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Hello everyone! With the reliability and density of today's spinning drives getting better all the time, and since I am now using DrivePool 2.x (works with any version of Windows), I've been thinking about leaving WHS2011, especially now that MS has ended support for it. I recently purchased a much more modern Supermicro motherboard than my current X7SBE that can use the more modern i3, i5 and i7 CPU's and up to 32GB DDR3 RAM. When I install this board, I am planning to finally ditch the 2 PCI-X, 8-Port SATA cards in favor of the newer PCIe cards in conjunction with 1 or more port expanders. I am sure this has probably been discussed here ad‑nauseam, but everyone’s situation is relatively unique, so I will forge ahead, fishing for ideas, comments, tips, tricks or whatever you think I need to know. The only super relevant post I could see in a quick search was a very short post by RacerX back in March. I’m going to need a little more hand-holding than he does to get this done. When I purchased the newer motherboard, I had originally intended to just upgrade the hardware, downsize a bit and continue with WHS2011. Now, I am thinking that might not be the best decision. I was planning to construct a secondary server alongside the WHS2011 box anyway, and move the drives over after I get the new server running stable. This would include reinstalling the Server OS. So why not just install a better OS instead? Shouldn’t be that much more effort, right? At least that is what I am thinking. This is where I need some coaching. So along those lines, I have a few questions/issues I hope some of you might be kind enough to help me with: 1. Firstly, is anyone here still using WHS2011, and if so how much longer are you planning to stick with it? How are you handling the security issues by using an OS that has not been updated in over a year now? Are you concerned? If not, why? 2. I have read that Windows Server Essentials is what I should consider. Which version would be best for me? I am still planning to run several pieces of hardware that might not be Windows 10 compatible, an OS I am not a fan of at all! Also, there is PRICE. I don’t think the budget will handle a $600 or $700 OS acquisition cost. I think 2012 is quite a bit cheaper than 2016, but I am not 100% certain about that. I’m thinking Server 2012 would probably be the best choice, but what do you guys think? 3. What major features would I be giving up that I had in WHS2011, and what would I be gaining by going to WS Essentials? Does Essentials have a Dashboard like in WHS2011? 4. Most Important: How does DrivePool and Scanner interface with Essentials? Is it similar to WHS2011 or will they BOTH run as standalone products ONLY? Thanks everyone! Really appreciate your input. I’m sure I will probably have more questions as I get further into this, but this is what is on my mind right now. GDog