MCDST 70-272 Exam Cram 2: Supporting Users & Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System [Paperback]

Diana Huggins (Author), Ed Tittel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0789731509 | ISBN-13: 978-0789731500 | Publication Date: May 29, 2004

The new Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) credential proves that you have the skills to successfully support end users and successfully troubleshoot desktop environments running on Windows XP. MCDST candidates must pass two core exams (70-271 and 70-272). The 70-272 exam, when combined with the 70-271 (the operating system exam for desktop support technicians), validates that a candidate can successfully answer (or escalate) all calls from end users. The MCDST 70-272 Exam Cram 2 gives readers the essential information they need to know to pass the 70-272 exam, which includes configuring and troubleshooting applications (Internet Exporer, Outlook Express), resolving issues related to usability, resolving issues related to application customization, configuring and troubleshooting connectivity for applications, and configuring application security. This book can be used as a sole study guide for those experienced with Windows XP or it is the perfect supplement guide for more comprehensive training materials, instructor-led classes, and/or computer-based training.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Diana Huggins is currently an independent contractor providing both technical writing and consulting services. Prior to this, she worked as a senior systems consultant. Some of the projects she worked on include a security review of Microsoft's official curriculum, content development for private companies, as well as network infrastructure design and implementation projects.

Diana's main focus over the past few years has been on writing certification study guides. To complement her efforts, she also spends a portion of her time consulting for small- to medium-sized companies in a variety of areas and continues to work as an independent technical trainer.

Diana currently has her Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) Certification, along with several other certifications from different vendors. Although her focus is on the Information Technology industry, she also holds a bachelor's degree in education. Diana runs her own company, DKB Consulting Services. The main focus of the company is developing certification training courseware, online practice exams, as well as content delivery.

Felicia Buckingham is an independent contractor currently deploying Office XP for a provincial-wide electrical company. Prior to this, she spent several years in the technical training industry with a focus on Microsoft Office applications.

Felicia holds her Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Master designations, along with several other certifications from various vendors. She specializes in Microsoft Office training and consulting.

Over the past few years, Felicia has contributed to several Microsoft Office study guides and has recently co-authored Microsoft Excel 2003 Programming Inside Out. During the past year, she has also established her own consulting company that specializes in Microsoft Office deployment, training services, and courseware development.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System

Introduction

Welcome to the 70-272 Exam Cram 2! Whether this is your first or your fifteenth Exam Cram 2 series book, you'll find information here that will help ensure your success as you pursue knowledge, experience, and certification. This introduction explains Microsoft's certification programs in general and describes how the Exam Cram 2 series can help you prepare for the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, and Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator exams. Chapters 1–9 are designed to remind you of everything you'll need to know to take—and pass—the 70-272 exam. The two practice exams should give you a reasonably accurate assessment of your knowledge—and, yes, we've provided the answers and their explanations to the tests. Read the book and understand the material, and you'll stand a very good chance of passing the test.

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 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, we recommend that you begin by taking the Self-Assessment that is included in this book, immediately following this introduction, to completely prepare yourself for any Microsoft test. The Self-Assessment tool will help you evaluate your knowledge base against the requirements for a Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) under both ideal and real circumstances.

Based on what you learn from the Self-Assessment, you might decide to begin your studies with some classroom training, some practice with Windows XP Professional and Office XP, 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 the award-winning Training Guide series from Que Publishing. 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 MCDST program.

We also strongly recommend that you install, configure, and work with Windows XP Professional, Office XP, and Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 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 without a doubt, hands-on experience is the best teacher of all!

The accompanying CD contains MeasureUp exam-simulation software.

Taking a Certification Exam

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

• Prometric—You can sign up for a test through the company's Web site, at http://www.2test.com. Within the United States and Canada, you can register by phone at 1-800-755-3926. If you live outside this region, you should check the Prometric Web site for the appropriate phone number.

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

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

To schedule an exam, you need to 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 might be charged, even if you don't show up to take the test). When you want to schedule a test, you should have the following information ready:

• Your name, organization, and mailing address.

• Your Microsoft test ID. (Inside the United States, this usually 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 mentioned previously, a credit card is the most convenient method, but alternate means can be arranged in advance, if necessary.)

