Complete CompTIA® A+ Guide to PCs, Sixth Edition

Complete CompTIA® A+ Guide to PCs, Sixth Edition

Released February 2013
Publisher(s): Pearson IT Certification
ISBN: 9780133057638

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Book description

Master PC installation, configuration, repair, maintenance, and networking

and fully prepare for the CompTIA A+ 220-801 and 220-802 exams

This unique tutorial and study guide teaches the fundamentals of computer desktop and laptop installation, configuration, maintenance, and networking with thorough instruction built on the CompTIA A+ 220-801 and 220-802 exam objectives. Learn all the skills you need to become a certified professional and customer-friendly technician using today’s tools and technologies.

Every chapter opens with focused learning objectives and lists the official exam objectives covered in that chapter. To meet the learning objectives, each chapter includes detailed figures, helpful Tech Tips, explanations of key terms, step-by-step instruction, and complete coverage of every topic. At the end of every chapter are comprehensive assessment tools, including a summary, review questions, labs, activities, and exam tips.

Covers Both 2012 A+ Exams:

A+ 220-801:

  •  PC Hardware          

  •  Networking            

  •  Laptops     

  •  Printers      

  •  Operational Procedures

A+ 220-802

  •  Operating Systems            

  •  Security     

  •  Mobile Devices      

  •  Troubleshooting

Learn more quickly and thoroughly with all these study and review tools:

  • Learning Objectives provide the goals for each chapter

  • Practical Tech Tips give real-world PC repair knowledge

  • Soft Skills information and activities in each chapter cover all the tools and skills you need to become a professional, customer-friendly technician in every category

  • Review Questions, including true/false, multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and open-ended questions, assess your knowledge of the learning objectives

  • More than 125 Lab Exercises enable you to link theory to practical experience

  • Key Terms identify exam words and phrases associated with each topic

  • Detailed Glossary clearly defines every key term

  • Critical Thinking Activities in every chapter take you beyond the facts to complete comprehension of topics

