Microsoft is gearing up to release a fix for the data corruption bug which has affected some WHS users since it was first reported in March this year. The fix will be made available as part of Power Pack 1 and which at this stage is scheduled for release in early June. Power Pack 1 is now entering the public beta phase and is a WHS update which will also bundle a number of fixes and performance improvements as well as the fix for the data corruption bug, but Microsoft has advised that public beta testing could further delay the update, "Due to the nature of the shared folder data corruption bug a broad beta test program with sufficient time for feedback is required. The timeline for a final release will depend on this feedback and testing, in order to deliver a fix of the highest quality."
The bug has been a known issue in the product for some time now and can corrupt files such as applications, music tracks, digital photos and video if they're transferred to a Windows Home Server box with two or more hard drives installed. A problem may occur if the files are transferred using a number of specific Microsoft programs, including Vista Photo Gallery, Office OneNote 2007, Outlook 2007, and Money 2007. "We've seen only by a very small percentage of users with confirmed instances of this issue," according to Microsoft in a statement released earlier this year. Microsoft said the bug is taking so long to fix because the problem presents no easy solution. "It's at an extremely low level of the operating system and it requires thorough testing to ensure that the fix addresses the issue," according to another blog post.
For a full listed of known and potential software involved in this bug, visit
this page at
www.wegotserved.co.uk
In the meantime, Microsoft is telling potentially affected users to set Windows Home Server's Shared Folders setting to read only and to avoid using media management programs, including Windows Media Player, to import files to the server. They should "also avoid redirecting applications to access files that are stored in the Shared Folders because some applications may change the metadata of a file without explicit user action," Microsoft said.
For those brave souls willing to
sign up for the public beta, the Windows Home Server Team warns they should first back up all their data before installing, after all, the point of the test is to find anything the team may have missed - which may not be great news for your WHS stored data.
