whs vs windows server 2k3/2k8

A

annilation

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
242
I am goign to redo my file server as its gettign a slight upgrade.
The system will have:
p4d 820 w/ zalman cooler
3gb ram
Antec 900
Intel classic mobo
2x 640gb hd sata II 2x 500gb sata II 2x 250gb ata's

I am a technet subscriber so I have licenses for server 2003 & server 2008 so I was debating using that but am debating windows home server too. I like not paying an extra $100 that could co to something else. Not sure to do so need some help.

Could I use server 03 or 08 and use add-ins to get it close to whs? I will have my laptop w/ xp, desktop w/ vista ultimate, & a xbox 360 hooked up.
 
to my knowledge the automatic backup that is image based and the disk extender (the two main reasons for using WHS) are only avaiable on WHS and you would spend more in buying 3rd party apps to do the same or RAID cards that allowed Disk Expansion....

if you just want a simple files server with no RAID and such, XP pro or MCE would be good.


XP pro for simple file server..... MCE if you want your Xbox360 to connect via MCE, which would be cool.


JMO
 
I think the value of WHS for the backups and drive extender is well worth it. I think you'd be very pleased with WHS, it would run fine on your hardware.
 
annilation said:
I am a technet subscriber so I have licenses for server 2003 & server 2008 so I was debating using that but am debating windows home server too. I like not paying an extra $100 that could co to something else. Not sure to do so need some help.
Click to expand...


Annilaion, I am in exactly the same boat as you, except I am a MSDN subscriber and have access to Server but not WHS.

What I did was request the 120 Day WHS eval which in Canada gets shipped to you free.

I tell you what. The 120 days ran out, and I just could not let WHS go. I reinstalled it and when I tried to reactivate it, I had to call MS again because obviously you can only run this thing once ;)

Well, I told the dude that I liked it very much but could still not make up my mind, so he gave me another 120 days.

Based on the discription of the hardware you have, WHS is SO worth it. I would actually pay double its price. It is by far the best piece of software MS ever made IMHO.

Get it and you wont regret it.

Tell you what.

Buy it for $100 dollars. Try it. If at the end of 60 days you dont think it is worth it, email me the the Serial #, and mail me the disks. I will wire you the $100.

I am serious. And word of a gentleman.

EDIT Added fine print: This offer only valid for 24 from time of posting. Offer is not transferable, and $100 is in United States of America legal tender. Windows Home Server, must be OEM 10 client pack. Substitution not valid without writen prior agreement from Speedy VV PM. Upon receipt of $100 Annialation agrees to uninstalled all copies of said Windows Home Server. Annilation also agrees that in the 60 days of evaluation, the WHS was not registered. This offer can be deleted at any time unless a commitment to purchase communicated through a posting in this thread is posted within 24 hours of last edit. This offer is not valid in Alaska, Hawai, Quebec, or Texas. Failure to honour offer does not qualify Annialation to use firearms on SpeedyVV. This offer is invalid where prohibited by law. Any lawyers reading this disclaimers that think this offer is not valid in a court of law can go screw themselves. This offer is deemed void if an announcement by a Microsoft employee that WHS is available in MSDN subscription. If you are still reading this, SpeedyVV highly suggests that you get a life. SpeedyVV will now try the same
 
I have used all those os's listed for storage. I have stuck with WHS and just ordered the full copy (was using the trial)

Its just the easiest to use for me and the most hassle-free solution.

Zack
 
Great news WHS to be available on MSDN!!! I will create a thread for that unless there is one already.

jcolby, not a lawyer, just a joke. I was trying to see if I could come up with as many stupid statements like most products out there with crazy fine print. Mind you, now I am glad I did cause I no loger will need to buy it ;-)
 
They finally put it up there? Woot! I was just about to order the 120 day trial. I was trying to find it up there about a month ago, and was annoyed to read that it wasn't available.
 
After some thinking I am still undecided on the os. Besdies the drive extender and backup feature of whs what am I missing if I use windows server? I have anti-virus. I can use sync toy for my backups. On my desktops I can use norton ghost for image backups. So what am I losing?
 
annilation said:
After some thinking I am still undecided on the os. Besdies the drive extender and backup feature of whs what am I missing if I use windows server? I have anti-virus. I can use sync toy for my backups. On my desktops I can use norton ghost for image backups. So what am I losing?
Click to expand...

Probably not much...but drive extender is *huge* IMHO.
 
[LYL]Homer;1033466605 said:
Well, you're not losing much, but the way WHS puts it all together with an easy to use interface and no headaches is pretty much worth it for me.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. All-in-all, you can do what WHS does pretty easily, but the time and effort saved by using as opposed to manually setting it up yourself is well worth the price.
 
WHS just makes everything so simple that it makes it hard to recommend an alternative.....a year ago I would have probably recommended Server2k8 + Acronis + XMBC

Now with WHS none of that is needed.

Get 120 Day trial..... you'll see :D
 
[LYL]Homer;1033467843 said:
For $100 I'm inclined to say just skip the trial... ;)
Click to expand...

So, here's a quick question that I'd like a definitive answer on... Let's say you are using the 120 day trial, and at the end you decide to purchase...

Do you have to re-install, or is there some way to change product keys to the purchased one?

(I'm going to be in that situation, and want to know if I should start figuring out how I'm going to go about re-installing, and re-configuring everything that I've done already...)

Thanks.
-Kevin

Edit: Yuck. Just found out that it is, in fact, a "re-install" (but it retains the shares and backups)
 
One thing not mentioned it the web access, Pretty slick. Easy and nice.
Better have a Big upload pipe at home for Large files though or it will time out.
Nice thing is it auto zips multi files for you when it uploads.
 
there is a way to go from trial to full wo reinstalling its posted on we got served
 
Windows 2008 Server. Then again I'm biased as I work in IT. :) Seriously Windows Home Server is probably the better choice for most of the people that read these forums.
 
Dan_D said:
Windows 2008 Server. Then again I'm biased as I work in IT. :) Seriously Windows Home Server is probably the better choice for most of the people that read these forums.
Click to expand...

Thats why i keep swaying towards server since I have licenses and use server 2003 all day at work
 
FYI with WHS you retain most of the functionality from 2k3
 
BurntToast said:
It also sounds a bit risky.

I heard that you are able to swap the data drives from one WHS system to the next and both systems would read the data without reformatting the drives.

This true or not? If so, just reinstall and reinitialize the drives.... right?
Click to expand...

I have done multiple server reinstalls and have not experienced any issues.
About switching drives from one WHS to another....It sounds like it should work but I dont konw that.
 
so if I try the trial and load up my hard drives with stuff how hard will it be to go to the full version? Also if I decide to move to server 2k3 or 2k8 how will I move the data? Right now the 640gb's are full with data so how does that work with adding drives?
 
Is the drive you intend to use of the OS drive full? If you have an empty then what you do is install with only the empty drive plugged in. Once you have that in you need to empty another drive... Move the data to the other drives or anywhere else you might have temporary space. Add the newly empty drive to the pull and then move data from a full drive to the pool. Once the 3rd drive is empty add it to the pool and so on. It can be a pain in the ass but its the only way to add drives to the pool without losing data since the drives have to be formatted when added.
 
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