After you sign up for a test, you are told when and where the test is scheduled. You should try to arrive at least 15 minutes early. You must supply two forms of identification—one of which must be a photo ID—and sign a nondisclosure agreement to be admitted into the testing room.

All Microsoft exams are completely closed-book. In fact, you are not permitted to take anything with you into the testing area, but you are given 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 tearout sheet inside the front cover of each book. You are given some time to compose yourself, record this information, and take a sample orientation exam before you begin the real thing. We suggest that you take the orientation test before taking your first exam, but because all the certification exams are more or less identical in layout, behavior, and controls, you probably don't need to do this more than once.

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

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Note - The first time you fail a test, you can retake the test as soon as 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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Tracking MCP Status

As soon as you pass any Microsoft exam, you attain MCP status. Microsoft generates transcripts that indicate which exams you have passed. You can view a copy of your transcript at any time by going to the MCP secure site and selecting Transcript Tool. This tool enables you to print a copy of your current transcript and confirm your certification status.

After you pass the necessary set of exams, you are certified. Official certification is normally granted after three to six weeks, so you should not expect to receive your credentials overnight. The package for official certification that arrives includes a welcome kit that contains a number of elements (see Microsoft's Web site for other benefits of specific certifications):

• A certificate that is suitable for framing, along with a wallet card and lapel pin.

• A license to use the applicable logo, which means you can use the logo in advertisements, promotions, and documents, and on letterhead, business cards, and so on. Along with the license comes a logo sheet, which includes camera-ready artwork. (Note that before you use any of the artwork, you must sign and return a licensing agreement that indicates you w...

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Que (May 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789731509
• ISBN-13: 978-0789731500
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,480,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The book is good, but I don't like the CD., June 28, 2004

By 

Shelby L. Meyer "Shelby" (Illinois) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MCDST 70-272 Exam Cram 2: Supporting Users & Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System (Paperback)

I read the book over the weekend to brush up on my skills and to get an idea of what the test would be like. As I went through the book I also did the quizzes at the end of each chapter and missed only 3-4 questions out of the entire book (100+ questions) so I was feeling pretty confident.

I then installed the CD and took the test and failed with a 60%! The CD has a lot of questions that are in a different format than that of the actual test. (At least according to what I have read in the Microsoft MCDST newsgroup). A person literally has to memorize the steps and pull-down menus of applications to pass the disk based test. The CD is provided by MeasureUp so the questions are entirely different than what is found in the book.

I took the exam and passed with flying colors! However there were a number of topics on the test that were NOT in this book including: VPN error messages, and some Word and Excel stuff.

(I give it 4 stars because of the CD).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Use As Back Up to Your Other Study Guide "ONLY", April 7, 2005

By 

Michael S. Mccrea "SoHoHelpDesk.Net" (Halifax, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: MCDST 70-272 Exam Cram 2: Supporting Users & Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System (Paperback)

I will say that I am a fan of ExamCram2 Series of Study Guides, and that is what they are: "Study Guides". I was disappointed about the lack of material in this guide, do not rely on this book to pass the 70-272 Exam. If you pass the test just by reading this book you may have all ready had enough knowledge to pass. This book does not cover all the material in the exam by any means. The MeasureUp testing software is nice to get you use to the way some of the exam questions are. I would use this book to just go over questions and answers before you do a final write. I highly suggest to get Microsoft 70-272 Training Kit if you are new to alot of the material covered by this exam.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Deeply insufficient, December 27, 2005

By 

Daniel Luechtefeld (Greater Metropolitan Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: MCDST 70-272 Exam Cram 2: Supporting Users & Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Windows XP Operating System (Paperback)

My IT background: ten years as a Unix admin, pursuing a Master's degree in Telecom. Extensive familiarity with desktop OS's and apps both as a user and LAN admin.

Newcomers to IT hoping to use this book as a primary study source will be disappointed.

I scored a 754 on 70-272 (700 is passing). The Exam Cram helped a bit in focusing which aspects of the Office, Outlook, and IE GUIs with which to become familiar. However, entire topics on the exam were completely unaddressed by this book ("Security Center", GPOs). Moreover, The book was apparently written before XP SP2 was released; the test requires knowledge of SP2 features.