Monthly Archives: December 2010

Microsoft, Windows 7

Advantages of Windows 7

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Windows 7 is the latest release of operating system by Microsoft in the month of July 2009. It has improved the performance of computer system. It incorporates latest features and functions. Users of computers & laptops were given no choice but to switch to windows Vista after windows XP. In this write up, we shall read about why Microsoft Windows 7 is considered better than Microsoft Vista & how can the user optimize the satisfaction factor to a significant extent. We shall also read about computer support available for troubleshooting problems in windows 7.


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Windows 7 has become the choice of home and high-end users who are looking for best operating system. Let us now discuss why Windows 7 is considered better over Windows Vista & far more superior to windows XP.

The time taken by Windows 7 to boot is quite more than that taken by Vista & XP especially when large files have to be transferred. The latest OS is also better than Windows Vista and windows XP when it comes to opening small & heavy duty excel worksheet and PDF files. When a window 7 is compared with windows Vista, we can find out that the user account control creates many problems. The best feature in Windows 7 is that it offers advanced support for numerous varied graphics cards from several vendors & computer users do not face cluttering & bloating problems faced by windows Vista users. Apart from these windows 7 has many other advanced features like consolidated icon for firewall activation, windows defender & windows setting that can be personalized by computer users. Even with respect to home networking Windows 7 is considered better than Vista and XP. In fact Microsoft has improved the latest windows 7 version after it was criticized for features of Vista and XP version.

However, Windows 7 version can also face many problems. In fact every OS can encounter many problems and windows 7 can not be considered as an exception. However, problems can be instantly solved by opting for professional PC tech support services. The best option is to go for online computer help and online PC support services. As computer tech help services are affordable and easily accessible, these services are becoming more and more popular.

If you are novice computer user and you want to avail services from search engines like Google, you must enter words like “computer support service”, “computer tech help” or “online computer help” and you will get directed to reliable computer support service provider.

Microsoft

MCTS Certifications And Ways To Get Them

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Many IT professionals are taking certification for MCTS so that they can aim at a specific technology. Moreover, they are taking the certification exams so that they can have the initial step to gain professional-level certifications. At present, there are 20 TS certifications that are grouped into their own specializations. The group of these certifications may include Office specializations, .NET Framework Specializations, and SQL Server Specializations. Moreover, the groups also include Business Intelligence Specializations, and Windows Specializations. The certification exam of these technology series is not that easy to pass. That is why IT professionals make use of different programs to help them prepare for the exams.


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If you are planning to take a certification exam for MCTS, then you may want to take several training courses to help you pass the exam. There are varieties of training courses that you can utilize when preparing for the examination. There are self-measure exams to test and measure your success of passing the test. Moreover, aside from the training courses and programs that you can use, it is vital that you have practical knowledge about the product that you are going to use in the examinations.

In addition, due to the fact that there are several types of certification exams for MCTS, it is important that you train for a specific technology group. It is vital to choose a particular type of technology specialty because this will make the exam preparations much easier. Moreover, it is best that the technology specialty you choose is your strong point. The reason for this is you can surely pass the examination if you have a much deeper knowledge on the product and field of work.

On the other hand, if you lack the time to review and train yourself for the TS certification exam, then you may not be able to pass the exam. However, there are ways that you can take to get a hold of a certificate on MCTS. There are several online websites that are offering services that will surely give you the certificate that you need. These online testing websites will not require you to take any courses related to the exam thus saving your time and effort. With these online testing websites, you may be able to obtain a TS certificate without doing the actual exam.

Before the online testing website can give you the certification, they will require several information that they will use for the certificates and registration. Your full name, address, and contact numbers are required so that after the online testing website finishes the exam, the certificate will be delivered to you automatically. Moreover, because there are several types of TS certification exams, it is important that the online testing websites know about the MCTS certificate that you want to attain.

Once the online testing websites obtain the necessary information, they will help you pass the exam within five working days. Sometimes the exams may take ten days to finish. After the online websites pass the exam, you will receive a confirmation email and the certificates will be delivered within two to six weeks.

MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training, Microsoft, Windows 7

Microsoft sets strategy for software rentals

In mid-July, I attended Fusion 2000, Microsoft’s annual conference for their development and networking partners, a.k.a. Solution Providers, or SPs. The conference is designed to prepare the sales and marketing groups within these organizations to position and price upcoming solutions based on the Microsoft platform.

It should come as no surprise that the main message was centered around configuring and delivering solutions on the Microsoft .NET platform. But if you look beyond the marketing glitter, one of the major themes that emerged from the conference is that Microsoft now believes “ASPs are for real.”

Piloting for success
At the conference, Microsoft revealed that they had been running a series of licensing pilots over the last year designed to help them determine a strategy for offering their products on a subscription (or rental) basis rather than as a one-time purchase.

These licensing pilots centered on offering infrastructure based on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Microsoft BackOffice and also productivity services centered around Microsoft Exchange 5.5 and Microsoft Office 2000. As a result of these pilots, Microsoft has determined that there are two basic licensing decisions that ASPs need to be ready to offer, and customers willing to accept.


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Decision #1: How long does the license last?
The first licensing decision is one of purchasing a perpetual license versus a non-perpetual license.

In the past, the only option from Microsoft has been a perpetual license, i.e. when you buy a copy of Office 97, you have the option of using that license on a single machine “in perpetuity.” Microsoft simulated a non-perpetual license by allowing a customer to upgrade every 18 months for a fee, thus preserving a revenue stream on a purchased perpetual license.

But now Microsoft will offer a real non-perpetual license. For example, you can purchase, (from an authorized ASP), a right to use the current version of Microsoft Office for one month at a price set by the ASP. That price would include not only the license cost of the software, but also the ASP’s fees for managing and maintaining access to the software.

The other key difference between a perpetual and non-perpetual license is to whom (or what) the license is applied. In the case of a perpetual license, the license is applied to a device, i.e. anyone can use the copy of Office installed on a specific PC. In the non-perpetual mode, the license is applied to an individual, i.e. the individual has the right to use Office on ANY DEVICE from which he or she can access a hosted version of Office. This would include their office PC, a home PC, or even an airport kiosk from which they can load a Web session into Windows Terminal Services.

Decision #2: How many licenses do I need?
The second key decision that an ASP must make on behalf of their customers is whether to license certain products by the user or by the CPU. For some products, (like Windows 2000, Commerce Server, and SQL Server), the hosting company has the option of paying Microsoft a monthly per CPU fee for using a copy of the software.

If the hosting company chooses to segregate companies into their own unique, non-shared environments, it will be more cost effective to pay Microsoft and charge their customers by the user rather than the CPU.

The exception to this rule is for applications that require external authenticated access to SQL Server databases or to Commerce Server. Microsoft has finally dropped their maddening and somewhat irrational requirement that externally authenticated Internet users be required to pay for a CAL or Client Access License.

(This was one of the biggest inhibitors to widespread, legal deployment of Microsoft’s Commerce Server product. There was no way for you, as the company deploying an e-commerce solution, to determine how many unique, external users would access your site. It made Commerce deployment on the Microsoft platform unpredictable and, potentially, prohibitively expensive.)

The more compelling case for per-CPU pricing from the hosting company’s perspective is the ability to share large, multiprocessor servers running Windows 2000 for access and authentication, SQL Server 2000 for database access, and Commerce Server for commerce transactions. This allows the ASP to spread the cost of maintaining these services across multiple boxes and to offer hosting services at a lower price than the company can purchase and manage the product without the ASP.

Most of the per-user pricing is determined by making the impact to Microsoft revenue-neutral. That means that the hosting company’s real ability to generate revenue lies in delivering efficient shared services to its customers. In order to keep from cannibalizing their revenue, Microsoft has chosen to stick with per-user pricing only for products like Office, Exchange, and Terminal Server. ASPs will have to add value there by integration and custom development surrounding those products.

