So, today we had our second monthly update call with the Windows Home Server team. These basicially work as 1 hour conference calls in which the MVPs can raise things we’d like to discuss with the team, and the team can give us an update on what’s happening at their end. Whilst I’m not allowed to chat about 95% of the call, it’s always interesting to hear the news 
One thing to communicate to you all is that with the help of a few non-WHS MVPs, an issue has been identified with the Windows Home Server Evaluation Kit. (It’s not that the WHS MVPs are lazy, it’s just that we’re all running RTM!)
The issue is that the 120 Day Evaluation Version is expiring without warning the user it’s about to expire.
What should happen is that after 90 days of running the evaluation, you should receive warnings that the evaluation will expire in 30 days. These warnings are not occurring. When the evaluation expires, the server is set to shut down after 1 hour of use, and if your BIOS is set to automatically start the server, it will restart, run for an hour, then shut down again. It’s fully operational during that hour, but obviously backups etc will not run.
If the server is left for 185 days, your log-in will be blocked, although strangely, the server stops rebooting.
To check how long you have left on your evaluation, open up the WHS Console, to check the expiry date, but subtract 65 days! This date has been incorrectly set to 185 days post installation.
Microsoft are working on a fix for this issue, plus a KB article. There are two known workarounds:
1. Reinstall the Evaluation version to reset the expiry period.
2. Buy and install RTM
8. November 2007 at 11:12 am
Terry – thanks for this – I was one of the non WHS MVPs that had this happen. I have a major issue though with how it does it’s shutdown. It does NOT shutdown the server – it just turns it off – therefore risking MAJOR data corruption. I’m sorry but I don’t find it acceptable that just because an eval period has expired that MS can choose to potentially destroy my data by crashing my server.
24. November 2007 at 12:04 am
I just got my eval copy and will see if WHS is the thing I need here at home. If its so Im gonna buy it. But I cant seem to find info how to update the eval copy to a retail version. Does I reinstall WHS or can I somehow enter the new serial?
24. November 2007 at 9:05 am
Hi Daniel
There is no upgrade path from eval to RTM – you need to install a fresh copy of the RTM software.
Terry
24. November 2007 at 5:03 pm
Thanks for the quick reply, Terry. Ive got one more question for you. When I install the fresh copy. Will it save my settings and shared material? Or do I need to move everything again.
Best regards.
Daniel
24. November 2007 at 5:10 pm
Hi Daniel,
You could try a server re-install but it will delete your settings.
Terry
24. November 2007 at 8:46 pm
Hi again.
Ok, but will it keep my shared material? If not, I dont see the reason for testing the evaluation kit. There should be a easy way of switching to a retail version.
Daniel
26. November 2007 at 7:37 pm
Does the 120 Evaluation allow a Server Reinstallation option or is it New Installation only? I am currently on the RC version with a Feb 08 expiration. I have ordered the 120 Evaluation, but now I am hearing that a Server Reinstallation option is not given on the 120 Evaluation, only New Installation. So, how can I preserve my data on the RC and install the Evaluation? I have roughly 600 Gig of data, but not enough hard disk space on any client machine or external hard drives to back up the data. Currently WHS RC has four hard drives with 1.41 TB of drive space. (2 500 Gig, 1 300 Gig, and 1 250 Gig, with they system partition on one of the 500 Gig drives) Would it be possible to remove from the data pool, through the console, the largest hard drive, and then copy the data to it with it still physically in the WHS machine? Then disconnect it from the motherboard and install the 120 evaluation. After the installation, then connect the drive again, don’t select the option to add it to the data pool and copy the data back to WHS? Then when that completes, add the drive back to the data pool? Of course, if a Server Reinstallation option is offered by the 120 day eval, then that’s the way I will go, but if not, what choices do I have? I am expecting my 120 Day Evaluation to arrive in the next few days and just assumed it would be “feature complete” and allow the server reinstallation option.
29. November 2007 at 1:12 pm
I have had the 120 day evaluation of WHS installed for 1 week and have loved it so far. Today when I woke up and tried to access the WHS console I was unable to do so. When I pinged the server I did not get a response so I went downstairs and pushed the power button once, expecting windows to do it’s little shutdown thing. I was surprised when the machine turned off immediately, and upon powering it back on I started receiving a critical network health notice saying that I had 0 days before my evaluation expired. Frankly that message has me worried since I am no where near the 120 day limit. Also I am now unable to access the WHS console or the server via Remote Desktop from any of the client machines. Oddly enough I can use the console through the remote access website, so I am going to try reinstalling the connector and see if that solves my problem.
30. November 2007 at 5:36 pm
Update: My WHS is no longer expired, and all I did was reboot it. My Vista Business Desktop is still able to connect to the home server console without reinstalling the connector software, but my XP Home laptop and my wife’s XP Home desktop “cannot find my windows home server” even after reinstalling. I have not tried my wife’s Vista Home Premium laptop yet to see if she is able to connect to the console, but it would be interesting to see if it’s an XP related problem. Also, I have an XP Pro laptop at work that I could bring home and see if it’s a Pro/Business vs. Home/Home Premium problem instead. And of course I have messed around with turning the firewall (client and server) off and all that good stuff.
5. December 2007 at 7:31 am
Ahhhh, that’s a shame but worth knowing. My 120 evaluation copy came bundled with a new pc I bought last month. Thought I’d try it out and it is fantastic, very useful. But having to reinstall to upgrade to a retail version is a bit worrying. Has anyone done this yet? My evaluation doesn’t run out until end of March…
19. December 2007 at 2:51 am
does microsoft not have a single person at the entire company with a clue? destructive reinstall as the only way to get from eval to a bought copy? I’m having trouble censoring my language here. “Hi, customers, Fsck you!”
what’s the flipping point?
2. January 2008 at 9:18 pm
I’ve found if you remove a drive out of the server and place into a different PC the folders are available to read on the PC you put the drive in. I will be doing this when upgrading to the full version and copying back to the server from another PC to make sure I don’t loose anything
12. March 2008 at 12:19 pm
I installed my WHS Eval version a couple months ago. Today I just checked the settings and it says that my Eval Copy expires 12/7/2008. This seems to indicate that I have another 120 Days left woo hoo
All I did was install, activate my copy and let the updates install automatically.
23. March 2009 at 10:47 am
So, is there no way to convert the trial of WHS to a full version??
Seems strange, sure their must be a way to do it!!
26. March 2009 at 7:08 pm
And this still seems to be the case now in March 2009 after a couple of years …
What a useless, incredibly time-wasting and technically invalid way of evaluating a product.
There should at least be a WARNING on the evaluation download that this will be expected.