In this post you can find Hi-Resolution photos of the EX470.  They may help you navigate during the upgrade or get acquainted with the inside of your server prior to attempting the upgrade.

The most popular RAM module for this upgrade can be found here.  It’s the G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory

This exact module can be seen in the Hi-Res shots.  I’ve installed many of them without a single problem to report.

I also have two videos that take you through the upgrade process step by step.

The original posts for these videos can be found here.  Part 1.  Part 2.

Visit the forums for any help on the process.

You can see the details of my adventure in this forum post:

http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=5624

I have attached a few screenshots of my upgrade to Patch 1 and am in the process of installing new connectors on all my PC’s.  Argh, didn’t I just do his?

As reported the console was lost immediately after install and the WHS tray icon went red stating that the Media Collector on the server was different than the version on the client.

Last week on the podcast,zekan asked if it was possible to install iTunes 9 on a WHS machine, I suggested a link over at MediaSmartServer.net where  Mezo has found  out how to do it.

Here, bsieve asks if the Zune software can be installed on WHS. Dave and Chris were all into the Zune software on podcast 56 so I decided to give it a try.

Following the instructions by Mezo, I was able to get Zune 4.0.740.0 installed.

I downloaded Orca from here and installed it.  I downloaded the XP version of  Zune here and copied it to a WHS share.

Extract the zunesetuppkg-86 file, which is a 52.9 meg to a folder with the same name.  Go into that folder and open the packages folder.

Right click on Zune-x86, and if you installed Orca, you should have an option to Edit with Orca,

Here you want to select LaunchConditions and delete the conditions on the right and then save the new file.

Now RDC to that shared folder and move the complete extracted folder you created to the desktop. You must MOVE the folder to the desktop otherwise you will NOT be able to change it’s Properties, now you should have a folder that contains these files,

Right click on ZuneSetup and choose Properties and then  the Compatibility Tab and change it to run as XP. Apply.

Now you should be GOOD TO GO. Double click ZuneSetup.exe and it will install.

UPDATE: Looks like you should right click on the Zune-x86.msi in the packages folder to begin the install and bybass the warning about it needing to be on a XP system. Also if you don’t get past the zune splash screen, you should install WMP11 from this link, http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/whsdevelopers/thread/e23d50e3-43d1-4007-a35f-bd30b2895986

You should change the wmfdist.exe & wmp11.exe to run as XP, and tick the box so the WHS will not reboot during the install.

NOTE: I installed this on my EX47x which does NOT have a sound card so I did get an error when selecting a song to play. So unless you have a USB sound card for your MSS then you should have a home build with a sound card. Also the screen resolution is not so great on the MSS, but hey, you asked for ZUNE on WHS, I delivered.

Good Luck.

John Zajdler (aka Diehard).

As we have discussed on the podcast before, the LX195 is a bit underpowered with the 1.6 Ghz Atom processor and only 1 GB of RAM.  It does come with a 640 GB hard drive and 4 USB ports that limit your total storage to only the physical size of each external drive.  Practically speaking, that would be around 4 to 8 TB.  The HP software is an added plus, but it doesn’t have enough juice to handle the newest 2.5 version update from HP.  But hey, it’s $200!

Subsonic is a free, web-based media streamer, providing ubiquitous access to your music. Use it to share your music with friends, or to listen to your own music while at work. You can stream to multiple players simultaneously, for instance to one player in your kitchen and another in your living room.

Subsonic is designed to handle very large music collections (hundreds of gigabytes). Although optimized for MP3 streaming, it works for any audio or video format that can stream over HTTP, for instance AAC and OGG. By using transcoder plug-ins, Subsonic supports on-the-fly conversion and streaming of virtually any audio format, including WMA, FLAC, APE, Musepack, WavPack, Shorten and OptimFROG.

It’s also very easy to install on HP’s MediaSmart Server running HP’s 2.5 update.

On podcast 48 we spoke a bit about mp3 streamers Subsonic & FirePlay.  Cougar from MediaSmartServer.net updated his addin here.  I’m also trying Subsonic.  They have a WAR version, this is like a ZIP or RAR compressed folder that is recognized by Tomcat and can be selected to deploy. Since you have HP’s 2.5 update installed, adding Subsonic through Tomcat is very easy.