Will Microsoft be successful with ASPs?
Microsoft has chosen a different route than their competitors in the software space. Companies like Oracle, SAP and PeopleSoft have chosen to compete with their own partners in the ASP space. Other than their bCentral effort, (aimed at companies with less than 50 PCs), Microsoft is encouraging companies to focus on providing hosted offerings to companies with 1,000 or more PCs. Unfortunately, Microsoft has no clear vision or program to help companies in the 50 to 1000 PC market segment—either the companies with this number of seats or the ASPs who serve them.

Microsoft’s ultimate success here actually rides on two things. First, the rest of the market needs to keep rolling over on the desktop. If Sun, IBM, Oracle, and AOL all decided to band together and focus on providing the Sun StarOffice Suite on a standard Linux/Gnome platform using a rich, hosted Lotus Notes back end for a set fee per month, ($5 or less), then Microsoft would have to dramatically alter their plans to continue desktop operating system and productivity suite domination.

The second key to Microsoft’s success is their own ability to deploy large numbers of well-configured and manageable Windows 2000 platforms, (hosted and non-hosted), in a short period of time. If Microsoft can push enough Windows 2000 and .NET servers out the door in the next 12 months, then the game’s over anyway.
Is Microsoft’s non-perpetual license marketable? Share your opinions with us by e-mail or by posting below.

MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training, Microsoft, Windows 7

Microsoft releases a tool/patch kit for Windows 2000

Exterminator has rounded up information on several Microsoft fixes this week, including a new tool and patch kit for Windows 2000. Find out the details and check out the latest Novell update and Trend Micro virus news.


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Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS01-004)
Regarding: Microsoft IIS
Date Posted: Jan. 29, 2001
Patch URL:Click here to download the 4.0 patch
Patch URL:Click here to download the 5.0 patch
Information URL:Click here for more information

This week, Microsoft released a patch for its Internet Information Server, versions 4 and 5. The patch eliminates a vulnerability that could allow a malicious user to read file fragments from an affected Web server. For more information on this update, click on the Information URL above.

Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS01-005)
Regarding: Windows 2000
Date Posted: Jan. 30, 2001
Patch URL:Click here to download the tool
Patch URL:Click here to download the Win2K patch
Patch URL:Click here to download the Win2K SP1 patch
Information URL:Click here for more information

Also this week, Microsoft released a tool and patch for its Windows 2000 operating systems. According to Microsoft’s TechNet Security Bulletin, the tool and patch help users “diagnose and eliminate the effects of anomalies in the packaging of hotfixes” for Windows 2000 machines. Microsoft said these anomalies could uninstall updates, such as security patches from Win2K machines. For more information on this update, click on the Information URL above.

Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS01-006)
Regarding: Windows 2000 Terminal Server
Date Posted: Jan. 31, 2001
Patch URL:Click here to download the patch
Information URL:Click here for more information

Microsoft has released a patch for its Windows 2000 Server and Advanced Server acting as a terminal server. The patch eliminates a vulnerability that could allow a user to attack a server and cause it to crash. For more information on this patch, click the Information URL above.

Novell issues
Regarding: NetWare
Date Posted: Jan. 29, 2001
Patch URL:Click here to download the patch
Information URL:Click here for more information

Novell’s only update this week is a self-extracting file for its NetWare 5.1 SP2 and NetWare 5.0 SP6 updates for NDPS 2.x. For more information on this update, click on the Information URL above.

Virus updates from Trend Micro
Virus/Worm: TROJ_SUB7DRPR.C
Posted: Jan. 31, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Virus/Worm: TROJ_RUNNER.B
Posted: Jan. 31, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Virus/Worm: W97M_HOPE.AA
Posted: Jan. 30, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Virus/Worm: TROJ_RUX.30
Posted: Jan. 29, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Virus/Worm: TROJ_HERMES
Posted: Jan. 29, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.
Stay current on virus information
Are you keeping up with the latest virus information from Microsoft and Novell? If not, visit the Exterminator archive for past columns with information on bugs and patches you may have missed.

Exterminator brings you weekly updates on bug fixes, virus recovery, service release announcements, and security notices for Windows, Novell, Linux, and other systems.

Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS01-004)
Regarding: Microsoft IIS
Date Posted: Jan. 29, 2001
Patch URL:Click here to download the 4.0 patch
Patch URL:Click here to download the 5.0 patch
Information URL:Click here for more information

This week, Microsoft released a patch for its Internet Information Server, versions 4 and 5. The patch eliminates a vulnerability that could allow a malicious user to read file fragments from an affected Web server. For more information on this update, click on the Information URL above.

Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS01-005)
Regarding: Windows 2000
Date Posted: Jan. 30, 2001
Patch URL:Click here to download the tool
Patch URL:Click here to download the Win2K patch
Patch URL:Click here to download the Win2K SP1 patch
Information URL:Click here for more information

Also this week, Microsoft released a tool and patch for its Windows 2000 operating systems. According to Microsoft’s TechNet Security Bulletin, the tool and patch help users “diagnose and eliminate the effects of anomalies in the packaging of hotfixes” for Windows 2000 machines. Microsoft said these anomalies could uninstall updates, such as security patches from Win2K machines. For more information on this update, click on the Information URL above.

Microsoft Security Bulletin (MS01-006)
Regarding: Windows 2000 Terminal Server
Date Posted: Jan. 31, 2001
Patch URL:Click here to download the patch
Information URL:Click here for more information

Microsoft has released a patch for its Windows 2000 Server and Advanced Server acting as a terminal server. The patch eliminates a vulnerability that could allow a user to attack a server and cause it to crash. For more information on this patch, click the Information URL above.

Novell issues
Regarding: NetWare
Date Posted: Jan. 29, 2001
Patch URL:Click here to download the patch
Information URL:Click here for more information

Novell’s only update this week is a self-extracting file for its NetWare 5.1 SP2 and NetWare 5.0 SP6 updates for NDPS 2.x. For more information on this update, click on the Information URL above.

Virus updates from Trend Micro
Virus/Worm: TROJ_SUB7DRPR.C
Posted: Jan. 31, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Virus/Worm: TROJ_RUNNER.B
Posted: Jan. 31, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Virus/Worm: W97M_HOPE.AA
Posted: Jan. 30, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Virus/Worm: TROJ_RUX.30
Posted: Jan. 29, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Virus/Worm: TROJ_HERMES
Posted: Jan. 29, 2001
Risk: Low
Information URL:Click here for more information on this virus.

Windows 7

Windows 7 Solutions to Fix Black Screen of Death

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When using the Windows 7, you could have come across Windows 7 Black Screen of Death, which means that the desktop is completely black and nothing else is visible. When such an error occurs, you may be really confused without knowing what to do. You will just switch off the system and restart it. Sometimes, this could help, but if it occurs quite often, you should have to look for the cause and rectify it or it could lead to permanent shutdown of your system.

Every time Windows 7 Black Screen appears, restart the computer in the Safe Mode. Starting the computer in Safe Mode will help to identify if the problem is related to hardware or software. If your system can load in the safe mode, then the reason for the black screen is related to the software errors. If your system can not enter the safe mode, then the problem is really related to the hardware errors. Over heating and using wrong drivers could be the major reason for hardware errors.


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Start fixing this problem, you should remove the unnecessary files and programs in the system. The unnecessary files and programs take up enough space in the System that could lead to Windows 7 Black Screen. Moreover, some of the files and programs could also be corrupted. If there is any corrupted program, delete it and install an upgraded one.

Another area that you have to check is the display settings. Remember, wrong display settings may also cause this error. Just start in the safe mode and this problem of display settings can be settled.

Your computer may come up with black screen if there are viruses. Virus attack may edit your registry files and running processes. You may find that the infected files are producing rubbish and taking a huge amount of memory, which could lead to the black screen of death in Windows 7. Make sure that you are not visiting the dangerous sites and downloading the unreliable applications which may contain viruses.

There is also a main cause of Windows 7 Black Screen which is the corruption in the registry. The black screen error could happen if the files in the registry are corrupted or if the registry files are not loaded properly. You can repair the registry on your own if you know everything about registry. Do not attempt if you are unaware as it could lead to other issues such data lost and computer crash. You can call the technical support the help you with registry cleaning. However, the recommended way to clean the registry is through a professional registry cleaning software. It saves the unexpected fees of computer repair and offers the professional solutions for your Windows 7 errors.

