Product Description

If you're seeking MCDST certification, here's the book you need to prepare for Exam 70-271, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft XP Operating System, and Exam 70-272, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System. This revised and updated Deluxe Edition features over 200 pages of new content-including the very latest updates to the exams as well as case studies-and provides complete instruction to meet the exacting requirements of each exam. Prepare for your certification and career with this two-in-one, value-packed guide.

Inside you'll find:

• Practical information on how to analyze problems and provide support to end users
• Hundreds of challenging review questions
• Bonus CD loaded with exam prep software, four bonus exams, Sybex test engine, and 300 electronic flashcards

Authoritative coverage of all exam objectives, including:

Exam 70-271

• Installing a Windows Desktop Operating System
• Managing and Troubleshooting Access to Resources
• Configuring and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers
• Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop and User Environments
• Troubleshooting Network Protocols and Services

Exam 70-272

• Configuring and Troubleshooting Applications
• Resolving Issues Related to Usability
• Resolving Issues Related to Application Customization
• Configuring and Troubleshooting Connectivity for Applications
• Configuring Application Security

SYBEX TEST ENGINE: Test your knowledge with advanced testing software. Includes all chapter review questions plus bonus exams.

ELECTRONIC FLASHCARDS: Reinforce your understanding with flashcards that can run on your PC, Pocket PC, or Palm device.

Also on the CD you'll find the entire book in searchable and printable PDF. Study anywhere, any time, and approach the exam with confidence.

Visit www.sybex.com for all of your Microsoft certification needs

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97319 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-10
• Format: Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 624 pages

From the Back Cover
If you're seeking MCDST certification, here's the book you need to prepare for Exam 70-271, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft® XP® Operating System, and Exam 70-272, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Microsoft® Windows® XP Operating System. This revised and updated Deluxe Edition features over 200 pages of new content—including the very latest updates to the exams as well as case studies—and provides complete instruction to meet the exacting requirements of each exam. Prepare for your certification and career with this two-in-one, value-packed guide.

Inside you'll find:

• Practical information on how to analyze problems and provide support to end users
• Hundreds of challenging review questions
• Bonus CD loaded with exam prep software, four bonus exams, Sybex test engine, and 300 electronic flashcards

Authoritative coverage of all exam objectives, including

Exam 70-271

• Installing a Windows Desktop Operating System
• Managing and Troubleshooting Access to Resources
• Configuring and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers
• Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop and User Environments
• Troubleshooting Network Protocols and Services

Exam 70-272

• Configuring and Troubleshooting Applications
• Resolving Issues Related to Usability
• Resolving Issues Related to Application Customization
• Configuring and Troubleshooting Connectivity for Applications
• Configuring Application Security

SYBEX TEST ENGINE: Test your knowledge with advanced testing software. Includes all chapter review questions plus bonus exams.

ELECTRONIC FLASHCARDS: Reinforce your understanding with flashcards that can run on your PC, Pocket PC, or Palm device.

Also on the CD you'll find the entire book in searchable and printable PDF. Study anywhere, any time, and approach the exam with confidence.

Visit www.sybex.com for all of your Microsoft certification needs.

About the Author
Bill Ferguson, MCT, has been in the computer industry for over fifteen years. He was a Certified Technical Trainer with ExecuTrain for many years and now runs his own training and consulting company from Birmingham, Alabama. Bill has written many other books including Sybex's Network+ FastPass.

Brad Causey, MCT, is a technical trainer and consultant in the southeast United States. He runs a security consulting company and also develops courseware and training videos with many online training vendors.

Customer Reviews

Great review book, but know it thorougly
I just passed the 271 with an 899 and the 272 with a 916. This book was my only study resource, but I have been working with the XP OS on-the-job for four years.

The difficulty of the test comes from Microsoft's method of testing. Even though I did very well, I only had "warm fuzzies" with half of the questions as I was taking the test, because they really run your brain through the wringer. So, you must understand why all of the other choices are clearly wrong and only one is right, and this entails knowing the material thoroughly.

The only problems I had with the book are is the horrible amount of typos and strange program behavior with the practice tests, and the lack of anything other than multiple-choice questions.

Other than that, get hands-on training, read this book over and over, and be careful with the wording of questions on the actual exams.

Good OS knowledge builder but not the total readiness solution for both exams
Really I wish I could give this 2 and 1/2 stars since it really only covers one of the exams well. I found that this book covers the content in 70-272 wonderfully and most of what is included in this text was really relevant and helpful in that exam.

The same can not be said for the content covered for 70-271. I found that a lot of what was in the exam was not mentioned in the book, specifically security template inf files (which there were a few questions). The book focuses a lot on the knowledge of the boot process and I can say I don't remember seeing one question about troubleshooting that in the exam. I understand that all questions may not be the same for every session but I remember thinking when the exam was completed that I studied a lot of stuff that I saw no questions on. On the other hand a lot of stuff I knew through my experience with the OS and not from what I read in the book. The opposite was true for 70-271 which as I said before, the covered content was pretty relevant.

Overall I am not sure I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for an "all-encompassing" testing tool. It provides good working knowledge of WinXP but I think a little more material relevant to exam 70-271 should be covered. I think on future exams I will stick to MS published material instead.

Pretty OK
I used only this book and plenty of hands on experience to pass the test (271:880, 272:918).
The 271 coverage is iffy. As other reviews have said the book covers a lot about the boot sequence which wasn't on the test for me at all. It is missing coverage of security templates .inf s completely but that is probably a page's worth of material, you can google it.
The 272 coverage is complete and very much what the test questions covered.

I gave it 4 stars because it is concise, a feature that many other MCDST books lack.

The practice exams on the CD are slightly easier or about the same than the actual test albeit is worded very differently.

If you already have some experience in the field, and don't want to spend too much time then this book is great. Otherwise look for something more detailed.