I have been using WHS for a little while. I love it. Except that I can't seem to get it to wake my computers from sleep (or standby). All machines are running Windows 7 x64, laptop is Ultimate, two desktops are Professional.
My backup times are usually scheduled a little after when the PC's would normally stop being used, and don't have them sleep for two hours after idle, which is usually ok. But not always, and not with my laptop for sure, I have that sleep sooner, or when I close the lid, so frequently have to do a manual backup.
I have set the network adapter to "allow this device to wake this PC" and have tried with and without the "magic packet". I enabled "Wake on LAN" in my BIOS as well for my desktops, but this option doesn't exist for my laptop, so assuming it's on by default. I use S1 sleep mode. I even installed the autoexit add-in which will wake a machine manually through the console but WHS will not.
Windows Home Server doesn't use Wake On LAN, it uses a (hidden) scheduled task and hardware timers on the clients.
Regarding the laptop, I doubt it will wake from a power-saving mode with the lid closed, so it isn't going to back up when you shut it. Regarding all computers that aren't waking: are they connected to UPS units? If so, they may believe they are running on battery, and Windows Home Server will not wake a computer for backup if it's on battery (due to the risk of draining the battery). This also applies to your laptop; if it's not plugged in it won't wake to back up.I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
Hmmm, the more I read about this the more I am realizing that it seems to be an issue with Windows 7 x64. I don't lose WHS connection after sleep so far that I can tell, but the PC just won't wake from sleep. I am now realizing as well that it is a local process that wakes the PC not the WHS. I just reconfigured the backups so I will see if that helps.
I'm having a similiar problem. I upraded a laptop from vista home premum 32-bit to windows 7 home premium 32-bit. The WHS backups worked perfect with vista, even with the lid closed. I have a Sony vista laptop that will backup each night with the lid cosed. Since the upgrade, the backups fail during the night. However, as soon as I raise the lid, and hit the enter key to wake the laptop up, it will start to backup and it will backup successful. The laptop is a HP dv5-1388us purchased in September with a free windows 7 upgrade. My WHS is a HP EX470 with Power Pack 3 installed. The backup is occurring wirelessly as it has since I purchased back in September. Last night I ran chkdsk, and defrag and the backup failed again. I have even ran vssadmin list providers and the only thing listed was the Microsoft VSS. I have verified by right clicking on the WHS connector that it is set to wake the computer up for backup.
Any thoughts or ideas? Tonight I'm thinking about trying the backup with a wired connection. Thanks
If it worked prior to upgrading to Windows 7, and doesn't work now, then it's not a Windows Home Server issue, it's a Windows 7 power management issue.
It's odd that it worked with the lid closed when you had Vista installed, however. The default power configuration options for Vista shouldn't let the computer wake while closed. Unless perhaps it's a laptop on a cooled docking station? I have a Thinkpad which will function with the lid closed when docked...I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
One thing that I've noticed the last couple of mornings when I raise the lid, press enter and try to log on , I get a message saying "not enough system resources availabe at this time". I then click on switch user, and I'm able to log on and the backup has just started running. Last night I rebooted the pc as I was loggoing off.
An ides as to why the resources are low?
What causes the backup to begin outside of the scheduled 12:00 to 6:00 am timeframe? I logged on this morning at 9:00 am and yesterday at 1:00 pm in the afternoon. Both times the backup began at that time.
The wireless network adapter doesn't have a power management tab to set to wake up the pc.
Windows Home Server doesn't use Wake On LAN, it uses a (hidden) scheduled task and hardware timers on the clients.
Regarding the laptop, I doubt it will wake from a power-saving mode with the lid closed, so it isn't going to back up when you shut it. Regarding all computers that aren't waking: are they connected to UPS units? If so, they may believe they are running on battery, and Windows Home Server will not wake a computer for backup if it's on battery (due to the risk of draining the battery). This also applies to your laptop; if it's not plugged in it won't wake to back up.
I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
I realized it doesn't use WoL if you see my own reply to this post. No UPS unit. I can remote access my laptop if lid is closed. It's just in a sleep state. It's all in how you configure your machine. There is an option in Windows 7 to enable use of "wake timers" too.
I changed a few power options, and I put the laptop to sleep the past two nights by closing the lid. Both nights the laptop woke up and was backed up. However, both mornings the laptop was still awake. It was never put back into sleep mode. Wierd because the big HP emblem on the lid will be lit up, and once the lid is closed and it goes into sleep mode the light is not on. I've also checked the system log, and I see where it goes to sleep, wakes up, does the backup, but never goes back to sleep.
Any ideas as to why is not going back to sleep after the backup?
Please share how you were able to get your laptop to wake up with the lid closed. I can get mine to wake for a scheduled backup, but only with the lid open.