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Microsoft boosts the security of ISA Server with Service Pack 2

Takeaway: Get the details on Service Pack 2 for Microsoft’s Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000.

Microsoft has released Service Pack 2 for Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000. This software update definitely increases the security and stability of ISA, and administrators who manage ISA servers need to give it a close look.
Details

Going almost unnoticed, the release of Service Pack 2 for ISA Server 2000 comes in English, French, Japanese, Spanish, and German. ISA SP2 addresses the problems in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:


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● 313318: “Cannot relay mail through ISA Server if authentication is required”

● 317122: “Web proxy sends TCP reset instead of only closing session”

● 317822: “Problems with Web browser if ISA Server 2000 is chained to an upstream Web proxy server”

● 323889: “Unchecked buffer in Gopher protocol handler can run code of attacker’s choice”

● 324642: “Macintosh clients who use MAPI cannot connect to Exchange 2000 with ISA Server”

● 331062: “Running ISA Server on Windows Server 2003”

● 331068: “ISA firewall causes handle leak in LSASS”

● 331069: “Hotfix to permit URL path redirection in Web publishing rules”

● 331070: “Authentication does not succeed when the user name contains a space”

● 810559: “Slow responses and failures when you use server publishing UDP protocols”

● 813864: “Site and content rules do not filter based on file name extensions”

● 816456: “Flaw in ISA Server error pages could allow cross-site scripting attack”

● 816828: “‘Permission Denied’ error message when you use rlogin to log on to a server on the Internet”

● 818821: “ISA firewall service stops responding on DNS resolution”

● 821724: “Basic credentials may be sent over an external https: connection when SSL is required”

● 822241: “ISA Server Web proxy service maintains a connection after a client session is closed”

● 822970: “Cannot read ISA Server performance data by using an SNMP program”

● 828044: “ISA Server intermittently stops responding to Web proxy client requests”

● 829892: “You cannot connect to external FTP sites by using a WRQ reflection FTP client through ISA Server 2000”

● 829893: “RSA SecurID cookie expires frequently, and clients are repeatedly prompted to authenticate”

● 833009: “ICMP traffic is not blocked during startup period with ISA Server”

● 839019: “White spaces in URL are not correctly encoded or decoded when you log on”

The list above represents some of the most important fixes, but there are others as well. An extensive list of other hot fixes is included in the release notes for SP2. In addition to the hot fixes, the Microsoft Security Bulletin “Vulnerability in Microsoft Internet security and Acceleration Server 2000 H.323 filter could allow remote code execution” (MS04-001) is also covered by ISA SP2.

You can download the English version of ISA SP2 here. For more details on installing SP2, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 313139. If you experience problems, Microsoft says that ISA SP2 can be removed after installation.
Final word

This service pack has nearly gone unnoticed. At least I never saw any notices about it from Microsoft. Perhaps that was intentional because Microsoft’s ISA Server 2004 is rumored to be almost ready to ship. However, I suspect many administrators will want to install ISA 2000 SP2 before leaping to adopt the latest version of the software, even though ISA 2004 incorporates many of these security enhancements and undoubtedly includes many new features as well. Nevertheless, it takes a brave administrator to bet the farm on a brand-new security product.
Also watch for…

● Kurczaba Associates reports that ZoneAlarm Pro has a medium-level vulnerability in its new “mobile code” filter, but there is no known workaround yet. The problem is that the software fails to properly filter SSL content.

● There is a DoS vulnerability in all Cisco IOS systems with the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) enabled. See Cisco Security Advisory 53021, “Cisco IOS malformed BGP packet causes reload,” for details. The vendor discovered this vulnerability.

