Microsoft Windows Home Server Unleashed (Paperback)

by Paul McFedries (Author)
Key Phrases: user configuration, troubleshooting network problems, linux client, Windows Home Server, Select Start, Control Panel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

“Computer data can be immeasurably valuable, yet most people leave it totally vulnerable to damage or loss. Windows Home Server is the data equivalent to a home safe. We recommend Paul McFedries’s Microsoft®Windows®Home Server Unleashed as the best first step in getting a strong hold on securing and maintaining personal data at home.”

–Professor Michael L. Kleper

Editor, The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing

 

Windows Home Server is a brand new server operating system from Microsoft designed to be used in home settings. Windows Home Server is designed to reduce or eliminate the complexity of a typical network server and instead present home users with a simple, straightforward interface that focuses on four core areas: storage, sharing, backup, and remote access.

 

Microsoft® Windows® Home Server Unleashed is the first book on the market that takes a deep look at what makes this new server operating system tick. Inside you’ll learn how the Windows Home Server storage system combines multiple hard disks (both internal and external) into a single storage space that expands and contracts automatically as you add and remove hard disks, making it easy for home users to share folders, files, and digital media of all kinds. We show you how to access your files from any PC in the network and provide secure access to the network via the Internet for your users. We also show you how to automate the backup of every computer on your network, including performing complete system image backups of each computer and restoring previous versions of individual files.

 

Detailed information on how to…

• Access your files from any computer in the house or while you’re on the road
• Set up security--both local (user accounts) and remote (Internet access)
• Take advantage of the power of the Windows Server 2003 code underlying Windows Home Server
• Make working with Windows Home Server faster and easier
• Use real-world examples and network configurations that will help you get the most out of your Home Server set up
• Use Windows Home Server power tools to put you in complete control over your server and the network

 

Introduction 1

Part I—Unleashing Windows Home Server Setup

Chapter 1—Understanding Windows Home Server 7

Chapter 2—Installing Windows Home Server 23

Chapter 3—Setting Up Your Windows Home Server Network 41

Part II—Unleashing Windows Home Server Configuration

Chapter 4—Setting Up and Working with User Accounts 73

Chapter 5—Adding Devices to the Windows Home Server Network 101

Chapter 6—Configuring Windows Home Server 137

Chapter 7—Setting Up and Using Home Server Storage 169

Part III—Unleashing Windows Home Server Networking

Chapter 8—Sharing Folders and Files on the Home Server 187

Chapter 9—Making Connections to Network Computers 223

Chapter 10—Streaming and Sharing Digital Media 259

Chapter 11—Backing Up and Restoring Network Computers 287

Chapter 12—Monitoring Your Network 317

Chapter 13—Implementing Windows Home Server Security 3358

Chapter 14—Setting Up a Windows Home Server Website 373

Chapter 15—Running a SharePoint Site on Windows Home Server 407

Part IV—Unleashing Windows Home Server Performance and Maintenance

Chapter 16—Tuning Windows Home Server Performance 449

Chapter 17—Maintaining Windows Home Server 485

Chapter 18—Customizing the Windows Home Server Interface 513

Chapter 19—Troubleshooting Windows Home Server 543

Part V—Unleashing Windows Home Server Advanced Tools

Chapter 20—Working with the Windows Home Server Registry 577

Chapter 21—Using Windows Home Server's Command-Line Tools 603

Chapter 22—Using Other Windows Home Server Power Tools 661

Chapter 23—Scripting Windows Home Server 715

Part VI--Appendixes

Appendix A—Understanding TCP/IP 757

Appendix B—Setting Up a Home Network 779

Appendix C—Glossary 807

Appendix D—Windows Home Server Keyboard Shortcuts 823

Appendix E—Windows Home Server Online Resources 831

 

About the Author

Paul McFedries is a Windows expert and full-time technical writer. Paul has been authoring computer books since 1991 and has more than 50 books to his credit, which combined have sold over three million copies worldwide. His recent titles include the Sams Publishing book Windows Vista Unleashed and the Que Publishing books Formulas and Functions with Microsoft Excel 2007, Tricks of the Microsoft Office 2007 Gurus, and Microsoft Access 2007 Forms, Reports, and Queries. Paul is also the proprietor of Word Spy (www.wordspy.com), a website devoted to lexpionage, the sleuthing of new words and phrases that have entered the English language.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 912 pages
• Publisher: Sams; 1 edition (September 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672329638
• ISBN-13: 978-0672329630
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,055 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The Unleashed Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Windows Home Server Reference and Home Networking Book - All In One!, October 18, 2007

By	Robert L. Stinnett (Boonville, MO) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

How often do you purchase a book on a topic and end up not only learning a wealth of information about that topic, but also getting a treasure trove of information on a related topic? In "Windows Home Server Unleashed" the author has created not only a terrific reference manual for the newly released Windows Home Server product, but also includes an excellent primer and how-to on home networking that is among the best I have seen!

