Product Description

The MCSE 70-270 Exam Cram 2: Windows XP Professional, Second Edition is an efficient, effective and concise guide that gives you exactly what you need to know to pass one of the most popular exams in the MCSE program. Organized according to the exam objectives, you will be able to quickly and easily assess your understanding of the key exam topics. You will find test-taking strategies and timesaving tips that will help you score better on the test, and the popular Cram Sheet tearcard is include for last-minute review on exam day. Also included are over 200 practice questions with detailed answers and an innovative test-engine on CD from MeasureUp. With all of these great features and proven study methods, MCSE 70-270 Exam Cram 2: Windows XP Professional, Second Edition is your smartest way to get certified.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #190580 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 504 pages

From the Back Cover

This is the perfect study guide to help you pass the first exam in Microsoft's four core OS exams - Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Exam 70-270). With this book, you can master the skills and concepts necessary to address exam objectives including planning, installation, configuration, administration, support, security, and troubleshooting of Windows XP Professional. It teaches how to analyze Microsoft's trick questions and distracters by providing practice exam questions arranged in a format similar to the actual exam. This book is not intended to teach new material. Instead it assumes that you have a solid foundation of knowledge but can use a refresher on important concepts as well as a guide to exam topics and objectives. This book focuses exactly on what you need to get past the exam - it features test-taking strategies, time-saving study tips, and a special Cram Sheet that includes tips, acronyms, and memory joggers not available anywhere else. The series is supported online at several Web sites: examcram, informit, and cramsession.

The accompanying CD features PrepLogic™ Practice Tests, Preview Edition. This product includes one complete PrepLogic Practice Test with approximately the same number of questions found on the actual vendor exam. Each question contains full, detailed explanations of the correct and incorrect answers. The engine offers two study modes, Practice Test and Flash Review, full exam customization, and a detailed score report.

About the Author

MCSA/MCSE 70-270 Exam Cram 2: Windows XP ProfessionalAbout the Authors

Dan Balter is the Chief Technology Officer for InfoTechnology Partners, Inc., a Microsoft Certified Partner company. He works as an IT consultant and trainer for both corporate and government clients and has worked with several network operating systems throughout his 22-year career. Dan prides himself on tackling complex, technical topics and making them understandable for people. Dan is a Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST), a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) on Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, and a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003. He specializes in Microsoft networking technologies, firewalls, VPNs, and other security solutions in addition to designing and implementing messaging and business solutions for small- to medium-sized organizations.

Dan is the author of Exam Cram 2: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment and a coauthor for the best-selling books Exam Cram 2: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Windows XP Operating System and Exam Cram 2: Windows 2000 Professional, all published by Que Certification. A graduate of USC's School of Business in 1983, Dan has authored and been featured in more than 300 video- and CD-ROM-based computer training courses, including instructional titles on installing, configuring, and administering Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. He is also a featured video trainer for courses on Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Outlook, and Intuit's QuickBooks small business accounting software. Dan is also a partner in BlastThroughLearning.com, a self-paced multimedia computer training provider.

Dan and his family live in the Santa Rosa Valley area in Southern California, near the city of Camarillo. Dan lives with his lovely wife, Alison, their 9-year-old daughter, Alexis, their 6-year-old son, Brendan, and their golden retriever, Brandy. When he's not writing, researching, or consulting, Dan enjoys traveling and going on Disney cruises with his family, swimming, playing racquetball and basketball, rooting for the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team and the L.A. Lakers, going for long walks, listening to music, and exploring new age spirituality. Dan can be contacted via email at Dan@InfoTech-Partners.com.

Derek Melber is an independent technical trainer, consultant, and author who specializes in Microsoft products and technologies. Derek has written many books on Windows Active Directory, Group Policy Objects, Active Directory security, Windows security, and other Windows topics.

Derek also runs a website, http://www.auditingwindows.com, which is dedicated to Windows Security and Auditing. There you will find the only books on Auditing Windows Security. The site is full of great information, links, and custom training options.

If Group Policy is your quest, pick up Derek's latest administrators book, which is the Group Policy Guide. This is one of the books in the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit.

You might run into Derek at a conference where he is speaking. Derek speaks at TechMentor, IIA, MISTI, and other specialized conferences throughout the USA and Canada. He focuses on Active Directory, Group Policy Objects, security, and auditing security.

