14 DAY TRIAL // Following the release to manufacturing of Windows Home Server, Microsoft has delivered a set of tools designed to troubleshoot issues with the operating system. Windows Home Server Toolkit 1.0 is a free toolkit available for download, designed to integrate seamlessly with Windows Vista and Windows XP. At this point Windows Home Server has been delivered to original equipment manufacturers and also to system builders. Microsoft is yet to offer a 120 day free trial edition of the product for users that want to test drive the home server. The Windows Home Server Toolkit focuses on the main problems generated by the operating system.
"One of the problematic spots for Windows Home Server are the networks, where it is supposed to work. During Beta-testing we found that home networks are often not up to the task. It's either the name resolution, or UPnP does not go through, or some other problem. Well, usually it works, but problems are a bit too often to be comfortable. A few last months me and a few more members of the team were working on a troubleshooter to help detect and fix those problems. Beside troubleshooting home networks, it also can report the problems to Microsoft and do some fancy things on the server like cleaning up backup database," stated Eldar A. Musayev, a program manager on the Microsoft BizTalk Server team.
According to Microsoft, Windows Home Server Toolkit is comprised of no less than three components. The tools are set in place to perform accurate error reporting to Microsoft, to offer solutions related to the Windows Home Server Connector and to streamline the troubleshooting process via an add-in. "The Windows Home Server Connector Troubleshooter is a program that runs on your home computer to help troubleshoot problems you may encounter while installing the Connector software. The Connector Troubleshooter runs a series of tests to check the most common Connector Setup problems, and then it recommends possible solutions. You can also use the Troubleshooter to install a Windows Home Server Toolkit Add-in on your home server. With this Add-in, you can run troubleshooting tasks from the Windows Home Server Console Settings page," Microsoft said.
Windows Home Server Toolkit 1.0 is available for download here.