Todd's World: Windows Home Server - Announcing Power Pack 2

Monday, March 23, 2009

Windows Home Server - Announcing Power Pack 2

Windows Home Server - Announcing Power Pack 2

We are pleased to announce Windows Home Server Power Pack 2. Power Pack 2 fixes known issues and adds new features to improve the Windows Home Server experience. Enhancements include: Improvements to remote access configuration, enhanced functionality for computers running Windows Media Center, and content streaming support for Windows Media Center Extenders. Power Pack 2 adds Italian language support on new home servers.

Power Pack 2 will be made available via Windows Update. Users need to have Windows Home Server with Power Pack 1 already installed on their home server. Power Pack 2 will automatically install as part of Windows Update if Automatic Updates is enabled on the home server. (How to turn on automatic updates.) The English version release date is March 24^th. Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish is currently scheduled to be available before the end of April.

Overview of enhancements:

Remote Access

· The Remote Access Settings page is redesigned to make it easier to use.

· A Web-hosted diagnostic service is used to more accurately test if remote connectivity is available from outside the home network.

· New and improved initial configuration and repair wizards, as well as better troubleshooting guidance for common home networking issues that can prevent Remote Access from working properly.

Windows Home Server Console - Remote access settings

Windows Home Server Console – Configuring remote access

Windows Home Server Console – Troubleshooting guidance

Media Sharing & Windows Media Center

When the Windows Home Server Connector software is installed or updated on a Windows Media Center computer, the next time a user starts Windows Media Center they will be prompted to install the Windows Media Center Connector.

· Windows Media Center computers will automatically have access to content stored in shared folders on the home server. Music, Photos, Videos, and Recorded TV folders are enabled by default.

· Windows Media Center Extenders can access and stream multimedia content stored on the home server. Access permission can be granted on an individual folder basis.

· Windows Home Server now supports streaming MP4 files, a popular format for high quality multimedia, to Xbox 360 and other devices that support the MP4 format. Metadata such as title, artist, composer, album, and genre now appears in the music or video library.

Windows Media Center – Windows Media Center Connector installation reminder

Windows Media Center Connector – Installation wizard

Windows Media Center Connector – Installation wizard

Windows Home Server Console – Configuring Windows Media Center Extender access

Windows Media Center – Videos folder on Windows Home Server

For additional information, please read the Power Pack 2 Release Documentation.

It is very rewarding for our team to deliver another update for Windows Home Server. We continue to hear fantastic feedback from our customers about how Windows Home Server is helping them protect and organize their digital media, access it away from home, and share it with friends and family. Thank you to our beta testers and partners for helping us ship Power Pack 2, and to the Windows Home Server community as a whole, for its ongoing support and enthusiasm.

The Windows Home Server Team

Posted: Monday, March 23, 2009 6:00 PM by Qblogger