Windows Home Server

By Marc Saltzman

If your household is like mine, chances are you’ve accumulated hundreds — if not thousands — of digital files, including family photos, downloaded music, camcorder footage and personal documents, and you’ve stored it all on multiple computers throughout your house.

So how do you organize, back up and protect all this valuable — and most likely irreplaceable — data?

I’ve been using Windows Home Server, an innovative new product that brings together all the files from multiple computers, creates backups and allows me to access data on any of my Windows PCs.

Easy set up

• Plug Windows Home Server’s power cord into an electrical socket.
• Plug one end of an Ethernet cord, which looks like a fat telephone cable, into the Home Server and the other end into your high-speed router.
• Install the bundled disc onto each PC and follow the step-by-step instructions before giving your Home Server a name (we call ours "Family").

Breezy backups

Windows Home Server is a breeze to use, even if you’re not technologically savvy. Every night, or at a predetermined time of your choice, Windows Home Server backs up all the files you deem important. It’s completely automated so you don’t have to remember to do anything. I’ve got my Home Server set to back up daily at 3 a.m.

Remote access

At the office but forgot an important computer file at home? No worries, simply log into your password-protected Home Server account via the Internet and grab the files you need.

Other cool features

• Windows Home Server lets you drag and drop files from any computer on the network onto the shared server at any time.
• Shared files are easily searchable by typing in a keyword.
• Windows Home Server can centrally report the health status of all home computers and advise, for example, if a security update is necessary.
• My personal favourite: If something happens to one of your PCs (for example, it gets infected by a nasty virus or you have a hard disk crash), a click of a button is all you need to restore files and folders to a time when everything was working fine.
• After a vacation, you can share photos of family and friends by giving other users temporary access to your home server rather than by e-mailing the images.
• Own an Xbox 360? Use Windows Home Server to stream photos, music and videos to your television.

Intrigued? Wait until you try it first-hand.