If you don’t have Tomcat, you can also go the .EXE route or decide to install Tomcat from here.

HP decided to switch from using Jetty to Tomcat when they built the EX48x line. Tomcat runs apps for IIS much better than Jetty and does more. HP uses Tomcat & Java to run the PhotoPublisher & PhotoViewer apps also, so you get an idea of what Tomcat can do. So since it’s there, why not take advantage of it ?

Once you have Tomcat installed, here’s what to do,

Download the WAR and place it in the Software share, then remote into your MSS and look for Tomcat Manager.

You will be asked for a user name and password, use admin and leave the password blank, unless you changed it, then use what you choose, click OK. You should then get the Tomcat Manager screen. At the bottom it says WAR file to deploy in yellow, point the the Subsonic.WAR file you downloaded to the Software share.

and click deploy. If you did this right you should have,

click on start if it didn’t start, or restart it from the 

Now add the port 8089 to the exception list on the firewall settings.

That’s it, point your browser to http://myhomeserver:8089/subsonic.

I’ll be looking for more WAR apps to deploy with Tomcat, if you find one, let me know, thanks.

If your using Whiist, you can add it as a personal link.

Have fun.

John Zajdler (aka Diehard).

From ioSafe

The rugged desktop ioSafe Solo external hard drive brings disaster protection to a price range that everyone can afford. With capacities from 500GB to 1.5TB, the ioSafe Solo can safely protect precious family photo albums, music libraries and days of video memories. For business, the ioSafe Solo is a great way to protect customer databases or to secure regulated information including patient records (HIPAA, Sox, etc) or credit card information. Businesses use the Solo hard drive as a backup and storage device, no longer worrying about data loss from moving computer tapes and files offsite. Like other ioSafe products, the ioSafe Solo uses ioSafe patented technology including FloSafe air flow cooling, HydroSafe waterproof barriers and the DataCast fireproof insulation.

This video is also available on YouTube in HD.

Well, well, well.  What do we have here?  HP has thrown the bone.  Congrats EX470 and EX475 owners.  You and I will not have to lurk in the shadows in order to run the 2.5 update.  Congrats to HP as well.   This can only mean one of two things:

1. A lesson learned.

2. A well orchestrated media stunt.

Read all the details here.  I don’t know who broke the story but I saw it at mediasmartserver.net first.  Here is the meat of the story that I swiped from Alex.

We have two updates to share with our MediaSmart Server communities.

We have listened to the customer feedback on wegotserved.co.uk, mediasmartserver.net, mediasmarthome.com and other popular Windows Home Server blogs related to our recent software update availability. Based on this feedback, we are working to provide a supported path to allow customers to update all generations of their EX Series and LX Series MediaSmart Server products to the current software version.

Due to the generational differences of our platform architectures, we will not be providing the updated software as traditional downloads. Instead, we will provide complete server image DVD’s through HP support in the same manner as replacement DVD’s are provided today. We expect that there will be certain hardware limitations and/or trade-offs for the various platforms that will be detailed once the new server DVD’s are available.

Timing is tentatively scheduled in Fall 2009. We understand customers would like these updates sooner, but this timing is necessary to adequately develop and test these new software images. As we get further along in our development, we will provide an updated timetable.

We have also read the inquiries regarding European availability of the MediaSmart Server products. We are pleased to announce that our European customers can expect to see our LX and EX series products for sale in Europe. Targeted availability is Fall 2009.

We thank everyone for their continued support of the MediaSmart Server products and appreciate the continued feedback.

Last question.  How about those folks in Australia?  They have been asking for the MSS as well.  Throw a bone down under HP?

Hey Dave, they didn’t announce it yet.

What do you mean?  I got the email with the pretty pictures.

Umm, some e-tailer started selling it a week early.

Oh yeah?  Who?

eCost.com

But I looked there and came up empty.

Luckily, I have a screen shot because it seems they have taken it offline.

Looks like this caught HP off guard eh?

Why do you say that?

Take a look at their website.  Can you say, “Undefined?”

Yes, eCost made a boo-boo and we all get the news early.  The advertising embargo was set to May 10, 2009 but it seems eCost couldn’t wait.  This news leaked to the forums here, and here and the rest is history.

