Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta

Microsoft released the first beta of the WHS Power Pack 3 last Thursday. The beta is pretty much wide open and available to everyone that signs up. I had no problem getting to the download page. You will need a Windows Live account and navigate to this page. Read the paragraphs for the join link and then continue to the download link on the left of the page.

The third power pack will bring several updates to integrate Windows 7 with WHS. Now the Home Server folders will be integrated into Windows 7 library. Enabling backup through Home Server will suppress the warning found in Windows 7. You can archive recorded TV shows straight to your Home Server in several different formats, including ones specifically for small devices. There are several other enhancements and bug fixes as well. If you have installed Windows 7 (I don’t know why you would not have) and you have a Home Server then definitely jump on the power pack 3 beta.

The install goes pretty quickly but does require one restart. There are three items to install. Windows Search 4, a hotfix for Search 4 and the PP3 beta.

Document info after the break.

Windows 7 Compatibility Enhancements

• Windows 7 Libraries integration: When you install the Windows Home Server Connector and log on a Windows 7 computer, you can access the Windows Home Server shares from Windows 7 libraries.
• Windows 7 Action Center backup warning suppression: After you install the Windows Home Server Connector and enable the home server backup on your Windows 7 computer, you will not receive the warning from the Action Center which reminds that Windows Backup has not been set up.
• Windows 7 power settings: You can configure your Windows 7 client computer to wake up at scheduled backup time and be put back to sleep after backup finishes.
• Windows Search: Windows Search 4 has been included to improve query search times, indexing times and reliability. Extended remote discovery increases the efficiency of searching across all your libraries running Windows Search 4. Files encrypted with Encrypting File System (EFS) are now supported.

Home Computer Backup & Restore Enhancements

• File and computer restoration: Helps prevent the issue experienced when restoring files and folders from a Home Computer Backup that stops at 81 or 97 percent complete.
• Reliability: Improved handling of temporary files helps to ensure necessary system files are backed up more reliably. Improvements to the backup repair process.
• Home Server Console Enhancements
• Support for low resolution displays: This update enables the Windows Home Server Console to support low-resolution displays. The lowest resolution that is supported after you apply this update is 1024 x 600.
• This update enables Windows 7 to be properly displayed as the operating system shown in the Computers & Backup tab.

Windows Media Center Enhancements

• TV Archive: Enables automatic archiving of recorded TV by moving your recordings from a Windows Media Center computer to your home server in the format of your choice. This enables playback in the correct format for your home computers and/or portable devices.
• Console View: Allows you to see information about your home server’s storage space, drives, backup status, etc. from Windows Media Center.