A Message for Windows Home Server users

General discussion about the media server. Feature requests. Hints, tips and tricks.
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Twonky_Rick
Posts:3816
Joined:Wed Nov 19, 2008 1:59 am
AV Hardware:Samsung 650 Series TV (2010), 4.5TB HP MediaSmart server with 100,000 songs, 5) AT&T U-Verse STB, CE form-factor Media Center PC and 6 other networked PCs running TwonkyManager, 2 Sonos ZP80, Sonos S5 speaker, Apple TV (running XBMC), Roku Soundbridge, X-Box 360, Sony PS3, Kodak 10" Wireless Photo Frame, iPhone with PlugPlayer software, Sonos CR-100.
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A Message for Windows Home Server users

Post by Twonky_Rick » Sat Jun 19, 2010 2:02 am

A Message for Windows Home Server Users

As you might have already heard, we've decided to move away from dedicated TwonkyServer builds for Windows Home Server starting with TwonkyServer 6.0. Although this might be a disappointment for some of you, we think you'll find the normal Windows version of TwonkyServer to be more feature rich, more stable and better performing than our previous WHS add-in.

Update: I recently installed TwonkyServer 6.0.30 on my HP MediaSmart server at home and while it's true the installation process is harder than installing the old Add-in, once it's installed, it runs much better than the old Add-in which I was running. After you make a shortcut to the settings page, you'll find that it's very easy to administer the media server from any PC on your network.

To read a status update on some of the issues with the TwonkyServer Add-in and HP MediaSmart Servers, click the following: http://www.twonkyforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 430#p31192

Before installing TwonkyServer 6.0 on your Windows Home Server, please read this:

- Even though TwonkyMedia server or PVConnect ran on your WHS hardware without a license key, a license key is required to run TwonkyServer 6.0. Do not uninstall your old WHS Add-In unless you are prepared to spend $19.95 on a new license key. Of course, if you purchased TwonkyServer for WHS from the Twonky.com Web site, that key will continue to work. Here is the link to purchase a license key: http://www.twonky.com/store/index.aspx

- After installing TwonkyServer 6.0, you will no longer be able to view or configure TwonkyServer using the Windows Home Server Console. Instead, you will use a Web browser to access all server status and settings. This is actually a big improvement for some because it provides many new features that were not available before.

- You must uninstall the old version of TwonkyMedia server or PVConnect Add-in for WHS before installing TwonkyServer 6.0.

- If you do not have an installer for PVConnect or TwonkyMedia server, you may not be able to easily go back to your old Add-in. We are not allowed to distribute software directly to HP MediaSmart users. If you already have a Twonky license key and want to go back to TwonkyServer 5.1.6 for Windows Home Server, you can download it here: http://www.twonkyforum.com/downloads/5. ... verWHS.msi

- Before attempting to install TwonkyServer 6.0 on your WHS hardware, make sure to first download and print the installation instructions that are available below.

- TwonkyManager has not been tested with WHS. You can try it, but it’s unsupported. If it doesn’t work well, you can use your license key to go back to TwonkyServer 6.0.

If you encounter any problems running TwonkyServer 6.0 on WHS, please send a detailed description of your problem to tmm-beta@pv.com.


Windows Home Server-related FAQ

Q: I’m getting error messages when using the HP Video Convertor app with TwonkyServer 6.0 (e.g. An unexpected error occurred converting video: The RPC server is not available…). What is the cause of this problem?

A: The HP Video Convertor app is encountering problems with some of your media files. We did not create the HP Video Convertor app and as a result are unable to fix problems like this. Although the error message listed above seems like it might be related to TwonkyServer. RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call and the RPC server is part of the operating system, not TwonkyServer.

Q: I’m having problems getting TwonkyServer to automatically run on my WHS hardware. Do you have any suggestions what I can try?

