Conveniently centralize your files and access them from an internet-connected computer
500 GB hard drive, expands via 4 hard drive bays
Automatically backup and protect the digital memories on your home PCs running Windows XP and later operating systems
Stream photos, music and videos to PCs on your network or to your TV or stereo system
Powered by Microsoft Windows Home Server software and 1.8 GHz, 64-bit AMD Sempron processor
Rating: - A Windows backup server that can't even backup Windows.
Make sure that you realize that you will NOT be able to backup those new 64-bit Windows Vista installations that HP and others have been hocking that finally take advantage of the 64-bit CPUs that have been on the market now for years. If you have 64-bit Vista just wait a while. By the time Microsoft gets around to delivering this capability, more vendors will be selling boxes with 4 drive bays and Windows Home Server pre-installed - at significantly lower cost.
Rating: - GREAT PRODUCT!!!
Super easy set-up. I've added a WD 500G so I have 1T of storage. They made it extremely easy to add HD's. I've had this running for about a month and it just works flawlessly. It actually does everything as advertised and with little or no set-up hassles. The remote access amazed me and it does auto backup on 4 CPU's every night. The picture sharing has been a big hit with distant family members. It really is a good choice for file sharing, multiple backups and photo share. I haven't tried the itunes backup and sharing so I have no comment on that.
Rating: - UPDATED: Wonderful Idea... Destroyed by Microsoft
UPDATE: Microsoft's 'Power Pack' has been released (about 9 months late if you ask me). My issues with the device have been resolved and I would give it 4 stars today, if I never had to deal with corruption in the first place... but I can't change my vote now. END
First, this box from HP is great, it's amazingly small, attractive and easy to use (and it comes with all the drive trays, start doing that with your real servers HP, instead of gouging us with overpriced, relabeled drives or forcing us to gray market trays.)
As is so often the case, Microsoft has made some great innovations with WHS, promised quite a bit and it really has potential. Unfortunately, it's all for naught thanks to Microsoft and their unwillingness to correct mistakes or take unsafe products off the market.
For 6 months now, WHS has been made useless (in my opinion) by a data corruption bug that basically destroys data when edited if the WHS has more then one drive.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946676
Microsoft and HP should be utterly ashamed for continuing to sell this product. It is unsafe and could actively destroy you otherwise safe data.
DON'T USE THIS PRODUCT WITH MULTIPLE DRIVES.
MAKE NETWORK SHARES READ ONLY.
DON'T EDIT FILES ON THE WHS, BACKUP ONLY.
Don't take my word, here's HP on the matter:
"HP recommends that you not open/edit files directly from the server until this fix is delivered."
Rating: - A Great Product Once You Get Passed All the FUD
Last year my wife's computer died. Of course she hadn't backed up her computer in months (or was it years) even though she had a USB Drive with a semi-automated (One Touch) backup system. Backing up her computer should have been trivial, but it required a manual step, which she never remembered to do. She lost irreplaceable data and pictures.
This isn't the first time we've lived through this scenario. In her frustration, she asked me to solve this problem once and for all. I knew that there were expensive commercial systems to automate backups (we use them at work). After looking around for a while, I considered piecing together a system and buying commercial software. Then I ran across the Windows Home Server from HP. The system was less expensive than what I was considering building and it was turn-key. It seemed like a slam-dunk.
I bought the HP WHS system in December. It was trivial to hook up. I had the computers in our house automatically backing up in just an hour or so. It also gives me a status of the server and of the computers that have been configured for backup. If it detects something amiss, it lets me know about it. That's a big win.
There are several other cool features that I consider a bonus:
1. PC software for backup and recovery is on the server file system. I can easily install it as I need it without hunting for CD's.
2. I can access the server remotely (via the internet) to access files and to remotely log into my home systems. This is very nice feature.
3. The HP system comes with extra drive bays. If I need more storage I just buy a drive and slam it in, the server takes care of the rest.
4. The unit is tiny and quiet. This makes it much easier to find a place to put it.
Not long after I got the server I heard about the infamous KB946676 "Data Corruption" bug. At first I was very concerned - after all I was putting my trust in its ability to safely backup my computers. But after looking into it further, it turns out I have a 0% chance of running into this problem (which is true for most people). To see for yourself read the following article [...]. In my case, I normally use the system for backups so this problem is not going to affect my typical usage.
I believe that you can safely ignore much of the negative comments based on KB946676. The negative bias based on KB946676 is mostly a knee-jerk reaction. Having said that, you should probably avoid editing files on the server while it is heavily loaded (which is something I never do). It is my understanding that this is the only time this bug can occur.
The bottom line is that I would heartily recommend this system to any family with multiple computers.
HP EX470 MediaSmart Home Server (AMD Live, Windows Home Server, 500 GB Hard Drive) Reviews
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