● A bill that would impose heavy fines for redirecting URLs and spreading spyware is working its way through the U.S. Congress. CNET’s News.com reports a House subcommittee has approved the Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act (SPYACT), H.R. 2929, which would impose fines of up to $3 million for annoying and privacy-invading practices such as installing keystroke loggers and even some pop-up ads. Of course, Microsoft is already planning to include a pop-up ad blocker in Windows XP Service Pack 2. But this is an election year, so Congress may actually do something. Whether the final bill will make a real difference is debatable. The last time Congress got involved in helping Internet users, they passed CanSPAM, and we all know that this legislation has done little to affect the daily spam deluge.

● There are rumors around the Internet water cooler that Network Associates (maker of McAfee solutions) is on the market, and that Microsoft is considering increasing its position in the antivirus world by acquiring the software as well as the credibility of the McAfee name. Microsoft is denying interest, while theinquirer.net is reporting that Network Associates is saying that no discussions are being held. Of course, nothing can kill such a deal quicker than holding a press conference to announce that it may take place. So the denials are being taken with a grain of salt, especially just a week after Symantec’s CEO told a British audience that Microsoft’s move into the antivirus arena doesn’t threaten other vendors because the Redmond giant lacks credibility in the security field.

● A Linux kernel flaw in the IEEE 1394 (a.k.a. Firewire or i.Link) driver opens the door to DoS attacks. This applies to all versions of Linux. The driver in question is /usr/src/linux/drivers/ieee1394/. See Bugtraq for details.

● There is a DoS vulnerability in Sun’s Solaris operating system (versions 7, 8, and 9). Secunia rates this as “not critical,” but you should probably check it out if you’re running Solaris. The problem isn’t specified, but it lies in the Basic Security Module (how ironic) and patches are available. This problem was discovered and reported by Sun.

● Reuters reports that MasterCard has hired NameProtect to try to block phishing attacks related to the credit card giant’s accounts.

MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training

Mcitp 70-680 Candidate Profile

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About this Exam Candidates operate in computing environments that use Microsoft Windows 7 certificate as a desktop operating system in an enterprise environment. Candidates should have at least one year of experience in the IT field, as well as experience implementing and administering any Windows client operating system in a networked environment.

Audience Profile:
Candidates for this exam operate in computing environments that use Microsoft Windows 7 as a desktop operating system in an enterprise environment. Candidates should have at least one year of experience in the IT field, as well as experience implementing and administering any Windows client operating system in a networked environment.


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Candidates should be able to install, deploy, and upgrade to Windows 7, including ensuring hardware and software compatibility. Additionally, candidates should be able to configure pre-installation and post-installation system settings, Windows security features, network connectivity applications included with a Exam and mobile computing.

Candidates should also be able to maintain systems, including monitoring for and resolving performance and reliability issues. Candidates should have a basic understanding of Windows PowerShell syntax.

The Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification helps validate that an individual has the comprehensive set of skills necessary to perform a particular job role, such as database administrator or enterprise messaging administrator. MCITP certifications build on the technical proficiency measured in the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications. Therefore, you will earn one or more MCTS certifications on your way to earning an MCITP certification.

MCITP candidates are IT professionals capable of deploying, building, designing, optimizing, and operating technologies for a particular job role. They make the design and technology decisions necessary to ensure successful technology implementation projects.

Why get certified?
Earning a Microsoft Certification helps validate your proven experience and knowledge in using Microsoft products and solutions. Designed to be relevant in todays rapidly changing IT marketplace, Microsoft Certifications help you utilize evolving a free Microsoft practice tests technologies, fine-tune your troubleshooting skills, and improve your job satisfaction.

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In-depth look at Microsoft Home Server – CES 2007

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I had a chance to speak with members of the Microsoft Home Server team at CES about Microsoft Home Server 2006.  I managed to get some in-depth questions answered on the product so here it is.

Question:  Will Home Server be available to the do-it-yourself buyers or will it only be available as a packaged deal?

Microsoft:  For the time being, it will only be available as a packaged deal from major PC makers.  But there is a lot of interest from the do-it-yourself market and Microsoft is looking in to it.

Question:  What is Home Server based on?  Is it based on Windows Server 2007 (or what ever it will be called)?

Microsoft:  It’s based on Windows Server 2003 R2 along with some other components that the Home Server team developed for the home product.

