Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician
(MCDST Certification)

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician
(MCDST)

Exam 70–271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating Systems

Perform and troubleshoot an attended installation of the Windows XP operating system.
Answer end user questions related to performing an attended installation of the Windows XP operating system.
Troubleshoot and complete installations where the installation does not start (configuring device boot order, determining probable cause, etc.).
Troubleshoot and complete installations where the installation fails to complete (review setup log files, provide needed files, etc.).
Perform post installation configuration (user configuration, apply service packs, etc.).

Perform and troubleshoot an unattended installation of a Windows desktop operating system.
Answer end user questions related to performing an unattended installation of the Windows XP operating system (starting the installation, answering any questions that come up during install, performing any post-installation tasks).
Configure a PC to boot to a network device and start installation of the Windows XP operating system (includes PXE-compliant network card configuration).
Perform an installation using unattended installation files.

Upgrade from a previous version of Windows.
Answer end user questions related to upgrading from a previous version of Windows (available upgrade paths, how to transfer user state data, etc.).
Verify hardware compatibility for upgrade (hardware requirements, minimum requirements, etc.).
Verify application compatibility for upgrade (determining the applications that can and cannot run, using the application compatibility tools, etc.).
Migrate user state data from an existing PC to a new PC.
Install a second instance of an operating system on a computer.

Managing and Troubleshooting Access to Resources
Monitor, manage, and troubleshoot access to files and folders.
Answer end user questions related to managing and troubleshooting access to files and folders.
Monitor, manage, and troubleshoot NTFS file permissions.
Manage and troubleshoot simple file sharing.
Manage and troubleshoot file encryption.

Manage and troubleshoot access to shared folders.
Answer end user questions related to managing and troubleshooting access to shared folders.
Create shared folders.
Configure access permission for shared folders on NTFS partitions.
Troubleshoot and interpret Access Denied messages.

Connect to local and network print devices.
Answer end user questions related to printing locally.
Configure and manage local printing.
Answer end user questions related to network-based printing.
Connect to and manage printing to a network-based printer.

Manage and troubleshoot access to and synchronization of offline files.
Answer end user questions related to configuring and synchronizing offline files.
Configure and troubleshoot offline files.
Configure and troubleshoot offline file synchronization.

Configuring and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers
Configure and troubleshoot storage devices.
Answer end user questions related to configuring hard disks and partitions or volumes.
Manage and troubleshoot disk partitioning.
Answer end user questions related to optical drives (CD-ROMS, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R).
Configure and troubleshoot removable storage devices (pen drives, flash drives, memory cards, etc.).

Configure and troubleshoot display devices.
Answer end user questions related to configuring desktop display settings.
Configure display devices and display settings.
Troubleshoot display device settings.

Configure and troubleshoot Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).
Answer end user questions related to configuring ACPI settings.
Configure and troubleshoot operating system power settings.
Configure and troubleshoot system Standby and Hibernate settings.

Configure and troubleshoot input and output (I/O) devices.
Answer end user questions related to configuring I/O devices.
Configure and troubleshoot device settings.
Configure and troubleshoot device drivers for I/O devices.
Configure and troubleshoot hardware profiles.

Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop and User Environments
Configure the user environment.
Answer end user questions related to configuring the desktop and user environment.
Configure and troubleshoot task and toolbar settings.
Configure and troubleshoot accessibility options.
Configure and troubleshoot pointing device settings.
Configure and troubleshoot fast use switching.

Configure support for multiple languages or multiple locations.
Answer end user questions related to regional settings.
Configure and troubleshoot regional settings.
Answer end user questions related to language settings.
Configure and troubleshoot language settings.

Troubleshoot security settings and local security policy.
Answer end user questions related to security settings.
Identify end user issues caused by local security policies (Local Security Settings, Security Configuration and Analysis, etc.).
Identify end user issues caused by network security policies (Resultant Set of Policy, Group Policy, etc.).

Configure and troubleshoot local user and group accounts.
Answer end user questions related to user accounts.
Configure and troubleshoot local user accounts.
Answer end user questions related to local group accounts.
Configure and troubleshoot local group accounts (rights, permissions, etc.).

