Windows Home Server - A Sneak Preview
30 July 2007Beginning this post, I’ll be discussing few things how to use Windows Home Server to help you backup your systems, restore them when they get corrupted etc.
Today’s topic is How to install Windows Home Server. Before delving into the details let me cover some background.
Windows Home Server will be available in the stores in fall of 2007 as per Microsoft. The final version of it has been released to manufacturing. Look here for the announcement.
But enthusiasts who can’t wait to try it out, can get the RC version by participating in Microsoft Connect. Grab it here. You just need to have an account with Microsoft Connect which is very easy to obtain once you have an e-mail address with Windows Live Hotmail.
You need to have a lot of bandwidth as the complete package for Windows Home Server is around 1.4GB.
For the current topic, you just need to have Windows Home Server RC - Installation DVD which is about 1GB. It is preferable to download the complete package as you will need the other software for the client systems.
Windows Home Server can be used for a multitude of things. Before we get to the detailed installation process, let’s introduce some context here.
The setting is as follows:
You use more than 2 computers at your home. Or if you happen to be working for your office, you’ll definitely use more. These computers happen to have modern versions of Windows (XP/Vista) installed on them.
Let’s say one of the system gets corrupted. If you were careful enough to have backed-up your data, the usual process is to re-install the OS and then restore your data. You need to repeat this process on other computers that get corrupted. This is undoubtedly a tedious job.
Windows Home Server comes to your rescue to simplify things. You just need to install Windows Home Server on one of your computers, and let the other computers be aware of it. That’s all. You can schedule daily backups. And when the inevitable happens, you can restore your OS and data with the click of few buttons.
So without much ado let’s begin the fun of installing Windows Home Server.
Windows Home Server is a bit hungry of disk space and RAM. You need to have >65GB of hard disk space. The more is the RAM the better is the working experience. You can start with 1GB.
Let’s allocate 80GB Hard Disk for our purpose. Also 1GB RAM would be sufficient without slowing down too much.
First burn the image Windows Home Server RC - Installation DVD.iso to a disk.
Boot your computer with this disk. You will see initial few screens while booting Windows Home Server.
Windows Home Server will initialize a few settings and a welcome screen will be presented.
Press Next
The disk detected will be shown.If you want to load additonal storage drivers, you can do so here. For our purposes, it isn’t required. Hence, press Next
The next dialog box will show the installation type. Select New Installation and Press Next
You’ll be asked to select your Keyboard and Regional settings. Press Next after entering them.
If you would like to continue further, read and accept the license terms and then press Next
When you downloaded the complete package, the Product Key was also listed which you should have downloaded. Enter the Product Key you’ve obtained and then press Next
You should give a descriptive name for your server. Press Next after typing the name.
Now select the disk where Windows Home Server will be installed and acknowledge that all data on this disk will be erased.
Now press Next
You’ll be asked again that all data will be erased on this driver. Press Yes
A final dialog box will be shown which indicates that Windows Home Server is ready to get installed. Press Start
Now a series of screens will be shown that indicate that the disk is being formatted, the files are being copied from DVD etc.
Also approximate time required for completion will displayed. It’ll take about 50 minutes to complete the installation.
You’ll be walked through several screens which display all the features supported by the Windows Home Server.
After a while Windows Home Server will be installed.
Now you need to configure the password which you’ll use very frequently to logon to Windows Home Server for backing up, sharing folders, restoring backups etc.
Do not forget this password. After entering the password, press the right arrow(->) key.
Next you’ll be asked if you need automatic updates. Select your preferred option and then press the right arrow key(->).
Then you will be asked if you want to participate in Customer Improvement Program. Select as per your need and then press the right arrow key(->).
That’s all. You’ve finished installing the Windows Home Server. You can administer it from your other home computers.
You can perform all the administrative activities from your Home Computers running Microsoft Operating Systems.
So this was about installing Windows Home Server. For the more interesting part of backing up and restoring your installations over network watch out this space!!
Soon, I’ll be posting articles how to backup your systems over network and also how to restore them when they get corrupted.
2 Responses to “Windows Home Server - A Sneak Preview”
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:29 am
[…] Windows Home Server - A Sneak Preview […]
August 6th, 2007 at 2:33 am
[…] Windows Home Server - A Sneak Preview […]