Microsoft confirms Windows Home Server is dead

Shame

Recently setup a Windows Home Server using a bargainous HP Microserver and it does the job of a media/file server rather admirably. Lack of Drive Extender wasn't an issue after I'd installed Stablebits' Drive Pool.

Currently have a SBS 2003-based server at work and guess we'll be forced to go to Standard when it comes time to upgrade as our net connection wouldn't be up to cloud gubbins and we need Exchange Server anyway.

By malfranks2 on 6 Jul 2012

How much?

So from paying £40 for a nice useful home server to paying around £300 for Essesntials... not sure I will bother. Pity as I like the backup options on WHS 2011. Oh well, have to explore the linux alternatives when I want to upgrade.

By baripollard on 6 Jul 2012

Shame 2

I really like my WHS set up and it's old enough to have Drive Extender, though I've never had to pool any drives myself (bought with two 1Tb drives). It works fine as a file server and for accessing files remotely.

I guess I can see where MS are coming from though, trying to simplify the entry level server product line.

By johnfair4 on 6 Jul 2012

It is disappointing

I will miss it. Having a household of 4 PC's including course work and working away from home a fair bit having easy automated backups (and a restore that is simple), files all stored on 2 spindles and a backup I can read from any PC with a USB to Sata adaptor if the hardware failed it was an easy product for a beginner to use. Remote access of your documents too. I'm aware you can do everything a different and cheap way but it was easy, and in the 18 months I've used it reliable, straight out the box system. I've used other backup software in the past which was less easy to use and caused more interference with working if they ran in the background. The cost of sensible hard drives makes it expensive to populate but then each PC in the house only needs an SSD and a decent network connection. I know from experience its not an easy product to sell and I can see why it has failed to become mainstream but it will be missed by the converts. Perhaps the drives will live on in a clever NAS that offers similar features with a bundle of sensible software but will it be as easy to use and relatively cheap?

By gcanton on 6 Jul 2012

Simplyfying?

How many home server solutions does Microsoft have, that we could confuse with WHS? But Home Server is not likely to die... It will simply live on torrent sites. While $425 Essentials gathers dust on the shelves.

By Josefov on 6 Jul 2012

That's a shame

I'm with gcanton, I bought a system from Tranquil, and SQA-5H, and whilst it wasn't the cheapest, it's been a brilliant solution. Automated backups, expanding the storage is a simple process, and it just works. It's the older version with Drive Extender, and has been hassle free. I'll run it into the ground, and then have to look at a NAS I guess.

By Stonedecroze on 6 Jul 2012

Exchange for small businesses

I am guessing that MS is pinning its hopes on Office 365. We recently looked at SBS to host our email, and the hardware requirements are ridiculous for shuffling a few emails and calendar entries.

By tirons1 on 6 Jul 2012

the best alternative

is probably FreeNAS: boot off a USB drive and run an iSCSI target - so you can attach the storage as a drive letter for a single computer, or just expose it as a 'network folder' using CIFS otherwise known as Windows networking protocol (and many other options available).

http://www.freenas.org/

the storage protection stuff is in there as it runs ZFS which was Solaris' high-end file system.

alternatively try http://www.openmediavault.org/ or http://www.openfiler.com/

By gbjbaanb on 6 Jul 2012