Setup Windows Server Essentials on HTPC + XBMC

[WinServer2012]

hi guys,

I've just finished building my Mini-ITX media PC. This PC will be used for the following purposes:-

1. General Office/Kids School Work/Web Browsing on Windows
2. As a Media PC which is directly connected to a HDTV.
3. As a Central Media & Data Solution for the home, so that other devices can access the shared content such as movies, music etc.
4. As a Backup Solution (At a much later date). For now it's only got 120 ssd drives for windows and other apps and 1tb for xbmc + movies and other collection.


Since I need to have Windows for definite, I have downloaded Essentials 2012 trial and now need your expert help with the following questions:-

1. Can windows server essentials work the same as Windows 8 Pro - i.e, can I create user accounts for kids for example?
2. If the answer is Yes to question 1, then how can I protect the server from accidently being messed up by the kids? i.e. user accounts, rights and/or blocking them from writing to windows etc?
3. How do I setup essentials to act as a Central Solution for all my devices, so that they can access it's data, but are blocked from everything else?

Thank you

[finlay666]

1. Yes but it's a very bad idea
2. Same way you make user accounts with limited access.
3. Network shared folders work fine on WHS2011 and pretty much everything else

[WinServer2012]

1. Yes but it's a very bad idea
2. Same way you make user accounts with limited access.
3. Network shared folders work fine on WHS2011 and pretty much everything else

Can i ask you why it's a bad idea and what solution do you recommend?

[finlay666]

Using a server as a desktop OS is a bad idea because the system is heavily locked down by default, IE won't load external websites for example as a security risk

Only parts 3 and 4 on your uses are even remotely suited to a server, but both aren't suitable as a central data system is only of use if you have data in a central location for multiple devices that is always on, and there is no point having a server acting as a back up system when it will be backing up the machine itself. Both of those options are served by a client OS and software

Multiple machines would be better, you can't really virtualise a HTPC but you can with a backup system or CDN.

I'd also look at the backup options, for what you want unless Server Essentials 2012 has added a lot of functionality over WHS2011/SBS2011 the backup won't do what you think it will do without a lot of work

[WinServer2012]

Thanks for your reply. Backup isn't really my priority for now. On my previous computer, my kids have either managed to delete or mess up/slow down their windows account by downloading rubbish My main concern is to be able to use the pc for office/school work, but kids should not be able to mess up windows. Still not sure how i can do this.

[realstock]

If you give your kids access to the Server without performing a lot of work to lock down their user profiles, you are running the risk of compromising all of the data on that server.

Personally I wouldn't allow logon access to the server for the children, and buy yourself a really cheap nettop box or something for them to do their work on. It might seem an unwarranted expense, but if the server is destroyed or requires a rebuild, you will consume a lot of time rectifying the situation, even worse you could lose unrecoverable pictures videos etc.

You would need to by an OS (Windows Pro or above) for the nettop, to allow you to join the domain so you can then share out shares from the server.

[WinServer2012]

I do appreciate your advice and concerns realstock, but I'm willing to take the risk with that as I can't afford another pc. I'd be happy to lock down their profiles upto a point where they can't download anything, although surely with Window 2012 being server software, isn't that pretty straight-forward?

Also what is Hyper-V and is it any useful for me?

[realstock]

HyperV is a virtualization feature, so you could run additional VMs on the same hardware, that could be the answer.

You could create a Windows 7 VM, and put a link on the desktop for the children. You could take a copy of the vhdx (virtual hard disk) too and if they destroy it you could reload it.

Locking down profiles isn't as easy as you could imagine, because servers usually do not allow domain users to logon. The best way to lock down would be to use Group Policy that is like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. I hope you have some free time.

[WinServer2012]

Hyper V sounds very complex to setup

To get my head around this, lets say I set up 2 accounts on Windows 2012 Essentials:-

1st account will be admin (for me)
2nd account will be called family (for kids and everyone else)

Now here are a few questions:-

1. How do i install/apply Hyper-V on kids account?
2. Is it difficult to setup?
3. Will I be able to create a virtual environment, where if the kids make changes and logout, those changes will be backup to the state I set it up to be?
4. If the answer to question 3 is Yes, how do kids save their homework for example?
5. Can all the above, including Hyper-V be done with Win 8 Pro or would I be better off using Essentials?

[herulach]

I would be very tempted to run *nix for your server/xbmc needs and then give the kids a virtual machine with windows when they log on. Virtual Box is free and can do this fairly trivially using VBoxSDL to launch the VM in a users logon script then log off when the process terminates.

