Although not very widely known, Microsoft released Windows Home Server two years ago in the hopes that it would make it easier for consumers to distribute content throughout the home, and even abroad.

Windows Home Server (WHS) is an operating system in itself, but of the home server variety, meaning that its core function is to aggregate the content on multiple PCs connected in a home network. The idea is that you would have all the files from these multiple PCs backed up and stored on a central home server - which could be a PC with WHS installed and an external hard drive attached or a home server unit - and then be able to ‘serve' the content to the connected PCs over the home network. WHS also allows you to stream content from the central server to other devices like, an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, for instance, so that you can play them on an HDTV.

WHS can function in tandem with Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 (when it launches in October). As simple as it is to install and set up, that's really only the case when a lot of the legwork is done for you. Your best bet in getting a good and dependable WHS setup, with little know-how and maintenance on your part, is to purchase a home server unit. Two that stand out are HP's MediaSmart Server and Acer's Aspire easyStore H340.

Just to summarize before I go on, these home server units run on WHS, so you can manage everything through the clean interface of the WHS Console. That means you can set up guest accounts for those who visit your home, as well as for relatives living abroad. You can set parameters for them, too, so if you want them to be able to view content, but not have the authority to copy or delete anything, it's easily done.

You can set up automated backups as well, meaning WHS will first copy over all files stored on each PC with WHS installed (the install disc comes with each of the home server units I mentioned) and then allocate them into proper shared folders for music, video, photos, etc. based on the file format. Thereafter, it will copy over any new files that have been created since the previous backup sequence. This way, you can be sure that if you accidentally lose something on your PC, there's a very good chance it's already been backed up on the home server unit.

In order for other users to be able to see and access the files you have stored on the home server unit, you need to enable Media Sharing under Settings on the WHS Console. It's a simple process of just checking the On buttons. WHS also includes an iTunes server that can stream an entire music library to the iTunes application on any PC in the home network. Store your iTunes library on the home server unit, enable the iTunes server in the WHS Settings, and you should see it show up when you launch the program on your PC. This is good in cases where your music library is huge, but the amount of space on your PC is limited.

I mentioned earlier that you can provide relatives and friends access to your content, even if they live half a world away. This is called Remote Access, and in order for you to enable it, you just need to configure a few things that are explained in the Remote Access tab under Settings in WHS. This has two benefits; one, you can access your own files when you're out and about, and two, you can share whatever you want with whomever you like. To do this, you will need to set up "guest" accounts (you have a limit of 10), which I mentioned before, and it's very simple to do through WHS. From there, your guest can have access through a username and password. What he or she is able to do with the content is entirely up to you. If you'd rather they not be able to copy or delete anything, you can set their access to "read only". Once everything is set, you can get into your WHS through a Web browser by typing in the address that you created when you configured remote access. The same is true for your guest accounts. The one complaint I have about this feature is that it doesn't work as well with Firefox or Safari. Microsoft suggests that Internet Explorer provides the best experience (surprise, surprise).

WHS also keeps tabs on the "health" of your home server unit and the PCs connected to it. If there are updates that need to be installed, the Network tab at the top of the WHS Console will indicate that it needs your attention by changing colour to red or orange (green means everything is fine). This works in conjunction with the McAfee security software that comes with the home server units and WHS. It's a trial version that can last up to seven months, though I find its existence more of an annoyance, personally. But uninstalling it can be a pain, and if you're not overly tech-savvy, you're better off just running the course of the trial and then forgetting about it after.

The Lights Out option allows you to determine when the home server unit should go into sleep or hibernation mode. You can set the time and intervals for when the unit should power down, which could be right after it performs a backup when you go to bed. It's a power-saving measure that lowers the wattage the unit draws in.

If you're the type to like the idea of having less clutter in the home by being able to store tons of movies, music and photos and them across the home wirelessly, then a home server with WHS might just be right up your alley. They are costly, though, with the HP MediaSmart Server starting at $399 and the Acer Aspire easyStore H340 at $499.