Contents at a Glance
Chapter 1
Getting Started with Windows XP Professional 1
Chapter 2
Automating the Windows XP Installation 37
Chapter 3
Upgrading to Windows XP Professional 93
Chapter 4
Configuring the Windows XP Environment 117
Chapter 5
Managing the Windows XP Professional Desktop 169
Chapter 6
Managing Users and Groups 195
Chapter 7
Managing Security 237
Chapter 8
Managing Disks 279
Chapter 9
Accessing Files and Folders 335
Chapter 10
Managing Network Connections 389
Chapter 11
Managing Printing 439
Chapter 12
Dial-Up Networking and Internet Connectivity 481
Chapter 13
Optimizing Windows XP 551
Chapter 14
Performing System Recovery Functions 605
Glossary
679
Index 718
Contents
Introduction xxi
Assessment Test xxxiv
Chapter 1 Getting Started with Windows XP Professional 1
Preparing to Install Windows XP Professional 2
Hardware Requirements 3
The Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) 5
BIOS Compatibility 6
Driver Requirements 6
Clean Install or Upgrade? 6
Installation Options 7
Choosing Your Installation Method 10
Running the Windows XP Professional Installation Process 11
Collecting Information 12
Preparing Installation 12
Installing Windows XP Professional 12
Finalizing Installation 14
Using Automatic Updates 17
Using Product Activation 17
Using Windows Update 18
Accessing Windows Update 18
Other Windows Update Options 19
Windows Service Packs 23
Troubleshooting Installation Problems 23
Identifying Common Installation Problems 24
Troubleshooting Installation Errors with
the
Boot.ini
File 25
Installing Non-Supported Hard Drives 26
Troubleshooting with Installation Log Files 26
Supporting Multiple-Boot Options 27
Summary 28
Exam Essentials 28
Review Questions 29
Answers to Review Questions 34
Chapter 2 Automating the Windows XP Installation 37
Choosing Automated Deployment Options 38
An Overview of Unattended Installation 39
An Overview of Remote Installation 40
An Overview of the System Preparation Tool
and Disk Imaging 42
Contents
ix
Summary of Windows XP Professional
Deployment Options 44
Accessing the Windows XP Professional Deployment Tools 45
Deploying Unattended Installations 47
Using Remote Installation Services (RIS) 49
RIS Client Options 50
Preparing the RIS Server 51
Preparing the RIS Client 59
Installing Windows XP Professional through RIS 60
Using the System Preparation Tool to Create Disk Images 61
Preparing for Disk Duplication 61
Using the System Preparation Tool 62
Using Setup Manager to Create Answer Files 66
Options That Can Be Configured through Setup Manager 66
Creating Answer Files with Setup Manager 67
Manually Editing Unattended Answer Files 72
Installing Applications with Windows Installer Packages 78
Copying the MSI Application to a Share 79
Creating a Group Policy Object 79
Filtering the Group Policy Object 80
Adding the Package to the Group Policy Object 81
Installing a Published Application 83
Summary 85
Exam Essentials 85
Review Questions 86
Answers to Review Questions 90
Chapter 3 Upgrading to Windows XP Professional 93
Deciding Whether to Upgrade 94
Preparing to Upgrade to Windows XP Professional 95
Client Upgrade Paths and Requirements 95
Upgrade Considerations for Windows NT 4 Workstation
and Windows 2000 Professional 96
Upgrade Considerations for Windows 98 and Windows Me 96
An Upgrade Checklist 99
Performing the Windows XP Upgrade 100
Migrating Files and Settings 102
Migrating User Data 103
Overview of the User State Migration Tool 103
Requirements for the User State Migration Tool 104
Using the User State Migration Tool 105
Troubleshooting XP Professional Upgrades 106
Incompatible Hardware Drivers 106
Incompatible Software Applications 107
User Settings Lost after Upgrade 108
Reversing a Windows XP Professional Upgrade 108
x
Contents
Summary 108
Exam Essentials 109
Review Questions 110
Answers to Review Questions 115
Chapter 4 Configuring the Windows XP Environment 117
New Device and Hardware Support for Windows XP 118
Windows Image Acquisition Architecture 118
Support for Digital Audio and Video 121
Dualview Multi-Monitor Support 121
Windows XP Management Utilities 121
Microsoft Management Console 121
Registry Editor 124
Device Manager 125
Installing Hardware 127
Installing Plug and Play Devices 128
Installing Non–Plug and Play Devices 128
Managing Device Drivers 129
Updating Drivers 129
Managing Driver Signing 130
Managing Disk Devices 132
Managing DVD and CD-ROM Devices 133
Managing Removable Media 134
Managing Display Devices 134
Configuring Video Adapters 134
Using Multiple-Display Support 137
Managing Mobile Computer Hardware 138
Power Management 138
Managing Card Services 145
Managing I/O Devices 146
Configuring the Keyboard 146
Configuring the Mouse 147
Configuring Wireless Devices 148
Managing USB Devices 149
Managing Imaging Devices 150
Managing Processors 152
Configuring Fax Support 153
Setting Fax Properties 153
Starting the Fax Service 154
Troubleshooting Devices 155
Managing Windows XP Services 155
Managing Multiple Hardware Profiles 159
Summary 160
Exam Essentials 160
Review Questions 162
Answers to Review Questions 166
Contents
xi
Chapter 5 Managing the Windows XP Professional Desktop 169
Managing Desktop Settings 170
