Microsoft has released an August Preview refresh build of Windows Home Server ‘Vail’ which is their excellent home computers, data backup and network managements operating system. This release has lots of updates and good news for Mac owners. Not only does Vail support and improved look ( new green color scheme instead of the old blue ), a lot of features are being implemented along with a new client connector for Mac OS X. The server folders and hard drive portion in the Dashboard has also gotten a new summary tab.

Here’s the full list of features by Tom on Tech:

• Ability to enable or disable Add-ins at will from within the Dashboard
• Improvements to the Getting Started tasks
• New color scheme for the Dashboard, Remote Web Access, and Connect Computer website
• Client Connector for Mac OS and Time Machine support
• Alert Viewer now allows for alerts to be organized based on computer name or severity
• Server Folders and Hard Drives now includes a summary tab
• There is now the ability to create a bootable USB flash drive that can be used to restore a client computer
• Official support for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Betas

Thanks to Mac support, I’m eager to give this build a try like many others, but there are a few known issues with this build that you must be aware of before giving it a try. Of course, there’s no way that you should try this build with your primary data backup server.

• For users of a previous release of Vail, you will have to migrate data off of your test server to another PC or external storage device before reinstallation as Drive Extender has undergone more changes making DE drives from previous releases incompatible with the August preview.
• There is a QFE available along with this build that addresses an issue where saving files to a Vail server may fail when a large amount of data is present on the server. It is advised that this QFE be installed immediately after installing Vail.
• Storage Check and Repair is broken in this release, as under certain conditions, there may be data loss.
• If a hard drive goes missing from the storage pool and you attempt to remove that missing hard drive from the storage pool, the removal wizard may inadvertently remove the wrong files from your server.

We Got Served have done a thorough review of the new features in the August Refresh, check it out here. Head on over to Microsoft Connect, if you want to download Windows Home Server Vail August Preview.

Images via We Got Served

Related posts:

1. Windows Home Server Codename “Vail” unveiled
2. Use Windows Home Server for your small sized office or home business
3. Windows Home Server Power Pack 2 announced
4. Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta announced – focus on Windows 7 computers
5. SQL Server 2008 R2 Evaluation August CTP released to MSDN/TechNet subscribers

iThinkDifferent - All things different about Microsoft, Apple, Google and the Internet.

What is the first thought that comes to the mind upon hearing the name Windows Home Server? One possible answer would be: Windows Home Server is designed to organize, protect and  manage one or more home PCs. Well, it turns out that Windows Home Server can be used for business purposes as well, provided you run a small sized Office or Home business.

If someone is running a small scale business, and has a network of computers setup to fulfill and compliment their business needs, then the organization will surely need a certain way to perform these common tasks:

1. Backup important business documents.
2. Remotely access important business documents (business proposal, quotation document and so on) while at the client’s place.
3. Quick restore mechanism, so that important business documents and other related stuff can be restored as soon as possible, in case data loss occurs.
4. Secure business documents.
5. Provide a centralized location for viewing common business documents.
6. Set up different access rights for different users.
7. Shared Printer

How well does Windows Home Server facilitate these requirements?  Windows Home Server fulfills all the above mentioned requirements, and comes out as a cost saving solution. The significance of Windows Home Server increases even more, considering the current economic recession as it provides a cheap alternative for home based businesses.

If you happen to run a small business, and want to get a smart and cheap solution for managing your home business, then Windows Home Server is the solution you were looking for.

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