Derek provides custom and off-the-shelf training on all the topics on which he speaks and writes. To get more information, please email him at derekm@braincore.net.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

MCSA/MCSE 70-270 Exam Cram 2: Windows XP Professional

Introduction

Welcome to MCSA/MCSE 70-270 Exam Cram 2: Windows XP Professional! Whether this is your first or your fifteenth Exam Cram 2 book, you'll find information here that will help ensure your success as you pursue knowledge, experience, and certification. This book aims to help you get ready to take—and pass—Microsoft Certification Exam 70-270, "Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional." This Introduction explains Microsoft's certification programs in general and talks about how the Exam Cram 2 series can help you prepare for Microsoft's Windows 2003 certification exams.

Exam Cram 2 books help you understand and appreciate the subjects and materials you need to pass Microsoft certification exams. Exam Cram 2 books are aimed strictly at test preparation and review. They do not teach you everything you need to know about a topic. Instead, we (the authors) present and dissect the questions and problems we've found that you're likely to encounter on a test. We've worked to bring together as much information as possible about Microsoft certification exams.

Nevertheless, to completely prepare yourself for any Microsoft test, we recommend that you begin by taking the Self-Assessment included in this book immediately following this Introduction. This tool will help you evaluate your knowledge base against the requirements for an MCSE under both ideal and real circumstances.

Based on what you learn from that exercise, you might decide to begin your studies with some classroom training or some background reading. On the other hand, you might decide to pick up and read one of the many study guides available from Microsoft or third-party vendors on certain topics, including Que Publishing's Exam Prep series. We also recommend that you supplement your study program with visits to http://www.examcram2.com to receive additional practice questions, get advice, and track the Windows 2003 MCSE program.

We also strongly recommend that you install, configure, and fool around with the software you'll be tested on, because nothing beats hands-on experience and familiarity when it comes to understanding the questions you're likely to encounter on a certification test. Book learning is essential, but hands-on experience is the best teacher of all!

Taking a Certification Exam

After you've prepared for your exam, you need to register with a testing center. Each computer-based MCP exam costs $125, and if you don't pass, you may retest for an additional $125 for each additional try. In the United States and Canada, tests are administered by Pearson VUE and Thomson Prometric. Here's how you can contact them:

• VUE—You can sign up for a test or get the phone numbers for local testing centers through the web page at http://www.vue.com/ms/.

• Prometric—You can sign up for a test through the company's website at http://www.prometric.com. Or you can register by phone at 800-755-3926 (within the United States and Canada) or at 410-843-8000 (outside the United States and Canada).

To sign up for a test, you must possess a valid credit card, or you can contact either company for mailing instructions to send in a check (in the U.S.). Only when payment is verified, or your check has cleared, can you actually register for a test.

To schedule an exam, call the number or visit either of the web pages at least one day in advance. To cancel or reschedule an exam, you must call before 7 p.m. Pacific standard time the day before the scheduled test time (or you may be charged, even if you don't appear to take the test). When you want to schedule a test, have the following information ready:

• Your name, organization, and mailing address.

• Your Microsoft Test ID. (Inside the United States, this means your Social Security number; citizens of other nations should call ahead to find out what type of identification number is required to register for a test.)

• The name and number of the exam you want to take.

• A method of payment. (As we've already mentioned, a credit card is the most convenient method, but alternative means can be arranged in advance, if necessary.)

After you sign up for a test, you'll be informed as to when and where the test is scheduled. Try to arrive at least 15 minutes early. You must supply two forms of identification—one of which must be a photo ID—to be admitted into the testing room.

All exams are completely closed-book. In fact, you will not be permitted to take anything with you into the testing area, but you will be furnished with a blank sheet of paper and a pen or, in some cases, an erasable plastic sheet and an erasable pen. We suggest that you immediately write down on that sheet of paper all the information you've memorized for the test. In Exam Cram 2 books, this information appears on a tear-out sheet inside the front cover of each book. You will have some time to compose yourself, record this information, and take a sample orientation exam before you begin the real thing. We suggest you take the orientation test before taking your first exam, but because they're all more or less identical in layout, behavior, and controls, you probably won't need to do this more than once.

When you complete a Microsoft certification exam, the software will tell you whether you've passed or failed. If you need to retake an exam, you'll have to schedule a new test with Prometric or VUE and pay $125.

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Note - The first time you fail a test, you can retake it the next day. However, if you fail a second time, you must wait 14 days before retaking that test. The 14-day waiting period remains in effect for all retakes after the second failure.

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How to Prepare for an Exam

Preparing for any Windows MCSE test requires that you obtain and study materials designed to provide comprehensive information about the product and its capabilities that will appear on the specific exam for which you are preparing. The following list of materials will help you study and prepare:

• The Windows XP Professional product CD includes comprehensive online documentation and related materials; it should be a primary resource when you are preparing for the test.

