Windows System Administrator
Windows System Administrator
Posted inInterview

50 Essential Windows System Administrator Interview Questions and Answers

Are you preparing for a Windows System Administrator interview? Mastering the right knowledge and skills can set you apart from other candidates. In this post, we’ve compiled 50 essential interview questions and answers that cover critical topics like Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, PowerShell, and Windows Server management. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional, these questions are designed to help you confidently tackle technical challenges and ace your interview. Dive in to explore practical solutions, troubleshooting techniques, and insights into Windows administration best practices. Perfect your prep and land your dream role!

General Windows Administration

  1. What is Active Directory?
    Answer: Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is used for centralized domain management, user authentication, and resource access control.
  2. What is a Domain Controller?
    Answer: A Domain Controller is a server in an Active Directory environment that authenticates and authorizes users and computers in a domain.
  3. What is Group Policy?
    Answer: Group Policy is a feature of Active Directory that helps administrators manage configurations and security settings across devices and users.
  4. What are FSMO roles in Active Directory?
    Answer: FSMO (Flexible Single Master Operations) roles are specific tasks assigned to domain controllers in an AD environment. The five roles are: Schema Master, Domain Naming Master, RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master.
  5. How do you create a new user in Active Directory?
    Answer: Use the “Active Directory Users and Computers” (ADUC) console. Right-click on the Organizational Unit (OU) > Select “New” > “User” > Fill in the details.

Networking and Troubleshooting

  1. What is DNS and its role in Active Directory?
    Answer: DNS (Domain Name System) translates domain names into IP addresses. In AD, DNS helps locate domain controllers and other resources.
  2. What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
    Answer: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is connection-oriented and ensures data delivery, while UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is connectionless and faster but doesn’t guarantee delivery.
  3. How would you troubleshoot a network connectivity issue?
    Answer: Steps include:
    1. Check physical connections.
    2. Use ping to test connectivity.
    3. Check IP configuration with ipconfig.
    4. Verify DNS settings.
    5. Check firewall rules.
  4. What is an IP address?
    Answer: An IP address is a unique identifier assigned to devices on a network. It enables communication between devices.
  5. How do you release and renew an IP address?
    Answer: Use the commands:
    ipconfig /release
    ipconfig /renew

Windows Server Management

  1. What is the purpose of Windows Server?
    Answer: Windows Server is an operating system designed for server use, providing features like file sharing, security, application hosting, and Active Directory.
  2. What is the difference between RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 5?
    Answer:
    • RAID 0: Striping, no redundancy.
    • RAID 1: Mirroring for redundancy.
    • RAID 5: Striping with parity, fault-tolerant.
  3. What are some common roles in Windows Server?
    Answer: Common roles include Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), DNS Server, DHCP Server, File and Print Services, and Web Server (IIS).
  4. What is Hyper-V?
    Answer: Hyper-V is a virtualization platform by Microsoft that allows administrators to create and manage virtual machines.
  5. How do you promote a server to a Domain Controller?
    Answer: Use the Server Manager > Add roles and features > Install Active Directory Domain Services > Use dcpromo to configure the domain.

Security and Backup

  1. What is BitLocker?
    Answer: BitLocker is a disk encryption tool in Windows that helps protect data by encrypting the entire volume.
  2. What is NTFS?
    Answer: NTFS (New Technology File System) is the default file system for Windows, offering features like encryption, permissions, and compression.
  3. What is the difference between NTFS and FAT32?
    Answer: NTFS supports larger file sizes, security permissions, and advanced features, whereas FAT32 has a 4GB file size limit and lacks security features.
  4. What is a backup strategy you would recommend?
    Answer: A 3-2-1 backup strategy: Keep 3 copies of data, on 2 different storage media, with 1 copy offsite.
  5. How do you recover deleted files from a server?
    Answer: Use Shadow Copies if enabled or restore from the backup.

