Windows Home Server Users Guide (Expert's Voice)

by Andrew Edney

Book Overview

If you're searching for a practical and comprehensive guide to installing, configuring, and troubleshooting Microsofts Windows Home Server, look no further. Inside Windows Home Server User's Guide ,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590598989
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Apress
• Length: 358 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

Beyond WHS

A user guide with a lot of details regarding all WHS features and ehancements. Easy to understand, helpfull to discover all WHS options.

A good resource

After buying this book I was glad that I didn't buy it new. It is a good resource to have when you are building your WHS. A lot of the subject matter seems to be the same as that in the HELP menu. If you are not that familiar with networks and home networking then this is a good resource. Buying this book used was a better investment over buying it new.

There are Currently 6 Windows Home Server Books - So is this one any Good?

Well as I have said there are currently 6 Windows Home Server (WHS) books on the market and i'v read them all (yikes). So is the User's Guide from author Andrew Edney any good? Yes, Yes and Yes. What Andrew has managed to do is write a complete guide of getting the most out of your Windows Home Server. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro there is something for you within the books 300+ pages. Starting with what WHS is (just in case you didn't know), Andrew then takes us in detail, through the features of the product including how to install and most importantly the steps you should follow once installation has finished. Andrew also includes a network primer and details on how to build your own Windows home Server as well. Thoroughly recommended and defiantly one of the best WHS books currently on the market.

The perfect Windows Home Server Reference Guide

For the life of me, I don't understand the harsh review this book got. The main critique seems to be that the book isn't meaty enough. Having used it to get me through my first WHS install and two subsequent ones, I find that charge a bit, well, unfair. The book essentially goes through each Tab in the Windows Home Server console - that much I agree with in the other review. But I found that every single feature I was interested in was covered in more than enough detail to get me through it but never got longwinded or boring. It's precisely the concise nature of the book that makes it so useful. It's light and small, you can easily store it near the computer and you can *find whatever you want quickly* in it. The truth is, WHS is pretty straightforward and there's not a whole lot to it. What you see on the tabs if pretty much what's there other than Add-ins and the System Settings. The only really tricky task that I found was getting Remote Access to work and this book got me through it with flying colors. In fact, the same goes for every other task. Instaed of installing it and trying to figure it out later, I used this book as I went along and had no problems. The *only* thing I found tricky other than configuring remote access (and it's not the WHS side that's the problem, it's the router) was syncing user accounts on WHS with other accounts to machines I hooked up with Connector. Although I would have been pleasantly surprised to find a little more on the WHS SDK, every single important topic is covered and covered well. The author does a phenomenal job of getting to the point, telling you what you need to know and not confusing it with stuff you won't care about. Overall, it's an excellent book and the perfect WHS companion.

The Book That Should Come With Windows Home Server

Chances are, if you are reading about this book you have heard about Windows Home Server from Microsoft. Perhaps you are a computer enthusiast who wants to "roll their own" solution using the OEM version of the software (Microsoft Windows Home Server OEM); or maybe you are looking into a pre-packaged hardware solution like the offers from HP (HP EX470 MediaSmart Home Server (AMD Live/ 64 Bit Sempron Processor, 500 GB Hard Drive)); or maybe you just want to read more about what Windows Home Server (WHS) is and see if it meets your needs. Whatever level you are at, "Windows Home Server User's Guide" will help you learn more about WHS, guide you through what it can do and hopefully help you with your decision on what to buy, or help you decide if WHS is for you. There are a number of books that are coming onto the market about WHS. Many of them are large techical books that can drown the non-geek user with information that goes into too much detail about what goes on behind-the-scenes. Many of the books assume you are using the OEM software and building your own system. Instead of helping the user learn more about WHS, they confuse them with meaningless jargon and technical details -- precisely what Windows Home Server was meant not to do. Luckily, in this book the author has done a good job of keeping the book on a level that can be understood by all. He doesn't assume that you are using one solution or the other, but rather walks you through what WHS is and how it can help you regardless of the solution you end up using. Each chapter walks you through features of WHS and how it can help connect your digital home and family, and shows you how to get the most out of it. Throughout the chapters the author has put in side notes that give you alternative ways of doing tasks, suggesting where to go for more information or warning you about potential risks. The chapters themselves are concise and full of illustrations and actual screen shots to help you understand what steps need to be taken. In short, this is the manual Microsoft should have included with the software! I particularly enjoyed how the author covered more "geek" features of the product by talking briefly about them (such as the API -- or Application Programming Interface) but then instead of devoting pages on pages of text to something that both changes frequently and is too much information for the average WHS user simply points you to resources where you can find out more about it if the subject interests you. In this way the author stays true to the audience without trying to make this a "catch all" type book. In short, if you are getting ready to purchase Windows Home Server or are deciding on if this is a solution for you, I would highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book and read it. It will help you make a more informed buying decision and double as a great getting started guide to getting Windows Home Server setup and running in your house.