Question:  I noticed a fairly nice looking rich client management console.  Is that web based or is that a rich client that needs to be installed?

Microsoft:  Neither.  It’s a rich Win32 application hosted on the server delivered to the client’s desktop seamlessly using the RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol).  This is a feature similar to Microsoft Terminal Services in Windows Server 2007.  The user interface is also available to remote users via web interface.  The connection from the client to server is extremely thin and efficient (often less than 2 kbps in my experience on RDP).

Question:  On the custom domain names that buyers may get if they adopt MS Home Server early (details not worked out yet), will that support DDNS Dynamic DNS non-static IP Internet connections typical of most DSL and Cable broadband connections?

Microsoft:  Microsoft will support Dynamic DNS for custom domain names.

Question:  How does the remote access work?  Is that an https: tunneling technology that can bypass firewalls or is it just using RDP on TCP 3389 or some other redirected port?

Microsoft:  It’s not using https: tunneling, but Microsoft Home Server can act as an RDP proxy which allows a single server on a single IP address to simultaneously host multiple RDP connections to multiple PCs.

Question:  How does Microsoft deal with the issue of security.  It’s hard enough for an IT professional to secure a publicly available server exposed to the Internet let alone someone in the home.  This opens up a whole new can of worms on the security front because we now have millions of homes connected to the Internet with a wide-open server 24×7.

Microsoft:  Microsoft has put a lot of work in hardening the home server using technology from Windows Server 2003 R2 with IIS 6.0 web server.

Note that IIS 6.0 since 2003 has only had two moderately critical flaws which is really quite amazing for a web server.  Apache 2.0 has had more than 10 times the number of flaws in the same time period and some of which were more critical.  But the biggest security issue with web servers besides poor administration is poor custom ASP or PHP coding which thankfully is not an issue with most home servers.  Homes are currently safe if they have a firewall or router even if a serious flaw exists on the home network because it isn’t open to the public Internet.  This is not just a Microsoft problem since the same thing is being done with Linux-based servers and appliances, but we’re talking about the server that holds all the user’s data open to the Internet.  Only time will tell on the cyber-crime front but my prediction is that it will be a huge problem afflicting the industry in general as we move to a more connected digital society.

Question:  One of the biggest security headaches in running a secure web server is the secure authentication issue and the pain of setting up and buying expensive SSL certificates.  A lot of IT shops don’t even get this right and they set up these untrusted self-signed digital certificates that violate fundamental SSL security principles and many American Banks can’t even seem to get this concept straight.  What chance does a home user have of dealing with this huge implementation challenge?  What is Microsoft doing to make this easier?

Microsoft:  We’re working on this.

Question:  Wouldn’t it make sense for Microsoft to offer free SSL certificate signing with every Home Server and automate the whole thing?

Microsoft:  That’s good feedback.

Question:  Cisco has a technology on their firewalls called cut-through-proxy where ports aren’t open until a user authenticates.  Wouldn’t that type of technology be good for the home and in general to minimize the open ports and vectors for attack?

Microsoft:  We’re aware of this technology and it’s good feedback.

Question:  How does Microsoft Home Server deal with PC backup?

Microsoft:  Microsoft offers a full PC backup solution that includes data and system imaging.  Even if a hard drive died on a PC, the customer can put in a blank hard drive and do a bare metal recovery using a bootable recovery CD.

Question:  How does Microsoft deal with the issue of offline-backup from the home server?  Let’s say the user’s computer is hacked and the hacker destroys or encrypts all the user’s data on the client and file shares on the Home Server.

Microsoft:  Microsoft will have an add-on product that supports offline backups like an external USB/Firewire hard drive.  The home server will run as a separate service that has exclusive access to the offline backup.  The normal home server services will not have access to the offline backup.  Microsoft Home Server also has point-in-time snapshot capability so that users can recover files from a previous state like a day or week before.  (Vista also has this feature natively).

Question:  Does Microsoft Home Server support single instant storage like Windows Server 2003 R2?  (This means if two people in a home had separate folders with the same files on the same server, Home Server will only store one instance of the file)

Microsoft:  Not at this point.

