Microsoft's Best New OS (Hint: It's Not Vista) Windows Home Server lets you store and stream media files, create backups, and connect remotely via the Web. Plus, it's great on older PCs.

By Tom Mainelli

A few years back, when I replaced my aging Athlon XP-based home-built PC with a faster, quieter system, I stored the old one away presuming that someday I'd do something interesting with it. Microsoft's Windows Home Server proved the perfect excuse to do just that. The end result is a highly useful, though sometimes frustratingly simplistic, addition to my home tech lineup.

Windows Home Server is Microsoft's first stab at a consumer server product that sits at the heart of your network where other PCs can access its content. Available now on hardware such as HP's MediaSmart Home Server or as a $180 software package from system-builder sites such as Newegg, Windows Home Server lets you store and stream media files, back up multiple PCs, and connect remotely via the Web. Plus, Microsoft says that add-on features such as video recording and home automation are on the way from third-party vendors.

Windows Home Server requires an ethernet connection between the server and the network (Microsoft deemed wireless networking too flaky). I installed a prerelease copy of the operating system in about 2 hours; the only snag I hit involved enabling the remote Web access features. My router turned out to be the problem, and one I wasn't able to resolve with tech support. To connect client PCs to the server, you install a simple console application on each that also lets you tweak the server's settings.

Soon, I was streaming music, photos, and standard-definition video to my 802.11g-enabled notebook, flawlessly. I experienced some stutters with a high-def test video file, but that's an 802.11g bandwidth issue. Everything streamed cleanly to my ethernet-connected Windows XP Pro PC and my Xbox 360. The 360 connection is great, as it allows me to access media where I most enjoy it: on my couch, in front of my HDTV.

Windows Home Server also lets you back up the entire contents of each connected PC to the server's hard drive, as a compressed file that it updates daily with only the changes that have occurred since the last backup. The backup feature is quite slick, and it illustrates the degree to which Microsoft has successfully simplified an often-complicated process. You can add more hard drives to the server, and even enable data duplication (essentially RAID 1 data mirroring). But the nitty-gritty settings for such features are largely inaccessible, hidden behind basic wizards and check boxes.

Simplicity is great, but I think enthusiasts like me will want access to more knobs and switches. Microsoft might envision a home server in every house, but I'm not sure the average PC user would even know what to do with one (yet). After having lived with the server for a few weeks, though, I can't imagine not having one--a clear sign that it's filling a need in my geek household. Better yet, it let me pull my old workhorse PC out of retirement.

Wavy Line

Editor's Pick

A Father Decided to Change When He Was in Prison on His Son's Birthday. Now His Nonprofit Helps Formerly Incarcerated Applicants Land 6-Figure Jobs.
Lock
A Teen Turned His Roblox Side Hustle Into a Multimillion-Dollar Company — Now He's Working With Karlie Kloss and Elton John
Lock
3 Mundane Tasks You Should Automate to Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff
Lock
The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here's What You Should Do
5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health and Regulate Your Nervous System for Sustainable Success

Related Topics

Business News

'I Am Just Floored': Woman Discovers She Won $1 Million Lottery Prize While Checking Her Email at Work

Initially, she thought the email was a scam, but went to lottery headquarters and walked away with a six-figure check after taxes.

Business News

Amazon Might Soon Be Adding Ads to Prime Video

The company wants to generate more ad revenue for its streaming service.

Business News

'I've Got the Bug for Business': See All of Mark Wahlberg's Entrepreneurial Endeavors, From Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch to Wahlburgers

Mark Wahlberg owns businesses in several categories, including entertainment production, apparel, fitness, and nutrition.

Marketing

5 Simple Tweaks for Better Email Deliverability

Email success starts in the inbox. Learn five easy ways to tweak your strategy so you can achieve better email deliverability.

Fundraising

'Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch' Is Back Open for Business!

Check out this preview of season nine of our hit show "Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch." Big ideas and big money are on the line!

Leadership

How Leveraging External Trainers Can Advance Your Companies Growth and Talent Optimization

Discover how your organization can use external trainers to build capabilities, lower training cost and create a sustainable workforce for the future, while still delivering high-quality training and lasting results.