Must Read: Mint 15: Today's best Linux desktop (Review)

Topic: Microsoft

Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

Summary: Microsoft has released an updated preview build of its Windows Home Server "Vail" product to selected testers.

Mary Jo Foley

By for All About Microsoft |

Microsoft has released an updated preview build of its Windows Home Server "Vail" product to selected testers.

It's not clear to me whether this is the near-final Release Candidate of Vail which Microsoft execs recently said to be expecting. (I don't think it is.) But I've asked Microsoft for comment and will update with any information I receive back. Microsoft is sticking with "preview" as the descriptor for this build, a spokesperson said (which still doesn't clarify whether this is the Vail Release Candidate 0 that it seems to be).

According to Microsoft enthusiast and blogger Tom Ziegmann, the August Vail test build includes a number of tweaks to the dashboard. It also will add a new client connector for Mac OS, as well as support fo Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 betas, according to Ziegmann. Ziegmann warned testers that some things are broken in the new test release, such as storage check and repair.

Another Vail tester confirmed that Microsoft quietly made the new "preview refresh" available on August 13 on its Connect site.

Microsoft released a beta of Vail in late April 2010. Microsoft officials have continued to decline to say when to expect the final version of Vail to ship, but many of the testers and company watchers I know are expecting it to be released this calendar year.

Vail is one of three new low-end servers Microsoft is developing. "SBS 7" is the next version of Microsoft's on-premises Small Business Server product. "Aurora" is a hybrid cloud/on-premises server aimed at small business users. Test builds of SBS 7 and Aurora are expected before the end of August.

Update: The Aurora beta is available for download today, August 16.

Microsoft officials also are not commenting on when the final version of SBS 7 or Aurora will launch.

Microsoft officials have said to expect Vail to include improvements in four areas, including the extension of media streaming “outside the home or office”; new functionality around multi-PC backup and restore; simplified setup and user experience; and expanded tools and customization capabilities for partners.

Update: The "We Got Served" blog has more about the Mac connectivity added to this build:

"The big news is that Windows Home Server Vail will natively support computers running Mac OS. This includes the use of Windows Home Server as a target for Time Machine backups, as well as a Mac Launchpad and the same remote web access experience as provided for the PC. At this point (in the preview), there does not appear to be access to the Windows Home Server Dashboard."

We Got Served also has added a Vail installation walkthrough for those who are downloading and installing the new August preview.

Topics: Microsoft, Hardware, Operating Systems, Servers, Software, Windows

About

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Contact Disclosure

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

34 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

    Still no media center? >:-(
    angarita calvo
    Reply Vote

    • What the hell man??

      Get off the stick WHS team!
      Johnny Vegas
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

        up and running for 3 months now with little<a href="http://www.leedphilly.com/"><font color="light&amp;height"> vehicle</font></a> of the any <a href="http://www.crescenciohernandez.com/"><font color="light&amp;height">this</font></a> is the music <a href="http://www.anangrymob.com/"><font color="light&amp;height">of angry</font></a> that can make <a href="http://www.performingalileo.net/"><font color="light&amp;height">perform</font></a> you to fly <a href="http://www.spindletopsteakhouse.com/"><font color="light&amp;height">steak</font></a> and also flaws.
        gogon gondrong
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

        @Johnny Vegas

        The same advertisers that brought us Seinfeld (lets play footsie and wiggle our shorts Bill), Laptop Hunters (that got all sorts of bad press for lies (incorrect pricing and customer never actually went into an Apple store) and portraying windows as "cheep"), And Windows 7 was Macs idea (where a college kid who can't get laid and get kicked out of his dorm room (by his Mac roommate) has to watch TV in the hall because he doesn't even have a friend whom he could visit).