Troubleshoot system startup and user logon problems.
Answer end user questions related to system startup issues.
Troubleshoot system startup problems.
Answer end user questions related to user logon issues.
Troubleshoot local user logon issues.
Troubleshoot domain user logon issues.

Monitor and analyze system performance.
Answer end user questions related to system performance.
Use Help and Support to view and troubleshoot system performance.
Use Task Manager to view and troubleshoot system performance.
Use the Performance tool to capture system performance information.

Troubleshooting Network Protocols and Services
Troubleshoot the TCP/IP protocol (tools include ARP, PING, IPCONFIG, Repair, PATHPING, NSLOOKUP, Connections Properties, etc.).
Answer end user questions related to configuring TCP/IP settings.
Configure and troubleshoot manual TCP/IP configuration.
Configure and troubleshoot automated TCP/IP address configuration.
Configure and troubleshoot Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) settings (enable, disable, indications of issues related to enabling or disabling ICF, etc.).

Troubleshoot name resolution issues.
Configure and troubleshoot host name resolution issues on a client computer (HOSTS, DNS, etc.).
Configure and troubleshoot NetBIOS name resolution issues on a client computer (LMHOSTS, WINS, etc.).

Configure and troubleshoot remote connections.
Configure and troubleshoot a remote dialup connection (client-side configuration).
Configure and troubleshoot a remote connection across the Internet (client-side configuration).

Configure and troubleshoot Internet Explorer.
Configure and troubleshoot Internet Explorer Connections Properties.
Configure and troubleshoot Internet Explorer Security Properties.
Configure and troubleshoot Internet Explorer General Properties.

Configure and troubleshoot end user systems using remote connectivity tools.
Use Remote Desktop to configure and troubleshoot an end user's desktop.
Use Remote Assistance to configure and troubleshoot an end user's desktop.

Configuring and Troubleshooting Applications
Configure and troubleshoot Office applications.
Answer end user questions related to configuring Office applications.
Set application compatibility settings.
Troubleshoot application installation problems.
Configure and troubleshoot e-mail account configurations.

Configure and troubleshoot Internet Explorer.
Configure and troubleshoot Outlook Express.
Answer end user questions related to configuring Outlook Express.
Configure and troubleshoot newsreader account configurations.
Configure and troubleshoot e-mail account configurations.

Configure the operating system to support applications.
Answer end user questions related to configuring the operating system to support an application.
Configure and troubleshoot file system access and file permission problems on multiboot computers.
Configure access to applications on multi-user computers.
Configure and troubleshoot application access on multipoint computers.

Resolving Issues Related to Usability (configuration, interpreting messages, etc.)
Resolve issues related to Office application support features.
Resolve issues related to Internet Explorer support features.
Resolve issues related to Outlook Express features.
Resolve issues related to operating system features.
Resolving Issues Related to Application Customisation
Resolve issues related to customizing an Office application.
Answer end user questions related to customizing Office applications.
Customize toolbars.
Configure proofing tools.
Manage Outlook data, including configuring, importing, and exporting data, and fixing corrupted data.
Personalize Office features.

Resolve issues related to customizing Internet Explorer.
Resolve issues related to customizing Outlook Express.
Resolve issues related to customizing the operating system to support applications.
Answer end user questions related to customizing the operating system to support an application.
Customize the Start menu and taskbar.
Customize regional settings.
Customize fonts.
Customize folder settings.

Configuring and Troubleshooting Connectivity for Applications
Identify and troubleshoot name resolution problems (indications include application error).
Identify and troubleshoot network adapter configuration problems (indications include application error).
Identify and troubleshoot LAN and Routing and Remote Access configuration problems (indications include application error).
Identify and troubleshoot network connectivity problems caused by the firewall configuration (indications include application error).
Identify and troubleshoot problems with locally attached devices (indications include application errors).
Configuring Application Security
Identify and troubleshoot problems related to security permissions.
Answer end user questions related to application security settings.
Troubleshoot access to local resources.
Troubleshoot access to network resources.
Troubleshoot insufficient user permissions and rights.

Identify and respond to security incidents.
Answer end user questions related to security incidents.
Identify a virus attack.
Apply critical updates.

Manage application security settings.