Here's the situation:  My laptop (running MCE 2005) has worked with WHS for months.  Everything going along fine.  One day the WHS icon was grayed out.  This kind of thing happens of course so I figured I'd restart.  No matter what I did I couldn not reach WHS.

I have tried all of the following:

• Romote in -  it says, "This computer cannot find the remote computer..."  I can remote into work just fine.
• Reinstall the connector software - but it could not find the server.  It starts like it is going to work but wont find server when I enter password or when I ask for password hint.
• Reinstall Wi-Fi driver.
• Connect via hard wire.
• Change Router.

All the while my internet works fine, my other computers can access WHS with no problems, and I can remote into my work also.

Connector Troubleshooter finds all of these problems:

• Cannot connect to the server transport
• Cannot connect to the server backup
• IP address mismatch between discovery and name resolution
• Cannot connect to the server internal Web site (ASPX page)
• Cannot connect to the server internal Web site (password hint page)
• Cannot connect to the server secure internal Web site
• Cannot connect to the server internal Web site (simple page)
• Cannot connect to the server internal Web services
• Cannot connect to the server internal secure Web services
• Name resolution failed
• Cannot ping server by name
• Internet Explorer has "Automatically Detect Settings" or HTTP Proxy configured

I'm at a total loss - does anyone know what may be the cause?

Well... I'm hoping the reason nobody replied is that nobody knew the answer... :)

 

I couldn't exactly figure it out either, so I 'went back in time' using system restore.  It resurrected some files and a couple things I didn't exactly want.  But it didn't delete anything and the best news - it DID restore my ability to connect to WHS.

 

That was a weird problem, still wish I knew what caused it.

 

Best,

Nolan

 

 

I'm having the same problem.

I intend to find the answer soon through computer guys I hope to work with this afternoon.  Will advise ASAP.

The problem came back again - I am SO F------ frustrated with this WHS connection problem.  I want to throw it out the window and drive my car over it 10 times then bury the squashed parts in the back yard.  I am learning to hate WHS.  It could be so cool if it would just work.  I've looked all around the various forums - lots of folks with the same problem - nobody with a solution.  Why in the world is this WHS connection so fragile?

Not exactly why I keep posting about this, but I keep hoping maybe somebody is listining...

I have finally isolated the cause of my repeated WHS connection problems.  I don't know the solution, and the workaround sucks, but let me fill you all in:

Whenever I take my laptop to my school (Willamette University) and connect to the school via wifi, it messes up my connection to WHS.  It happens this way 100% of the time, simply connecting, doing nothing else derails the WHS connection in a very big way (see all my previous posts).

To test this seemingly rediculous theory:

1) I verified my WHS connection was working.

2) I created a restore point. 

3) I zipped over to school and connected via wifi (this required only searching for the connection and connecting - there is no WEP or WPA, rather the network only allows access after it registers your MAC address)

4) I zipped back home and tried to connect to WHS - did not work.  I was able to connect to the internet just as I've described previously, but no WHS.

5) I restored to the point I had set just a few minutes earlier, and all was right in the world again.

So - problem identified - but I still don't know how to prevent it or really how to fix it.  The restore point workaround is not really a viable option.  If anyone can offer any assistance, I would greatly appreciate it - thanks!

 

Anyone? 

Thanks Richard - I'll post an update here after I determine the root cause.

Nolan

I am haveing the same problem.

I can remote to the WHS with RDP on all PC's, but can not connect using the Console from any PC.

When I try to run the Console from the Server, the Console window appears for about 1/2 sec.

Does WHS have "sytstem restore"????

Is there a way to backup/restore the WHS sys drive?

 

---

3 Sony Vaio VGX-Xl3's - Blu-Ray
8GB Ram - 12 Terrabytes
Logitech Harmony 890 / diNovo Edge
Vista Ultimate 64-bit OS
10 VGP-XL1B Disk Changers
40" Sony BRAVIA XBR5 LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Micro System

wpbguy:

Does WHS have "sytstem restore"????

Nope.  WHS is a superset of Server 2003, which doesn't have System Restore.  That feature is a part of the desktop OSes, not Server.

wpbguy:

Is there a way to backup/restore the WHS sys drive?

Again, no.  You could boot from your WHS DVD, and select Server Reinstallation (rather than New Installation.)  This option will reinstall the OS, but leave your data intact.  You'll need to recreate your user accounts, as well as reinstall any add-ins that you might have had; but, it would fix things.
Note that the reinstall will appear to 'hang' for a considerable amount of time, as it rebuilds the file index.  Also, you'll need to reattach your computers to the WHS, by running "discovery.exe" (located in %program files%\windows home server connector)

Have you tried rebooting the WHS from your RDP connection?
Also, have you tried resetting the Console on a client (open the Console > options > "reset the windows home server console...") ?

