How To Get Full Control Over Your Windows Home Server

Written by Dave

Monday, 02 June 2008

Microsoft's Windows Home Server is a fairly new Server software intended for use in homes. It really minimizes and limits what can be done on a home server, allowing for easy management of a home network. For full details check out our Windows Home Server review. However, since it does limit you are restricted as to what you can actually do with the computer, especially when using remote access to your server via the internet.

The Windows Home Server is intended to be a headless server. No keyboard. No mouse. No monitor. Everything is supposed to be done remotely via the Connector, or via your web GUI, which can be accessed by going to yourname.homeserver.com. When accessing your Windows Home Server, you're greeted by a screen that allows you to access your shared files, monitor your network computers, basic stuff that Windows Home Server is intended for. The entire desktop is covered by the Windows Home Server managing software.

For the advanced users, you want to get around that. You want install stuff, and monitor your torrents among other things. Sure theres regular old Remote Desktop. But WHS also has a remote login via Web Client that you can use. To access it you must set up your Home Server account, and you will get a URL where you can access your server from anywhere using Internet Explorer. Your URL will be something like yourname.homeserver.com, which you and all your friends and family that you want to share your files with will use to access.

Next, login to the Home Server Web Interface by going to your URL. Enter in your login credentials. From here you will have access to your computers, as well as your files stored on your server, you will also be able to remotely access your Home Server Console.

Unfortunately the Home Server Console covers your entire screen. No start bar, no desktop, no nothing.

But you can get around that!

To access the Task Manager on a remote connection use ctrl + alt + end. From here you can view all your processes, and running programs.
To start a new program, go File > New Task (Run...)
Open up Windows Explorer to access your Start bar and other programs. In the Create New Task Window type explorer or explorer.exe.
Now you can check your torrents, access your desktop, and access anything you want on your Windows Home Server.