these folders into a subdirectoy so I could keep my Software folder organized. This is kind of retarded that the PP1 installer is unable to create a directory on it's own.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:59:06 Z

DarkonJohn wrote:

I have to argue that when a user renames/moves these folders, the user is not doing a single thing wrong. If WHS has some undocumented, non-obvious requirement that these folders must exist with these names, it needs to make that clear in one way or another! ***, a simple readme.txt in that directory would have been sufficient for a large number of us! If it's really that hellbent on these folders remaining as they are when installed, why don't they perform some kind of work-around to lock these directories and folders so we have to REALLY go out of our way in order to change them? That should be trivial to lock them into read-only mode - I do it with my .NET apps all the time!! Seriously, though. If WHS has this convoluted requirement, then it needs to enforce it in one way or another.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:23:27 Z

Shane Milton (Jaxidian) wrote:

Trefdraeth wrote:

Ah, the perrils of being a tinkerer. But that's why we're playing with a pre release bit of software

If (like me) you removed those pesky little directories......

Just follow the advice above and recreate them. The go to your server's desktop/control panel/add-remove programs. Check the box to show updates. Remove the Powerpack update. Restart.

Reinstall the update as you previously did. hey presto. All working. Far quicker than a 'repair' or 'reinstall'.

Cheers

It worked! Thanks, Trefdraeth!!

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:08:32 Z

Shane Milton (Jaxidian) wrote:

Quoted For Truth. There was no mention that the directory wasn't there during the PP1 (RTM!!) install, it didn't recreate it on its own, and it just overall stinks of hard-coded poor programming. It's MY shared folder, why can't I organize it how I want to? At the very least, it should recreate it when it needs it and let me delete it after or whatever.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:51:59 Z

Bremen, it's wired down because it's served up via a web application which can't just go trolling through your server shares to see if you've moved the required files elsewhere. The restriction on moving/deleting these files is in the Power Pack 1 release documentation, available here.

There's also a suggestion on Connect to lock down that specific location to prevent users from moving or deleting it accidentally. I say accidentally because nothing will prevent a user from doing so if they are determined.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:03:29 Z

Sc0rian wrote:

Thanks for tip - this solved problem for me.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:34:31 Z

I have to agree that putting mission critical folders into a shared folder without some form of warning isn't a good plan. External documentation just won't cut it. I don't agree that locking is a bad solution - it stops the casual move. Sure, a determined user can get past it, but the whole point is that most people would stop and wonder.

I think it would be a smart move to put a warning or check in the PP1 upgrade if the folders are missing or moved, or this is going to snowball very quickly. Even a readme warning would do it.

I have the suspicion that not only did PowerPack fail to create a new folder or warn of the fact that it was missing, it actually deleted the folder (in its illegal location)...

Yes - I too moved the thing around :-). Faced with a reinstall (I'd rather chew off my leg - you just *know* that a day down the track there will still be bits on the floor) I followed the recreate folders, copy bits from C:/WHS, uninstall PowerPack and reinstall route... time will tell...

Neil

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:49:37 Z

I installed WHSPowerPack1 with my critical directories under a sub directory and so had the Page not found problem at the start of this thread. I have now set the directories back as they should be under /software but I am missing the files:-

WHSConnectorInstall.exe
WHSConnector_x64.msi
WHSVersionUpgrade.dll
WHSVersionUpgrage_x64.dll
WHS_ConnectorHelp.chm

I tried to reinstal the PowerPack to get them, but it said "update not for this version". I could not find a way to remove the power pack either in add-remove programs or windows components. Is there a way I can get copies of these programs: extract from the msi file or download from somewhere?

JG

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:39:56 Z

Sorry, I had not spotted there were two pages to this thread. The answer was given
by Trefdraeth on page 2.

You need "show updates" checked in Add/Remove programs for PowerPack1 to show up.

The solution for me was:-

1. Put the directories back in the right place.
2. Remove PowerPack1 via Add/Remove Programs.
3. Re-install PowerPack1.
4. Update the connector on each client via the
WHS Console Network At Risk warnings.

I agree with other comments here, that this installation is very flaky
and poorly designed. We have been taught that playing with Win Explorer
or other desktop tools directly logged on to the server is a No-No, and that
if we stick to using the WHS Console on the clients we will be safe. Then
they secretly design in gotchas, that you can screw your self up with, in the
shared folders by having critcal folders there which must not be moved or
re-named. The shared folders is no place to put them, they should go on the
system drive where they will be left alone.

It is a great shame that WHS is treated as just a noddy also ran. In my view
the concept behind it is just what every home user wants. A server where all
the digital photographs, videos, mp3s, etc are kept and which does regular
transparent backups. Put all this on a green PC with some nice big GB disks,
which are very cheap now, and no monitor. Connect in to that your wireless
router for your laptops which you can use anywhere in the house. If M/S really
want to avoid the Vista disaster with its replacement they should put some effort
into getting WHS robust and bundle it in.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:42:34 Z

This helped me after moving the WHS folder from their original location.

problems finding http://server:55000/setup/WHSConnectorInstall.exe

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:14:41 Z

Hello and sorry for any inconvenience but this forum is now locked as the beta cycle has ended. Please continue any conversations in the Windows Home Server Software forum. Thanks!