N00b Win2k3 IT admin needs guidance!

Hello, this is my first post here on OSNN and I would like to say this is a really great place for Windows help and support! (Thats the reason I joined!)

Anyway, I am working my first IT job as a system administrator at a travel agency with roughly 70 Dell XP workstations. I have zero certs right now and I am looking to improve my IT knowledge everyday. I am becoming ever aware of things like Active Directory, Enhanced Security, Group Policy, WSUS and others.

I have several questions I would really love to get answered but for now I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me.

Last week I ordered CompTIA A+ and Network+ books and they should be on their way right now. Next, I would like a great Windows 2k3 system administrator book to help get me more familiar with Windows Networking. Any and all suggestions welcome!

Microsoft Press: Active Directory Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Press: Windows Group Policy Guide

A+ and network+ are useless to IT staff you should know all the stuff in them before you get an It job.

I personally think the MS certs are worth less then the paper they are printed on, never mind the money and time invested in them.

Best position to be is in a live system where you have to do everything possible not to break stuff, that way you take more care and pay more attention while learning lots of things very quickly.

madmatt said:

Microsoft Press: Active Directory Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Press: Windows Group Policy Guide

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I have both of those books and can also recommend them.

Just blag it.
Read alot of the Sybex books about 3 years ago, but learning more from playing around with live systems these days.

Could always setup Virtual Environments if you don't have the coconuts to play with live systems either

Thanks for the tips guys. I am going to definitely take a closer look at both of those books!

Also, I do know most of what it takes to pass the A+ exam. I have been around computers for a long time, just not business network environments. Network+ is something I still definitely need to study along with MCSA books.

I do acknowledge my situation is a rather odd one but I assure you I am the local admin of my company's travel agency.

I play with live systems. Osnn.net is one of the fruits of that playing

X-Istence said:

I play with live systems. Osnn.net is one of the fruits of that playing

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is that why we had that DB crash a while back and I lost all those rep points?

fitz said:

is that why we had that DB crash a while back and I lost all those rep points?

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We don’t speak of the OSNN Cataclysm!!!

fitz said:

is that why we had that DB crash a while back and I lost all those rep points?

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No that was EP and it crashed while backing up to several remote servers