you NEED to learn Windows RIGHT NOW!!

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About this video

The creator argues IT learners need Windows admin skills now: he says Windows holds over 75% of the desktop market, so help-desk and support jobs require actually administering, supporting, and fixing Windows — and ethical hackers must know it because it is usually the target, noting Windows as a prerequisite for Hack The Box’s CPTS certification he is pursuing. A rapid history runs from Windows 1.0 in 1985 through 3.0/3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1, and 10 to Windows 11. Beyond desktops is Windows Server (NT 3.1 in 1993 through Server 2022): Active Directory centrally creates users who can log in anywhere, file/storage services create SMB network shares, and Group Policy controls workstations down to disabling the command prompt or USB read access — he demos local group policy and says he manages his daughters’ PCs this way. Microsoft Azure extends the same concepts to the cloud, including Azure Active Directory and cloud desktops. For labs, he recommends Azure’s free tier (he states a $200 credit for the first 30 days; his server and Windows 11 VMs had used $3.64 of it, and an example VM costs about 12 cents per hour while running), showing VM creation, RDP connection, stopping/deleting via the resource group, and setting cost-management budget alerts; the local alternative is VirtualBox with Windows 11 or Server trial ISOs (Parallels suggested for Apple Silicon Macs), provided the host has enough RAM and disk. Certifications covered: CompTIA A+ as a broad starting point, Microsoft’s MD-102 for modern desktop administration, the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate (AZ-800 and AZ-801), and Azure AZ-900 then AZ-104, plus his own Windows Fundamentals course and Hack The Box Academy’s text-and-labs course. A sponsor segment promotes NordVPN threat protection and obfuscated servers.

Key takeaways

Creator cites Windows at over 75% of desktops, making admin-level Windows skills essential for help-desk jobs and hacking
Windows Server adds Active Directory, SMB file shares, and Group Policy for central user and workstation control
Azure lab route: $200 free credit for 30 days per the creator; stop or delete resource groups to control cost
Local lab route: VirtualBox with Windows 11/Server ISOs, if the host has sufficient RAM and disk
Cert path discussed: CompTIA A+, MD-102, Server Hybrid (AZ-800/AZ-801), then AZ-900 and AZ-104

Episode details: published June 28, 2023 · 27:39 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are NetworkChuck’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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