Network backup and storage with Vista

[bugs]

Bought a couple of new laptops to replace some ageing Win XP Pro desktops. New ones use Vista Home Premium.

Originally planned to cannibalise the two old desktops and put the hard disks all in one PC to use as a backup thingy over the network... Vista is right fussy about backing up on to a non Vista PC (get's hissy about the ownership of the backup location). Anyway... gets me thinking about how plug-in hard disks work - is there a way of making my old PC just a box under the desk for backups and other similar storage without using Win XP (or, more to the point, using something that makes Vista happier)?

Cheers

 

[Quiltface]

Originally planned to cannibalise the two old desktops

Are you saying your a computer and your going to eat the other computers? Cuz that would be sweet.


Anyway... http://www.freenas.org/

try that... its basically an OS that you install on a pc and makes it into a NAS. check out the site and look at the instructions to see if thats what you want.

 

[bugs]

Thank you. That looks promising...

I can't work out whether I format the hard disk in the PC to clear out Windows XP or is this installed to work within(?) Windows XP?

 

[Quiltface]

no it runs as its own OS its bsd based software... it will erase your entire install of xp and everything on it.... just make sure you have what you need off of that box. you configure it through a webconsole.... dont really need keyboard or mouse hooked up to it after its isntalled.... i dont believe its been a while since i used it.