Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and

Security questions
1. What’s the difference between local, global and universal groups? Domain local groups assign
access permissions to global domain groups for local domain resources. Global groups provide access to
resources in other trusted domains. Universal groups grant access to resources in all trusted domains.
2. I am trying to create a new universal user group. Why can’t I? Universal groups are allowed only in
native-mode Windows Server 2003 environments. Native mode requires that all domain controllers be
promoted to Windows Server 2003 Active Directory.
3. What is LSDOU? It’s group policy inheritance model, where the policies are applied to Local machines,
Sites, Domains and Organizational Units.
4. Why doesn’t LSDOU work under Windows NT? If the NTConfig.pol file exist, it has the highest
priority among the numerous policies.
5. Where are group policies stored? %SystemRoot%System32\GroupPolicy
6. What is GPT and GPC? Group policy template and group policy container.
7. Where is GPT stored? %SystemRoot%\SYSVOL\sysvol\domainname\Policies\GUID
8. You change the group policies, and now the computer and user settings are in conflict. Which
one has the highest priority? The computer settings take priority.
9. You want to set up remote installation procedure, but do not want the user to gain access
over it. What do you do? gponame–> User Configuration–> Windows Settings–> Remote Installation
Services–> Choice Options is your friend.
10. What’s contained in administrative template conf.adm? Microsoft NetMeeting policies
11.How can you restrict running certain applications on a machine? Via group policy, security
settings for the group, then Software Restriction Policies.
12. You need to automatically install an app, but MSI file is not available. What do you do? A
.zap text file can be used to add applications using the Software Installer, rather than the Windows
Installer.
13. What’s the difference between Software Installer and Windows Installer? The former has
fewer privileges and will probably require user intervention. Plus, it uses .zap files.
14. What can be restricted on Windows Server 2003 that wasn’t there in previous products?
Group Policy in Windows Server 2003 determines a users right to modify network and dial-up TCP/IP
properties. Users may be selectively restricted from modifying their IP address and other network
configuration parameters.
15. How frequently is the client policy refreshed? 90 minutes give or take.
16. Where is secedit? It’s now gpupdate.
17. You want to create a new group policy but do not wish to inherit. Make sure you check Block
inheritance among the options when creating the policy.
18. What is "tattooing" the Registry? The user can view and modify user preferences that are not stored
in maintained portions of the Registry. If the group policy is removed or changed, the user preference will
persist in the Registry.
19. How do you fight tattooing in NT/2000 installations? You can’t.
20. How do you fight tattooing in 2003 installations? User Configuration - Administrative Templates -
System - Group Policy - enable - Enforce Show Policies Only.
21. What does IntelliMirror do? It helps to reconcile desktop settings, applications, and stored files for
users, particularly those who move between workstations or those who must periodically work offline.
22. What’s the major difference between FAT and NTFS on a local machine? FAT and FAT32
provide no security over locally logged-on users. Only native NTFS provides extensive permission control
on both remote and local files.
23. How do FAT and NTFS differ in approach to user shares? They don’t, both have support for
sharing.
24. Explan the List Folder Contents permission on the folder in NTFS. Same as Read & Execute, but
not inherited by files within a folder. However, newly created subfolders will inherit this permission.
25. I have a file to which the user has access, but he has no folder permission to read it. Can he
access it? It is possible for a user to navigate to a file for which he does not have folder permission. This
involves simply knowing the path of the file object. Even if the user can’t drill down the file/folder tree
using My Computer, he can still gain access to the file using the Universal Naming Convention (UNC). The
best way to start would be to type the full path of a file into Run… window.
26. For a user in several groups, are Allow permissions restrictive or permissive? Permissive, if at
least one group has Allow permission for the file/folder, user will have the same permission.
27. For a user in several groups, are Deny permissions restrictive or permissive? Restrictive, if at
least one group has Deny permission for the file/folder, user will be denied access, regardless of other
group permissions.
28. What hidden shares exist on Windows Server 2003 installation? Admin$, Drive$, IPC$,
NETLOGON, print$ and SYSVOL.
29. What’s the difference between standalone and fault-tolerant DFS (Distributed File System)
installations? The standalone server stores the Dfs directory tree structure or topology locally. Thus, if a
shared folder is inaccessible or if the Dfs root server is down, users are left with no link to the shared
resources. A fault-tolerant root node stores the Dfs topology in the Active Directory, which is replicated to
other domain controllers. Thus, redundant root nodes may include multiple connections to the same data
residing in different shared folders.
30. We’re using the DFS fault-tolerant installation, but cannot access it from a Win98 box. Use
the UNC path, not client, only 2000 and 2003 clients can access Server 2003 fault-tolerant shares.
31. Where exactly do fault-tolerant DFS shares store information in Active Directory? In
Partition Knowledge Table, which is then replicated to other domain controllers.
32. Can you use Start->Search with DFS shares? Yes.
33. What problems can you have with DFS installed? Two users opening the redundant copies of the
file at the same time, with no file-locking involved in DFS, changing the contents and then saving. Only one
file will be propagated through DFS.
34. I run Microsoft Cluster Server and cannot install fault-tolerant DFS. Yeah, you can’t. Install a
standalone one.
35. Is Kerberos encryption symmetric or asymmetric? Symmetric.
36. How does Windows 2003 Server try to prevent a middle-man attack on encrypted line? Time
stamp is attached to the initial client request, encrypted with the shared key.
37. What hashing algorithms are used in Windows 2003 Server? RSA Data Security’s Message
Digest 5 (MD5), produces a 128-bit hash, and the Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA-1), produces a 160-bit
hash.
38. What third-party certificate exchange protocols are used by Windows 2003 Server? Windows
Server 2003 uses the industry standard PKCS-10 certificate request and PKCS-7 certificate response to
exchange CA certificates with third-party certificate authorities.
39. What’s the number of permitted unsuccessful logons on Administrator account? Unlimited.
Remember, though, that it’s the Administrator account, not any account that’s part of the Administrators
group.
 40. If hashing is one-way function and Windows Server uses hashing for storing passwords,
how is it possible to attack the password lists, specifically the ones using NTLMv1? A cracker
would launch a dictionary attack by hashing every imaginable term used for password and then compare
the hashes.
41. What’s the difference between guest accounts in Server 2003 and other editions? More
restrictive in Windows Server 2003.
42. How many passwords by default are remembered when you check "Enforce Password
History Remembered"? User’s last 6 passwords.