Customizing the Taskbar and Start Menu 172
Using Shortcuts 176
Setting Display Properties 176
Managing Multiple Languages and Regional Settings 179
Using Multilingual Technology 179
Choosing Windows XP Multiple-Language Support 180
Enabling and Configuring Multilingual Support 181
Configuring Accessibility Features 183
Setting Accessibility Options 183
Using Accessibility Utilities 185
Summary 187
Exam Essentials 188
Review Questions 189
Answers to Review Questions 193
Chapter 6 Managing Users and Groups 195
Overview of Windows XP User Accounts 196
Built-in Accounts 197
Local and Domain User Accounts 197
Logging On and Logging Off 198
Local User Logon Authentication 198
Logging Off Windows XP Professional 199
Working with User Accounts 200
Using the Local Users and Groups Utility 200
Creating New Users 201
Disabling User Accounts 205
Deleting User Accounts 206
Renaming User Accounts 208
Changing a User’s Password 208
Managing User Properties 209
Managing User Group Membership 209
Setting Up User Profiles, Logon Scripts, and Home Folders 211
Troubleshooting User Accounts Authentication 215
Troubleshooting Local User Account Authentication 216
Domain User Accounts Authentication 217
Caching Logon Credentials 218
Creating and Managing Groups 219
Using Built-in Groups 219
Default Local Groups 219
Special Groups 223
Working with Groups 224
Renaming Groups 228
Deleting Groups 228
Summary 229
xii
Contents
Exam Essentials 230
Review Questions 231
Answers to Review Questions 235
Chapter 7 Managing Security 237
Options for Managing Security Configurations 238
Group Policy Objects and Active Directory 239
Active Directory Overview 239
GPO Inheritance 240
Using the Group Policy Result Tool 241
Applying LGPOs 242
Using Account Policies 244
Using Local Policies 248
Analyzing System Security 264
Specifying a Security Database 264
Importing a Security Template 265
Performing a Security Analysis 267
Reviewing the Security Analysis and
Resolving Discrepancies 267
Using Windows Security Center 270
Summary 270
Exam Essentials 271
Review Questions 272
Answers to Review Questions 276
Chapter 8 Managing Disks 279
Configuring File Systems 280
File System Selection 281
File System Conversion 283
Configuring Disk Storage 285
Basic Storage 285
Dynamic Storage 285
Using the Disk Management Utility 288
Managing Basic Tasks 289
Managing Basic Storage 302
Managing Dynamic Storage 302
Troubleshooting Disk Management 303
Managing Data Compression 305
Using the Compact Command-Line Utility 307
Using Compressed (Zipped) Folders 308
Setting Disk Quotas 308
Configuring Disk Quotas 309
Monitoring Disk Quotas 313
Managing Data Encryption with EFS 314
New EFS Features in Windows XP and
Windows Server 2003 314
Contents
xiii
Encrypting and Decrypting Folders and Files 314
Managing EFS File Sharing 315
Using the DRA to Recover Encrypted Files 317
Using the
Cipher
Utility 319
Using the Disk Defragmenter Utility 321
Analyzing Disks 322
Defragmenting Disks 323
Using the Disk Cleanup Utility 323
Troubleshooting Disk Devices and Volumes 324
Summary 326
Exam Essentials 326
Review Questions 328
Answers to Review Questions 332
Chapter 9 Accessing Files and Folders 335
File and Folder Management Basics 336
Organizing Files and Folders 336
Managing Folder Options 340
Searching for Files and Folders 352
Managing Local Access 354
Design Goals for Access Control 354
Applying NTFS Permissions 354
Understanding Ownership and Security Descriptors 360
Determining Effective Permissions 361
Viewing Effective Permissions 364
Determining NTFS Permissions for Copied or Moved Files 365
Managing Network Access 365
Creating Shared Folders 365
Configuring Share Permissions 367
Using the Shared Documents Folder 369
Managing Shares with the Shared Folders Utility 369
Creating New Shares 371
Providing Access to Shared Resources 373
The Flow of Resource Access 376
Access Token Creation 377
DACLs and ACEs 377
Local and Network Resource Access 378
Summary 379
Exam Essentials 380
Review Questions 381
Answers to Review Questions 387
Chapter 10 Managing Network Connections 389
Installing and Configuring Network Adapters 390
Installing a Network Adapter 390
Configuring a Network Adapter 391
xiv
Contents
Managing Authentication 396
Managing Advanced Configuration Properties 396
Managing Network Bindings 398
Troubleshooting Network Adapters 398
Supporting Wireless Network Connections 400
Configuring Wireless Network Settings 400
Configuring Security for a Small Wireless Network 403
Overview of Network Protocols 405
Overview of TCP/IP 406
Options for Deploying TCP/IP Configurations 412
Additional TCP/IP Features and Options 421
Using NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS 427
Summary 429
Exam Essentials 429
Review Questions 430
Answers to Review Questions 437
Chapter 11 Managing Printing 439
Printing Basics 440
The Windows XP Printing Process 441
The Roles of Print Devices and Printers 443
Setting Up Printers 443
Managing Printer Properties 449
Configuring General Properties 449
Configuring Sharing Properties 453
Configuring Port Properties 454
Configuring Advanced Properties 456
Separator Pages 461
Security Properties 462
Print Permission Assignment 464
Advanced Settings 465
Device Settings Properties 466
