HP MediaSmart: System Temperature and Warranty Policy

According to HP, a small percentage of HP MediaSmart EX470/EX475 comes with redundant sensors that is showing false temperature readings. HP is providing a software hot-fix for the unit equipped with the faulty sensors. HP will not make any hardware repair on the affected units.

Based HP Technical Support:

The attached software patch disables the notification of the redundant sensor and ensures that you will not receive false hardware alerts in the future. The key temperature reading for your Mediasmart Server is the CPU reading. This sensor is the focus of the temperature control design and is functioning properly, so you can be assured that your HP MediaSmart Server is operating as designed.

The software patch is available only through HP Technical Support, and is not available through HP Web-Site.

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According to HP Technical Support, RAM upgrade will void MediaSmart warranty. To be honest, this is not a good move by HP. The system comes with a mere 512MB RAM, which is not enough for any real server task. Try installing McAfee Total Protection Service add-in, and the Windows Home Server’s performance will turn into a crawl.

Crucial is selling compatible RAM upgrade for HP MediaSmart EX470/EX475, unfortunately HP Warranty Policy does not support such upgrade.

HP MediaSmart EX470/EX475 Hardware Upgrade

Well, I should have looked for some informations before I started opening up the MediaSmart server. Apparently someone already went through with it, and put up a really nice instructions on how to do it.

It took me quite a chunk of my time figuring out the way to disassemble the unit. After the RAM upgrade is done, I found the instructions on the internet. I could’ve saved a lot of time opening the unit.

Anyway, what’s done is done. The next thing I want to do is upgrading the processor.