Re: I wanna build a NAS - Peanuts in the gallery invited to comment.
@ PCBONEZ: if you want to keep files safe when you reinstall Windows, then you need a backup more than a NAS
Why not buying an external hard disk big enough for all you important data? It's cheaper, nothing to configure and works reasonably well for the job: a NAS is better suited for a lan environment in which clients need to access files stored in a single server, so the NAS is slightly more than a dedicated file server.
IMHO both FreeNAS and OpenFiler are too complex for your job (backup): they'll give you headaches in configuring them. But if you really want a NAS or you like the idea of a centralized storage, then look for FreeNAS: OpenFiler increased requirements with the last version (release 2.3) while previous 2.2 could run on a 500 MHz cpu with 256 MB of ram; OTOH FreeNAS still runs on a 12 years old pc with 96 MB of ram.
File and partition thing: you can't access directly to files as they were in your pc's hard disk, instead the operating system installed in the NAS shows them to you.
Let me show an example: you want to buy some some screws from an hardware store. You can't enter the rear depot: the clerk enters the depot, reach section 7, shelf 19, box A03 and takes the screws. You can ask the clerk if you speak the same language. Replace store with NAS, screws with files, clerck with OS, depot/shelf/box ... with partitions, directories and subdirectories and language with protocol (NFS, CIFS/SMB, AFP, ...).
So it's pointless if not disadvantageous to choose a Windows file system for a Linux or BSD based NAS: the protocol hides these details allowing different OSes, computers and architectures to communicate with themselves as long as they speak a common language.
Zandrax
@ PCBONEZ: if you want to keep files safe when you reinstall Windows, then you need a backup more than a NAS
Why not buying an external hard disk big enough for all you important data? It's cheaper, nothing to configure and works reasonably well for the job: a NAS is better suited for a lan environment in which clients need to access files stored in a single server, so the NAS is slightly more than a dedicated file server.
IMHO both FreeNAS and OpenFiler are too complex for your job (backup): they'll give you headaches in configuring them. But if you really want a NAS or you like the idea of a centralized storage, then look for FreeNAS: OpenFiler increased requirements with the last version (release 2.3) while previous 2.2 could run on a 500 MHz cpu with 256 MB of ram; OTOH FreeNAS still runs on a 12 years old pc with 96 MB of ram.
File and partition thing: you can't access directly to files as they were in your pc's hard disk, instead the operating system installed in the NAS shows them to you.
Let me show an example: you want to buy some some screws from an hardware store. You can't enter the rear depot: the clerk enters the depot, reach section 7, shelf 19, box A03 and takes the screws. You can ask the clerk if you speak the same language. Replace store with NAS, screws with files, clerck with OS, depot/shelf/box ... with partitions, directories and subdirectories and language with protocol (NFS, CIFS/SMB, AFP, ...).
So it's pointless if not disadvantageous to choose a Windows file system for a Linux or BSD based NAS: the protocol hides these details allowing different OSes, computers and architectures to communicate with themselves as long as they speak a common language.
Zandrax
), but I don't know if it can import all Acces databases; I'm not into HTPC so I can't help with MythTV, better asking help in dedicated 
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