Windows 2000 Media Server Setup
This is best done as a fresh install of Windows 2000 Server on to
a freshly formatted NTFS partition. Windows Media Server is included
with Windows 2000 Server (though you may need the Advanced Server
variant), but is not automatically installed.
Installing is typical. When the installer eventually asks what
components to install, make sure you UNCHECK IIS which is evil
and not required. Make sure you CHECK Windows Media Services.
Alternatively, you may defer installing Windows Media Services
until after the base OS is in place, apply the latest Service Pack
from Microsoft, and then use the Add/Remove Windows COmponents
control panel to add the capability.
Depending on your needs, you may also need to Configure
Server -> Server Properties -> HTTP Streaming and Distribution
so that it is set to WMS Enable HTTP streaming for Windows Media
Unicast service.
Windows 2000 Media Server Notes
When it is installed properly, a user NetShowServices and a
group NetShow Administrators will be created. Also, four
services will be started, and unlike most other services for which
Log On As = LocalSystem, these services will have
Log On As = .\NetShowServices will be used.
Under some circumstance
services may be misconfigured and not start properly. In this situation
in may be best to use the Add/Remove Windows Components
control panel to uninstall Windows Media Server, and if necessary
remove the user and group (if uninstalling doesn't already do that).
Then reboot, and reinstall using the same control panel.
Windows 2000 Server + laptop = no sleep
Beware of running Windoes 2000 Server on laptops. If the battery runs
low the system will just shutoff, no sleep. All the snazy sleep modes
for Windows 2000 Professional are not present in the server version.
CD Burning - using Easy CD Creator
First off, recent versions of Easy CD Creator (circa Version 5)
may appear to HANG or otherwise LOCK A MACHINE UP when in fact massive
deep file directories are being processed. Delays of 20 minutes or so
are NOT UNUSUAL! BE PATIENT! This also means that there may be little
value in buying a 1000X CDRW drive over a 4X one since this delay has
nothing to do with the CD burner hardware. Furthermore, at least
older (circa version 4) versions of Easy CD Creator were well written
enough to show nice file update activity and otherwise
not hork out on the system during the initial file setup. Later versions
are prone to hogging the CPU, ignoring window updates (which makes the display
seem to hang), and otherwise not indicate what its doing - bad, bad, bad!
Otherwise the software work pretty well. Note, ar some point
Microsoft will probably incorporate into the next version of Windows
CD burning capabilities equivelent to the most common used features in
Easy CD Creator. Which means future version of CD Creator will be even more
funky and prone to ignoring the user in order to free up their developers
time to enable some wanger, esoteric performance burning mode not yet
supported by Microsoft 'initially'.