Windows Admin Interview Questions

1. Describe how the DHCP lease is obtained.

It’s a four-step process consisting of (a) IP request, (b) IP offer, © IP selection and (d)
acknowledgement.
2. I can’t seem to access the Internet, don’t have any access to the corporate network and on
ipconfig my address is 169.254.*.*. What happened?
The 169.254.*.* netmask is assigned to Windows machines running 98/2000/XP if the DHCP
server is not available. The name for the technology is APIPA (Automatic Private Internet
Protocol Addressing).
3. We’ve installed a new Windows-based DHCP server, however, the users do not seem to be
getting DHCP leases off of it. The server must be authorized first with the Active Directory.

Windows Server 2003 Interview and Certification Questions

1. How do you double-boot a Win 2003 server box? The Boot.ini file is set as read-only, system,
and hidden to prevent unwanted editing. To change the Boot.ini timeout and default settings,
use the System option in Control Panel from the Advanced tab and select Startup.
2. What do you do if earlier application doesn’t run on Windows Server 2003? When an
application that ran on an earlier legacy version of Windows cannot be loaded during the setup
function or if it later malfunctions, you must run the compatibility mode function. This is
accomplished by right-clicking the application or setup program and selecting Properties –>
Compatibility –> selecting the previously supported operating system.

Windows Server 2003 Interview and Certification Questions II

1. What snap-in administrative tools are available for Active Directory? Active Directory Domains
and Trusts Manager, Active Directory Sites and Services Manager, Active Directory Users and
Group Manager, Active Directory Replication (optional, available from the Resource Kit), Active
Directory Schema Manager (optional, available from adminpak)
2. What types of classes exist in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory?
 o Structural class. The structural class is important to the system administrator in that it is
the only type from which new Active Directory objects are created. Structural classes
are developed from either the modification of an existing structural type or the use of
one or more abstract classes.

Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Security questions

1. What’s the difference between local, global and universal groups? Domain local groups assign
access permissions to global domain groups for local domain resources. Global groups provide
access to resources in other trusted domains. Universal groups grant access to resources in all
trusted domains.
2. I am trying to create a new universal user group. Why can’t I? Universal groups are allowed
only in native-mode Windows Server 2003 environments. Native mode requires that all domain
controllers be promoted to Windows Server 2003 Active Directory.
3. What is LSDOU? It’s group policy inheritance model, where the policies are applied to Local
machines, Sites, Domains and Organizational Units.

Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Security questions II

1. How can you restrict running certain applications on a machine? Via group policy, security
settings for the group, then Software Restriction Policies.
2. You need to automatically install an app, but MSI file is not available. What do you do? A .zap
text file can be used to add applications using the Software Installer, rather than the Windows
Installer.
3. What’s the difference between Software Installer and Windows Installer? The former has
fewer privileges and will probably require user intervention. Plus, it uses .zap files.

Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Security questions III

1. What does IntelliMirror do? It helps to reconcile desktop settings, applications, and stored files
for users, particularly those who move between workstations or those who must periodically
work offline.
2. What’s the major difference between FAT and NTFS on a local machine? FAT and FAT32
provide no security over locally logged-on users. Only native NTFS provides extensive permission
control on both remote and local files.
3. How do FAT and NTFS differ in approach to user shares? They don’t, both have support for
sharing.

Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Security questions IV

1. Can you use Start->Search with DFS shares? Yes.

 2. What problems can you have with DFS installed? Two users opening the redundant copies of
the file at the same time, with no file-locking involved in DFS, changing the contents and then
saving. Only one file will be propagated through DFS.
3. I run Microsoft Cluster Server and cannot install fault-tolerant DFS. Yeah, you can’t. Install a
standalone one.
4. Is Kerberos encryption symmetric or asymmetric? Symmetric.
5. How does Windows 2003 Server try to prevent a middle-man attack on encrypted line? Time
stamp is attached to the initial client request, encrypted with the shared key.

Windows Server 2003 IIS and Scripting interview questions

1. What is presentation layer responsible for in the OSI model? The presentation layer establishes
the data format prior to passing it along to the network application’s interface. TCP/IP networks
perform this task at the application layer.
2. Does Windows Server 2003 support IPv6? Yes, run ipv6.exe from command line to disable it.
3. Can Windows Server 2003 function as a bridge? Yes, and it’s a new feature for the 2003
product. You can combine several networks and devices connected via several adapters by
enabling IP routing.

Windows Server 2003 IIS and Scripting interview questions II

1. What’s the role of http.sys in IIS? It is the point of contact for all incoming HTTP requests. It
listens for requests and queues them until they are all processed, no more queues are available,
or the Web server is shut down.
2. Where’s ASP cache located on IIS 6.0? On disk, as opposed to memory, as it used to be in IIS 5.
3. What is socket pooling? Non-blocking socket usage, introduced in IIS 6.0. More than one
application can use a given socket.

Windows Server 2003 IIS and Scripting interview questions III

1. Which characters should be enclosed in quotes when searching the index? &, @, $, #, ^, ( ),
and |.
2. How would you search for C++? Just enter C++, since + is not a special character (and neither is
C).
3. What about Barnes&Noble? Should be searched for as Barnes’&’Noble.
4. Are the searches case-sensitive? No.
5. What’s the order of precedence of Boolean operators in Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
Indexing Service? NOT, AND, NEAR, OR.

Microsoft Platform and Database Technologies Interview Questions

10 Jan, 2007  No Comment

 3 main differences between flexgrid control and dbgrid control

  ActiveX and Types of ActiveX Components in VB
 Advantage of ActiveX Dll over Active Exe
 Advantages of disconnected recordsets
 Benefit of wrapping database calls into MTS transactions
 Benefits of using MTS
 Can database schema be changed with DAO, RDO or ADO?
 Can you create a tabletype of recordset in Jet - connected ODBC database engine?
 Constructors and destructors
 Controls which do not have events
 Default property of datacontrol
 Define the scope of Public, Private, Friend procedures?

