Windows 2000 Networking/OS - 9/27/2006

We covered the customization of Windows today, which is to say we changed all the purty colors of our desktop and monkeyed around with the screen saver program and some other stuff too.

Homework:

• Multiple Choice Questions – Ch 5

Troubleshooting - 9/27/2006

Today’s class covered Chapter Five, which was over file and folder properties, including permissions, offline files and encryption.  We skipped talking about Effective Permissions, but make sure you read it!!

Homework:

• Questions 2, 3, 6, 8, 9

Marketing - 9/26/2006

Tonight we covered Chapter Three.  Here’s how I envision October shaping up:

• 10/3: Chapter 4


• 10/10: Nick Brown, WBKO-TV


• 10/17: Chapter 5


• 10/24: Test over Ch 1-5!Chapter 6


• 10/31: Happy Halloween!  No Class!

Sound good?  Let me know if you have any questions or objections.

Homework:

• No Homework!

CompTIA A+ Software - 9/26/2006

Today we talked about Windows 98, and the differences between Win98 and Win95.  While I was talking about that, we tried installing Windows 98 and had much better luck this time!  However, we got to a point to where we were told the PCI controller was incompatible with Windows 98.  That’s right.  Our computers are too new to be installing Windows 98.  Hopefully we’ll have better luck with Windows Me next week.

Homework:

• No Homework!


• Study for your Hardware Test!

CompTIA A+ Hardware - 9/26/2006

Today we talked about Chapter Three: I/O systems in a computer.  By popular demand, we’re having a test next week over Chapters 1-3.  Make sure you study!!!

Oh.  KNOW YOUR IRQs!

Homework:

• Ch 3 Questions 1-15; 1-10


• Study Chapters 1-3 for test!

The Yeses Have It!

Ok, I think I’ve had the survey up long enough – I’m going to be putting up the names of everyone who has passed various certifications.  Please let me know what you’ve passed.  I’m going to try going on memory, but we all know how that turns out!

Implementing Active Directory - 9/21/2006

Today’s class covered (admittedly, not very well) Chapter 2, which went over the basics of Active Directory, and all of the other fun stuff that we’ll be doing this semester.

Homework:

• Review questions at the end of Chapter 2.

Implementing Network Infrastructure - 9/21/2006

This morning we covered Chapter 2, which was an introduction to TCP/IP and all of its inner workings.

Homework:

• Lesson 1, Ex. 2 (pg 45), Lesson Review 1-5.


• Lesson 2, Lesson Review 1-5


• Lesson 3, Lesson Review 1-7

Windows 2000 Networking/OS - 9/20/2006

Today we covered Chapters 3 and 4, dealing with DOS commands and Windows utilities, respectively.

Homework:

• Chapter 3 – M/C Questions


• Chapter 4 – M/C Questions

Troubleshooting - 9/20/2006

Installing Windows XP into Virtual PC was the topic of the day, along with covering Chapters 3 and 4.

Homework:

• Chapter 3 – Questions 2, 4


• Chapter 4 – Question 1

CompTIA A+ Software - 9/19/2006

Whew.  What a day.  Today we talked about Chapter 9, specifically about Windows 95.  To go along with Windows 95, I was going to have you guys install Windows 95.  That didn’t work.  So, I decided on Windows 98.  Then we had our startup disk problem.  Once I got that resolved, I realized that we didn’t have proper Product Keys!  @#$@#$

Homework:

• Never install Win9x on a computer.  There is no need.

CompTIA A+ Hardware - 9/19/2006

Today we covered Chapter Two, which was about the motherboard and all the little intricacies on it, such as the processor, the RAM, the chipset, the expansion slots, etc.  

Homework:

• Chapter 2: Questions 1-15; Questions 1-10

Implementing Active Directory - 9/14/2006

Our first day of class was sacrificed for the job fair at WKU’s South Campus.  See below post.  Hope everyone had a positive experience there.

Homework:

• No Homework here either!

    

Implementing Network Infrastructure - 9/14/2006

Today being the first day, we worked on getting Virtual PC installed on our computers – which turned out to be more of a task than expected.  Grr Sp4!

