Best file transfer method for moving things to WHS shared folders?

[KLC]

I've spent many weeks reading up on WHS before I finally bought an Acer home server last week. Strangely enough, in all of that reading I've never seen anything said about how to transfer files from a client to the shared folders.

I ask that because I'm doing something wrong and getting strange results.

I downloaded richcopy, a MS file transfer program that is multithreaded and has more features than the file app in Windows Explorer. So, I choose a folder with about 200 gb of video files from one of my internal harddrives. Now I need to choose a destination. When I click on browse I get the standard directory tree. Where are my WHD shared folders? I find them under My Computer>My Network Places. When I click on the folder I want as the destination I get the following path: C:\documents and settings\useraccount\nethood\whs shared folder. I wonder why it says C drive but it is the only place in the directory tree that has my WHS shared folders so I start the transfer.

Richcopy starts three file transfers simultaneously. One file is transferred completely, about 18 gb, and it starts another transfer. Before the original two files, both 26 gb, and the new 4th file are finished I get an error saying there is no more disk space. I'm running PP2, I have one HDD in the server and it has more than 600 gb of free space. So why the error? And more puzzling, I can't find the 18 gb file that completed the transfer before the error message. It isn't in the WHS folder, it isn't duplicated on any internal drive. Where did it go?

So, what is the best way to transfer large and large amounts of files to a shared folder? And where did that file go that was transferred? Is there someplace on WHS that I'm not seeing where it may be?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: KLC
When I click on browse I get the standard directory tree. Where are my WHD shared folders? I find them under My Computer>My Network Places. When I click on the folder I want as the destination I get the following path: C:\documents and settings\useraccount\nethood\whs shared folder. I wonder why it says C drive but it is the only place in the directory tree that has my WHS shared folders so I start the transfer.

You need to go back to the beginning because that is definitely not your WHS shared folder tree.

You should have a shortcut on your desktop to the shared folders on your WHS and when you click on it, it should show all the shared folders on the server; the path for each one should be '\\servername\foldername.

Once you have verified that they are there, use the Windows Explorer to navigate to them. You should have two entries in Network Places for your WHS; one is a server and one is for the shared folders. If you don't see those icons, or if you cannot access the folders, return to the server and verify that you have correctly configured access for the shared folders.

And where did that file go that was transferred? Is there someplace on WHS that I'm not seeing where it may be?

It was probably copied to the folder on your "c" drive that is supposed to contain only shortcuts to your network places. Search the disk for that file name and see were it is occurs.

 

[RebateMonger]

As Athena notes, the c: drive is not intended to hold data. It's 20 GB in size.

All data should be moved to the network shares provided by WHS:

\\WHS\Videos
\\WHS\Photos
etc.

 

[KLC]

Originally posted by: Athena

You should have a shortcut on your desktop to the shared folders on your WHS and when you click on it, it should show all the shared folders on the server; the path for each one should be '\\servername\foldername.

Yes I have that folder, yes when I click on it the shared folders are there and have the pathname you indicate.

Once you have verified that they are there, use the Windows Explorer to navigate to them. You should have two entries in Network Places for your WHS; one is a server and one is for the shared folders. If you don't see those icons, or if you cannot access the folders, return to the server and verify that you have correctly configured access for the shared folders.

So I go into Windows Explorer and click on Desktop in the directory tree. On the right hand side window I see the folder, "Shared Folders on Server". I click on that folder and now on the right hand side I see the shared folders. On the left hand side I see the following path in the directory tree: My Network Places>Entire Network>Microsoft Windows Network>Unknown>servername, and servername is highlighted showing that the right window's contents is from that level. But I also see the shared folders separately listed under My Network Places outside Entire Network and both sets of shared folders show files I have transferred.

Here is what I see:

___My Network Places
_____Entire Network
_______Adobe Drive CS4 Network
_______Microsoft Terminal Services
_______Microsoft Windows Network
_________Workgroup
_________Unknown
___________Servername
_____________Shared folder 1
_____________Shared folder 2
_______Web Client Software
_____Shared Folder 1
_____Shared Folder 2

If I click on the Unknown level there is a long pause with the hourglass and then it says, "Unknown is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have permissions. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available." But I am logged in as administrator, I am able to access the shared folders from the desktop and I am able to access the WHS console.

So what is that unknown? How did it get created? Which of the above Explorer links to the shared folders should I copy files to? Does it matter? And how do I check the c: drive on the WHS disk? Through Windows explorer? Through the WHS console? I've spent a lot of time with both of those over the last few days and I've never seen any drive volume letters for WHS disks.

As you can tell this is something entirely new to me. Thanks for anything you can do to help me understand what is going on.