A: You might want to try this and see if it helps:
1. Log onto the WHS machine using Remote Desktop
2. Open the Control Panel from the Start Menu and select "Administrative Tools -> Services"
3. Find the TwonkyMedia service listed here and make sure it is set to "Automatic" in the "Startup Type" column
4. Highlight the "TwonkyMedia" service and Right-Click on it to open the Properties settings
5. Make sure that the Log On panel is set to Local System account and not a specific user account as shown below, then hit O.K.


Q: Why am I getting “No Server Response” messages when I try to use TwonkyServer 6.0 with the HP MediaSmart Media Streamer app?

A: The HP MediaSmart Media Streamer app doesn't work with TwonkyServer 6.0. If you want to use this app for remote access, you'll need to revert back to the version of TwonkyServer 5.1 that came with your MediaSmart server.

It's been reported by one of our users that TwonkyServer 5.1.6 for WHS works with the HP MediaSmart Media Streamer app. Although this isn't officially supported, you might want to give this a try if you're having problems.
http://www.twonkyforum.com/downloads/5. ... verWHS.msi

Later this year, we plan to release TwonkyServer 6.1 which will perform similar functions as the HP Media Streamer app. TwonkyServer 6.1 will be a free upgrade for anyone who purchased a license for TwonkyServer 5.x or 6.0.


Q: After installing TwonkyServer 6.0 the HP MediaSmart app for iPhone no longer works. Can anything be done to fix this?

A: No. TwonkyServer 6.0 does not work with the HP iPhone app. If you want to use this app, you'll need to revert back to the version of TwonkyServer 5.1 that came with your MediaSmart server.


Q: I recently purchased TwonkyServer 6.0 to run on my HP MediaSmart server. However, I’ve found that not all of the features work that worked before. How can I go back to the way things are before?

A: You have several options:

1. Go back to the original discs that came with your product, reinstall them and then apply any updates. Before doing this, you’ll need to transfer any media files off of your server.
2. Check online for a custom updated WHS installer. This is available from some, but not all manufacturers.


Q: Can you provide instructions how I can uninstall TwonkyServer 6.0 from my HP MediaSmart server and go back to the previous Add-in?

A: Yes. Uninstall instructions have been provided below.


- Rick
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Twonky_Rick
Posts:3816
Joined:Wed Nov 19, 2008 1:59 am
AV Hardware:Samsung 650 Series TV (2010), 4.5TB HP MediaSmart server with 100,000 songs, 5) AT&T U-Verse STB, CE form-factor Media Center PC and 6 other networked PCs running TwonkyManager, 2 Sonos ZP80, Sonos S5 speaker, Apple TV (running XBMC), Roku Soundbridge, X-Box 360, Sony PS3, Kodak 10" Wireless Photo Frame, iPhone with PlugPlayer software, Sonos CR-100.
Location:San Diego
Contact:

Re: A Message for Windows Home Server users

Post by Twonky_Rick » Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:00 pm

Corrections to the Instructions Posted Above

- “Remote Desktop Connection” is under Accessories -- not in the Communications folder.

How to Find the Name of your WHS server

On page 7 you’re told to type in the name of your WHS machine, but we don’t make it clear how to find this. You can find this on Windows 7 by clicking on the Start menu and going to Computer. On the right, you’ll see Network. If you expand that you’ll see the name of your WHS machine. Mine is called “WHS001”.

After following the instructions on page 7 and logging into RDP the first time, you might receive some error messages and a warnings, if you close all of the browser windows, these should go away. Installing TS will NOT hurt your WHS machine.

Copying the TwonkyServer Installer to your WHS machine

I had problems creating a shared folder as shown on page 9. Here is what I had to do to get the installer in a folder on my WHS machine where it would run without errors. You might have an easier way to do this.

1. Create a new folder on the Remote desktop called 'Twonky'.
2. Right-click on that folder and select ‘Properties’.
3. Click on the Sharing tab and check ‘Share this Folder’.
4. Type ‘Software’ in the Share name and click on the ‘Permissions’ button.
5. Click on ‘Allow’ to the right of Full Control and press Apply.
6. You’ll be taken back to the ‘Software Properties’ window where you will click ‘Apply’ again.
7. Then press OK and the window will close.