Managing Printers and Print Documents 467
Managing Printers 467
Managing Print Documents 468
Connecting to Printers 470
Troubleshooting Printing 471
Summary 472
Exam Essentials 472
Review Questions 474
Answers to Review Questions 479
Chapter 12 Dial-Up Networking and Internet Connectivity 481
Overview of Dial-Up Networking 482
Understanding Connection Options 483
Contents
xv
Local Area Network Connections 484
Remote Access Connections 485
Virtual Private Network Connections 485
Wide Area Network Connections 486
Direct Cable Connections 486
Incoming Connection 487
Understanding Remote Access Security 487
Authentication Methods 487
Remote Data Encryption Options 489
Setting Up a Modem 489
Configuring General Modem Properties 490
Configuring Modem Properties 491
Running Modem Diagnostics 491
Configuring Advanced Modem Properties 491
Viewing Driver Details and Updating Drivers 495
Viewing Modem Resources 496
Using the New Connection Wizard 496
Creating a Connection to a Remote Access Server 497
Creating a RAS Connection 498
Managing the Properties of a RAS Connection 500
Troubleshooting Remote Access Connections 507
Creating a Connection to the Internet 508
Using Virtual Private Network Connections 508
Using Internet Connection Sharing 512
Configuring Internet Connection Sharing on
the Host Computer 513
Configuring Internet Connection Sharing on
the Network Computers 515
Troubleshooting Internet Connection Sharing 516
Using an Internet Connection Firewall Without a
Service Pack or with Service Pack 1 517
Using Windows Firewall 518
Configuring and Managing Internet Explorer 521
Accessing Resources through Internet Explorer 521
Configuring Internet Explorer 522
Managing Internet Printers 528
Overview of Internet Information Services 530
Installing Internet Information Services 530
Managing a Website 531
Troubleshooting Website Access 541
Summary 542
Exam Essentials 542
Review Questions 543
Answers to Review Questions 548
xvi
Contents
Chapter 13 Optimizing Windows XP 551
Overview of System Monitoring Tools 552
Creating Baselines 552
Identifying System Bottlenecks 553
Determining Trends 553
Testing Configuration Changes or Tuning Efforts 554
Using Alerts for Problem Notification 554
Using System Monitor 554
Selecting the Appropriate View 557
Adding Counters 559
Managing System Monitor Properties 561
Using Performance Logs and Alerts 564
Creating a Counter Log 565
Creating a Trace Log 567
Creating an Alert 570
Managing System Performance 572
Monitoring and Optimizing Memory 572
Monitoring and Optimizing the Processor 576
Monitoring and Optimizing the Disk Subsystem 578
Monitoring and Optimizing the Network Subsystem 580
Creating Baseline Reports 581
Minimizing the Performance Effects of System Monitoring 583
Using the System Tool in Control Panel 584
Using Task Manager 586
Managing Application Tasks 586
Managing Process Tasks 587
Managing Performance Tasks 590
Managing Networking Tasks 591
Scheduling Tasks 591
Managing Scheduled Task Properties 593
Troubleshooting Scheduled Tasks 596
Summary 597
Exam Essentials 597
Review Questions 598
Answers to Review Questions 603
Chapter 14 Performing System Recovery Functions 605
Safeguarding Your Computer and Recovering from Disaster 607
Using Event Viewer 609
Reviewing Event Types 610
Getting Event Details 611
Managing Log Files 612
Setting Log File Properties 613
Understanding the Windows XP Professional Boot Process 617
Reviewing the
x
86-Based Boot Process 618
Contents
xvii
Configuring the
BOOT.INI
File 623
Reviewing the Itanium Boot Process 629
Managing NVRAM Startup Settings 631
Creating the Windows XP Boot Disk 631
Using Advanced Startup Options 633
Starting in Safe Mode 633
Enabling Boot Logging 635
Using Other Advanced Options Menu Modes 637
Using Driver Rollback 638
Using Startup and Recovery Options 639
Using the Dr. Watson Utility 641
Using the Backup Utility 643
Using the Backup Wizard 644
Configuring Backup Options 645
Using the Restore Wizard 650
Using the Automated System Recovery Wizard 651
Using System Restore 652
Using the Recovery Console 654
Starting the Recovery Console 654
Working with the Recovery Console 656
Using Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance 659
Using Remote Desktop 659
Using Remote Assistance 664
Summary 670
Exam Essentials 670
Review Questions 672
Answers to Review Questions 676
Glossary
679
Index 718
Table of Exercises
Exercise 1.1
Installing Windows XP Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Exercise 1.2
Troubleshooting Failed Installations with Setup Logs . . . . . . . . .26
Exercise 2.1
Extracting the Windows XP Deployment Tools . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Exercise 2.2
Using the System Preparation Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Exercise 2.3
Installing Windows XP Professional from a Disk Image . . . . . . . .65
Exercise 2.4
Publishing an Application with Windows Installer . . . . . . . . . . .83
Exercise 2.5
Installing a Published Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Exercise 3.1
Upgrading to Windows XP Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Exercise 4.1
Updating a Device Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Exercise 4.2