        I bet Kinect will<a href="http://www.gopsohbet.net" title="cinsel sohbet" target="_blank">cinsel sohbet</a> not be magical either.
        IE8 had multi-process architecture before Chrome launched, and in fact<a href="http://sohbettir.com" title="sohbet" target="_blank">sohbet</a> was the first browser to announce the feature. <a href="http://www.gopsohbet.net" title="gay sohbet" target="_blank">gay sohbet</a> That's why both Chrome and IE use far more memory than the other browsers.<a href="http://www.alemchat.net" title="mynet sohbet" target="_blank">mynet sohbet</a> Chrome is a bit more strict than IE, IE will allow tabs with the same integrety level to <a href="http://www.eskimynetsohbet.com" title="mynet sohbet" target="_blank">mynet sohbet</a> share a single process.<a href="http://www.eskimynetsohbet.com" title="mynet" target="_blank">mynet</a> <a href="http://www.mynetci.com" title="mynet sohbet" target="_blank">mynet sohbet</a> Outside of that MS beat Google to the punch.<a href="http://www.mynetci.com" title="mynet" target="_blank">mynet</a> Good try though.<a href="http://www.indirmedenfilmizlehd.com" title="indirmeden film izle" target="_blank">indirmeden film izle</a>If MS came out with touch UIs for at least Word, Excel,<a href="http://sohbettir.com/forum" title="forum" target="_blank">forum</a> OneNote, and Outlook, with super slick, and highly<a href="http://eglence.sohbettir.com" title="youtube" target="_blank">youtube</a> effective integrated virtual keyboards, that would be mind blowing! I think <a href="http://sohbettir.com" title="canli sohbet" target="_blank">canli sohbet</a>that would be like lighting a rocket under PC touch computing.<a href="http://www.indirmedenfilmizlehd.com" title="bedava film izle" target="_blank">bedava film izle</a>
        exibir
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

        @Johnny Vegas officials have said to expect Vail to include improvements in four areas, including the extension of media streaming ???outside the home or office???; new functionality around multi-PC backup and restore. <a href="http://www.doubleglazing-prices.net">Double Glazing </a>
        edsalltm
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

        @Johnny Vegas
        I hate the name Vail. Difficult to relate to anything IT. I dont know since when microsoft has lost its creativity.

        <a href="http://doubleglazing-prices.com/">Double glazing prices</a>
        cateuse
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

      @angarita calvo Maybe that's why they're not calling it a release candidate.

      I bet Kinect will not be magical either.<br><br><a href="http://www.trsohbet.com">sohbet</a> could have made <a href="http://www.trsohbet.com">chat</a> magical if they wanted to, they could have hired a man in a turtleneck to give a magical presentation and BAM... a <a href="http://www.trsohbet.com.tr">mynet sohbet</a> Event (maybe a <a href="http://www.forumuz.net/">forum</a> product too, who knows.)<br><br><a href="http://video.trsohbet.com">izlesene</a> would have been much cheaper to <a href="http://www.trsohbet.com.tr">cinsel sohbet</a> too. No wonder <a href="http://www.trsohbet.com/portal/">portal</a> overtaking <a href="http://www.trsohbet.com">chat sohbet</a>, <a href="http://www.trsohbet.com">sohbet odalari</a> know where NOT to spend their money. <a href="http://www.sohbet35.com">sohbet</a> <a href="http://www.cinselsohbet.gen.tr">cinsel sohbet</a> <a href="http://www.mircalem.net">mirc</a>
      atrok
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

        t?s not clear to me whether this is the near-final of Vail which Microsoft execs recently said to be expecting. (I don?t think it is.) But I?ve asked Microsoft for comment and will update with any information I receive back.
        Microsoft is sticking with ?preview? as the descriptor for this build, a spokesperson said (which still doesn?t clarify whether this is the Vail Release Candidate 0 that it seems to be).<a href="http://www.px24-x.com">px24 livecams</a>
        user202
        Reply Vote