Scripting and Automation

  1. What is PowerShell?
    Answer: PowerShell is a task automation framework and scripting language for managing Windows systems.
  2. How do you list all running processes using PowerShell?
    Answer: Use the command: Get-Process
  3. What is the purpose of a Task Scheduler?
    Answer: Task Scheduler automates tasks such as running scripts, launching applications, or sending alerts.
  4. How do you restart a service using PowerShell?
    Answer: Use the command:
    Restart-Service -Name <ServiceName>
  5. How do you create a script to automate user creation in AD?
    Answer: Use a PowerShell script with New-ADUser cmdlet.

Performance Monitoring and Troubleshooting

  1. What tools do you use to monitor performance in Windows?
    Answer: Task Manager, Performance Monitor (perfmon), and Resource Monitor.
  2. What is Event Viewer?
    Answer: Event Viewer is a tool to view logs related to application, security, and system events.
  3. How do you troubleshoot high CPU usage?
    Answer:
    1. Use Task Manager to identify the process.
    2. Check for malware or resource-intensive applications.
    3. Optimize or stop unnecessary services.
  4. How do you check disk usage in Windows?
    Answer: Use chkdsk or Disk Management tools.
  5. What is Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool?
    Answer: A tool to diagnose memory-related issues.

Windows Updates and Patching

  1. What is WSUS?
    Answer: Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) allows administrators to manage and deploy updates to Windows devices.
  2. How do you manually install Windows updates?
    Answer: Use the Windows Update settings or download updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
  3. How do you check the status of Windows updates?
    Answer: Use Settings > Update & Security or the PowerShell cmdlet: Get-WindowsUpdateLog.
  4. What are the different types of Windows updates?
    Answer:
    • Security updates.
    • Feature updates.
    • Quality updates.
  5. How do you roll back an update?
    Answer: Use Settings > Update & Security > Recovery or uninstall the update from Control Panel.

Miscellaneous Questions

  1. What is a snapshot in virtualization?
    Answer: A snapshot captures the state of a virtual machine at a specific point in time.
  2. What is the difference between a workgroup and a domain?
    Answer: A workgroup is a peer-to-peer network, whereas a domain is a centralized network managed by Active Directory.
  3. What is a roaming profile?
    Answer: A roaming profile stores user settings on a server, allowing users to access their profiles from any domain-joined device.
  4. How do you reset a forgotten admin password?
    Answer: Boot into Safe Mode and use the “Password Reset Disk” or a password recovery tool.
  5. What is RDP?
    Answer: Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a protocol used to connect and control a computer remotely.

Advanced Concepts

  1. What is Kerberos authentication?
    Answer: Kerberos is a secure authentication protocol using tickets to verify identities.
  2. What is a service account?
    Answer: A service account is a special account used by applications or services to interact with the OS.
  3. What is a DHCP scope?
    Answer: A DHCP scope is a range of IP addresses that a DHCP server can assign to clients.
  4. What is a GPO loopback policy?
    Answer: It allows GPO settings applied to users to depend on the computer they log into.
  5. How do you configure file sharing in Windows?
    Answer: Right-click the folder > Properties > Sharing > Configure sharing and permissions.

Scenario-Based

  1. How would you handle a failed RAID array?
    Answer: Identify the failed drive, replace it, and rebuild the array using the RAID controller.
  2. How do you troubleshoot a slow server?
    Answer:
    • Check resource usage (CPU, RAM, Disk).
    • Monitor network traffic.
    • Review logs in Event Viewer.
  3. What steps do you take for patch management?
    Answer:
    • Test patches in a staging environment.
    • Schedule deployments.
    • Monitor and document updates.
  4. How do you manage user permissions?
    Answer: Use NTFS permissions and Group Policy to assign and restrict access.
  5. How do you secure a Windows server?
    Answer:
    • Enable firewalls.
    • Use strong passwords.
    • Apply regular patches.
    • Implement security policies via GPO.
Windows System Administrator
Windows System Administrator
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