Managing Driver Signing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Exercise 4.3
Managing Disk Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Exercise 4.4
Viewing Video Adapter Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Exercise 4.5
Configuring Multiple-Display Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Exercise 4.6
Configuring Power Management Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Exercise 4.7
Configuring I/O Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Exercise 4.8
Managing and Monitoring Imaging Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Exercise 4.9
Configuring Multiple Processors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Exercise 4.10
Using the Troubleshooter Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Exercise 5.1
Configuring Taskbar and Start Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Exercise 5.2
Creating a Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Exercise 5.3
Configuring Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Exercise 5.4
Configuring Locale Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Exercise 5.5
Using Accessibility Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Exercise 6.1
Accessing the Local Users and Groups Utility . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Exercise 6.2
Creating New Local Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Exercise 6.3
Disabling a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Exercise 6.4
Deleting a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Exercise 6.5
Renaming a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Exercise 6.6
Changing a User’s Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Exercise 6.7
Adding a User to a Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Exercise 6.8
Using Local Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Exercise 6.9
Assigning a Home Folder to a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Exercise 6.10
Troubleshooting User Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Table of Exercises
xix
Exercise 6.11
Creating Local Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
Exercise 6.12 Adding Users to a Local Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227
Exercise 6.13 Renaming a Local Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228
Exercise 6.14 Deleting a Local Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Exercise 7.1 Adding the Local Computer Policy Snap-In to the MMC . . . . . . . .243
Exercise 7.2 Setting Password Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Exercise 7.3 Setting Account Lockout Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Exercise 7.4 Setting Audit Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Exercise 7.5 Setting User Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Exercise 7.6 Defining Security Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
Exercise 7.7 Using the Security Configuration and Analysis Tool . . . . . . . . .268
Exercise 8.1 Converting a FAT16 Partition to NTFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284
Exercise 8.2 Creating a New Partition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299
Exercise 8.3 Editing a Drive Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
Exercise 8.4 Compressing and Uncompressing Folders and Files . . . . . . . . .306
Exercise 8.5 Applying Default Quota Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Exercise 8.6 Applying Individual Quota Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313
Exercise 8.7 Using EFS to Manage Data Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Exercise 8.8 Using the CIPHER Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320
Exercise 8.9 Analyzing and Defragmenting Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
Exercise 8.10 Using the Disk Cleanup Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .324
Exercise 8.11 Using the Check Disk Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325
Exercise 9.1 Creating a Directory and File Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338
Exercise 9.2 Configuring Offline Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351
Exercise 9.3 Configuring NTFS Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363
Exercise 9.4 Creating a Shared Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
Exercise 9.5 Applying Share Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368
Exercise 9.6 Accessing Network Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376
Exercise 10.1 Viewing Network Adapter Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .396
Exercise 10.2 Manually Configuring IP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415
Exercise 10.3 Using the IPCONFIG Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .423
Exercise 10.4 Installing NWLink IPX/SPX Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .427
Exercise 10.5 Configuring the NWLink IPX/SPX Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . .428
Exercise 11.1 Creating Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .444
Exercise 11.2 Sharing an Existing Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .454
