Windows Home Server is part of a long-term vision by Microsoft to create a new platform for the home. Windows Home Server helps families and home-based businesses with multiple computers to organize, share, and automatically back up photos, videos, music, and other important documents. With over 130,000 registered Microsoft Connect users, there is a strong and vibrant community of enthusiasts helping to improve Windows Home Server software.

Windows Home Server 2011 was released on 6 April 2011.  It follows the release of Power Pack 3 for the aging Windows Home Server (equivalent to client edition service packs) which added support for Windows 7 to Windows Home Server. Windows Home Server 2011 is considered a "major release".  Windows Home Server 2011 is built on the Windows Server 2008 R2 code base (its predecessor having been built on Windows Server 2003) and only supports x86-64 hardware.