So, here is the LX195.

eCost.com

NOTE: This unit has been HP Recertified.

The 512 MB of memory that comes with this unit is not enough.  You might consider ordering a 2 GB upgrade ($20 from Newegg.com) and the unit will rock and roll nicely.  See instructions and pictures from one of Dave’s posts here.

Here is the deal.  Click on the picture to take you there.

Shipping is about $20 depending where you live.  Your total should be around $375 delivered.

For another $125 you can get the newest version, the HP MediaSmart EX485 with the memory already upgraded to 2 GB, 250 GB of additional storage (750 total) and the newest HP software.  Shipping is free to your door!

Enjoy your new fun!

Remember, I search so you don’t have to!

Author: Jim Collison

Jim is an IT Manager in Omaha NE and a Windows Home Server user since January 2008.  He blogs about technology, home PC security, social networking and anything else that sounds fun on his personal technology blog at http://pcaverageguy.blogspot.com/

If you have recently purchased or installed your Windows Home Server you can use this checklist to go over various install issues.  If you have been running a server for a while you still might find some of this useful.  This is a long list and not every step is required to successfully setting up your Windows Home Server.  If you find errors or would like to add to this list please let me know.

Before you Build/Buy

Check your router, is it compatible with WHS UPNP? Wegotserved.co.uk has a list of compatible routers.

Start organizing your data on your PC.  Photos, Videos, etc.
Clean your “My Documents” folder.  Move photos and videos to appropriate folders.
Decide if you want to put your “My Documents” on WHS user directory or store local.

Cleanup your PC with CCleaner.  Not required but a good idea.

Consider purchasing an external drive for your WHS.  With the external you can backup your shares to it for yet more redundancy.

Think of a name for your server before you start.  HPServer, Server WHServer, Waldo, etc.

Find a home for your WHS.  Somewhere with airflow, closet, desk, etc.

Get all computers on the same workgroup.  Windows Home Server Install will default to “Workgroup”  This is not absolutely mandatory but it can make some situations easier.

In the properties of the computer note the “Full Computer Name” and the Description.  Sometimes they can be something funny like DellCustomer, PreferredACERCustomer or something useless like this.  Put a description in each and a computer name that is meaningful.

Collect all the usernames for each computer.  You will need to input usernames into your new WHS so this is handy to have.

Clean these up on each computer as well.  No Admin, or USER1, etc.  Names or locations work best.  KitchenPC, KidsComputer, HP Laptop, etc.

Take the time to update every computer in the network.  Make sure updates are turned on, Antivirus/Anti-Spyware is installed and up to date.
Run a deep scan on each machine to ensure there are no infections.
Not running anything, tsk tsk.  At least run a freebie.  AVG, Avira, Avast.

http://free.avg.com/
http://www.free-av.com/
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

I also like to do a chkdsk /f /r on each pc as well as a defrag. (this is more cleanup, not required) Help on CHKDSK can be found here.

Unbox / Build

Check the http://homeservershow.com website under Home Builds for ideas and equipment lists that other listeners have used.  This is tried and true equipment.  You can also discuss and ask questions on these pages.

Here are Microsoft’s minimum requirements for WHS:

* 1GHz Pentium 3 or higher
* 512MB of RAM
* 70GB of storage space
* 100 Mbps Ethernet card

Here are the actual recommended requirements for WHS:

* Pentium 4, AMD x64, or newer processor – prefer 64 bit processor even though WHS is 32 bit for now
* 512MB of RAM
* At least two internal hard drives with 300GB of primary (system) hard drive space
* 100 Mbps or faster Ethernet

Here are my recommended requirements for WHS installs:

Intel Celeron or Core2 processor for power.  Use an Atom or Via C7 for power saving.
2 Gigs of RAM.  It’s not required but it’s needed.
Two hard drives, first one being 1TB The rest 1TB or larger.
One Gigabit Ethernet port.
DVD Reader – You can take this out after install or leave it in for ripping direct to your WHS shares.
four or more SATA ports on the motherboard
Multiple USB ports.
1 eSata port for fast external drives.
One External drive that is 2x larger than the data in your shares. (for share backups)
Video, you can take the video card out after your done or leave it to tinker later.  Keyboard/mouse can be pulled as well.