 

[RebateMonger]

All file copies and moves should be done using the shared folders on the Windows Home Server. Here's how I copy files to it:

1) Open up an Internet Explorer window on the PC where files you want to copy/move are located.
2) In the address bar at the top, type, "\\servername", where "servername" is the name of your WHS.
3) It may ask for a Username/password. Generally, I'd use, "Administrator", and the Administrator password you chose when installing the server.
4) In a few seconds, you will be presented with a separate window that shows the shared folders (i.e. Videos, Music, Photos....).
5) Open up the folder where you want to place the new files
6) Open up a "My Computer" window on your PC and navigate to the files you want to copy/move.
7) Grab those files and drop them into the WHS folder.

If you decide to use a more advanced tool for the copies/moves, then use the network location of the shared folder, (i.i. \\servername\photos\ ) to indicate the target for the file transfer.

 

[KLC]

Thanks RM for wading through my questions and explanations. I tried what you said, typing in \\servername in the Explorer window. Here is what is strange, when I do that I get this pathname:

My Network Places>Entire Network>Microsoft Windows Network>Workgroup>servername

But if I click on the shortcut on my desktop I get this pathname:

My Network Places>Entire Network>Microsoft Windows Network>Unknown>servername

The shortcut is referencing a subfolder in Microsoft Windows Network called Unknown and if I try to access that subfolder I get an error.


One question. Athena originally said my lost file was probably put into the WHS C: partition which is only 20 gb, thus the error message I got. She told me to search that disk, how do I check that partition's contents for that file? I've only been able to access shared files not partitions.

 

[RebateMonger]

Discussion of \Username\Nethood

"Network Neighborhood and the Nethood Folder

Few know what that mysterious folder called "Nethood" is all about. It is a series of shortcut links that are mirrored in your Network Neighborhood !! They will either show up as lnk files or just simply "target" with WinXP. The folder location is:

Documents and Settings\username\nethood in WinXP and 2000

Network Neighborhood is comprised of icons that are actually shortcuts to the remote computer or disk drive. These must also appear in your Nethood folder or else the remote computer will not show up in Network Neighborhood. The properties for each link will take the format: \\computer\folder

For example, if the remote computer is "john" and the shared drive on his PC is the D drive, the properties of the Nethood folder shortcut will be: \\john\d"

This is NOT something that you'd normally see when working with a Windows Home Server. I've dealt with many of them, and have never seen this issue. You may have a bad shortcut in the NetHood folder on your PC. Check your "Network Places" and delete anything that looks wrong.

 

[KLC]

Thanks RM, I'll work on this more this afternoon.

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: KLC
But if I click on the shortcut on my desktop I get this pathname:

My Network Places>Entire Network>Microsoft Windows Network>Unknown>servername

The shortcut is referencing a subfolder in Microsoft Windows Network called Unknown and if I try to access that subfolder I get an error.

How did you install the connector: Did you use the CD or did you install from the shared folder on the network? Did by any chance install the WHS connector twice?

Also, how did you secure the server? Do you require passwords or are guests allowed to access the shared folders.?

One question. Athena originally said my lost file was probably put into the WHS C: partition which is only 20 gb, thus the error message I got. She told me to search that disk, how do I check that partition's contents for that file? I've only been able to access shared files not partitions.

I actually meant that the file is in the nethood folder of your local (client) machine. It never made it to the server at all.

If I were you, I would:
[*]Uninstall the connector in Add/Remove Programs
[*]Go to Network Places and delete all the icons/shortcuts that reference the server
[*]Reboot the machine
[*]Install the WHS connector using the CD

 

[KLC]

I definitely used the CD to make the client connection, I do have a password and the guest account is not activated.

I'll follow your instructions this afternoon, thanks for the help.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: KLC
Here is what I see:

___My Network Places
_____Entire Network
_______Adobe Drive CS4 Network
_______Microsoft Terminal Services
_______Microsoft Windows Network
_________Workgroup
_________Unknown
___________Servername
_____________Shared folder 1
_____________Shared folder 2
_______Web Client Software
_____Shared Folder 1
_____Shared Folder 2

This is what I see with the same view:

___My Network Places
_____Entire Network
_______Microsoft Terminal Services
_______Microsoft Windows Network
_________Workgroup
___________WHS1
_____________Music
_____________Photos
_____________Videos
_____________Public
_____________Recorded TV
_____________Software
_____________Scheduled Tasks
_______Web Client Network

 

[KLC]

Thanks for that RM, I had to put off my tinkering yesterday but that will be a big help when I work on this. My AT&T DSL modem died (Motorola 2210) and I can't buy it anywhere but online apparently. I was given the runaround by Best Buy, two stores assured me they had it in stock, both did not. Even the AT&T stores don't stock it. Meanwhile my home is without internet and my kids are suffering withdrawals...