Microsoft Windows Programming Interview Questions

1. Which controls can not be placed in MDI ?

2. List out controls which does not have events
3. Which property of textbox cannot be changed at runtime. What is the max size of textbox?
4. How many system controls are available
5. ___,_____ and ____ container objects.
6. strech___ Property is to compress a image in image control.
7. ___,___ and __ are difference between image and picture controls.
8. Is it possible to set a shortcut key for label.
9. What is the default property of data control?
10. ___,__,___ are the type of combo box?

Microsoft interview questions

1. The three types of DAO Dynaset,Snapshot,Table

2. Why do we use Option Explicit
3. Difference between Dim Object as object AND dim obj as myform
4. How do we make a poperty read only? Private Property Get(Read Only )
5. How do you declare an object in VBscript? Dim object
6. What is the equivalent of VBScript’s On Error In Jscript ??
7. How many data types are supported in Vbscript
8. MFC
9. Java
10. Active Server Pages
11. What are session variables??
12. In what languages in ASP written.
13. How do you create Virtual Root in IIS
14. How do you remotely administer MS IIS??
15. What is the key advantage of Windows NT Challenge/Response security?
16. What problems do the vendors of ODBC Technology face with ASP/ADO ?
18. How do you administer Connection Pooling in IIS 3.0
19. How do you administer Connection Pooling in IIS 4.0
20. What are the three Ado objects?? –Connection,command, recordset
21. Two Methods of retrieving SQL
22. How do you assign Construct the where clause without concatenating Field,
value pairs??
23. What cursor type do you use to retrieve multiple recordsets?
24. What action do you have to perform before retrieving data from the next
result set of a stored procedure ??
25. What are The three tags of a form tag in HTML form
26. What are The two tags for framesets
27. How do you create Drop Down Combos in HTML ? select Tag
28. In DHTML what is the difference between FontSize and Font Size ??
A: FontSize is a property, Font Size is a style
29. What is the tag Code Base and why do we use it?
30. How can you have different number of cells for each row of a table?

Hiring an IT guy - questions to ask

This is an aggregated list of questions discussed for hiring an IT guy for your organization at SpiceWorks community
forum. Check out their discussion, and description of what question are good and which ones are not that good.

What port does telnet use?

What is SMTP?
How would you troubleshoot a printer?
How does traceroute work?
Walk me through everything [...]

Sysadmin sample interview questions

Why was it that you left the last job that you were at?
What do you think your top 3 strengths are?
What is most important to you in a job?
Major difference between FAT and NTFS on a local machine?
How many passwords by default are remembered in an active directory?
What is a C name record (in DNS)?
What [...]
54 screening questions for Windows admin

What is Active Directory?

What is LDAP?
Can you connect Active Directory to other 3rd-party Directory Services? Name a few options.
Where is the AD database held? What other folders are related to AD?
What is the SYSVOL folder?
Name the AD NCs and replication issues for each NC
What are application partitions? When do I use them
How do you create [...]

Windows admin interview questions (includes Vista)

What is Active Directory?

What is LDAP?
Can you connect Active Directory to other 3rd-party Directory Services? Name a few options.
Where is the AD database held? What other folders are related to AD?
What is the SYSVOL folder?
Name the AD NCs and replication issues for each NC
What are application partitions? When do I use them
How do you create [...]

Windows sysadmin interview questions

What are the required components of Windows Server 2003 for installing Exchange 2003? - ASP.NET, SMTP, NNTP,
W3SVC
What must be done to an AD forest before Exchange can be deployed? - Setup /forestprep
What Exchange process is responsible for communication with AD? - DSACCESS
What 3 types of domain controller does Exchange access? - Normal Domain Controller, [...]

Windows sysadmin interview questions

What is Active Directory schema?

What are the domain functional level in Windows Server 2003?
What are the forest functional level in Windows Server 2003?
What is global catalog server?
How we can raise domain functional & forest functional level in Windows Server 2003?

OS interview questions

What is MUTEX ?
What isthe difference between a ‘thread’ and a ‘process’?
What is INODE?
Explain the working of Virtual Memory.
How does Windows NT supports Multitasking?