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HP MediaVault Generation 1: Getting New Life from an Old Friend

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Do you have a HP Generation 1 MediaVault (2010-2050) with a bad motherboard or maybe you just want more power or want to change its functionality? Read on, this article is for you! History: Back around 2006 HP released the Generation 1 MediaVault NAS (models 2010-2050). All were hardware identical except for the drive size provided. This product offered features like file sharing, media sharing (such as streaming music, videos, movies) and digital pictures. It also provided a secure source for local PC backups and internet access. One important feature was the ability to mirror it's 2 internal SATA drives. The Gen. 1 platform was later redesigned and updated to become the HP MediaVault 2100 and 5100/5200 series. These look like mini HP Mediasmart servers with only 2 drives and feature a different processor and file system. HP offered a Raid 1 "like" mirror system based on the Reiser file system which in theory was a good idea but actually created a number of complications for the user. If a secondary drive failed it was somewhat easy to replace and restore but when the system encountered a primary drive failure special procedures were required to insure the data on the...

More Performance and a New OS, Removing the Smoke and Mirrors Part 2

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You have seen the announcements from HP saying their MediaSmart Server is going the way of the DoDo. No doubt you share my feelings of sorrow and abandonment once again by a major corporation; my guess would be because of the fiasco with Vail and the Drive Extender issue. In it's place, HP wants you to buy a new Drobo. Oh well, life goes on in the world of computing. No more digressing, time to focus on the subject at hand. Part 2: More Performance and a New Operating System So, you performed the Celeron to the Pentium Dual core upgrade to squeeze a little more life out of your MSS and you want to know what else can be done extend the life of that neat little black box. Maybe you are considering a software upgrade to Windows Home Server 2011 or something else more powerful. Are you asking: Can I squeeze out a little more performance out of my 485 /7 dual core platform? Is it possible to efficiently run a new operating system on my MSS.? Can I expand the memory for said new operating system? All of the above questions can be answered with a yes...

Automatically Clean Those Pesky Log Files on Your MediaSmart Server's System Drive

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The HP MediaSmart Server system drive is divided into two partitions, one 20GB partition for the OS and system files, and the rest devoted to storage for the data pool. Some users, myself included, have encountered an issue where the 20GB system partition fills up with data to the point where things like Windows Updates aren't possible because there isn't enough space to install them. The culprit behind the disk consumption are these pesky log files that get generated. Over time these log files get huge, eating up gigbytes of space until there isn't any left in the system partition. Worse, there's no way to correct the issue from the home server console, and the disk cleanup wizard bundled with Windows doesn't find or remove them. I've read various ideas as to the root cause, everything from errors with the Video Converter and certain video files, to issues with the backup service. I haven't been able to figure out exactly what's causing it in my system, though I think my issue is with the Media Collector. However, I have determined that manually logging in via Remote Desktop every few weeks to deleting log files from the Windows folder manually is...

4 Steps to Protecting Your Digital Life

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Throughout the nineties, the home computer revolution exploded. For the first time, computers were no longer for the geeks and business users. And while many began discovering the joys of using computers for the first time, those same users also started learning some hard lessons about the dark side of computing, like data loss, viruses, scams, and more. Over the first 10 years of computing, users have been beaten into submission to take some basic steps to protect their data from loss. How many times were you told to "save early, and save often" so you didn't lose your work if your computer locked up. As Internet access became more widespread, so too did viruses and malware, also threatening to steal and destroy your personal data. I easily could have started here as the first step to complete data protection, but this day and age most computer users know to have some kind of security software installed, and I suspect most who have a "Digital Life" do. Data Protection Step 1: Back Up Your Digital Life Is it surprising to you that backing up your data is the "first" step to data protection? If you're a hardcore PC enthusiasts at...

How To Install Add-Ins On Your HP MediaSmart Server

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It may seem like installing add-ins is second nature to MediaSmart owners, but given that I've seen several people now ask how to do it in the forums, I thought I'd put together a simple guide explaining what add-ins are and how to install them. What Is a Home Server Add-In? First, those new to the MediaSmart Server and the Windows Home Server OS may not know what an Add-In is. Add-ins are programs and applications that can be installed to add new functionality to your server. Add-ins are written specifically for home servers, and because the home server is designed to be adminstrated and managed remotely, these applications are designed to snap into the home server console. Like any computer program, any third party can create and distribute an add-in to do just about everything. Many are useful and safe, but I always recommend using caution when installing third-party applications to your server. How To Install an Add-In to Your HP MediaSmart Server Step 1: Locate and Download the Add-In There are a variety of places you can find and download add-ins. Most add-in authors distribute them from their website or blog, and other sites have comprehensive lists for...

Add-In Review: HP Easy USB Transfer

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Simply put, HP's Easy USB Transfer add in allows you to more easily move files between a USB drive and any 3.0 loaded HP MediaSmart Server or HP Data Vault. That's right, download and install a free add in so you can move files to your server. On the surface, it's not entirely clear why such an add-in is really necessary. After all, we've all been moving files from our USB drives to our MediaSmarts for years. Plug it into the PC, open up the share on the server, and drag and drop. How is this add-in any better? The major difference is where you plug in the drive. With the Easy USB Transfer add-in installed, you plug the USB drive directly into an open port on the MediaSmart rather than in your own PC. The upside with this approach is twofold: Plugging the drive directly into the server bypasses the need to send files over the network. This can result in much faster transfer speeds, particularly for those relying on 100Mbps fast Ethernet. With the drive plugged into the server, once you initiate the transfers, you can turn off your computer while it chugs away. Those with the occasional...

Starting Out With Your MediaSmart Server? Here's The 5 Things You Should Do First

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Did you just pick up your first MediaSmart Server? Assuming you have already installed the Drive Connector software (which is definitely the VERY first thing you should do) knowing where to go next can be daunting at first. However, I'm coming to the rescue with some tips on the very first things you should do to set up and get the most from your new server. Configure Users and Guest Access What this means: In order to access files and other media on your server, and also to log in through the website or Remote Access, you will need to have user accounts set up on the device. Why do I need to do this: You can give individual accounts for family members or friends, and restrict or add access as appropriate. You'll also want to set up a Guest account for easy sharing of music, photos, and videos to digital streamers in your home. Without user accounts, you won't really be able to access data on the server. Copy Files Over to Your Server and Configure Backups It might seem basic, but one of the first things you should do is copy anything over to the server that you...

Upgrading the HP EX485/487 MediaSmart Server Processor, Removing the Smoke and Mirrors

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Purpose: This article is a culmination of the work of many on this and other web sites. The sole purpose is to clearly define and outline the steps necessary to modify your HP EX485/487 MediaSmart Server (or MSS) from a single core Intel Celeron 440 to the more powerful Intel Dual Core. It will present various options for the MSS user and provide a one stop resource for the complete upgrade process. Choosing a CPU, performance gains/benchmarks, power consumption temperature and memory upgrades are discussed as well. I will try to sort through some of the technical jargon and issues that can make this process complicated. While the scope of this article will toward the E5200 CPU that has been extensively tested, it will also list other CPU designations reported to work for your consideration. Depending on your level of expertise you might find some topics interesting or boring, but they're listed here regardless of your abilities. Some useful tips have been included and some very useful links have been placed in the reference sections at the end of the article. Warning and Disclaimer: Read this document completely before diving in! The author of the article assumes no responsibility for...