In the fourth installment of the home data backup series, we’re going to review Microsoft’s Windows Home Server, the first home server product they’ve offered. While this product offers many features, I’m going to be focusing on its use as a backup/recovery solution. Additional features will be covered in a later review.
Windows Home Server, or WHS, is based on Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003 platform, but has been re-packaged to make it much more friendly for the home user. It uses a simple console interface to provide management functions, such as adding users, configuring backups, and managing shared folders. The typical WHS device is a computer that is connected to your home network and managed through another PC on the network. It’s capable of performing a headless boot, meaning there is no requirement for a keyboard, mouse, or monitor. Because it doesn’t require these devices, it can be tucked into a corner and takes up relatively little room. I have mine sitting in my basement, next to my router. Out of sight does not mean out of mind, however; this system is always running, monitoring the health of your network and helping to keep your critical data safe.
While Google may continue to be everyone’s favorite search engine, Windows Live Search has made some recent improvements in their number of results, and relevancy. The Microsoft search engine continues to see updates that make it an attractive alternative.
After you sign in you simply select a charity or school. They will receive a donation of one penny each time you search the web. According to my web history, I’ve totaled 20,039 searches this year. Had my searches been through Search and Give, my charity or school would have received $200. Not bad!
Considering turning off UAC on your Windows Vista computer? You might want to think again.
UAC is Microsoft’s User Account Control. It’s a sometimes nagging interface that can help to protect your computer. It has specific rules on what an administrator can and cannot do. When UAC is turned on, the software on your computer is running without administrative permissions. If you or your computer attempts to perform an action that requires administrative privileges, UAC pops up a window asking if you want to elevate to administrator so the action can be completed.
The good – if left on, UAC can be an extremely effective defense against many infections. Most recently proven in a paper by AV-Test.org when they tried to infect a Windows Vista test system with rootkits. Rootkits are the nastiest of infections that work by installing a system driver that hides other infections as they steal your information or ruin your operating system. With UAC turned on, AV-Test couldn’t get any of the rootkits to install. In order to install the rootkits, they had to disable UAC.
I recently had the pleasure to review the Garmin Colorado 400t. When given the opportunity to purchase the new Microsoft Streets & Trips 2008 (S&T) with a GPS Locator included, I jumped at it. I take my laptop everywhere, literally. For me, turning my laptop into a turn-by-turn GPS seemed like the right thing to do.
I have used the Streets & Trips family of software for a few years now. I like the software. It’s always been easy to navigate, had good directions, some great features, and is easily configurable. Older versions of S&T were real heavy and burdensome on the system, but the more recent versions are lighter and run with a smaller footprint. Read the rest of this entry »
Trying to update your Zune software to the latest release (Version 2.5.447.0) and getting an “Installation Failed” message? If you are, try turning the Windows Firewall on. Yes, that’s right folks, you have to turn on a firewall to update a media player. Those power users who choose to use an alternative firewall, or an external firewall are being forced to enable the built-in Windows Firewall before the software will install.
In their infinite wisdom, Microsoft has decreed that you should enable a completely separate piece of their Operating System to be able to update your Zune Media Player. This is nothing new, its been a requirement for a few releases now, but I would have thought by now that Microsoft would have learned the error of its ways.
Why are there so many people down on Vista? Especially media people? I am so tired of hearing Vista failure! Vista disaster! Vista sux!
I think every one of these people have a very short memory. I have been doing computer support for over 15 years, most of it supporting end users at the consumer level and enterprise level. My first enterprise/corporate task was to upgrade Windows 3.1 computers to Windows 95 for “Outlook” email. I have deployed Windows 2000 and Windows XP as major projects to help corporations standardize their hardware and software platforms. I know the ins-and-outs of the operating systems pretty well.
There are some basic truths to be had. It doesn’t matter how well an OS is designed, tested, and maintained, the user will find a way to break it. The user will always find something doesn’t work (OS compatibility) no matter how much time is spent making sure that compatibility issues are worked out. Lastly, you will not be able to satisfy everyone.
In case you haven’t noticed, Google and Microsoft are facing off in a lot more categories than search. Google has been making strides in offering online applications, often free and ad-supported. While Microsoft has traditionally been a retail, shrink wrap software company. With every product that Google announces in perpetual beta, they seem to be encroaching more on Microsoft’s turf. Now Microsoft may finally be pushing back.
Google has had some moderate success with applications like gmail, Picasa, Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Talk, and their Google Pack. Microsoft’s Live has been widely viewed as the answer to Google’s web application threat. Today Microsoft announced Windows Live Suite. A bundle of beta web applications in one convenient download and with a common installer:
This suite of software includes e-mail (Windows Live Mail), photo sharing (Windows Live Photo Gallery), a great publishing tool that lets you post directly to your blog (Windows Live Writer), parental controls (Windows Live OneCare Family Safety), a new version of Windows Live Messenger (8.5), and more.
An astute Windows user was intrigued by the holographic image on the face of the Windows Vista Business DVD and decided to take a much closer look, discovering in the margin a microscopic photograph of three men. Just who they could be? The user posted a blog entry mentioning the discovery, which was noticed by a few others in the community and has prompted a number of people to contact us in Windows to find out just exactly what is going on.
The real story is interesting, but conspiracy theorists will be disappointed to learn that it is not the result of a deliberate attempt to deceive. The photo displays members of the team who worked on the Windows Vista DVD hologram design. Microsoft’s Anti-Piracy Team designed a counterfeit-resistant digital “watermark” for the non-encoded surface of Windows Vista DVDs. The photo in question is only one of multiple images contained in the hologram design, all of whose inclusion serves to make it more difficult to replicate a Windows Vista DVD. The other images are of old master works of art that are in the public domain. These images are part of numerous other security measures that have been designed into our media, packaging and certificates of authenticity. Hence, even though this image has been reproduced on the Web, there are many other features providing further security.
That’s the URL for the soon to be announced Windows Live Folders beta. What’s are Live Folders? According to Microsoft, “Password-protected online file storage. Always available where you need it.”
User will be able to access up to 500 megabytes of free storage (50 mb max per file), with either IE or FireFox, using a Windows Live account. There are three options for allowing access to these folders: private, shared, and public. The 500mb limit is rumored to be changed to unlimited after the beta.
Looks like Microsoft beat Google out of the gate this time! (Google’s gdrive project is similar).
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In the fourth installment of the home data backup series, we’re going to review Microsoft’s Windows Home Server, the first home server product they’ve offered. While this product offers many features, I’m going to be focusing on its use as a backup/recovery solution. Additional features will be covered in a later review.
Considering turning off UAC on your Windows Vista computer? You might want to think again.
In case you haven’t noticed, Google and Microsoft are facing off in a lot more categories than search. Google has been making strides in offering online applications, often free and ad-supported. While Microsoft has traditionally been a retail, shrink wrap software company. With every product that Google announces in perpetual beta, they seem to be encroaching more on Microsoft’s turf. Now Microsoft may finally be pushing back.
