Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 – Coming Your Way!

This morning at the CES conference in Las Vegas, Microsoft will announce the forthcoming release of Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 (formerly known as Windows Home Server Update Release 1). This is a feature update pack that will be released as a free upgrade through Windows Update to all Windows Home Server users in the first half of 2008.

New Features

Power Pack 1 (PP1) brings a suite of new features to Windows Home Server, as well as correcting a number of minor issues encountered in the RTM release. We’ll be covering most of the new features in depth in separate posts this week, but as an overview, here’s what’s coming your way later in the year.

Windows Vista x64 Compatibility

Many of you have been looking for Windows Home Server to support your x64 home computers. As revealed earlier in the year in our Q&A with the Home Server team, PP1 will allow Windows Home Server to connect to and back up your x64 Windows Vista computers.

Home Server Backup

To maximize protection of your data in case of a server failure, or in case of fire or theft within your home, you can now backup your server’s shared folders and backups to an external USB hard disk.

Improved Power Management

When configuring home computer backups, you can now configure Windows Home Server to wake those computers from sleep or hibernation allowing you to maintain low power consumption whilst those computers are switched on.

Improved Remote Access Experience

Accessing your home server remotely is made easier through an new thumbnail view of your files, as well as a new drag and drop interface for uploading multiple files and the ability to download multiple files as a standard or self-executable zip file.

New Languages

With Windows Home Server PP1 we welcome our friends from China and Japan, as both languages will be supported.

Improved WHS Connector Version Alignment

The WHS Connector is now a little smarter in that it can check in with the home server to ensure it’s always running the most up to date version. If a newer Connector version exists, you will be prompted to update the home computers or home server.

They’ve Sorted Out the Boot Screen

Okay, this one’s not in the press release, but the 24,000 of you who bugged and posted about the fact that there was no Windows Home Server boot screen will now be delighted to know our favourite home server OS is now correctly branded at startup.

There’s a lot more detail behind the above, so check out our in-depth look at PP1 following this post.

Why “Power Pack”?

Interesting piece of Microsoft trivia – a “Service Pack” in MS-speak should only contain bug fixes and improvements to existing features (as with Windows Vista Service Pack 1). If you are putting in new features into a product, it shouldn’t be called a Service Pack.

Given there’s a host of new features going into this release, the WHS team were seeking a better name than “Windows Home Server UR1” and picked up the “Power Pack” naming from the Xbox team.

Is This “Windows Home Server V2?”

No – what we at WGS have been referring to as “WHS v2” will be the next major release of Windows Home Server. PP1 is considered to be a “minor” release – as revealed in our Q&A with the team last year, Windows Home Server is developed on a “Major | Minor | Major” release schedule. Thinking on v2 is only in its very early stages, so we’re a long way away from v2. PP1 should keep you going for a while though.

Will PP1 Fix the “Data Corruption” Bug?

PP1 and the data corruption bug communicated over Christmas are completely separate issues – the data corruption bug should be (let’s hope) fixed well before the release of PP1.

When’s the Beta?

There will be no public or extended beta of Windows Home Server PP1. The product has been tested internally at Microsoft with a very small beta release to Microsoft MVPs. This will continue to be the pattern until release later in the year. Yes, I do have it. No, I can’t give it to you.

So When Can I Get Hold of It?

Microsoft will be announcing today that PP1 will be released for free to all Windows Home Server users via Windows Update some time in the first half of the year. That maybe June 30th, it may be sooner.

So, with HP’s recent announcement of updates to the HP MediaSmart Server, Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 on the way and a raft of new home servers set to be released later in the year, 2008 is already shaping up to be another cracker for Windows Home Server.

Check out the WHS Team Blog for their announcement.

Find out more about Power Pack 1:

Power Pack 1: Coming Your Way

Power Pack 1 In Depth – Remote Access

Power Pack 1 In Depth – External Backup

Power Pack 1 In Depth – WHS Connector Walkthrough