Seeing that the MS-100 and MS-101 exam prep posts have been pretty popular, I’ll turn my attention to the MD-100 Windows 10 exam which is currently in beta. If you have already sat and passed 70-698: Configuring Windows 10, you don’t need to sit this exam, instead you can sit MD-101 to help you earn the new Modern Desktop Administrator Associate certification.
Based on the exam objectives, this exam might seem like it’s a straightforward refresh of areas covered in 70-697 and 70-698, but one of the key differences to note is that the exam page also includes the following…
“As an administrator, candidates typically collaborate with the M365 Enterprise Administrator to design and implement a device strategy that meets the business needs of a modern organization.
Candidates must be familiar with M365 workloads and must be proficient and experienced in deploying, configuring, and maintaining Windows 10 and non-Windows devices and technologies.”
What does this mean? It means that if you go in to the exam without thinking about the implications of capabilities delivered via other components of Microsoft 365, you are placing yourself in a disadvantageous position. For this exam it means at least having an understanding and some exposure to Azure Active Directory and Intune, but they aren’t the core focus of this exam.
As with the previous two exam guides, I’ll try to stick to content on docs.microsoft.com as much as possible because it’s updated and has plenty of links to related material, and I’ll also recommend downloading the Modern Desktop Deployment and Management Lab Kit from the Microsoft Evaluation Center, especially if you are also planning on sitting MD-101 as well.
Deploy Windows (15-20%)
- Deploy Windows 10
- Configure language packs
- Migrate user data
- Perform a clean installation
- Perform an in-place upgrade (using tools such as MDT, WDS, ADK, etc.)
- Select the appropriate Windows edition
- Troubleshoot activation issues
- Perform post-installation configuration
- Configure Edge and Internet Explorer
- Configure mobility settings
- Configure sign-in options
- Customize the Windows desktop
Manage Devices and Data (35-40%)
- Manage local users, local groups, and devices
- Manage devices in directories
- Manage local groups
- Manage local users
- Configure data access and protection
- Configure NTFS permissions
- Configure shared permissions
- Configure devices by using local policies
- Configure local registry
- Implement local policy
- Troubleshoot group policies on devices
- Manage Windows security
- Configure user account control (UAC)
- Configure Windows Defender Firewall
- Implement encryption
Configure Connectivity (15-20%)
- Configure networking
- Configure client IP settings
- Configure mobile networking
- Configure VPN client
- Troubleshoot networking
- Configure Wi-Fi profiles
- Configure remote connectivity
- Configure remote management
- Enable PowerShell Remoting
- Configure remote desktop access
Maintain Windows (25-30%)
- Configure system and data recovery
- Perform file recovery (including OneDrive)
- Recover Windows 10
- Troubleshoot startup/boot process
- Manage updates
- Check for updates
- Troubleshoot updates
- Validate and test updates
- Select the appropriate servicing channel
- Configure Windows update options
- Monitor and manage Windows
- Configure and analyze event logs
- Manage performance
- Manage Windows 10 environment
For some of these links I couldn’t find quite the right links, so if you’ve got any recommendations for inclusions let me know.
