New to Windows 2003

dleggett

Sorry, I have been living in the NetWare world and I want to up my knowledge about Windows 2003. What is the best way to learn it? Is there any software that I can get my hands on to try this out hands on following some books after I become comfortable? What do you suggest? Thanks

sthomas

In my opinion the best way to learn would be to get a book or two and setup a Windows Server 2003 lab by using either Virtual Machines or spare computers. Also, if you need a little structure to learn you may want to consider working on your MCSA/MCSE certification in Windows Server 2003.

You can download a trial version of Windows Server 2003 and Virtual PC for free from Microsoft's website.

royal

Hey, welcome to the site. The most popular video training is CBT Nuggets. It usually costs around $125 per exam. Popular video training/lab simulation is TestOut, although it is quite more expensive. The most popular practice exam is Transcenders.

Other than that, if you plan on taking exams, the most popular books are MSPress, Syngress, and Sybex. All are great, but some of them are not good for their respective exams.

I would also recommend Virtual PC 2007 (free), Virtual Server (free), Vmware Server (free), Vmware workstation (not free but my fav) and get some evaluation copies of the Server software. Getting hands on is what really helps you learn the product.

Hope that helps you get started. Everyone on these forums are very helpful, so feel free to ask any questions.

dleggett

Thanks for the help guys. I am very new to this site and I intend on using it a lot more. What books do you think is best for beginners? Any specific titles? Thanks again

royal

Well, I always recommend people start off with A+ and Network+ to get foundational knowledge, and you can use both as an elective for your MCSA. Since you already have experience, not sure how much you'll be needing the A+ and Network+.

I'd probably start with the 70-270 (I don't know any good books, haven't done this exam for years). The server exams, I used the following books:
70-290 - MSPress
70-291 - MSPress
70-293 - Syngress (MSPress is horrible for this exam)
70-294 - Syngress
70-297 - Sybex
70-284 - Sybex

dynamik

I just used the MS Press book and Transcender for 290. You should read through some of the pass/fail threads to see what those people used as well as what topics tripped people up. A lot of previous threads contain excellent information, so if you have a few hours, just browse around and read about other peoples questions, advice, and experiences.

brad-

For someone completely new to 2k3 like I was, CBTNuggets really helped me. Seeing someone do the work and talking about it really helped me pick up the interface.