To move the Twonky installer into this folder, I had to first copy it into the folder called "Software" on my WHS machine. To do this:
1. Right-click on the WHS server icon in the Taskbar and select ‘Shared Folders’.
2. Now copy the TwonkyServer installer into the ‘Software’ folder in Shared Folders from your normal desktop.
3. Now click on the Remote Desktop window and open the Software folder.
4. Now move the TwonkyServer installer into the newly created Twonky folder.
5. When asked ‘Are you sure you want to copy…’. Click on Yes.
6. Now right-click on the TwonkyServer installer from the remote desktop window and click on the ‘Unblock’ button in the Security section and press the Apply button.
7. Now you should be able to run the TwonkyServer installer. You should enter your license key when asked. I also found I had to enter my license key a second time on the browser settings page from the remote desktop.

Note: You should NOT install TwonkyBeam when you are asked.

If you get a red warning screen when you try to access your server via the browser page (e.g. http://whs001:9000/config), right click on the warning near the top of the screen and select ‘Enable Intranet settings’. Then click on Yes. I found that I could not access the config page (http://whs001:9000/config) unless I was on the remote desktop screen.


How to Access the Server Settings Page of your WHS?

Before TwonkyServer can serve your media you'll need to set new file paths. Before you can do this, you need to access the browser settings page for your WHS machine. When I tried to do this from the remote desktop I had problems. Go to another PC and type the following into your Internet browser:

http://nameofyourWHS:9000/config In my case this was: http://whs001:9000/config

Another way to do this is to type in the IP address of your WHS. In my case this was http://192.168.1.64:9000/config I got the address by logging on via remote desktop and going here:
Start Menu > Control Panels > Network Connections > Local Area Connection
Then click on the Support tab and you'll see the IP address.
I'm sure there is an easier way, but this is how I did it.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT VIEWING THE SETTINGS PAGE OF ANOTHER TWONKYSERVER ON YOUR NETWORK. That will happen if you type in http://127.0.0.1:9000/config into your browser.

Entering Media Paths On Your WHS

Before TwonkyServer can serve your media you'll need to set new file paths.
1. Access the server setting page for your WHS machine as described above.
2. Click on the Sharing link on the left hand side of the page.
3. Replace the old media paths with new ones. Here is a typical path for music on a WHS: \\YourWHSname\Music

Since my WHS is named WHS001, here are what my paths are:
\\WHS001\Music
\\WHS001\Photos
\\WHS001\Videos

4. When you’re finished entering paths for all of your media, press the ‘Save Changes’ button.
5. Then click on the Server Status link on the left hand side of the screen. If your paths are correct, you should see the numbers of music tracks, photos and videos getting larger. If you don't see the words "In Progress..." next to "Last database change", then you should click on the Maintenance link and press the "Rescan content directories" button. When the file scanning process is complete, you'll see a time stamp next to "Last database change"
6. Now click on the HTML link on the left hand side of the screen under ‘Media Browser’. Click on the headings to make sure that your media appears there.

Making a Shortcut for the Server Settings page

You may want to save a shortcut for the WHS server settings page on your desktop. To do that,follow these steps:
1. Open IE from any PC. Paste the URL that you use to access the server settings into the address bar http://whs001:9000/config. If you don't know what to type here, checkout the section above called: How to Access the Server Settings Page of your WHS


2. Once you get the server settings page for your WHS to appear in your browser, drag the URL from the address bar to your desktop to make a shortcut there.

Once you've done this, you'll no longer have to use remote desktop to administer TwonkyServer.

If you find any errors on these instructions, please let us know by sending mail to tmm-beta@pv.com. Thanks.

- Rick
Follow me on Twitter! mostlytech1
Checkout my blog: http://mostly-tech.com/

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