windows home server

I suppose you could if you wanted to. It is essentially a stripped down Windows Server 2003 OS with a few added home use features. It all depends on what you use your "standard desktop OS" for.

I just installed a 30 day trial of WHS, and it is pretty incredible. I think I'm going to buy it after my next round of paychecks. The automatic setup of a dynamic dns through windows live is pretty cool. Everything is dialog based so you can't really mess it up. Adding hard drives and removing them is super easy, and it offers software raid functionality that works quite well from what I hear. I tried the Windows Home Server Connect for backing up my other PC's, and it literally takes 5 minutes to get up and running. It backs up all the data from the computers on your network and allows you to restore it incase of a failure.

I suggest you give it a try before you buy it. You'll probably be impressed.
 
@ w1retap

I asked on another thread, but got no answer: is WHS still just for 32-bit OS's yet, or has 64-bit functionality been added?

If not, can WHS even see a 64-bit OS? Or... Can WHS do anything with a 64-bit OS?
 
It is just the Windows Connect thing that isn't supported right now. Its the program that you install on the client machine that allows for the automatic backups to happen. At CES in January they are announcing support for Vista x64 and the Windows Connect. I don't believe they are supporting Windows XP x64 though.. just Vista x64. But right now I can see the Windows Home Server and manage it from a x64 machine. I just can't use the Windows Connect backup/manage utility.
 
Kool. I have Vista 64, and I have been kind of looking at WHS vs a Linux solution.

I know 0 about Linux, which wouldn't be that bad, except I really don't want to learn a new OS and than figure out how to configure it as a file/backup server.

WHS has a cost associated with it, but that HP mediacenter solution really makes for a very cost effective solutiuon, as a package deal. I was just somewhat disappointed about the lack of the 64-bit support.

@OP. Sorry for hijacking your thread. I'm done now!;)
 
It installs the OS on a 20 gig partition. Any data stored on any drive other than the OS partition should only be accessed by using a UNC path through a share.

I wouldn't use it for a desktop OS.
 
I have a WHS box and love it, bought the software as OEM (the only way you can buy it) at Fry's B&M a few weeks ago.

If you want to read up on it more check the official forums for it: http://forums.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer/default.aspx?SiteID=50

edit: As nessus mentions it installs on a 20gb partition of your main drive. It's worth at least a little reading before you buy/install to find out a few things, such as -

1. The 20gb OS partition
2. MS suggests using your largest drive for the main drive, with 20gb for OS and the rest as a transfer cache of incoming files to be spread out over the other drives in your pool of storage drives.
3. WHS doesn't like RAID arrays like RAID 5. MS suggests just connecting drives directly or to your card in a non-RAID configuration. WHS has a built-in psuedo RAID 5 ability if you turn on file duplication.

I'm still learning it, but as a 2003 Server based product it's fairly simple to use out of the box.
 
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