Windows Live Essentials on Windows Home Server

First of all this is NOT supported by Microsoft and may be against the EULA of Windows Home Server. This guide will show you how to install Windows Live Essentials onto your Windows Home Server, by using the MSI files.

1. Go ahead if you have not done it and install the Windows Live Essentials installer and install the programs of the suite you want. The install will have to be on a XP or Vista system, since the installer knows that it should not install to a Server. The installer can be found at http://download.live.com either the web or the all(offline) installer will do.
2. Open up an explorer window and click on:- “Tools” > “Folder Options” > “View” tab then in the Advanced settings uncheck the box “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” click “Apply” then “OK”.
3. In the explorer window type or navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache , it should be faded out (if you did not do step 2 it would not show up). C drive is usually where Windows is installed, if this is not the case for your system change the drive letter to the correct one.
4. On your desktop create a folder and name it “WL4WHS” so you know which folder to place all the MSI files to.
5. In the explorer window that you done in step 3, start going though them and find the following files :-
   

   Name of file	Program Name
   Messenger.msi	Windows Live Messenger
   Mail.msi	Windows Live Mail
   PhotoLibrary.msi	Windows Live Photo Gallery
   Contacts.msi	Contacts within Windows Live Mail (but still required)
   dw20shared.msi	DW 2.0 Client
   crt.msi	Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime
   SQLServerCE31-EN.msi	SQL Server

6. Copy the folder that you were copying all the files to and put it on the Shares of your Windows Home Server.
7. Using either Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) or Advanced Admin Console (AAC) addin to get to the desktop.
8. On the Windows Home Server via RDC/AAC go to the shares folder that you placed the folder that is now filled with the MSI files then start to install them.
9. After you install all the required files go to “Start” > “All Programs” > “Windows Live” then select the Windows Live Essential program that you wish to start.

Why would you need the Windows Live Essentials on your Windows Home Server? Well that is easy, say that you are at school/college/work or at an Internet café and didn’t want to log into Messenger via the Web because you don’t trust the administrators of the said providers or Messenger is fully blocked in school/college/work and you need to talk to a friend that is overseas or just really need to talk to them and can’t get out of the room to talk to them on the phone. Most places will not have blocked the sites that are *.homeserver.com and you can chat away to your messenger buddies via the Home Server site connect to the server service.

Extra. If you want to have the Windows Live Toolbar for Internet Explorer find the MSI file wltinstall.msi and install it on your WHS, now you will have the toolbar.