MCSE Class: Monkey's Log, Star Date: 200905-26

Well, it's my first day of my MCSE training. First classes this week is installing and configuating Vista systems. I'm so excited to be actually doing this as 5 months of unemployment is driving me batty. I'm also getting a personal gratification from this as my dad paid for my CNE training years ago, which I finished, but could never take the tests required of it, and the computer shop I got hired onto switch from Novell to MS and never encuraged me to get my cert. So, this is for you, Dad, who 1 year ago on May 13th, passed away, 1 week before my wife and I's 1st annaversary.

This is my first time at a Vista machine. I have read plenty on it from its pre-release days thru all the things SP1 fixed. And now we are on the threshold of Win. 7 (due out possibly late this year, but I wont hold my breath, but from what people of the pre-release code are saying, is quite prommising).

So from this location, I will update you on my cert. progress. I know it wont be easy, but at least I'm not comming in on it cold turkey like a non computer person who just wanted to change carreers and saw a computer training thing on TV. So, break is over, I have my coffee (cup #2) and I'm ready to dive in head first.

Monkey, out.

Awesome.

Just don't get too "comfy" with Vista - many enterprises (see how I worked that in? ha!) are skipping it in favor of Windows 7.

Spike wrote:

Awesome.

Just don't get too "comfy" with Vista - many enterprises (see how I worked that in? ha!) are skipping it in favor of Windows 7.

I agree. Vista is a beautiful but spoiled, selfish, hoggish, slow, and crappy OS. It lasted a whopping 3 days on my pc before I took it off.

Dont plan on it. Tho it seems pretty nice (so far) But I wont be upgrading anytime soon. It's just a requirement of the cert.
And the instructors here are callilng windows 7 just a service pack, or better yet, Vista 1.5. Most of them are running the early code on their systems in the office or at home for eval.

Flak Monkey wrote:

Most of them are running the early code on their systems in the office or at home for eval.

As a beta tester for Vista, I was asked to test Win7(?) and declined since I didn't have 2 pcs capable of running Vista. Early reports, from what I hear, indicate that Win7 is nothing more than a stripped down version of the Vista code.

Why not just ad another HD in the 1 system that can, separate from the native HD there as not to interfere. Would be as simple as switching 2 cables. Keep the BIOS on auto detect and away you go.
Or, a little more daring. Have both installed, but switch which one has priorety at boot. The prior is safer, but the other has less messing around.

Flak Monkey wrote:

Why not just ad another HD in the 1 system that can, separate from the native HD there as not to interfere. Would be as simple as switching 2 cables. Keep the BIOS on auto detect and away you go.
Or, a little more daring. Have both installed, but switch which one has priorety at boot. The prior is safer, but the other has less messing around.

My wife does not like any version of a dual boot setup. She complained about the dual boot with 98SE and XP Pro (testing) and when I tested Vista, she hated the dual boot between XP Pro and Vista, thus no more dual boots. It screws up her sense of purpose, I guess...................I even tried setting it up in the bios system to only boot to the 2nd OS only thru the bios but could never get it to work properly.

Well, classes 5115A and 5116A are done. This week I get to study and, take a few sample tests on ProProf.com (good resource for info on MS tests, sharing and quizzing). Unfortunately, the books you get in these classes are not good ref. books. You use MS virtual server to do all the exercises, something you don't have at home to study from, so...
I am hoping to schedule my test this Friday. Let ya know how I do.

Good luck

Monkey's Log, Star Date: 200906-11.

It's 5:39 in the morning of the day of testing. No way I can sleep any more. So I hit the books again where I left off the day before. Sure, it's just a new OS. How hard could it be? You know the feeling....don't ya..

Read till the books were done and hit the on-line study material. Wife woke up and wouldn't stop buggin' me. Says I have studied enuf and that I should spend time with here. I dont feel that way. If I dont know if backwards and forward, I'm not ready. The test is at 10am...oh the anxiety.

9:50am. I arrive at the testing facility. Cell phone on silent, and a shot of 5 hour energy on board, I think I'm ready. I feel sick regardless. Maybe it's the energy drink. Nerves more than likely. It's been 11 years sense I've taken such a test. (Got my A+ back in '9

I sign in and hand in my phone (no electronic devices allowed in the room) and escorted to the room. And away I go. My heart is racing as I read through all the pre test material...blah blah blah...just show me the questions already.

They through me some real stumpers, things that were not in the books or in class. Oh I hope I picked the right one. If it wasnt for the fan in the room, I would be asking for a towel.

3.5 hours pass.....a few strands of hair less...

After the test, I review some of my troubled items that you can flag for review or incomplete. Fortunately, you can do that. Then you can make comments on each question after your done. Oh sure, lets prolong the end....like dangling a carrot in front of me...ok, more like a Butterfinger bar. I went thru about 15 of them and posted a few comments, the the anxiety was killing me. Hell with it. I need a score of 700 to pass. I had to know....I hit finish....

785!!!!

OMG! I passed! The weight of the world is off my shoulders....for this week. I needed a beer (imagine that) Called my wife on my way out to the car...she knew I would pass. I didnt. I'm glad I did.

Next week, Security + Class...all week. The drama continues then.

Monkey, out.

Great job Flakster, and congrats!

We all had faith.

Keep pushing onward, one day at a time, one step at a time.

Now go have yourself a cold one (probly already have

).

Cheers!

Grats brother. We knew you could do it.

Awesome - great job!

Good job, its not that easy to get back into the testing thing after you have been out of it for a while.

My job requires a number of them a year, if your total score (s) are not high enough.............See ya.

Its weird because some people that are actually very good at their job, choke when it comes to doing the test.

Congrats

Thank you, everyone. We celebrated by going to Atlanta for an antique bottle show (our second). Just got in a bit over an hour ago. Next one wont be till late this year in Jacksonville, Fl.

Monday starts a new class...hope I do as well. Sense it's just security, it wont be on any 1 piece of software. So, it should be fun.