MCSE self teaching help

[TheMine]

Ok, i've just bought the full mcse training kit for exams 70290 to 70294, including a 180day version of windows server 2003. I have one laptop with an 80gb hard drive, which i dont want to muck about with in order to install the software. Then i start reading through the material and its already talking about needing a second computer to practice remote assistance on etc etc........ Question is, what is the best way to go about this ? buy a couple of cheap pc's and leave the laptop alone ? I really want to get cracking on this, can somebody please advise ? Thanks muchly in advance !

[vehelpfulguy]

Well if I were doing it then I would probably get a couple of PCs and load it on there.

Windows Server 2003 might not sit too easily on a laptop, driver support for one thing.

Note Windows Server 2003 is a bit more beefy than XP so you probably need a fairly decent PC.

Microsoft do offer a couple of products called Virtual PC and Virtual Server that may help.

The first, Virtual PC, is certainly free, not sure about Virtual Server.

Once installed they create a virtual PC inside your copy of Windows. You can then install another Windows INSIDE this Virtual PC.

So you have Windows "hosting" a copy of Windows.

But hard to explain but here is a picture that may help.

http://macfannet.mycom.co.jp/news/0201/images/ 020117vpc50jpn_xp.jpg

It shows Windows XP running inside Virtual PC which itself us running inside Windows XP.

I think Windows Server 2003 would need to be installed under Virtual Server and not Virtual PC but not sure.

More here

http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/virtualpc/def ault.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/v irtualserver/default.mspx

[vehelpfulguy]

Another thing.

Consider swappable hard drives.

I have an IBM Thinkpad where I can easily remove the hard drive.

I have three or four hard drives with different operating systems on them. I just slot in the one I want and boot it up.

You can do a similar thing with PCs, by having a hard disk caddy, like this

http://www.backup-for-workgroups.com/images/re movable/installation6.jpg

Instead of a fixed hard drive you have a little drawer and slot out and slot in the hard drive you want.

[TheMine]

vehelpfulguy you're a gem!
Thanks alot for the advice, perhaps its worth mentioning that i don't have any qualifications in IT, although i have used computers for years be it mainly on an application basis, i've only recently delved into the background operating systems area, and only on a personal basis at that! Should i take some other exams first? ECDL maybe? This will be a career move so i really want to prepare well, and i'm under no illusion about how much work goes into gaining MCSE! any comments....?