i found the software portion to be more challenging than the hardware part too. There are more details to rememeber; And you better remember them too.
With the 2003 objective, part of the OS portion will cover Win9x. I dont know how hands on you like to get in order to grasp a concept, but if you do prefer hands on experience, I'd recommend finding a Win9x machine to get your hands dirty with the legacy concepts.
You should also touch NT and 2000 because from my memory, there were small differences between the two in the exam. You may also want to go into the system and try to modify the system files, then try to fix them using the tools instructed in the book.
I used the book here:
www.amazon.com/Certification-Training-Fo...?ie=UTF8&s=books
It has a CD with additional info, has side notes on the pages that remind you of an important concept. Goes into good details on the material so you know more than enough. Has an end of book review listing the important points of each section, along with a huge practice test.
Again, you want to memorize the small details associated with the OS portion.
I'd also recommend searching on Google for "A+ software study guides" (something along those lines), and you can find study guides that you can print and then read at your own time, instead of buying another book.
There must have been a year between when I took the class and when I began thinking about taking the test, and random study guides on the Net assisted me in refreshing my memory.