• The exam-preparation materials, practice tests, and self-assessment exams can be found on the Microsoft Training and Services page at http://www.microsoft.com/learning/. The Testing Innovations link offers examples of the new question types found on the Windows 2003 MCSE exams. Find the materials, download them, and use them!

• The exam-preparation advice, practice tests, questions of the day, and discussion groups can be found at http://www.examcram2.com.

In addition, you'll probably find any or all of the following materials useful in your quest for Windows XP Professional expertise:

• Study guides—Several publishers—including Que Publishing—offer Windows XP Professional titles. Que Certification includes the following:

• The Exam Cram 2 series—These books give you information about the material you need to know to pass the tests.

• The Exam Prep series—These books provide a greater level of detail than the Exam Cram 2 books and are designed to teach you everything you need to know from an exam perspective. Each book comes with a CD that contains interactive practice exams in a variety of testing formats.

Together, the two series make a perfect pair.

• Multimedia—The MeasureUp Pra...

Customer Reviews

WinXP Pro for Pros!
Okay, I'll admit it, I bought this book mostly 'cause I wanted to maybe brush up here and there just to make sure I got a decent score on the test.

I really thought I was the man where WinXP was concerned. I do registry tweaking how-tos for a PC site, I've done troubleshooting and repair for MS products since the 80s. I've gone well past the realms of the new user...

I picked up this book, and after getting through the standard stuff about what to expect from the test, the book then got deep into the kind of things you can expect as a network administrator. Stuff I haven't really had to deal with since the company I worked for went under (back in the days when Win NT servers and 98 terminals were all the rage).

Trust me, if you haven't had to spend a lot of time SERIOUSLY networking WindowsXP, get this book. It probably saved me over 100 bucks for the retest as it is.

Oh, and by "Seriously Networking" Windows XP, I don't mean a home network with a DSL setup, or maybe a small office with a 5-port Router. I mean stuff like what authentication should be used on a VPN running L2TP/IPSEC.

It'll be a few before I head down to take the test. I've had pretty good luck with Exam Cram's books for my last couple certifications. I also recently added another Exam Cram book for my Server+ studies, and it's already covered a lot of ground my more expensive MS-press guide did not.

As for the benefits of this test, an O/S certification is almost a requirement these days. My Comptia certifications alone wouldn't have gotten me hired at my last job, if it hadn't been for my previous experience, I'd have been up the proverbial creek. Also, Microsoft lets you "in" as a MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional), and you get access to more Windows Info. In this day and age, the more knowledge you have, the better off you are.

I passed!!.......but
Overall, this book is pretty damn good, and I learned a lot more about Windows XP than I knew before preparing for the exam, but the book could use some improvement.
1. The book covers many topics, but leaves some details out in specific cases. Some of these details were on the exam, and I only got them right because I had experience with them. One of the questions on the exam, (wasn't coverered in the book), but I had read an article in Windows & .NET magazine, and implemented it at our site.
2. The Prep-logic practice exam that came on the CD kind of sucked. It asked three questions about running a telnet server on your Windows XP machine??? I was kind of freaking out since I waited until the last minute to take the practice test. So like an idiot, I went online and purchased the full thing from Prep-Logic website. After taking another practice test, I felt a lot better, but I would doubt that any official MS exam has anything on it about running a telnet server. Also on the REAL exam, the questions are much more complicated than the Prep-Logic ones.
3. The book and the Prep-Logic Exam seem to conflict on a couple of ideas. Everyone seems to have their own theory of the correct page file size. I was always taught that Inital Size = 1.5 x Physical RAM and Maximum Size = 3 x Physical RAM. The book claims that the initial and the max should be the same. The prep-logic exam doesn't really say, but it did say that the max should never be over 2.5 x. I found a page on Microsoft that also claims the correct is what I was originally taught. Who knows???

The good news is I passed the test and with some room to spare, and I probably wouldn't have been able to without this book, hands-on-experience, and some extra exams. Although, next time I won't be purchasing Prep-Logic.

Read This Book + Use the Practice CD = MCP
I read through this book twice, installed the Preplogic Preview Edition CD and studied it until I got all the answers right. I passed the first time in an hour! This book along with the CD is literally all you need to pass the 70-270 Exam. I'm telling you, this is EXACTLY what you need to pass the exam the FIRST time. Props to Exam Cram 2 for producing such an awesome product.