Check for compatibility with 64 bit OS and code.  The C7 is not and your homebrew workstation might not be either.  If you think that you will want to upgrade to future versions your gear must be 64 bit compatible.

The following is the official list of operating systems that Windows Home Server will support (meaning these are the systems that the connector and backups will work on.  No Win 98, Me, or 95, get with it!)

All Vista
Windows Vista Operating Systems which include:
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home N (European Union only)
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Business N (European Union only)
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows XP Operating Systems which include:
* Windows XP Home with SP2
* Windows XP Professional with SP2
* Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with SP2 and Rollup 2
* Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with SP2
* Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 with SP2
* Windows XP Tablet Edition with SP2

Windows 7 is also working, i have it installed on my eee netbook and it works great.

HP MSS Owners and Self Builds.  Keep it simple.  Do the install with only one hard drive.  HPMSS, the bottom drive that came with the unit.  SB’s, I would go with a minimum of 500 gig on your C drive.  WHS will partition a 20 gig system drive and use the rest for data.  You can add drives later.

The HP MediaSmart Server is hot swappable with the power on.  It works, use it but be sure you use the drive removal wizard in WHS first if removing drives!  If you are adding drives, just pop it in after WHS has booted up.  Everybody else, add drives with the power off!  Always.

If you are installing the HP MSS sometimes the install bar will stick on a percentage and you swear that it’s locked up and

stuck.  Give it time, be patient.  It almost always will finish.  Don’t turn it off.

Install
Home Builders
Check for compatibility now.  Check your mobo documentation to make sure you can run Windows Server 2003.  Also, check the manufacturers website for storage drivers.  If you find these for server you are good to go.  If your board is compatible with anything older than 2003 server you are usually good as well.
You may have trouble with newer PC’s if you want to recycle them as a WHS.  There may not be a storage driver for PC that will work.  If you are unsure, get a spare hard drive and download and install the trial of WHS.  This will allow you to test the system before making a decision on whether to use the recycled pc or go with a build list.

Also check for a network card driver.  Your not going to get very far without it!

Check your mobo documentation and bios for RAID.  If you have RAID on your board you need to turn it off.  This might be a good time to check your mobo to make sure it’s completely up to date.  Check your bios rev and compare to the manufacturers latest release.  Check the latest release notes for fixes and see if they pertain to you.  Sometimes it’s better to not fix what’s not broken.  Just because there is a new release doesn’t mean you need to install it.

You must boot from the CD.  You can’t upgrade from any other OS.  There are other methods of install that we can cover later.  You don’t get many choices in the install.  Beware that the drive you install it on will be completely wiped away.  If you are installing to a server with multiple drives make sure all your drives show up on the list.  If not it means you have a storage driver issue.  Start hunting down that driver.

During the install portion don’t sit and wait, get back to organizing data!

First Boot, it’s password time.  It will ask you for a password that it will tie to the administrators account.  If you remote desktop into the machine this is the password therefore it needs to be a very strong password.
Mix numbers, symbols, upper and lowercase letters.  The requirements are this:
It must have at least 7 characters, and it must have three of following four criteria: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
There is also a reminder phrase for the password.  If you type in the wrong password when you try to get into the console it will immediately pop up the reminder.  Be aware of that if you make the reminder to close to the actual password.

Customer Experience Improvement Program
I recommend turning this on in order to help the WHS team.  It furthers product development and in no way exposes you or your data to any insecurities.  Turn on error reporting as well.

Do not lose the WHS DVD’s!  Keep them in a safe spot.

MediaSmart owners will have a shorter install and you do the install from your pc and not at the server itself.

Sit back, let it install.  Maybe you should go back to cleaning up your photos directory.

