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

April 7, 2010 by 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.

Add-In Central logo

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.

Add-in central available to install

USING ADD-IN CENTRAL

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

Console

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

New Updates

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

Popular

You can search for add-ins by category.

Categories

Or by author…..

Authors

Or just see them all.

All

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

Installed

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

New Versions Available

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

Browse for add-ins folder

You can then watch the progress of the download.

Download in progress

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

Download suceeded

ADD-IN CENTRAL SETTINGS

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

Add-in Central about

Add-in Central settings

Add-in Central services

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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Add-Ins, Windows Home Server V1
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About Andrew Edney

This post was written by who has written 3673 posts on Connected Digital World. I am the owner and editor of this site. I have been interested in gadgets and tech since I was little. I have also written a number of books on various tech subjects. 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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