xx Table of Exercises
Exercise 11.3 Managing Advanced Printer Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Exercise 11.4 Assigning Print Permissions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Exercise 11.5 Managing Printers and Print Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Exercise 11.6 Connecting to a Shared Network Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Exercise 12.1 Creating a Dial-Up Connection to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Exercise 12.2 Configuring a VPN Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Exercise 12.3 Configuring Internet Connection Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
Exercise 12.4 Configuring Internet Connection Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Exercise 13.1 Creating a Management Console for Monitoring System Performance . 564
Exercise 13.2 Monitoring System Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
Exercise 13.3 Monitoring the System Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
Exercise 13.4 Monitoring the Disk Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579
Exercise 13.5 Monitoring the Network Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Exercise 13.6 Creating a Baseline Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Exercise 13.7 Setting a Process Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590
Exercise 13.8 Creating a New Scheduled Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592
Exercise 14.1 Using the Event Viewer Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
Exercise 14.2 Creating a Windows XP Boot Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
Exercise 14.3 Booting Your Computer to Safe Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635
Exercise 14.4 Using Boot Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636
Exercise 14.5 Using Startup and Recovery Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Exercise 14.6 Using the Backup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 644
Exercise 14.7 Using the Restore Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 650
Exercise 14.8 Using the Automated System Recovery Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . 651
Exercise 14.9 Using the System Restore Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653
Exercise 14.10 Adding Recovery Console to Windows XP Startup . . . . . . . . . 655
Exercise 14.11 Using the Recovery Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 658
Introduction
Microsoft’s Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified
Systems Engineer (MCSE) tracks for Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 are the premier
certifications for computer industry professionals. Covering the core technologies
around which Microsoft’s future will be built, these programs are powerful credentials for
career advancement.
This book has been developed to give you the critical skills and knowledge you need to prepare
for one of the core requirements of both the MCSA and MCSE certifications, in either the
Windows 2000 or the new Windows Server 2003 tracks:
Installing
,
Configuring
,
and Administering
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
(Exam 70-270).
The Microsoft Certified Professional Program
Since the inception of its certification program, Microsoft has certified over 1.5 million people.
As the computer network industry increases in both size and complexity, this number is sure
to grow—and the need for
proven
ability will also increase. Companies rely on certifications to
verify the skills of prospective employees and contractors.
Microsoft has developed its Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) program to give you
credentials that verify your ability to work with Microsoft products effectively and professionally.
Obtaining your MCP certification requires that you pass any one Microsoft certification
exam. Several levels of certification are available based on specific suites of
exams. Depending on your areas of interest or experience, you can obtain any of the following
MCP credentials:
Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) on Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003
The MCSA certification is the latest certification track from Microsoft. This certification targets system
and network administrators with roughly 6 to 12 months of desktop and network administration
experience. The MCSA can be considered the entry-level certification. You must take and pass
a total of four exams to obtain your MCSA. Or, if you are an MCSA on Windows 2000, you can
take one Upgrade exam to obtain your MCSA on Windows Server 2003.
Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) on Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003
This certification track is designed for network and systems administrators, network and systems
analysts, and technical consultants who work with Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
and Server and/or Windows XP and Server 2003 software. You must take and pass seven exams
to obtain your MCSE. Or, if you are an MCSE on Windows 2000, you can take two Upgrade
exams to obtain your MCSE on Windows Server 2003.