Micrsoft press book first chapter is SOOO DRYYYYY

Discussion in 'General Microsoft Certifications' started by shocksl, Dec 9, 2011.

  1. shocksl

    shocksl Byte Poster

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    I've got the Micrsoft press book for 70-680...I am reading the first chapter - 1st lesson . On how to do a clean install.

    it is SOOOO DRYYYY. Making notes on it is soul draining!! lol God help me lol. Hope the rest of the book isnt like this.:cry:
     
  2. bogus1195

    bogus1195 Bit Poster

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    Yes as far as the review goes the Ms book is dry and tacky - I would recommend using the book from Don Poulton's it has some good review from Amazon and fellow test takers

    good luck with your preparations
     
    Certifications: CCNA ,MCP
    WIP: Windows 7 -- 70 - 680
  3. RichyV

    RichyV Megabyte Poster

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    Certainly would agree that the book's contents are hardly 'entertaining'!

    I found that the content did get more interesting from Chapt.4 onwards, I was also lucky enough to be able to afford videos to go along with the course, which helped massively. Both TrainSignal & CBT Nuggets are great and have full content for the 680, although I know not everyone will be able to fork-out for these, so don't forget Prof Messer's free vids for Win7 70-680, as these will help break-up the book-work and several CertForum members have sworn by them.

    Good luck!
     
    Certifications: B.Sc.(Hons), MBCS. MCP (271,272), MCDST, MCTS (680), MCITP:EDST7, MCSA:WIN7, MCPS, MCNPS
    WIP: 70-686, then onto MCSE: Desktop Infrastructure via MCSA: Server 2012...
  4. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    How far have you got with the book mate?
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  5. NT Executive

    NT Executive Bit Poster

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    Do you guys, think reading the press book is an absolute must? I have the CBT nugget videos and messer's videos. I am trying to get away with DOING and watching videos. Spent the last few days messing around with an answer file to install windows 7, which i finally got sorted today after coming up against a few issues in wmware and then with the answer file.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2011
  6. Sparky
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    Doesn’t have to be – I have passed some MS exams that don’t have a MS Press book such as the SBS 2003 exam.

    I would still use it though even though it’s a difficult read. You are doing the right thing by doing some lab work – keeps things interesting.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2011
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  7. NT Executive

    NT Executive Bit Poster

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    Nice one sparky, i'll give it some thought, for me videos can explain concepts in minutes that can take pages of a book to put across. I was kinda of thinking that doing something as oppossed to simply reading about it is the best way, obviously I do read technet when I need too, but to be honest, i plan to watch CBT nuggets and Messer, take notes during the videos and mainly actually doing the work. Right now iv'e done a couple of windows 7 installations manually and with an answer file and am now sysprepping the damn thing, thing with lab work i guess is, things do not always go smoothly and you can spend hours maybe even days (if your as stupid as me) being sidetracked by little issues.
     
  8. shocksl

    shocksl Byte Poster

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    Hi mate, I have both nuggets and train siginal alongside the MS BOOK.

    I think my problem is that when i sue the book, I end up trying to make notes on every single thing.

    So do you really think all the info is available in the vids?

    chapter 1 - lesson 2
    tbh when i watched the lesson 1 on CBT nuggets , the info was very vague in comparison to lesson 1 in the book.
     
  9. shocksl

    shocksl Byte Poster

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    I think I might be making my notes wrong. Who here is making notes on everything , the theory etc? or are you guys just making notes on things such as Commands (the practical side of stuff)?

    p.s every post has been repped ;)
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2011
  10. RichyV

    RichyV Megabyte Poster

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    Hi shocksl,

    Taking this from your previous thread...

    I would say that maybe a visit to the Microsoft Learning site might help with a 'learning plan' for this course.

    TS: Windows 7, Configuring

    Yes, it is far too easy to over elaborate on the note-taking; I'd say a page or two for each chapter should be all that is needed. You are trying to condense, remember. ALWAYS note the 'Exam Tip' areas of the book - they really will be tested.

    Other than that, I guess everyone will approach this differently and you'll get a feel for it as you go along. Remember that the vids usually try to stick quite closely to the 'exam' necessities, whereas the book will give you full-insight into the topic as if you were at work and needing to know it inside-out for a project.

    Good luck, again!
     
    Certifications: B.Sc.(Hons), MBCS. MCP (271,272), MCDST, MCTS (680), MCITP:EDST7, MCSA:WIN7, MCPS, MCNPS
    WIP: 70-686, then onto MCSE: Desktop Infrastructure via MCSA: Server 2012...
  11. TheMagician

    TheMagician Nibble Poster

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    The 70-680 book is actually one of MS PRESS's better books from the point of view of covering the exam objectives.

    It's worth sticking with it in my opinion.
     
    Certifications: MCSA 2012, MCITP: EA, SA, ITIL
  12. alexdc12

    alexdc12 Kilobyte Poster

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    i too am reading the same book, it does get better but still quite dry, Professor messer has a free video course for this exam on the website which is helpful to get across and ponts you cant quite grasp! As for vmware and answer files i had that headache too! everytime it wanted my input! Finally got round it tho and then vmware would hang installing it so used it on a test pc i have and worked a dream, the language choices were what the file was failing on everytime! But all sorted now, cant remember what chapter im on now think its 9/10 but aiming to try n pass by end of jan! Good lck with it.
    BTW there is a lot of errors in this book dunno if u have come across any yet but one of them was the making of the sysprep cd it didnt mention copying a boot.wim across! there is a website that lists all the errors so search for it!
     
    Certifications: GNVQ Advanced IT, CompTIA A+, CompTIA N+, 70-680
    WIP: 70-685, ITIL v3 Foundation
  13. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    What, dryer and more soul draining that actually performing a clean install?

    Think of it as gaining experience...
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  14. NT Executive

    NT Executive Bit Poster

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    This is EXACTLY what my issue was, i tried to go with en-gb for the Input locale, system locale etc in the answer file, thinking that was a valid string, strangely enough, i did validate the answer file in System image manager and it validated fine, however after about 2 days of pulling my hair out, i realised that windows didnt like my language choice and so skipped that part of the file, skipped the part where partions were meant to be created and picked up at the point where the answer file wanted to modify partitions.

    So for 2 days windows was throwing up errors about not being able to format a partition that didnt exist because it was skipping 1/4 of the answer file.

    NIGHTMARE.
     
    alexdc12 likes this.
  15. alexdc12

    alexdc12 Kilobyte Poster

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    this is what i used in the end

    <SetupUILanguage>
    <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
    <WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
    </SetupUILanguage>
    <InputLocale>0809:00000809</InputLocale>
    <SystemLocale>en-GB</SystemLocale>
    <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
    <UserLocale>en-GB</UserLocale>

    for some reason u need to set the setup lang to us. the partitions bit was tricky too because of the way vmware handles the partitions!
     
    Certifications: GNVQ Advanced IT, CompTIA A+, CompTIA N+, 70-680
    WIP: 70-685, ITIL v3 Foundation
  16. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Thought it would be further than that mate :) The chapters on automating the install of Windows 7 are hard going but after that its not too bad.
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs

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