Anyway, by the time we had that done, I had yammered through Chapter One, which compared the OSI model we learned in Net+ to the actual process that Windows uses.  After that, we left class for the job fair.  Hopefully everyone at the very least networked with lots of people, and maybe even planted a seed that will lead to a job.  That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it?

Homework:

• No Homework this week!  

Windows 2000 Networking/OS - 9/13/2006

Today we covered the first two chapters of the book.  Make sure you’re here next week, we’ll cover Chapter 3 (really important) and 4 then.  

Homework:

• Chapter 1 – Questions 1-11


• Chapter 2 – Questions 1-20

Troubleshooting - 9/13/2006

Welcome back from break!  Our first day of troubleshooting class – instead of being a straight up computer repair session – looked at the first two chapters of a book based on Microsoft exam 70-271.  This is exciting news because the 70-291 exam will get you MCP and is relatively easy compared to other MS exams that you’ll be taking.  I really encourage you guys to cram this new book hard (OK, that sounded bad…) and get out there and pass this cert ASAP!!!

In other news, we covered Chapters 1 & 2.  

Homework:

• Chapter 1 – Questions 2-4, 7


• Chapter 2 – Questions 1-5, 7, Scenario 2-1.  

Marketing - 9/12/2006

Welcome to the first class of Basic Marketing!  Tonight we did a really quick overview of what marketing is and how it is so important to the businesses.  We specifically talked about how it is important to know your customer, because it is ultimately the customer that decides whether or not your business thrives.  

We then watched a video on a company that seems to know its customer well: Subaru.  

Homework:

• Chapter 1 – Questions 2 & 4 (pg 30)

    

CompTIA A+ Software - 9/12/2006

After lunch, we started our software class, which was Chapter 8 – an introduction to Operating Systems.  I used MS-DOS as a launching pad and we went over basic components of that operating system (IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, CONFIG.SYS, etc.)  Next week: Windows 95!  Yee-haw!

Homework:

• Chapter 8 – All Questions (1-10; 1-15)

CompTIA A+ Hardware - 9/12/2006

Welcome back to Draughons and welcome to A+!  Today, after brief introductions, we dove headfirst into chapter 1, and as a result, headfirst into a computer.  We briefly went over the basics of computer hardware and got a little preview of what we’ll be covering in this class.

Homework:

• Chapter 1 – Both sets of questions (1-15; 1-10)

Get Ready... EXTRA CREDIT!!!

I know what you’re thinking.

Ben.  After an entire semester of NO extra credit, you’re offering it NOW?  Before the next semester even starts???

Why, yes.  Yes I am.

Check out this article on how Windows Vista handles DNS.  After you are finished, type up a 1 page summary of the article and offer up your own opinion on the increased DNS traffic: big deal or no problem?  This summary is worth a maximum of 10 points and is due no later than September 21.  E-mail them or turn them in to me in person.  Your call.

Who can get in on this greasy extra credit action?  Well, I specifically thought of my Implementing Network Infrastructure class on Thursday morning, but any of my classes can participate.  That includes you, Tuesday night Marketing class (although I don’t expect any Marketing people to participate).

If you have me for more than one class, you can choose to apply all 10 points to one class or to divide them up between as many classes as you want.  

Oh.  And just to see if anyone is reading this over the break, I’ll throw in an extra 5 points for any turned in before September 12.  

I'm Trying Writely...

Hey guys, hope everyone's having a great break. I've been busy studying and preparing for Fall 2006 -- it's coming up so fast I can hardly believe it.

Recently, Google developed Google Spreadsheets, which is an online-based spreadsheet program and, to stay in the attack-MS-Office vein, they recently purchased Writely, which is an online word processor. What's really cool is that you can save your documents to the web and access them anywhere by simply logging in.

After a brief period of new account lockouts, Google has allowed people to sign up for Writely again. I've discovered that it doesn't quite hold up to what *I* need it to do for tests and whatnot, but what I'm trying now is the Blogging feature.

If you're interested in checking Writely out, go to www.writely.com.