---

~Chris
'nearly every day of my life is some kind of computer hell'

Desktop: Shuttle SN41 (AthlonXP 2700+), AIW, T550, PVR-USB2, HDHR; server: Intel E6400 on I965P mobo, 2GB RAM, 2x 500GB WD, PVR500, NV DualTV, Saber2020, 2xHDHR; Xbox MCX, Xbox360

OOOOPPPPSSSSS!!!!!!!

I tried to reinstall WHS.
Afterward it worked OK, but it shows one of my 7 drives as "Missing"
and it shows a new "empty" drive.

That disk has almost 1TB of data on it.
Every utility I try shows it as "unallocated space"

I have been trying for the past few days to recover my data.
So far, no luck!

 

---

3 Sony Vaio VGX-Xl3's - Blu-Ray
8GB Ram - 12 Terrabytes
Logitech Harmony 890 / diNovo Edge
Vista Ultimate 64-bit OS
10 VGP-XL1B Disk Changers
40" Sony BRAVIA XBR5 LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Micro System

Well, I thought I recovered the data.
The files appear to be there, but they are'nt really.
I am a bit confused with this file system.
When I try to access the recovered files I get
"Invalid file handle" errors.

If I try to play a media file I get this:
"Windows Media Player cannot find the file. If you are trying to play, burn, or sync an item that is in your library, the item might point to a file that has been moved, renamed, or deleted."

---

3 Sony Vaio VGX-Xl3's - Blu-Ray
8GB Ram - 12 Terrabytes
Logitech Harmony 890 / diNovo Edge
Vista Ultimate 64-bit OS
10 VGP-XL1B Disk Changers
40" Sony BRAVIA XBR5 LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Micro System

OK, I think I got it!

It turns out that WHS screwed up 2 things during the re-install.
1-Wiped the partition info from one of my drives.
2-It also wiped the Data partition from the system drive.

When I fecovered the files from the disk I recovered the files in
"D:\Shares" All of the files there are "FAKE"
I found the real files in "D:\DE\SHARES"
The "DE" folder is hidden.

---

3 Sony Vaio VGX-Xl3's - Blu-Ray
8GB Ram - 12 Terrabytes
Logitech Harmony 890 / diNovo Edge
Vista Ultimate 64-bit OS
10 VGP-XL1B Disk Changers
40" Sony BRAVIA XBR5 LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Micro System

I am loosing my patience with WHS!!!!!
After spending days recovering my data,
out of the blue I could not connect again!
This time, it keeps telling me my passsword is wrong!!!!!

So, I reinstalled again!!!!!!

It did it again!!!!

It shows a "missing drive"
and a "unknown drive"
Now 2 new twists added!!!!!

Windows Home Server Preserver Service encountered a problem and needed to close.

AND

The Drive Extender Migrator Service is not running

 

 

---

3 Sony Vaio VGX-Xl3's - Blu-Ray
8GB Ram - 12 Terrabytes
Logitech Harmony 890 / diNovo Edge
Vista Ultimate 64-bit OS
10 VGP-XL1B Disk Changers
40" Sony BRAVIA XBR5 LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Micro System

I dont know if anyone is still interested, or still waiting for a solution,
But here is what I came up with:

After finally recovering my data and getting WHS to work.
It took me many reinstalls! After I finally got it all working again,
It happened again after a few days.
I started over again. Then it did it againg.
I could not figure why it would just quit connecting.
Then I noticed a pattern! After updating the nVidia dirivers,
The screen looks much better and everything work fine.

UNTIL THE FIRST TIME YOU LOG IN DIRECTLY!

I logs in and works just fine. But after that it will never
connect remotely againg!

After all the reinstalls, it turns out if you just uninstall the driver
it begings working again.

I wonder how the video card will affect remote connection failures???

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3 Sony Vaio VGX-Xl3's - Blu-Ray
8GB Ram - 12 Terrabytes
Logitech Harmony 890 / diNovo Edge
Vista Ultimate 64-bit OS
10 VGP-XL1B Disk Changers
40" Sony BRAVIA XBR5 LCD HDTV
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Micro System

Remote desktop requires a connection with the video card. Not a regular network connection, albeit.

This applies to XP and Vista, I can't say the same for WHS:

If you increase the size of the session image space then you can run remote desktop.

Add the following registry key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]

"SessionImageSize"=dword:00000020