Problems connecting to Windows Home Server Console

I recently installed a Fujitsu Scaleo Home Server. I use it mostly for backup and as Subversion, web, and database server. After a couple of days, an acquaintance of his who also bought a Fujitsu Scaleo Home server heard and said that he had problems with the installation. He had tried to reinstall several times and nothing worked. I asked him if he remembered to disconnect the Internet during the installation (as it can create some problems), but he was sure he followed everything to the letter. He even got the Windows Home Server Console icon in his systray and it was green. So something else prevented him from connecting to his server.

I took over and after I tried to connect via his console, pinged the server, checked ports in the router and scratched my head a bit, I got such a revelation that you get sometimes. Maybe everything really worked as it should, but something but the login itself went wrong. This is because the Windows Home Server Console is really just a Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) to your Windows Home Server. But this starts the Windows Home Server Console program on the server when it connects and also runs in a window that is the same start as that application. This creates the illusion that you are running an application locally that in turn is talking to the server. Usually when connecting via RDC, you must enter the address of the computer you connect to, username and password to connect with. To make this nice and easy, this process has been simplified a bit for the Windows Home Server Console so the only thing you as a user have to enter is the password.

The problem here turns out to be that Windows Home Server connects with the username you are logged in with, in my acquaintance’s “Kalle”, and no such user was on the server. Many people do not notice this at all as they run as the default user “Administrator” on their windows machine from which they connect. However, if you happen to rename your administrator account to something else, you may have this problem. However, there are two solutions to this that will get you up and running with your Windows Home Server soon.

1. Rename your local user to “Administrator” and then try to connect again.
2. Connect to the server via Remote Desktop. You can find this under
   "Start" -> "Programs" -> "Accessories" (or "Start" -> "Programs" -> "Accessories" if you are running Swedish Windows).
   
   Connect as “Administrator” and enter the password you selected during the installation of your Windows Home Server. Once logged in to the server, click on "Start" -> "Programs" -> "Administrative Tools" -> "Computer Management". When you get the program, select "Local Users and Groups" -> "Users". Right-click anywhere below the existing users and select “New user…”.
   
   Fill in the information and select your username on your local computer as username. Click from “User must change password at next logon”
   
   When your user is created, right-click on it and select “Properties” -> “Member Of” -> “Add” and type “Administrators” in the box “Enter the object name to select”.
   
   Restart your Windows Home Server and then connect via the Windows Home Server Console. Good luck!