Your key to the riches of
Windows Home Server from a client computer’s point of view is a program
called Windows Home Server Connector, which does the following:
- Locates the Windows Home Server on the network.
- Registers your computer with Windows Home Server.
- Configures Windows Home Server to automatically back up your computer every night.
- Configures your computer to receive local and network health alerts.
- Installs the client version of the Restore Files or Folders Wizard, which enables you to restore backed-up files and folders.
- Adds a desktop shortcut for the Windows Home Server shared folders.
- Installs the Launchpad
application, which gives you quick access to manual backups, Remote Web
Access, the shared folders, and the Dashboard. It also installs a
notification area icon that tells you the current network status.
- Installs the client version of the Windows Home Server Dashboard.
Supported Operating Systems
The good news is that it’s the
Connector program that lets your client machine get in on the complete
Windows Home Server experience. The bad news is that the Connector
software only works on clients running newer versions of Windows, as
follows:
Windows 7 Home Basic Windows 7 Starter Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 7 Professional Windows 7 Enterprise Windows 7 Ultimate Windows Vista Home Basic with Service Pack 2 Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 2 Windows Vista Business with Service Pack 2 Windows Vista Enterprise with Service Pack 2 Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 2 Windows Vista Starter with Service Pack 2 Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with Service Pack 3 Windows XP Home with Service Pack 3 Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3
Note that for Windows 7
and Windows Vista, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are supported (the
exceptions being Windows 7 Starter and Windows Vista Starter, which only
come
in 32-bit versions). Microsoft has posted no other system requirements
for Windows Home Server Connector. In other words, if your system is
capable of running any of the preceding operating systems and can make a
wired or wireless connection to your network, you can install and run
Windows Home Server Connector.
Preparing to Install Windows Home Server Connector
Before installing Windows
Home Server Connector, you should make sure that your client is ready
for the installation and for joining the Windows Home Server network.
Here’s a checklist:
- Set up a wired or wireless connection to your network.
- Make sure the client’s computer name is unique on the network.
- Make sure the client’s workgroup name is the same as the workgroup name that Windows Home Server uses.
- Make sure you can see the Windows Home Server
on your network. (In Windows 7, click Windows Explorer on the taskbar,
and then click Network; in Windows Vista, select Start, Network; in
Windows XP, select Start, My Network Places, and then either click the
View Workgroup Computers link or select Entire Network, Microsoft
Windows Network, and then click your workgroup.)
- (Optional)
On the client, set up the user account you want to use with Windows
Home Server (if you don’t want to use an existing account).
- On Windows Home Server, set up a user account with the same username and password as the client user account.
Running the Windows Home Server Connector Setup Program
With your Windows 7, Windows
Vista, or Windows XP client PC ready, here are the steps to follow to
install the Windows Home Server Connector:
1. | Launch the web browser and navigate to http://server/connect, where server is the name (or the IP address) of your Windows Home Server machine. The Connect Your Computer to the Server page loads, as shown in Figure 1.
Note
If you’re using Internet Explorer, when you navigate to http://server/connect,
the Information bar might show up to tell you that “Intranet settings
are now turned off by default.” If so, click the Information bar, click
Enable Intranet Settings, and then click Yes when Internet Explorer asks
you to confirm.
| 2. | Click Download Software for Windows. What happens from here depends on your web browser:
- Internet Explorer—When the
browser asks if you want to run or save the file, click Run, and then
when you’re prompted to confirm, click Run. The Connect a Computer to
the Server dialog box appears.
- Firefox—When the browser asks if you want to save the file, click Save File, and then double-click the downloaded file.
- Safari—When the browser asks if you want to run or save the file, click Run, and then when you’re prompted to confirm, click Run.
- Chrome—When the browser asks you to confirm the download, click Save, and then click the downloaded file.
| 3. | If
you see the User Account Control dialog box, enter your User Account
Control credentials to authorize the installation. The Connect a
Computer to the Server Wizard loads, locates your Windows Home Server,
and then displays the initial dialog box.
| 4. | Click
Next. The wizard checks your system to ensure it meets the minimum
requirements for using the connector software. If your PC passes muster,
you see the This Computer Meets the Prerequisites dialog box.
| 5. | Click
Next. Windows Home Server installs the connector software. When the
install is complete, you’re prompted for the Windows Home Server
password, as shown in Figure 2.
| 6. | Type
the Windows Home Server password, and then click Next. The wizard
prompts you to review and, if needed, modify the computer’s description.
| 7. | Edit
the description, if you feel like it, and then click Next. The wizard
asks if you want to wake up the computer to back it up.
| 8. | Click
the Yes option to have Windows Home Server wake up your sleeping
computer. If you’d prefer to leave your computer in sleep mode, click
the No option instead.
| 9. | Click
Next. The wizard asks if you want to participate in the Windows
Customer Experience Improvement Program, which collects anonymous
information about how you use Windows Home Server.
| 10. | Click
Yes or click No, and then click Next. The wizard joins your computer to
the network and configures Windows Home Server to back up your computer
nightly.
| 11. | If
you don’t want to open the Dashboard right away, click to deactivate
the Open the Dashboard to Administer Your Server check box, and then
click Finish.
|
The
wizard adds a shortcut to the server shares on your desktop. Note that
this shortcut appears on the desktop for all users of the computer.
Also, the Launchpad icon appears in the notification area.
|
