If you have some idea what to do with starting your own site up using Wordpress for example and have done the config of MySQL databases the hard way and really want an easier option.  Well good news because the makers of MySQL has released the MySQL GUI Tools that you can get from http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/gui-tools/5.0.html.  The possible of using this over phpMyAdmin is that the person need to be on the “desktop” of the server to edit and config the mySQL service.  Which is always a good point to have but then there are some that will complain about this ‘having to log onto the server desktop to create a new user and database”.  I would alway pick more time to do a job rather then more risk of attack to a system/network.

I have not yet tested this on my WHS as I have been busy, but hopefully when I have time I will post how to guide with lots of nice screenshots.

IF you are just starting off with your WHS or have been using it since it was released then you need to know about securing the WHS and the Network it sits on.  Well Chuck over at Homeserverland.com (HSL) has been doing a series on how to secure the WHS and network.  Just to warn you that the first few parts are to give background of security and it will allow you to better understand the rest of the series.  The Series is usually released every Sunday.

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If you have a WHS and have a lot of CD’s and DVD’s then AVA Media is one add in product that you could use, it is a paid option but with the paid option you don’t have to jump through hops to unlock features with the MyMovies which is what AVA is a modified version of.  I done some calculating and if you donate to the creator of MyMovies you would pay the same or a bit more then AVA Media.

If you wish to have a read of the review head over to http://www.homeserverland.com/blogs/hslblog/archive/2009/04/28/ava-media-v1-5-0-1-add-in-evaluation.aspx.

I will upload my review of AVA Media soon.

Kentdome has a new WHS addin in the works currently it is in Alpha build and members of HomeServerLand may request to test it.  It is called Grid BURN and it allows you when you have a CD/DVD RW drive to burn CD’s and DVD’s of folders on your WHS.

Media that it supports CD/DVD/HD-DVD and Blue-Ray

For more information on it check http://www.homeserverland.com/forums/t/326.aspx out.

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Home Server land is a somewhat new community and is growing all the time, at the time of posting they have 4578 members, from all over the world.  It is friendly and you can ask any question in relation to the WHS.

There are advantages on signing up to HSL the chance to Alpha and Beta test new WHS addins and software that Kentdome has created.

Head over now to www.homeserverland.com and sign up.

Openfire only works when a user has logged on.  So we need to set it as a service.

If you do not have Windows Resource Tools Kit then you would have to download it.  It is free and available from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9D467A69-57FF-4AE7-96EE-B18C4790CFFD&displaylang=en and AnyServiceInstaller by Marceln from

 Now log into your Administrator account of your WHS either via Remote Desktop Connection, Advantage Admin Console Add-in or directly (Mouse, Keyboard and Monitor).  And install the Windows Resource Tools Kit. Read the rest of this entry »

After you installed the Openfire server, and you started it you cant either click on the “Launch Admin”

Or you can either on the WHS go to http://localhost:9090 or http://127.0.0.1:9090 but make sure that you have either disabled the advance security on Internet Explorer or have another browser installed such as Firefox.  If you are using any computer on the network go to http://whs:9090 or the IP assigned to the WHS in you network for example http://192.168.1.2:9090.

When you go to the above address the setup will start and you would have to select you language, then click the Continue button. Read the rest of this entry »

Having a chat or instant messaging (IM) server running on a Home or Small business network is some what a good idea, even if you are at work or school and other of your family is at home or even around the world.

The Chat server that I choose to install and run on my Windows Home Server has plug-ins that allow your clients/users to sign in using their mainstream accounts such as Yahoo, AOL and Windows Live (MSN).

The Chat/Instant Messaging Server/software that I choose is the Openfire from ignite realtime – Jive Software.  They also have a desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux) and a Web-based client to allow users to login and chat.

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As we all now load our computers full of memories such as those once in a lifetime photos and videos, or love ones that are no longer with us.  All we need is to loss them when an hard drive goes.

Like most geeks I tell everyone else to backup, but sometimes forget to backup myself and that has led to memories being lost until I was able to recover most of the files from the dead hard drive via recovery software.

If you backup to the Windows Home Server, then are you not putting all your eggs into one basket.  With Power Pack 1 – Microsoft has allowed users to add a Hard drive as a Server backup, it is better to have this hard drive not in the system but as an external drive, meaning that you can move that hard drive to someone offsite in case of fire/flood.

In our past post Tekzilla Windows Home Server Challenge we told you that Revision3 show Tekzilla with Patrick Norton will be looking into the Windows Home Server, they have look at self build high spec server, and a low power server.   The WHS Challenge part 2 starts at 15 minutes 8 seconds, you can find it at http://revision3.com/tekzilla/giphone/(Episode 75) or watch the video below. Read the rest of this entry »