Let's start out talking about who this book is for -- geeks. It's chocked full of helpful information, tweaks and "behind the scenes" information about Windows Home Server. The author not only tells you about what it can do out of the box -- but how you can extend it to bring out its full potential, such as creating shared calendars or your own internal (and external if you wish) family website to display vacation photos, journals, etc. You'll even learn how to use SharePoint technologies to extend WHS in a way that makes it seem as if you've been doing it for years!

The book is also good for those amongst us who are comfortable with computers, but want to take that next step. Who see the value in setting up a home network and using Windows Home Server, but want to do more than just share files and automate backups. It's for the Geeks-in-Training, and you couldn't ask for a better training manual.

The book itself is filled with 800 pages of information about Windows Home Server and home networking. You'll find out everything you need to know to get WHS up and running in your house -- regardless of whether you bought the software and installed it yourself or an "out of the box" appliance with WHS already installed. And don't worry if you are still running Windows XP, 2000 -- or even Millenium Edition in some cases! For many of the examples on how to use WHS features the author covers a variety of operating systems -- including Linux and Mac!

I am a tech guy, and therefore am an early adopter of Windows Home Server and this was the first book to hit the bookshelves on this amazing new software from Microsoft. I was just expecting to get a book that walked me through WHS and its basic features, but what I got was a reference I could use to really tear into it. It's not a book you read cover to cover, but rather one you refer back to each time you are ready to try out something new and push the envelope.

If you are thinking about getting Windows Home Server, do yourself a favor and add this book to your bookshelf. You will soon find that you are extending Windows Home Server to do new things and bringing your home network to life by adding useful features that brings the entire family into the digital age.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference Resource, November 24, 2007

By	Ryan Wu - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An excellent reference and resource book for Windows Home Server(WHS). It is not intended to be read cover to cover but piecemeal as problems or needs arise.

Pros:
- covers all of the essential, including system requirements, installation, setting up, maintaining and troubleshooting WHS
- has additional tips on optimizing WHS
- uncovers many undocumented features to really bring out the power of WHS
- provides nonWHS related information on TCP/IP, the Windows Server 2003 underlying operating system, and running your own website

Cons:
- can be difficult for nontechies to read since it assumes a certain level of knowledge of using Windows and also uses certain technical terms without explanation. Even ones that are explained, like a stack or layer, use an explanation that is technical in nature
- sometimes the instructions are redundant in that the book will repeat verbatim a 12 step process that was just covered a page before but with only 1 change in the steps

Bottom line: A great reference book for intermediate users.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need to know about WHS - and more., December 13, 2008

By	Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

It's a pleasure to find a technical book as well done as "Microsoft Windows Home Server Unleashed" by Paul McFedries. Like all such series, there have been a number of weak titles, but this one shines on top of the hill.

McFedries' writing style is fluid, polished and lucid. He never gets lost in his own detail, even though many of the subjects covered in this book lend themselves to meandering. McFedries stays unerringly on topic - and that is a quality to be praised and appreciated.

Particularly so here, for Windows Home Server (WHS) is a somewhat simplified version of Windows Server 2003, a very potent and complex server platform. Even though WHS weasrs a very pretty face for home users, its internal plumbing is still very complicated.

Effortlessly, McFedries walks the reader through the less complex WHS interface and use - and then explores the deeper roots. He really accomplishes this very well.

There are about 750 pages of text on WHS and related subjects and around 80 pages of appendices.

In 23 chapters, McFedries tells you everything you need to know about installing, administering and using WHS. The level of detail is very impressive. The author covers related subjects that may not interest everyone and may be well beyond the competence of many, such as running a SharePoint Site on WHS, working with the WHS Registry and scripting WHS. That's not a complaint: it's as compliment. Everything you really might need to know about WHS is to be found between the covers.

McFedries has turned out a remarkably lucid technical book on an inherently complex subject. If you're considering installing or have installed WHS, you should really consider this book. It's the only book I've bought about WHS and the only one I can see needing. Excellent.

Jerry