Question:  Does Microsoft Home Server have the IAS (RADIUS) authentication server component of Windows Server 2003 built in?  (This allows people to run Enterprise Class wireless LAN security that’s easy to manage.)

Microsoft:  Not at this point.

Question:  Is Microsoft Home Server an Active Directory server?

Microsoft:  No, Windows XP home and Vista basic can’t support domain joins.  Only business editions of Windows can support domain joins.

Question:  But wouldn’t this make file sharing difficult since users are often prompted to enter in a username and password?  Furthermore, Workgroup networking and file sharing has never worked consistently in Windows XP even if you manually sync up the usernames and passwords.

Microsoft:  The Home Server client agent will synchronize passwords so that file shares on different machines can be seamlessly accessed.  It’s also made Workgroup network file sharing more consistent and users won’t need to type in passwords for different shares.

MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training

Get High Score in MCSE Exams

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The practice exams are must for getting the information technology certifications. The MCSE certification provides the features for becoming a system engineer in a comfortable manner. This will be useful not only for the job seekers, but for the working professionals also. The ways for becoming a high quality system administrator will be provided by this certification such that it gives the best solution. A person should know the exam codes that are required for getting this certification in a proper way. This will be helpful for solving the complex problems in the information technology companies.


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The self paced training kits are available for the persons who want to get this certification, as it involves both preparation and practice. Some companies are providing the training programs for the passing the mcse practice exam in a better way. The test papers and the exams are found to be helpful for getting this certification without any difficulties. Some kits are providing the video guides and the study guides for the persons who want to clear these exams in a right way. The MCSE certification makes the possible ways for overcoming the challenges in the information technology companies.

The solved papers and the model papers are available for getting this certification and it helps to avoid the difficulties. The online gives the updated study materials for the persons who are preparing these exams. The search engines are giving the ways for the clearing the mcse secrets in a correct way. The simulation process is provided for the persons who want to become an efficient engineer. The ways for improving the standards both in life and companies are provided by this certification and also shows the ways for getting the high paid jobs in the topmost information technology companies all over the world.

The examinations are playing a main role in analyzing the skills and knowledge of the person in a proper way. The exams are also helping you to get a good job in a big concern also. There are different types of exams available to you to do to get a job. You can search the different useful exams for getting a good job in your life. Those will help you to start a good career also. The Microsoft exams are the best one to improve your skills and also to get a secure job in your life too.

You can get the details of the institutes in the online easily. You can also get the training for these mcse exams in the institutes. It will help you to pass this exam in an easy way. The study guides are the one will help for the preparation of this exam and it is available in the online. You can clarify your doubts about these mcse exams from the experts and professionals in the online. This will help you to know the benefits of this exam in a better way. You can get the certification for this exam after you finish it with high score. This will allow you to search a better job in the software industry easily.

MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training, Microsoft

MCSE Training

MCSE training is very intensive. To wade through the extensive coursework and comprehend its applications on your own is time consuming and you may not be able to appear for exams in the stipulated time. For many aspirants, the best way to do this is at a local training center. These centers will help candidates go through coursework and practical sessions professionally and help them in exam and career oriented study. The important thing is to get a thorough knowledge and understanding of the coursework, write the exams on time and be aware of the practical applications of the Microsoft products and services.


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But if you find a lack of good training centers or boot camps in your neighborhood, you can also go to the Internet and get trained using the thousands of tutorials and study guides available on the web. There are many people who like to study that way, or use CD-ROMS and books for their preparation for MCSE. Microsoft itself has come out with an MCSE training kit that intends to help candidates learn the skills needed on the job as well as acquire the knowledge needed for the exams.

MCSE training classes are usually conducted at the convenience of the candidates, but most centers are open for quite a number of hours every day. The advantage of such training centers is that each group will have a restricted number of participants, with each member getting individual guidance from MCSE experts. But for people who want to do an intensive course in MCSE training and pass the exams, there are many centers that conduct boot camps, running through the entire coursework for an exam in a matter of two to three weeks. This helps working men and women who may not find time to attend classes on a regular basis, but still be able to take the exam on time.