RobbieH

Sorry, I should have mentioned I'm running 2012R2. But I could not find that role in the roles config. I got around it though.

Keep in mind a big part of why the green drives save more energy over the red drives is due to the fact that the heads aggressively park, saving some drag. If power savings is the primary factor for buying these drives, this is all but erased by using WDIDLE3 to change the behavior to cause them to act like the red drives. But if paying less for the drives initially is your goal, then this doesn't matter. I just noticed you said something about them using less power than the red drives.

I had a copy of Standard. So here is how I solved for this. Microsoft allows the use of a Standard key to register Essentials. To do so, you must install Essentials first, then migrate it to Essentials. Here's how. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj247582.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396 You lose the media server functionality, but I never cared about that anyway. That's what Media Browser, Plex, Subsonic, etc. are for.

Well, back to square 1. I set everything up, made my server a domain controller, and it's not listed in the roles. Any ideas?

I finally found it, it is possible. http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2014/02/17/deploying-windows-server-2012-r2-standard-datacenter-with-windows-server-essentials-experience-role-in-an-existing-active-directory-environment.aspx

I wasn't able to find this answer online for some reason. If I have standard Windows Server 2012, can the Essentials role be added?

And that's nothing compared to my history with PCs. My first PC (as in DOS machine) was a Compaq Plus portable (4.77mhz 8088) - 512k RAM and a 10 MB hard drive. I ended up donating it to my dad, where we made it the server in his real estate office. I networked 4 PCs together using Artisoft LANtastic on their old DB9 2mbps cables. Those cables were a pain to build. But all that got me into IT, that experience moved me into network installations and maintenance for a software development company which built turn-key systems for law enforcement departments and municipal courts. I have never looked back, been in IT ever since.

Now that I can read the SMART data, I can see the load cycle count. I was able to look up the RMA to see how long I've had this drive, I received this one toward the end of August 2014. Since then, it's racked up 20101 load cycles. At that rate, I don't suppose it will exceed 300,000 load cycles in 3 years, which is probably longer than the drive will last in reality.

Ugh, I have had it happen twice. It's a PNY SSD. Luckily, I have a backup of the VM.

One of the companies I audited is still struggling to migrate off of 3000+ XP workstations.

^^ That's what I was thinking, share through the dashboard.

Another question, my Windows 7 VM can see smart drive information, but my WHS 2011 VM cannot. In both VMs, I used the same exact method of mapping the RDMs to the drives that belong to that VM. Any thoughts? EDIT: Win7 had the latest beta, WHS did not. I put the latest beta on WHS, and now all specs are being reported.

Thank you for posting this. I recently received a replacement from Seagate, and they shipped the replacement drive, a refurb, with CC46. You'd think they would made some effort to update the drive before they sent it to me. These are some of the worst drives I've seen since the horrible Quantum Bigfoot. EDIT: Strangely, mine wouldn't let me upgrade to the latest firmware.

Is there something I need to change or disable for my boot data store drive? StableBit Scanner File System Damaged on "SERVER" running at "Home Server". One or more volumes have file systems that are damaged: VMware Virtual disk SCSI Disk Device - damaged volumesC:\Running repair finds no errors.

Thank you for this write-up. Although I have no intention of converting, my primary task for the day was to set up backups for my ESXi system, guests and host, and right here you have set me on my way. I'm also looking at some other solutions, any recommendations you might have would be greatly appreciated.

My first HTPC I built used an ATI All in Wonder, on XP, using GBPVR. That dates me a bit.

Part of my job entails auditing large companies to ensure their IS and BC standards are up to snuff, and one of the things I look for are how they manage their products to ensure everything is supported, and how they plan to migrate off of products that are nearing end of support/life. I should have known better!

On my HTPCs, I use MB3 Classic. I don't mind installing the Shark007 packs, I've done it so many times I don't even have to think about it. Kind of like how I just set up SickRage, SABnzbd, CouchPotato, MB3 Server, Plex Server, etc., without having to think. I used to lose my server and/or drives all the time, so I got good at it. It had been a while, but it came back to me as I went along. I won't use external apps like VLC. It ruins the experience for me. I just started playing with MB3 Theater, but it is on my Windows 10 Ultrabook, so no remote is used. I'll be happy if I can take my Ultrabook, plug it into a TV, and close the lid without it messing up the display on the TV. I never could get this to work right under 8.0 or 8.1, although it may be a hardware issue and not an OS issue. So, you are semi famous I see. I was looking for something while building this PC and ran across some video podcasts on the Home Server Podcast website. I hadn't listened to any of those since I was on WHS v1, so I was just running through some of them I thought might be relevant, and there you were.

Oops, you are correct. Brain fart on my part.

I set up Media Browser 3, and it doesn't do the same thing, even streaming to Roku. Really pleased where MB3 has gotten since it first came out. The way things are going, I may have no use for Plex anymore. Now the only thing I have left is getting the friggin guide to download on WMC. I got SMART data in Scanner through ESXi by loading the data drives as Raw LUNs (RDM).

It's set to Automatic. Really surprised me to see that large of a hit on this machine.

WHS 2011 actually goes end of support on 4/12/2016, not 2020. http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/?sort=PN&alpha=Windows%20Home%20Server Windows Server 2008 R2 has already gone EOS for mainstream, 1/13/2015. I don't think many home users will purchase extended support, it's very expensive.

My hardware FINALLY arrived. Lots of delays due to the weather. I'm surprised that Plex still crushes the CPU, 100%... really on this processor?

I can concur with Christopher. I have had WHS 2011 backup data get corrupted both inside and outside the pool. And in my case, every time seemed to have to do with a failing drive. I currently have my backups in a pool, and since getting rid of the failing drives, I haven't had any corruption issues since. Also, I have never had to delete all backup data. I did recently have to delete one computer's backup data and reconnect the laptop to WHS, but that was the first time I've had to do this, and it was because a drive failed. The duplicated data was still on the secondary drive, but it was a flaky drive too.

I have too many hobbies, and none of them are cheap. I do the best I can to curb desires.