The short version
Last week my laptop crashed and I needed to restore the hard disk. I make a backup everyday automatically using my Windows Home Server (version 1). I took the PC restore disc and booted the laptop and although the restore would start it would never complete.
Windows Home Server version 1 is not reliable enough for PC backup and if you’re using it you should replace it immediately. A possible alternative is a Acronis True Image which will be discussed further in a future post.
The long version
Restore software should just work; this was the promise of Windows Home Server but it is one that is no longer delivered. There are numerous problems reported on the Internet.
The network driver issue
One problem is that Windows Home Server version 1 was created for 32-bit Windows and I am now running Windows 7 64-bit on all my computers. Windows Home Server makes a copy of all your PC drivers to the server but these are 64-bit drivers and Windows Home Server restore is a 32-bit application therefore even if you copy these drivers onto a USB drive which you plug into the laptop when the restore application prompts you to do so you will not get a network connection to the backup archive on the Windows Home Server.
You must download 32-bit Vista network drivers from your PC manufacturer’s website and put these on the thumb drive instead of the 64-bit drivers
The stopping issue
The restore would execute for about three hours and then simply stop with no message.
Others have reported that when it stopped they got a “network error” message. Possible fixes include,
- Ensuring that you have an Ethernet cable from your PC to the same switch as the server
- ensuring that your DHCP leases are set to several days and do not expire during the restore.
I have fixed IP-addresses and a fast wired network therefore I think this is a software bug in the Windows Home Server, either in the restore routine or corruption of the actual data.
Alternative restore techniques
Direct connection to the server
There is an alternative that may work for some people but did not work for me. If you put the disc to be restored in a USB Drive Dock which you attach to the server itself you may be able to use the clientRestore.exe software present on server to restore the backup to the attached disk without going across the network.
Manual
Although it was not possible for me to restore the disk image from Windows Home Server it was possible to restore individual data files and directories providing that I did not try to copy too many files at once. Therefore the approach that I took to restore my laptop was to do a fresh install of the operating system (to a newly purchased disc) and then manually copy all my data onto the laptop and reinstall all my applications. This will be discussed in a future post
Dr James Bayley 
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I’ve restored two systems using WHS v1, I just don’t use the restore CD, I use the restore wizard in the WHS folder on a different system on the network, and restore to a new HD in a USB dock (an inexpensive ~$25 USB 3.0 HD dock). Works perfectly every time. I put the newly restored to HD into the system whose HD failed and it boots right up every time!
Thank you for a very helpful post. As you will know WHS was discontinued, as a result I have moved to using Microsoft 365 Home for my family. OneDrive provides 5TB of highly available offsite storage with the ability to sync it content to a local drive. This fulfils all my domestic and small business requirements. I talk a lot about my availability and backup strategies in this post,
https://blog.jamesbayley.com/2016/01/03/the-definative-guide-to-backing-up-your-home-computer/
I do not know if you are (or can) patch your servers. In any case you should verify that SMBv1 is disabled to remove your vulnerability to the the Wannacry ransomware worm.
Microsoft released a patch for Server 2003 that fixed the vulnerability that WanaCry exploited. I manually applied that to my WHS v1 system. BTW, I’m quite successfully using WHS v1 to backup (and restore) Windows 10 systems. While you can’t install the WHS v1 connector on Windows 10, a system that had the connector installed can be upgraded to Windows 10 and the WHS v1 connector will continue to function. I’m currently setting up a WHS 2011 system to replace my WHS v1 system.
Awesome!
Hi James –
I’m in a bit of a bind with WHS v1, but it sounds like you have a solution. My question is regarding the “restore wizard.” Where can I find this? I think if you can help me get there, then I can figure out the rest.
Dear Raul, I am sorry I missed your enquiry while I was away. I hope that you found what you were looking for. My primary use of WHS was for backups and I no longer use WHS. I discuss my current backup strategy in this post https://blog.jamesbayley.com/2016/01/03/the-definative-guide-to-backing-up-your-home-computer/