Windows Home Server Power Pack 2 available today

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
It's not an issue yet, since drives larger than 2 TB haven't been released.

WHS V2 is slated for release next year. It'll be based on W7/2008, which also support GPT. But GPT disks aren't bootable without special hardware. So it'd likely require two hard drives in the WHS server to support GPT unless we see redesigned motherboards that support bootable GPT.

GPT is not bootable?:Q I hadn't heard this before. Do you have any good links on the matter?

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
GPT is not bootable?:Q I hadn't heard this before. Do you have any good links on the matter?

Microsoft GPT FAQ 1.1

13. Can Windows XP x64 read, write, and boot from GPT disks?
Windows XP x64 edition can use GPT disks for data only. Only Windows for Itanium-based systems can boot from GPT partitions.

14. Can the 32-bit version of Windows XP read, write, and boot from GPT disks?
No. The 32-bit version will see only the Protective MBR. The EE partition will not be mounted or otherwise exposed to application software.

15. Can the 32-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 read, write, and boot from GPT disks?
All versions of Windows 2003 since Server Pack 1 can use GPT partitioned disks for data. Booting is only supported for Itanium-based systems.

16. Can Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 read, write, and boot from GPT disks?
Yes, all versions can use GPT partitioned disks for data. Booting is only supported for EFI-based systems.

17. Can Windows 2000, Windows NT 4, or Windows 95/98 read, write, and boot from GPT?
No. Again, legacy software will see only the Protective MBR.

 

[ViRGE]

Humm, well ah heck. I thought Vista and later could boot off of GPT. Thanks for the info.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Humm, well ah heck. I thought Vista and later could boot off of GPT. Thanks for the info.

I don't know the status of those Intel EFI proposals. Gateway built some all-in-one PCs using EFI several years ago, and then gave up. Apparently a standard PC BIOS just can't handle booting to GPT.

For most puposes, a non-bootable GPT disk isn't a killer. But it certainly is going to add to the cost of a system that needs to support large disks. I'm more worried about other GPT support issues (like data recovery).

Regardless, I imagine there'll be some solutions popping up in the next year.

 

[WT]

Resolved my PP2 issues ... somehow, I had gotten a pre-release PP1 installed on my MSS !! I guarantee I didn't do that on purpose, because I do not run pre-release software, but sure enough, that was my issue. Everything worked fine after I removed that and rebooted - PP1 installed, and soon after it updated to PP2.

Now I have another issue in that a PC that I tried to restore last night won't connect to my WHS. My guess is that it does not have the WHS Connector software update for PP2 installed, but I can't even boot into Windows to reload it ! I'm getting a 'connection failure' to the WHS box but I verified that its up and operational on another PC.

 

[RebateMonger]

Download the latest Connector software from Microsoft's download site.

Also, know that if WHS is "busy" doing backups of another PC, you can't do a Restore or a Bckup of a second PC. You need to cancel anything else that WHS is doing at the time before you can do a Restore.

 

[WT]

RM, all of my working PCs have already updated the WHS connector update, but due to bad timing and unfortunate circumstances, I ran into my above problem. The workbench PC won't boot into Windows, so I can't get the Connector update.

I think my issue is summed up as such: Try disconnecting the network from the Internet and trying again; it's name resolution that's the problem.

This is a known issue with WHS, so I'll try that tonight and see if it fixes things. I restored from an IDE to an SATA drive, and then hoped that a Windows repair install would fix the NTLDR issue. It didn't, so I am now trying to correct things.