How do I connect my computer to the server?

Published: April 26, 2010

Updated: March 30, 2011

Applies To: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

You can connect your computer in the network to the Windows SBS 2011 Essentials server using the Connect a Computer to the Server wizard. You can launch this wizard by typing https://<servername>/connect Internet address in your Internet browser, where <servername> is the name of the server. The wizard installs the Connector software on your client computer and joins it your server. Windows SBS 2011 Essentials then automatically backs up your computer (if set up to do so), monitors its health, and enables you to configure and to remotely administer Windows SBS 2011 Essentials from your client computer.

Before you begin

Before you begin connecting your client computers, do the following:

• Ensure that the computer meets the prerequisites to connect to the server. To learn about the prerequisites, see Prerequisites for connecting a computer to the server.

• Ensure that the Windows SBS 2011 Essentials supports the operating system that is running on the computer. For a list of supported operating systems, see Supported operating systems for client computers.

• Review the changes that are made to the computer by the Windows SBS 2011 Essentials server when you run the Connector software at What changes does the server make to a client computer

Important

Windows SBS 2011 Essentials does not support backing up and restoring dynamic disks on client computers. If you want the server to create backups for your computer, do not use a computer with dynamic disks.

Connecting your client the computers to the server

This section includes step-by-step instructions to connect a computer to a server that is running Windows SBS 2011 Essentials. To complete this procedure, you will need the following information:

• The new network user name and password of the person who uses the computer. You can get this information from the person who manages your server.

• The user name and password of the computer’s local administrator account (if you are not logged on to the computer as a local administrator).

Note

Complete the following procedure on all of your other computers to connect them to the Windows SBS 2011 Essentials server.

To connect your computer to the server

1. Log on to your computer that you want to connect to the server.

Note

If this computer has multiple user accounts, then log on using the user account whose documents, pictures, and personal preferences you want to keep after you connect this computer to the server.

2. Open an Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer.

3. In the address bar, type https://<servername>/Connect, where <servername> is the name of the server, and then press ENTER.

4. The Connect your computer to the server page appears. Do one of the following:

   • For a computer running Windows, click Download software for Windows.

   • For a computer running Mac OS X or later, click Download software for Mac.

5. In the file download security warning message, click Run.

6. If the User Account Control message appears, either click Continue or type your local user name and password.

7. The Connect a Computer to the Server wizard appears. Do the following to complete the wizard:

   1. On the Type your new network user name and password page, enter the network user name and password that you have obtained from the person who manages your server.

   2. If you have documents, pictures, or personal preferences (such as desktop backgrounds, screen savers, or Internet Explorer favorites) that you want to keep after you join your computer to the new network, on the Choose if you want to move your existing data and settings page of the wizard, select the Move my data and settings to my new network user account.

   3. Choose whether or not you want to automatically wake this computer in order to create a backup on the Choose if you want to wake this computer to create its backup page.

   4. Follow the remaining instructions in the wizard to join your computer to the network.

8. After you join your computer to the network, use your new user name and password to log on to your computer.

9. Once the computer is successfully connected to the server, shortcuts to the Launchpad and the server Dashboard will appear on the Start menu of the computer’s desktop, which can be used as follows:

   1. From the Launchpad link, you can access the Shared folders shortcut, configure computer backups, address alerts, and open the Remote Access Web site.

   2. From the Dashboard link, you can to administer the server that is running Windows SBS 2011 Essentials.

For troubleshooting problems with connecting your computer to the server, see Troubleshoot connecting computers to the server.