Add-In Central WHS Add-In Available Now To All

April 7, 2010 by Andrew Edney 14 Comments

Back in February we talked about the new add-in for Windows Home Server called Add-In Central, well now it is available to anyone, not just those select few on the closed beta.

Here is what the guys over at HomeServerLand have to say about Add-in Central:

The add-in software and service designed to help you discover and track useful add-ins right from within the Windows Home Server Console. Enhance your Windows Home Server experience by browsing for add-ins by category, keyword, or even by community rated popularity. Useful summaries, screenshots, and documentation links are provided to help guide your search. Once you’ve located an add-in that looks interesting, Add-in Central can automatically download it to your home server and help you along with a hassle-free installation process.

INSTALLING ADD-IN CENTRAL

Once you have downloaded Add-in Central you just install it like any other add-in for Windows Home Server.

USING ADD-IN CENTRAL

Once you have installed in, and restarted the console, you will notice a new tab called Add-in Central.

The add-in will show you if there are any new updates to the catalogue.

You can also see a list of popular add-ins and choose from them.

You can search for add-ins by category.

Or by author…..

Or just see them all.

You can see what add-ins you have installed and if there are any updates available to download.

In my case there are a few and so the add-in gives me the option to download them – which I did.

All I needed to do was tell the add-in where my Add-ins directory was (and it had already found it anyway).

You can then watch the progress of the download.

And you are given instructions what to do next – in my case, uninstall the old add-in and install the new one.

ADD-IN CENTRAL SETTINGS

There are three pages of settings that can be accessed and changed.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I love this add-in, it’s simply one of the best add-ins available for Windows Home Server. It is great to be able to have a single place to go to look for updates to my current add-ins or search for new add-ins. The add-in was very easy to use, and it pointed out to me that I was several versions behind on some of my add-ins, plus it was nice to see what other people are downloading.

All I can say is a big well done to the guys over at HomeServerLand and please keep up the good work!

You can download the beta from here: http://www.homeserverland.com/downloads/m/whsaddins/7825.aspx

Have you used it? What do you think of it? Leave us a comment….

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Windows Home Server

Add In, add-in central, Beta, Console, Home Server, home server land, ignore, Using Windows Home Server, UWHS, WHS

About Andrew Edney

This post was written by Andrew Edney who has written 6079 posts for Connected Digital World. I am the owner and editor of this site. I have been interested in gadgets and tech since I was a little kid. I have also written a number of books on various tech subjects. I also write for The Huffington Post. And I am honoured to be a Microsoft MVP for Windows Home Server since January 2008.

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Diehard

I was beta testing this addin and enjoy using it, also glad it's free.

I noticed that it grabs the 5th spot in the Console toolbar so that it will allways be visable when you open the Console.

I also noticed your Server's Critical Warning , Andrew
- Andrew Edney
  
  Yeah, I meant to turn the warning off – it was telling me I hadnt backed up a machine for a while!
  
  Andrew
Diehard

sorry, 6th position.
pawtrski

well, af first glance this program seemed to be very promising, that was short lived however when i used it to update a add-in that it was saying was out of date. I proceeded to download & install it and then when i went to restart the console it crashed and refuses to open the console. I can RDP to it (but cant open the console), i can add and retrieve files from it, i just cant open the console. Just what i needed to happen just a couple of days before a cross country road trip a server reinstall with all the add-in's and Email services……… Initial look given 5 stars but after some minor usage 1-2 stars
- Michael
  
  I experienced a very similar thing with this addin. I had to remote into the server, eventually got this thing uninstalled, but yes it had locked up my console. Good idea though. The other issue I had with it was not recognizing the proper installed version of PerfectDisk I had running. Addin Central always wanted to download an update that was older than my installed version. I also did some checking to find that some listed new addins had newer versions available on their websites than what listed in Addin Central itself.
Dirk

@patrski

Sounds nasty but maybe BETA software should not be installed on critical systems. I have been beta testing this adding for a while now with no issues, well I had a minor issue but that was due to another addin. Sometimes add-ins fail to install or uninstall, to be fair your issue may not be due to add-in central.

I would remote desktop and uninstall Add-in Central just in case.
http://www.TheOfficeMaven.com/ Mike Craven (The Off

Hi pawtrski,

Can you please tell me what add-in it was that you were updating?

Better yet, please head over to Add-in Central's support forum, post a message there (or you can e-mail me directly from my web site located at http://www.TheOfficeMaven.com) and I'll be more than happy to walk you through getting your WHS Console working again.

Sorry you had a problem (but that's what betas are for right).

– MIKE
pawtrski

Dirk, the way the article read (at least to me) it seemed as if it was a release and not beta, that was my fault for adding it to my system, I have tried unistalling the add in, using the onlymethod available (add remove programs) and still nothing the only thing i get when trying to open the console is the drive extender migrator service failed to start, i went into service to start it and then open the console but still nothing.

|Mike i was installing the WHS backup database add in. i have tried everything that i know of, event viewer in this cas is useless, almost no information of value other than Numerous events of the add in central was unable to locate add-ins
- http://usingwindowshomeserver.com Andrew Edney
  
  Sorry that you thought it was the final version, the link for the download in the article clearly said it was a beta.
  
  Andrew
http://www.TheOfficeMaven.com Mike Craven (The Off

Hi pawtrski,

I'd prefer to use the Add-in Central support forum for this:

http://www.homeserverland.com/forums/officemaven/…

However, here's what I'd try:

1) Do a Remote Desktop Connection to your WHS as the Administrator.

2) Go to: Start -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs

3) If the WHS Backup Database add-in is listed there, then go ahead and uninstall it. If it's listed more than once, then uninstall all copies of the add-in.

4) Go to: Start -> Run -> Regedit.exe

5) Browse to the following registry branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows Home ServerRegisteredAdditions

6) Look through all of the GUID's under that registry branch for the one that relates to the WHS Backup Database add-in and delete it.

You should now hopefully be able to start the WHS Console. If not, then please post a new thread on the Add-in Central support forum and I'll help you out further from over there.

– MIKE
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TCM

Complete disaster as an add in. My console now loads perhaps one in three times, using any of three separate computers. Other times freezes or just a black screen only.

When the console will load….

Wiped out my normal "add-ins" tab, replaced by a addin central tab, which gives no way to uninstall itself. looks like it will have to be a complete re-installation of WHS.

Can still access everything thru my network, so WHS itself is still running.

Use this at your peril.
- http://usingwindowshomeserver.com Andrew Edney
  
  TCM
  
  I have been using it for months on a number of different machines without any problems. Its sounds like one of the add-ins may be causing a conflict.
  
  Have you left a message on their support forum?
  
  Andrew
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Add-In Central WHS Add-In Available Now To All

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