Microsoft Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 BETA: full features

We had covered various aspects of Windows 7 including tweaks, hacks and much more. For the latest, Microsoft has announced the Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta in a bid to make its upcoming OS all more powerful. The package has been designed to enhance Windows Home Server experience with Windows 7 and Windows Media Center. Moreover, Power Pack 3 would offer better support for netbook computers. Windows Power Pack 3 would arrive with a number of new features including -

Backup and restore of computers running Windows 7
Windows 7 Libraries integration
Enhancements for Windows Media Center
Better support for netbook computers.

Full Image based backups of Windows 7 PCs

With the Power Pack 3 the Windows Home Server would offer a full image-based backup of your computers running Windows 7. In case of a hard drive failure or accidental deletion or data loss, it allows restoration of files, folders or complete recovery of data on hard drive.  WIth the Windows Home Server Connector software installed on your computer running

After the Windows Home Server Connector is installed on your Windows 7 PCs, Action Center should no longer display that your files are not being backed up.

Windows 7 Libraries Support

Power Pack 3 Beta would transform Windows 7 into a perfect entertainment powerhouse by adding music, photos and videos shared folder on the home server to Windows 7 Libraries. This will make the content available for applications such as Windows Explorer, Windows Media Center, Windows Media Player and other applications that use Windows 7 Libraries. The users will be able to quickly access all their content in one organized place that is always available, searchable and expandable. Even without having to now where the files are stored users will be able to search a specific library.

Windows Search 4

The Power Pack 3 Beta now includes the Windows search 4 for improving query search times, reliability and indexing times. With the new search the user can extend the search to remote discovery by increasing the efficiency of searcing across all document libraries. The files encrypted with Encrypting File System (EFS) would be supported with search.

Suppose you take searching across a music library where files are located in multiple places, the home computer Music folder, the home computer Public Music folder and the home server Music shared folder. Users can add other locations to Windows 7 Libraries.

Compatibility with netbook

One of the most prominent features of Power Pack 3 is that, it makes Windows Home Server compatible with netbook computers that have small screen sizes and low resolution. The home server offers great storage and backup solutions for ultra-portable computers.

Windows Media Center Enhancements

Power Pack 2 was equipped with the functionality to allow Windows Media Center and Media Center Extenders to access the content on a home server easily. In Power Pack 3 beta this functionality has been improved. On installing or updating the Windows Home Server Connector software to Windows Media Center computer the users would be prompted to install the Windows Media Center Connector. The users would find a new Home Server selection in Windows Media Center menu.

Archiving TV shows

With Power Pack 3 you can archive the old recorded TV shows onto your Windows Home Server in a variety of resolutions and formats. Recorded shows can be archived in correct resolution for the type of device that would be used for playback. The TV Archive can be optimized for Windows Mobile-based phones, Windows Media Center computers, and Zune player. Further, any device playing the WMV format make use of the following

• TV - Original Resolution
• Windows Mobile – 320 x 240, 500 Kbps, .WMV
• Zune – 640 x 480, 1500 Kbps, .WMV

What’s more, users can select any specific TV show, a series of shows, or all TV recordings to automatically move them to home server. This becomes successful as Windows Home Server storage space can be easily expanded. The users can include all the TV shows in their collection.

Console Quick View

The Console Quick View offers the statistics of Windows Home Server through Windows Media Center Extenders and Windows Media Center. It allows the user to view and monitor a number of home servers without needing to access the Windows Home Server Console. Moreover the user are allowed to view and monitor a number of home server indicators that include

Storage: Pie chart listing the percentage allocation of the home server storage

Drives: List, size and health of hard drives installed on the home server

Backup: List of computers that are backed up and their current status

Shared Folders: List of Shared Folders according to name - showing their health status and duplication status

Media Counters: Counters of music, photos, videos and recorded TV files on the home server

Health: Health of the entire network

Home Server: manufacturer information and home server’s hardware information

Source: Windows Home Server Team Blog