Preparing to Install Windows Home Server

Considering installing Windows Home Server (WHS) on your home or small business network? Before you start loading any software, make sure you're prepared for the road ahead. Here's how to get ready:

1. Make sure you have a PC that can handle Windows Home Server.

Hardware requirements are minimal — almost any PC built in the past five years will suffice, but you can't install WHS on a laptop computer, and you must have a functioning LAN connection.

Your newly anointed server must have a DVD drive, and the computer must be told to boot from that drive. A USB DVD drive is okay, but only if your computer can be cajoled into booting from it.

Depending on the proclivities of the computer you've chosen, you may have to go into the system's BIOS to tell it to boot from CD. (BIOS — Basic Input/Output System — is the low-level program that runs immediately after you turn on your computer.) In general, you have to press Del or Esc (or possibly F1 or F12) while the computer is booting in order to get into the BIOS and confirm the setting. If you aren't sure how to tell your PC to boot from the CD, go to the manufacturer's Web page and search on "boot from CD."

2. Double-check your current network.

All the computers on your network should be talking to each other, and you must have at least one free slot on your router to plug in the new server.

At least one of the computers on your network must be ready, willing, and able to run the Windows Home Server connection software. The good news: Any Windows XP or Vista machine will suffice.

3. Verify that you have all the DVD/CDs that you will need.

WHS consists of three DVD/CDs — the Installation DVD includes the programs you need to put on the server; the Connector CD contains the program that you need to put on all the other (non-server) computers on your network; and the Restore CD is there for emergency re-installation if a hard drive dies.

4. If you're the paranoid type, get the latest BIOS version.

Every manufacturer has a slightly different method for updating, or flashing, the BIOS. To get the right instructions for your computer, boot it and watch the screen for the motherboard manufacturer's name and model number. Then go to the manufacturer's site and follow the instructions.

5. If you have any unusual hardware, make sure you have drivers on hand.

WHS ships with built-in support for most network cards, USB controllers, and the like — but occasionally, unusual (and brand new) hardware leaves the installer with a case of the willies. Although Windows XP drivers for most types of hardware will work, you'll have the greatest luck with Windows Server 2003 drivers. Check the hardware manufacturer's site for details.