Windows Home Server – A user’s Experience

I have to do what after 120 days?

My plan was quite simple, pay £5 ($10) for the 120 day evaluation version of WHS, and then after 120 days simply hit the big upgrade button that Microsoft would obviously provide for me. Then I’d probably be wizzed off to an MS webpage, enter my card details, and my evaluation copy would be changed to the full version.

It turns out that there is no big upgrade button, ok, so what’s the worst case?…. I buy the retail version and simply use the serial number, enter it into my 120 evaluation version and Bob’s your uncle…..well….no, you can’t do that either. This is how it works:

1. Order (and pay) for free evaluation copy.
2. Wait 5 weeks for delivery.
3. Install…..realise WHS lacking required Ethernet drivers….find compatible drivers.
4. Realise UPnP not working…..fix problem.
5. Install Addins.
6. Make tweaks to suit.
7. Setup accounts for other users.
8. After 120 days, buy retail version and repeat steps above.

I’m a little confused, do MS want people to upgrade after using the evaluation copy? If so then why not make it easy for them? Considering the effort involved in getting it all working the way I wanted it, I’m now tempted just to try building a Linux server.

The only way to move from the evaluation version to the retail version is to install the retail version on top of the evaluation version, this does retain your data, but requires any users to be recreated, and any settings to be reapplied (source).

Of course there is one way to minimise the effort required when installing the retail product, and that’s to buy it sooner rather than later i.e before too many settings/tweaks/addins are made….a cunning plan!

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