Home labs & practical projects
Resolve a slow workstation
A project to do with your own tools, with guidance on what to create and capture.
What you could create
A fictional user reports that their computer has become slow. The support technician needs to isolate the cause and explain the resolution without making unnecessary changes.
| Symptom | Evidence to collect | Check after a change |
|---|---|---|
| Slow application launch | Elapsed time and resource use during the same action | Repeat the action under the original conditions |
What you'll need
Disposable desktop VM
Use a licensed operating system and take a clean snapshot before making changes. Record allocated memory and storage.
Built-in diagnostics
Use system, storage and event views appropriate to the operating system. Capture a baseline while idle and during a repeatable task.
Troubleshooting log
Record symptom, hypothesis, one change, result and rollback. Use fictional account names.
Access & cost
Uses your own computer. Confirm hardware capacity, software licences and download terms before setup.
Use disposable VMs, containers or a simulator. Keep the lab separate from your everyday machine and work network.
Suggested milestones
- 1
Define the symptom
Choose a repeatable action such as opening a local application. Record elapsed time, resource use and the VM configuration.
- 2
Gather the evidence
Compare the baseline with the slow state. Check resource pressure, available storage and relevant events before choosing a cause.
- 3
Make one controlled change
Change one reversible setting in your disposable VM, record the reason and repeat the same action. Avoid disabling security controls to improve a benchmark.
- 4
Verify and hand over
Compare before and after under the same conditions. Note what improved, what did not and how to undo your change.
One example to adapt
| Symptom | Evidence to collect | Check after a change |
|---|---|---|
| Slow application launch | Elapsed time and resource use during the same action | Repeat the action under the original conditions |
Useful resources
Use these resources to deepen your understanding and check key details.
Review the current provider requirements and relevant subject areas.
Check relevance, platform versions and current access terms.
Find relevant providers and check features, access requirements and costs.
A useful starting point
Use a disposable desktop VM. Record its baseline resources and simulate a reversible issue such as limited free disk space or an unnecessary startup application.
What a good result looks like
- The chosen correction is supported by observed evidence.
- The user’s original task is tested after the change.
Finish the project
Save sanitised evidence, then remove the lab instances or revert to the clean snapshot. Remove temporary accounts and credentials.
Independent home-project guidance, not an official vendor lab or a claim of complete exam coverage. Use your own tools and label the work accurately.