Right on the heels of the upgrade to Web Developer 3.5, I took the test for an upgrade to .NET 4. I’ve finally caught up to the latest release. I have to say this was the longest Microsoft certification test that I’ve taken. It was over 80 questions long and split into 4 sections. For a second I thought my test would be lost. When I clicked to finish the exam the testing software crashed. Fortunately, everything was there just like I left it when they rebooted the computer.
Category Archives: Personal
MCPD Web Developer Upgraded to 3.5
Over the holidays, I upgraded my MCPD to .NET 3.5. Now only one more to go to catch up to latest release. This was my first upgrade so I didn’t know what was going on until after I was done. They split the upgrade up into 2 banks of questions representing the 2 tests for that MCPD. Just a heads up for those wondering why you get told you’ll get 40-something questions and end up with 1 of 20-something on the first screen.
MCTS: MOSS 2007 Application Development
It’s long overdue but I finally decided to take the MCTS Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Application Development certification test this past Friday. I now have both development certifications for SharePoint 2007 and just in time with SharePoint 2010 right around the corner.
New Domain!
I’ve switched to the domain www.jeremyknight.me. The .name TLD seems to have been replaced by .me so I made the switch. Please update your links to my blog.
MCTS 70-561 ADO.NET
I took the “MCTS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Application Development” test yesterday. I passed but there were a few curve balls. For the most part though, it seemed like if you study at all the process of elimination can get you through this test. Most questions had at least 2 answers that could easily be eliminated.
Computer Induced Headache
My mother-in-law to be was having some computer troubles and she asked me to look at it. (It was freezing at the Windows XP screen with the blue progress bar.) I picked it up about a week ago and I finally got around it looking at it last night. The first step of getting her data off was simple enough. I threw in the Ubuntu live CD and moved her files onto my 160GB portable drive.
Then I sat down to reinstall her copy of Windows. Here is where the fun began boys and girls. It froze up on the “Setup is Starting Windows” screen. I did some research online and found this thread which matches my problem perfectly. I must have exhausted every possible solution listed in the entire thread to no avail… And then, by complete chance, I look off to the side and see a gutted tower with only a motherboard and cpu left in it. About four hours into this at this point, I figure why not…
I rip everything out of her computer, throw it together this old case, and start her XP install again. It runs on the first try. It must have been a cpu/motherboard issue considering the only things that changed were the motherboard and cpu, and the computer had just run a Ubuntu live without any issue.
And people wonder why I stopped fixing computers on the side when I got a job after college…
MCTS WSS 3.0 App Dev
I took my third MS certification test Monday. The test was MCTS Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Application Developmetn. After working almost solely on SharePoint for the past year and cramming for the pass two weeks, I would have been extremely embarrassed had I not passed.
MCTS Web Apps
I took my second MS certification test earlier today and am now a MCTS in .NET Framework 2.0 Web Applications. (MCTS = Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) Now I can get back to my friends who have seen me become a phantom for the last week or so due to my cram sessions. 
First MS Cert
It’s official. I took my first Microsoft certification (Exam 70-528 .Net 2.0 Web-Based Client Development) and passed with flying colors. I was a bit nervous going into the exam as the test prep book had some really hard questions. Fortunately, the test ended up being really easy after all the prep I put myself through because of those questions.
I plan on finishing up this semester (final toward Masters degree) and then I’m going to try to get at least one certification test done every 3-4 months. I may even get another one done during the semester since I’m being sent to two SharePoint development classes.
New iPod
So I bought myself an iPod (30gb one with video) for Christmas. It’s the first Apple product I’ve ever purchased and the first I’ve used since I sat behind an Apple IIe back in 6th grade!!! OK back on topic… I love my iPod. I’m a music lover and it let’s me bring my whole music collection anywhere I want to go. And when I say whole, I mean it. I have over 150 cds and they all fit on this thing. I’ve been using it at work and I just hit shuffle in the morning and then leave without ever having to hear the same song twice.
I’m trying to get into the podcast thing but I’ve only found a few that are worth downloading all the time. If you know of any good ones please tell me.
