Week 4: Operating System Installation

This week in class the topic of operating system installation was covered.  Other topics such as upgrading and troubleshooting operating systems were also covered this week.  There were three operating systems covered in the material: Windows, Linux, and OS X.  In the past, I have worked a good deal with Windows systems.  I have built several Windows boxes for friends, family, and my own personal use.  I have also experimented with Linux as a dual boot on one of my machines.  This means I have some experience with operating system installation and upgrading.  However, when it comes to operating system troubleshooting, I have much to learn.  This week I learned a great deal about some of the many troubleshooting tools and methods available for Windows, Linux, and even OS X operating systems.  Some of these tools allow the user to repair or modify the Master Boot Record which can be helpful when the record is corrupted or overwritten.  These can also be used to prevent unwanted or resource-intensive programs from being executed at start up.  I also learned a great deal about the computer boot process and the programs that are required to prepare the operating system for use.

With the cancellation of this week's class due to the blizzard, I had to read and understand the material on my own.  This was not too difficult since the material this week was fairly straight-forward and well presented.    The homework assignment was to create a virtual machine on the vSphere server and install the Windows 7 operating system on it.  At first I was unable to complete the homework due to privilege issues on the vSphere server which was a little frustrating.  However, these issues were eventually resolved, and I was able to create my virtual machine and install the operating system.

As an Information Technology professional, it is vital to have operating system installation experience.  It is also good to have operating system upgrading and troubleshooting skills.  Many operating systems provide IT professionals with many tools and documentation for troubleshooting their systems when common issues present themselves.  Therefore, it is critical to be well versed in these tools and techniques as to be ready for these situations in their professional careers.  I can also use some of what I have learned this week to help improve the performance and security of my systems at home.