Windows Home Server Partner Frequently Asked Questions

Windows Home Server is a new product that helps families with multiple computers centralize and connect the computers, to provide a familiar, easy and reliable way to store, share, and automatically protect important digital content. With Windows Home Server, people can keep and organize their documents, images, music, and movies in one location that is automatically backed up to help ensure that digital content is saved.

Windows Home Server simplifies the way you protect, connect, organize, and grow your family's digital content and media, including documents, photos, videos, and music.

Up to 10 PCs in the home can use the Windows Home Server Connector software, which backs up content automatically and allows access to shared folders.

Windows Server 2003 R2 provided the foundation for Windows Home Server. A consumer-friendly user interface, along with innovative technologies such as multi-PC backup, Drive Extender, and much more were developed specifically to create Windows Home Server.

Windows Home Server is available in English, French, German, and Spanish.

Windows Home Server and Windows Media Center Edition complement each other. Media Center was designed to run a personal computer for media acquisition and management (e.g. TV, music, photos, etc.) in addition to personal productivity. Windows Home Server was designed to make managing a home network, with Windows Media Center PCs and other PCs, easy and automatic by acting as a centralized location for file organization, and providing automated backup for all of the PCs in house.

More than 14 million households in the U.S. have a broadband connection and use more than two personal computers; globally, that number is more than 40 million. Today's families create and accumulate astonishing amounts of digital information. Over 182 billion digital photos were taken in 2005, for example, and one in three homes in the U.S. has a digital media player. Consumer devices with large hard drives, such as video cameras and digital music players, are becoming prevalent as well. As digital experiences and media become more and more central to day-to-day life, tremendous demand grows for a simple, reliable solution to help manage, share, and protect that content. With Windows Home Server, Microsoft is addressing that previously unmet need in the consumer marketplace.

The value proposition and the target market for Windows Home Server is families with multiple PCs and broadband Internet access*. Windows Home Server is designed to meet the needs of consumers and supports up to 10 users. Home-based businesses may also find Windows Home Server attractive - many home-based businesses buy technology to share across both personal and professional needs. Windows Small Business Server is intended for small businesses of up to 75 users and includes Microsoft Exchange Server.

A number of original device manufacturers including AMD, Gigabyte, Intel, Inventec and Quanta have created reference design hardware providing a broad selection of form factors and configurations.

Windows Home Server released to manufacturing at the end of July, 2007.

Windows Home Server is available to OEMs via Embedded Distributors and via the System Builder channel. The Embedded license requires OEMs' Windows Home Server configurations to adhere to specific system requirements. Windows Home Server was listed on distributor price lists as of August 1, 2007.

To qualify for the Windows Home Server logo program OEMs need to conform to a set of requirements that include providing a "headless" device with no keyboard, mouse or video connectors, and no CD or DVD drives. We require four USB ports for external storage additions, and network health status indicator lights. We also require low sound emission. Our intention is to ensure OEMs provide customers with a simple, elegant hardware solution that matches the Windows Home Server feature set.

There is a logo program for OEMs developing Windows Home Server hardware. At this time there is no formal certification program for applications that work with Windows Home Server.

The Windows Home Server software development kit (SKD) provides information about developing your application and installation requirements. To become a Windows Home Server partner, send an e-mail to WHSISV@microsoft.com requesting further information.

Find solutions to some technical support issues at Windows Home Server Connect and in the forums. Additionally, technical support is available as part of a Premiere Support subscription. Visit Premiere Support for more information or send an e-mail to one of the following:

• For OEMs: oemfs@microsoft.com

• For ISVs: Pisvsale@microsoft.com

You can order evaluation copies of Windows Home Server.

Microsoft has released software developer kit (SDK) documentation for Windows Home Server. The SDK documentation is available at no charge on the Microsoft Developer Network.

We allow for the following areas of extensibility via our SDK: adding console tabs, settings pages, and both public and authenticated web sites. Please review the SDK for full details.

Applications can be installed via our Add-In functionality. Add-ins must be able to be installed “silently” with no additional input from the user via a MSI file using WIX. Further information on creating add-in installers can be found in our SDK.

Version 2.0 of the .Net Framework is installed by default. There are no known issues with installing version 3.0 of the .Net Framework on Windows Home Server.

We have used Windows Media Connect version 2.0 to enable media streaming.

To get your commercial application for Windows Home Server listed on Windows Marketplace you will first need an account with Digital River. Send an e-mail to WHSISV@microsoft.com for additional details.

The Microsoft forum for Windows Home Server is a central place for discussion about the product. Many developers post information and links to their software add-in.

Microsoft has created an open web forum that provides a central place for feedback and discussion. The Windows Home Server team and other participants will answer questions and provide insights on the forum.

Additional Resources

• Windows Home Server blog

• Windows Home Server Product Site

• Windows Home Server Community Forum

To contact the Windows Home Server team, send an e-mail to WHSISV@microsoft.com.