How to convert to WHS?

Curious about my understanding Vs the truth.

I have currently a file server with 6TB of drives on them, spans 4 drives. The current OS is installed on a seperate drive.

I installed WHS trial on the drive, and from what I gathered is that to add the data drives, it would have to delete the data? I would like to have WHS but at the same time, Im not wanting to find the time or the way to back up this data just to recopy it on the server.

Assist me in why I believe this is if is not true, and offer a way to properly install the OS.

Currently the Server just has shared folders that I use for my HTPC and a drive I use for backing up files.
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I don't understand your drive configuration clearly enough. If you have 4 drives which are all seperate but add up to 6TB, then you can just plug them into the WHS and it should recognize them as available storage drives assuming they are in an acceptable windows format (ntfs).

If the 4 drives are actually members of a single resource pool which currently appears on the host OS as a single 6TB volume and not as individual drives, then we'll need to look more closely.

Can you clarify and I can talk more intelligently?

Basically, if you have a drive full of data there is nothing stopping you from plugging that drive into your server and then sharing those files. With multiple drives as long as the drives are independent of eachother, it is that easy also. If the drives are dependent upon eachother now, and would not work if one or several were missing, then we'd want to look at options for that more closely.

They are all independent drives.

Im guessing (this may sound stupid) but it was trying to make them a "dependant" drive?
I recall it saying that all I would have to do is add a drive and the total "disk space" would enlarge but I would not be able to remove the drive at a later time and access its data on another computer. This is typically what would happen when a drives are installed in a raid-array but I have no clue what it is called when it is done via software

Gotcha. Maybe I need to read up on whs, but with typical server os's that is not how things are done. Still, I don't think that's the way whs works - if so that's nuts. It sounds like a feature which is possible functionality - the ability to grow a volume by adding additional disk to an existing volume. But I've never heard of there being no other option to host seperate data volumes. Like I said, not familiar with whs, but if that is the way it works its a funky ms limitation/"feature".

If no one else answers you first, I'm going to look some stuff up when I have time. On my phone now.

Im pretty sure you can add the Drive just like they are now as seprate drives . if you want to add them to the POOL ( the software raid ) in WHS then if will format them and "Join the pool"

Ok everything is good to go (sort of) because these drives were not added to the shared pool. I am having trouble sharing folders off of them. It looks like WHS relies on homegroup, which is fine. However now that I am already installed WHS and its headless. I have no way to log into the "desktop" to change these. Does anyone know if you can log in to the server without using dashboard? IE see the desktop

You should be able to use RDP to get into it and see the desktop... Typically from another pc at the run prompt I do "mstsc /v ipaddress" or "mstsc /v computername".

Alternatively, you can open an mmc console (start>run>mmc>enter) then add the snap in for "shared folders". Once you do that, it will ask you if you want to manage shared folders on this computer or another computer - select another computer and input the ipaddress or computername. That will allow you to look at the existing shares, or create new ones by selecting the disk and folder you want to share. It may prompt you for a user account and password that exists on the WHS box with administrative privileges.

I.M.O.G. said:

You should be able to use RDP to get into it and see the desktop... Typically from another pc at the run prompt I do "mstsc /v ipaddress" or "mstsc /v computername".

Alternatively, you can open an mmc console (start>run>mmc>enter) then add the snap in for "shared folders". Once you do that, it will ask you if you want to manage shared folders on this computer or another computer - select another computer and input the ipaddress or computername. That will allow you to look at the existing shares, or create new ones by selecting the disk and folder you want to share. It may prompt you for a user account and password that exists on the WHS box with administrative privileges.

Click to expand...

Thanks. It looks like the account that is created when you install WHS is not given admin access, as that account plus everyone I created tells me "this user is not authorized for remote login. :/ looks like I will have to go and hook up a monitor and do some admin changes (unless you know a way around this)

Ok It works good enough for now. I did manage to reshare all the folders in those drives before disconnecting. Once I created a user, it lets me view those folders...which is fine cause the main goal is to remap my htpc. I will sort the pool out later, I have ordered some drives so i will start adding them to make one pool.

Well, turns out you shouldn't need to RDP, and in fact doing so on WHS can break some things because although its built upon W2K3 server SP2, its not a full fledged edition.

This should get you everything you need, and you should have a CD for it which allows you to install the windows home server console on your home computers:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd347488(WS.10).aspx

I.M.O.G. said:

You should be able to use RDP to get into it and see the desktop... Typically from another pc at the run prompt I do "mstsc /v ipaddress" or "mstsc /v computername".

Alternatively, you can open an mmc console (start>run>mmc>enter) then add the snap in for "shared folders". Once you do that, it will ask you if you want to manage shared folders on this computer or another computer - select another computer and input the ipaddress or computername. That will allow you to look at the existing shares, or create new ones by selecting the disk and folder you want to share. It may prompt you for a user account and password that exists on the WHS box with administrative privileges.

Click to expand...

I.M.O.G. said:

Well, turns out you shouldn't need to RDP, and in fact doing so on WHS can break some things because although its built upon W2K3 server SP2, its not a full fledged edition.

This should get you everything you need, and you should have a CD for it which allows you to install the windows home server console on your home computers:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd347488(WS.10).aspx

Click to expand...

Yeah I got that installed, while it says dashboard will do everything you will ever need to do. its clearly speaking to someone who does not have a true home network. Thanks again

Sounds like hooking up a monitor and keyboard is your best bet then, and making sure the built in admin account is enabled or that you insert another user account into the remote desktop users group. The administrator account is permitted to RDP by default, but you'll need it to be enabled and have a password setup on it.