Back in December, Microsoft dutifully notified the (few) people using its Windows Home Server software that a bug in the product could corrupt files.

Typically, when Microsoft posts a bulletin outlining specific problems in its products, as it did in this case, a fix is usually right around the corner.

Not so for Windows Home Server. According to a bulletin posted this week, the bug will not be fixed until June, when the company posts a patch. That means, in essence, Windows Home Server will be on the market for a year before the fix comes.

When certain programs such as Vista Photo Gallery, Microsoft Outlook, and Intuit QuickBooks are used to edit or transfer files that are stored on a server running Windows Home Server that has more than one hard drive, the files may become corrupted, Microsoft said.

Granted, the problem should affect only a small number of the few servers actually running the software. In January, Microsoft’s Steven VanRoekel told CNET News.com’s Ina Fried that the product’s sales have exceeded the company’s expectations, though he declined to give specific numbers.

“It’s definitely tens of thousands,” VanRoekel said at the time.

A post in the Windows Home Server team blog indicates that the problem has been found and acknowledges the tardy response, but doesn’t really explain the delay:

From the outside looking in, some people would say “Why is this taking so long?” Fixing this issue is the Windows Home Server team’s top priority and the team is making good progress on the fix. We understand the issue really well at this point–it is at an extremely low level of the operating system and it requires thorough testing to ensure that the fix addresses the issue. We have coded a part of the fix which is currently being tested internally. Internal testing is expected to continue for at least several more weeks.

As ZDNet blogger Adrian Kingsley-Hughes notes, that response will do little to boost confidence in–or sales of–the product:

…a patch needs thorough testing, but there’s no excuse for releasing a file server OS containing such a critical flaw, and there’s no excuse for a fix to take so long, leaving users in the lurch in the interim.

Microsoft and market analysts have noted that Windows Home Server will remain a tough sell for some time to come. The product is targeted at consumers as a way to simplify accessing music, video, and digital photos from any home PC.

Few people, outside of Bill Gates and some optimistic analysts, expect more than token sales for at least a few years. One problem: few consumers really understand what a server is, much less why they would need one in their home.

Out-of-the-box data corruption and a tardy fix for the problem will all but guarantee niche status.

Tags: HARDWARE, COMPUTER, PROGRAMMING, MICROSOFT

Are Wi-Fi hot spots going the way of public telephone booths?

Johan Bergendahl, chief marketing officer for wireless equipment maker Ericsson, thinks they are. Bergendahl told an audience Monday during his keynote address at the European Computer Audit, Control and Security Conference in Stockholm that as more people use wireless broadband fewer people will use Wi-Fi hot spots in public places.

“Hot spots at places like Starbucks are becoming the telephone boxes of the broadband era,” Bergendahl was quoted as saying by IDG News Service.

Bergendahl argued that wireless broadband is growing faster than mixed or fixed telephony. And that eventually people will have no need to connect to hot spots, because wireless will be baked into their laptops and other devices. And service will be available everywhere. Read more »

Tags: Intel, HARDWARE, Microsoft, PROGRAMMING

Explore Windows configuration options for establishing your Internet connection.

Install a PCI card in each desktop system you want to connect to your network.

If your wireless systems won’t connect to the Internet just yet, you may need to take another step or two. On a Windows XP system, try disabling the Windows wireless-configuration feature to establish a connection. This step is also necessary if you want to use the bundled utilities. To disable this feature, click the XP Networking icon (it looks like two computer monitors) in the system tray at the bottom right of your screen. When the Wireless Network Connection dialog appears, click the Advanced button and select the Wireless Networks tab. Uncheck “Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings” and click OK to accept the change. Now reboot your system to bring the connection to life.

For operating system versions other than Windows XP, a simple reboot may be all it takes to get your Wi-Fi adapter running correctly after driver installation. Move on to the next steps even if you still can’t connect after rebooting. They should solve the problem.

Credit: CNET

Tags: HARDWARE, PROGRAMMING, Internet, INTERNET