Updates.  Before you get rolling on connectors, users, and configuration make sure your server is up to date.  In the Windows Home Server Console click settings.  In the middle right of the console screen is the Update Now button.  Click and follow directions.  Install all the updates it recommends.  If you get lost the update button is on the General tab.  It’s the tab that Settings will always start with.
If you need to reboot go ahead and reboot.  Go back into WHS console, Settings, General tab and click it again.  Do this until there are no more updates.  Make sure Windows Update is On.  Click OK.
HPMSS users have to do updates as well.When you open the console HP users will have a MediaSmart Server tab in the top left of the console.  This tab presents all the HP software that was bundled with the WHS.  In the top left of this tab is the updates section, click Check for updates.  Again, do this as many times as needed until there are no longer updates to install.  Quick Note:  One of the HP updates includes two Add-Ins.(Newer HP Hardware will include these in the install)  PVConnect and McAfee Antivirus for WHS.  You will get a “Network At Risk” notification when Add-Ins are present in your Add-In share and not installed.  Don’t install just because of this.  Don’t install any updates just yet.  You can click the Network at Risk button on the console and check the box next to each add-in.  It should turn your health status back to green.

Create user accounts for everyone in your household. Ensure that every PC in the house has a username and password.  Make sure they match the ones just created on the server.

Connector Time – Install one.  Usually on your main pc.  Don’t worry about the lappy or the kids computers just yet.  If you just installed the HP MSS the connector was installed on your pc as part of the server setup Install the connector on all PC’s in your house.  Think about what is on each PC before you install the connector and do a backup.
If you do a backup first thing, are you going to create redundant data on your WHS?  yes, I know more than one copy is a good scenario but think it through first.  Lets say you have 100gigs of dvd rips on your workstation.  You, do an instant backup and it backs all of that data up.  You then copy that data to a WHS share.  You then turn on duplication.  Now you have a copy of it on the workstation, you have a copy of it in a backup, and you have two copies of the data on two different hard drives with drive extender duplication turned on.  That’s four copies!  Wait, you recall that external drive that is supposed to attach to the server?  Yes, it will hold share backups.  Now you have 5 copies.
Maybe you want to transfer the data to a share, turn duplication on, and then do a pc backup.

Most pc’s in the house will not need to access the console and/or use the administrator password.  Don’t give it out freely.  But they still have to have the connector installed in order to get backed up.  The install also places a shortcut to the shares on the desktop.

A big question you need to ask yourself now.  Do I map the “My Documents” folder to the WHS or not?  You can also map My Music, Videos, etc.  Help on changing My Documents targets can be found here.

Decide what is more important to you at this step.  Getting backups of all computers or transferring your data to the WHS shares.  Backups will run at night or you can do manual backups after you install the connector.  Turn on Duplication for each share that you would like WHS to make multiple copies of.  In Settings, Remote Access, Turn on websites, and establish your domain name.  Do this for remote access to your WHS.

Start transferring data to the shares from PC’s in the house.  Let WHS work for you while you sleep.  Start a transfer and then go to bed!

The morning after.
Check the console to make sure all PC’s were backed up.  Does a PC in your household have multiple drives in it?  Make sure they are backed up as well or you have the option to exclude the multiple drives.  You can also exclude certain folders in a backup.  Do this by going to the Computers and Backup tab, right click the computer in question and click Configure backup.

Add your external drive.  If you add it to the drive pool you will lose all data on it.  If you want to use it as a share backup you have the option of formatting it or keeping it like it is.  Don’t take chances and be ready to lose that data.

Backup your shares to the external drive.

Check your storage level under Server Storage.  Do you need more drives?

TCP/IP Config
A static address is not needed for your WHS but most enthusiasts do assign a static IP address to the server.  If you don’t go ahead and make a DHCP reservation for the address.  You can find this in your router setup.  Usually in the LAN section or DHCP section.  Find the hostname of your server and note the ip address.  Somewhere in this section you should be able to “reserve” the IP address for this hostname.  That means when the server boots up again it will always grab this IP address and no other device will be able to grab it either.

Instruct family members how to use the shares, remote access, etc.

Now, you can start reading about Add-In’s.  Don’t get in a big hurry to start using them.  If you have something you would like to accomplish with an Add-In go ahead and install it and use it.  Try not to experiment very much by installing a ton of Add-In’s.  Research and read about them before installing.  Just remember you have all your precious data on your WHS.

Did any of this sound difficult or like to much work?  Just remember.  This product was designed to come into your home and install easily and manage easily.  This is just a guide.  Some may say it’s an enthusiast guide.  It at least gets you thinking about the pc’s in your house.  Don’t let all these steps deter you from moving ahead with WHS.  If you didn’t do a single step in this guide, at least you have a home server and you’re doing backups right?