      • Merhaba

        Ke??i??ren sat??l??k daireler veya ke??i??ren kiral??k daireler denince akla gelen ilk adres istevitrin.com, <a href="http://emlak.istevitrin.com/ankara/kecioren-ilcesi/emlak-konut-satilik-daire-ilanlari.html" title="keci??ren satilik daireler">keci??ren satilik daireler</a> 2011 y??l??nda en ??ok sat??lan daireler ve fiyatlar?? hakk??ndada ayr??nt??l?? bilgi alabiliriniz.
        ankara'n??n en ??ok talep g??ren b??lgesi olan ke??i??ren'de ortalama krize ra??men ge??en y??l ile bu y??l aras??nda daire fiyatlar??nda % 15 lik prim yapm???? olmas??n??n yan?? s??ra ke??i??ren yeni emlak projelerinin
        g??zdesi haline gelmi??tir. <a href="http://emlak.istevitrin.com/ankara/kecioren-ilcesi/emlak-konut-kiralik-ilanlari.html" title="kecioren kiralik daireler">kecioren kiralik daireler</a> i??in daha fazla bilgi i??in sitemizi ziyaret ediniz.
        kirismin
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

      @angarita calvo but bing is not free market competition. it lost the search war (no matter what they choose to call it now). it loses obscene amounts of money and will continue to do so (according to ballmer) until the cash cows come home. yahoo, alta vista, all of them lost the search war. the only difference between them and ms is that they had to run a business with bottom lines (that hole inconvenient profit and loss thingy). ms doesn't. no, i'd like to see someone compete that isn't buying their way in. that's free market. <a href="http://www.arabaoyunlarimiz.gen.tr/"><b>araba oyunu</b></a>
      Arabalar
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

      According to Microsoft enthusiast and blogger Tom Ziegmann, the August Vail test build includes a number of tweaks to the dashboard. It also will add a new client connector for Mac OS,Office Standard Key, as well as support fo Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 betas, according to Ziegmann. Ziegmann warned testers that some things are broken in the new test release,Windows 7 Ultimate Sale, such as storage check and repair. <a href="http://www.sbsn.net/web.html">Web</a>
      user202
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

        <a href="http://www.slimspamedical.com/Louisville-Weight-Loss">Louisville Weight Loss</a>Hi Jasper - What you are seeing on the desktop is the build number of the underlying OS, Windows Server 2008 R2, which is in fact build 7600.
        Amanda123456
        Reply Vote

  • Beware of serious bugs in this

    <a href="http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010/08/16/opinion-thoughts-on-the-vail-rc0-release/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010/08/16/opinion-thoughts-on-the-vail-rc0-release/</a><br><br>There are a couple of serious, data loss bugs still in this preview.
    NonZealot
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

      @NonZealot

      Maybe that's why they're not calling it a release candidate.
      wanorris
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

      I hope there will be more successful your site is very wonderful site. <a href="http://www.sikis.info/" title="sikis izle">sikis</a> Thanks to the efforts of. <a href="http://www.frepornmovie.net/" title="porno">porno</a>
      kirismin
      Reply Vote

  • I sure hope this includes Windows Phone 7

    including the extension of media streaming ?outside the home or office?
    Johnny Vegas
    Reply Vote

  • Buy A NAS

    Much cheaper
    Alan Smithie
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

      @Alan Smithie

      Not if you have an old PC lying around.
      wanorris
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

      @Alan Smithie

      Absolutely! Synology was my pick. I tried to FIGHT with the Windows Home Server for about 6 months... pathetic! Using the same hard drives and the Synology enclosure... bam! up and running for 3 months now with little flaws. There were some ownership issues I had, but a little google search and it got resolved. Otherwise, I highly recommend them... I figure most NAS are about the same since they all use Linux.
      SpankyFrost
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Windows Home Server 'Vail' refresh goes to testers

    http://www.52tube.com/
    http://www.wctube.com/
    http://www.cameporn.com/
    http://www.escortbayan9.com/
    tamam
    myclub
    Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close