You'd then just need to have a separate logon for your XBMC user (which is good practice anyway) that can launch that.

If you wanted to be really snazzy you could set up MultiSeatX and have XBMC live permanently on the TV output. You'd need a separate physical GPU to do that though, which you may not have available (Integrated + cheap discrete would be fine).

The VMs can be reset at the click of a button to any state you fancy taking an image of, and Samba is at least as capable as windows server if you just want simple filesharing (you can even set it up as domain controller if you want)

[realstock]

You don't want much do ya

1. HyperV is a role or feature of the server, installed through the server manager.
2. No its windows after all, so as long as you can click next>next>finish you'll be fine.
3. That will be standard anyway.
4. Presumably you could set them a share on the server, and they could back it up there.
5. Windows 8 Pro.

If you google "install hyperv server 2012" you'll come across technet articles and videos on how to do most of these things above.

[WinServer2012]

@ herulach - Thank mate. I really do want to avoid linux or apps as much as possible, because I've tried in the past and find them way too complicated. Is what you mentioned not possible with any version of windows?

@realstock - lol! Yeah, sorry mate...I'm fairly familiar with windows generally, but not with the server/client stuff. I've never setup virtual environments, so want to make sure that I do it right. Thanks for the answers. I do have Win 8 Pro too, but how do I set it up to act as a central server/media solution? For example Essentials allows me to create a domain where everyone can connect to and access, but can this be done with Win 8 Pro? If yes, how? If not, how do i give access to other pc's on my home network?

[herulach]

@ herulach - Thank mate. I really do want to avoid linux or apps as much as possible, because I've tried in the past and find them way too complicated. Is what you mentioned not possible with any version of windows?

@realstock - lol! Yeah, sorry mate...I'm fairly familiar with windows generally, but not with the server/client stuff. I've never setup virtual environments, so want to make sure that I do it right. Thanks for the answers. I do have Win 8 Pro too, but how do I set it up to act as a central server/media solution? For example Essentials allows me to create a domain where everyone can connect to and access, but can this be done with Win 8 Pro? If yes, how? If not, how do i give access to other pc's on my home network?

In theory the log straight into a VM option is possible, but I don't know about the logout on close functionality. You'd have to experiment with it - I've never tried to script a pre-desktop startup scipt on windows. I don't know if running vbox as an unprivileged user on WHS will stop it accessing the network. If it does you could possible have it running as a proper headless server then run some kind of remote desktop connection on logon.

Multiseat is possible on windows, but I'm pretty certain it will be non-free.

[realstock]

Essentials allows me to create a domain where everyone can connect to and access, but can this be done with Win 8 Pro? If yes, how? If not, how do i give access to other pc's on my home network?

Yes it can be done with windows 8, you would just enable sharing on a folder (right mouse click, sharing tab). To connect to the share you would need to login with "computer name\username then password configured on the OS.

This is messy, but can be done.

For example i have a HTPC at home, and a Thecus NAS that i use for filesharing. So on that NAS i have created a local user and i map drives to access films/music/pictures. To ensure that it does map properly I have create a batch file to run on every boot.

[mycarsavw]

Using a server as a desktop really isn't a good idea. If you already have W8P you've got almost everything you need

Give the kids limited user accounts and assign HDD quotas to stop them filling up the HDDs with rubbish.

If you need to watch/record TV you'll have to add the Media Centre addin. If you want to share the content, setup HomeGroups.

[WinServer2012]

Using a server as a desktop really isn't a good idea. If you already have W8P you've got almost everything you need

Give the kids limited user accounts and assign HDD quotas to stop them filling up the HDDs with rubbish.

If you need to watch/record TV you'll have to add the Media Centre addin. If you want to share the content, setup HomeGroups.

Yes, your correct and I've just installed Win8Pro

"A Limited user account" is fine and that has already been created, but the issue is not disk space as I've got plenty of space. But for example I can't watch over them 24/7 and kids being kids do tend to download stuff (hotbar? smiley pack? conduit?) sometimes deliberately and sometimes accidentally. By creating a Virtual Environment, at least I know that whatever changes they make, they will not be applied.

HomeGroups is also okay, but upto a point...how do I stop or limit the rights of certain users accessing files within a Homegroup? For example, let's say my cousin came over with his laptop...I want gave him access to the a folder called Music, but I don't want him to be able to view a folder Documents from his pc...how do I block him, yet allow the rest to be able to view it?

Also, how do I centralise user accounts, so that a user called Billy on one pc can access his account on another pc on the same network?

As for media centre - I hate it as it's slow. I prefer either xbmc or something else.