  • Chapter Summary provides a recap of key concepts

See Special Offer in Back of Book to save 70% on the CompTIA A+ Cert Guide, Deluxe Edition, Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Contents at a Glance
  4. Contents
  5. About the Author
  6. Dedication
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. We Want to Hear from You!
  9. Reader Services
  10. It Pays to Get Certified
    1. Certification Advances Your Career
    2. CompTIA Career Pathway
    3. Steps to Certification
    4. Join the Professional Community
    5. Content Seal of Quality
    6. Why CompTIA?
    7. How to obtain more information
  11. Introduction
    1. What’s New in the Sixth Edition?
    2. Organization of the Text
  12. Features of This Book
    1. CompTIA A+ Exam Objectives
    2. Summary of Exam Domains by Chapter
  13. Chapter 1. Introduction to Computer Repair
    1. Overview
    2. CompTIA A+ Certification
    3. Safety Note
    4. Technician Qualities
    5. Basic Computer Parts
    6. External Connectivity
    7. Mouse and Keyboard Ports
    8. Mice and Keyboards
    9. Wireless Input Devices
    10. Mouse and Keyboard Preventive Maintenance
    11. Keyboard/Mouse Troubleshooting
    12. Video Port
    13. USB Port
    14. Installing Extra USB Ports
    15. USB Troubleshooting
    16. Parallel Ports
    17. Serial Ports
    18. Audio Ports
    19. IEEE 1394 Ports
    20. IEEE 1394 Troubleshooting
    21. eSATA Ports
    22. Network Ports
    23. Modem Ports
    24. Pros and Cons of Integrated Motherboards
    25. Docking Stations and Port Replicators
    26. Chapter Summary
    27. Key Terms
    28. Review Questions
    29. Exercises
    30. Activities
  14. Chapter 2. On the Motherboard
    1. Processor Overview
    2. Processor Basics
    3. Intel Processors
    4. AMD Processors
    5. Speeding Up Processor Operations Overview
    6. Cache
    7. Clocking
    8. Threading Technology
    9. Connecting to the Processor
    10. Multi-Core Processors
    11. Sockets and Slots
    12. Processor Cooling
    13. Installing Processors
    14. Mobile Device Motherboards/CPUs
    15. Overclocking Processors
    16. Troubleshooting Processor Issues
    17. Expansion Slots
    18. PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
    19. AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
    20. PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
    21. Laptop Expansion
    22. More Motherboard Connectors
    23. Chipsets
    24. Types of Motherboards
    25. Upgrading and Replacing Motherboards
    26. Motherboard Troubleshooting
    27. Soft Skills—Active Listening
    28. Chapter Summary
    29. Key Terms
    30. Review Questions
    31. Exercises
    32. Activities
  15. Chapter 3. System Configuration
    1. Configuration Overview
    2. BIOS Overview
    3. The Setup Program
    4. Flash BIOS
    5. BIOS Configuration Settings
    6. CMOS Memory
    7. Motherboard Batteries
    8. Other Configuration Parameters
    9. IRQ (Interrupt Request)
    10. PCI Interrupts
    11. I/O (Input/Output) Addresses
    12. Memory Addresses
    13. Adapter Configuration
    14. Soft Skills—A Good Technician Quality: One Thing at a Time
    15. Chapter Summary
    16. Key Terms
    17. Review Questions
    18. Exercises
    19. Activities
  16. Chapter 4. Disassembly and Power
    1. Disassembly Overview
    2. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
    3. EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)
    4. Disassembly
    5. Tools
    6. Opening the Case
    7. Cables and Connectors
    8. Storage Devices
    9. Motherboards
    10. Mobile Device Issues
    11. Reassembly
    12. Preventive Maintenance
    13. Basic Electronics Overview
    14. Electronics Terms
    15. Power Supply Overview
    16. Power Supply Form Factors
    17. Purposes of a Power Supply
    18. Power Supply Voltages
    19. Mobile Device Travel and Storage
    20. Mobile Device Power
    21. ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
    22. Replacing or Upgrading a Power Supply
    23. Symptoms of Power Supply Problems
    24. Solving Power Supply Problems
    25. Adverse Power Conditions
    26. Adverse Power Protection
    27. Surge Protectors
    28. Line Conditioners
    29. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
    30. Standby Power Supply (SPS)
    31. Phone Line Isolator
    32. Electrical Fires
    33. Computer Disposal/Recycling
    34. Soft Skills—Written Communications Skills
    35. Chapter Summary
    36. Key Terms
    37. Review Questions
    38. Exercises
    39. Activities
  17. Chapter 5. Logical Troubleshooting
    1. Troubleshooting Overview
    2. Identify the Problem
    3. Establish a Theory of Probable Cause
    4. Test the Theory to Determine Cause
    5. Establish a Plan of Action and Implement the Solution
    6. Verify Full System Functionality and Implement Preventive Measures
    7. Soft Skills—Document Findings, Actions, and Outcomes and Provide Feedback
    8. Chapter Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. Review Questions
    11. Exercises
    12. Activities
  18. Chapter 6. Memory
    1. Memory Overview
    2. Memory Physical Packaging
    3. Planning the Memory Installation
    4. Planning the Memory Installation—Memory Technologies
    5. Mobile Device Memory
    6. Planning the Memory Installation—Memory Features
    7. Planning for Memory—The Amount of Memory to Install
    8. Planning for Memory—How Many of Each Memory Type?
    9. Planning for Memory—Researching and Buying Memory
    10. Installing Memory Overview
    11. Removing/Installing Memory
    12. Adding More Cache/RAM
    13. Windows Disk Caching
    14. Monitoring Memory Usage Under Windows
    15. Old Applications Under Windows
    16. Troubleshooting Memory Problems
    17. Flash Memory
    18. Soft Skills—Teamwork
    19. Chapter Summary
    20. Key Terms
    21. Review Questions
    22. Exercises
    23. Activities
  19. Chapter 7. Storage Devices
    1. Storage Devices Overview
    2. Floppy Drive Overview
    3. Floppy Media and Construction
    4. Floppy Drive Installation or Replacement
    5. Hard Drive Overview
    6. Hard Drive Geometry
    7. Hard Drive Interfaces Overview
    8. IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
    9. SSD (Solid State Drive)
    10. SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)
    11. Storage Device Configuration Overview
    12. PATA Physical Installation
    13. SATA Physical Installation
    14. SSD Physical Installation
    15. Parallel SCSI Configuration
    16. SCSI ID Configuration and Termination
    17. SCSI Cables
    18. SAS Installation
    19. Mobile Device Storage
    20. System BIOS Configuration for Hard Drives
    21. Hard Drive Preparation Overview
    22. Partitioning
    23. How Drive Letters Are Assigned
    24. Windows Disk Management
    25. Fault Tolerance
    26. High-Level Formatting
    27. Troubleshooting Devices
    28. RAID Issues
    29. Preventive Maintenance for Hard Drives
    30. Data Security
    31. Removable Drive Storage
    32. Disk Caching/Virtual Memory
    33. Soft Skills—Phone Skills
    34. Chapter Summary
    35. Key Terms
    36. Review Questions
    37. Exercises
    38. Activities
  20. Chapter 8. Multimedia Devices
    1. Multimedia Overview
    2. Optical Disk Drive Overview
    3. Optical Drive Features
    4. Optical Drive Interfaces and Connections
    5. Optical Drive Installation
    6. Troubleshooting Optical Drive Issues
    7. Preventive Maintenance for ODDs and Discs
    8. Theory of Sound Card Operation
    9. Installing Sound Cards
    10. Sound Cards Using Windows
    11. Mobile Device Sound
    12. Speakers
    13. Troubleshooting Sound Problems
    14. Scanners
    15. Digital Cameras
    16. Soft Skills—Attitude
    17. Chapter Summary
    18. Key Terms
    19. Review Questions
    20. Exercises
    21. Activities
  21. Chapter 9. Other Peripherals
    1. Chapter Overview
    2. Video Overview
    3. Types of Video Output Devices
    4. Video Terminology and Theory
    5. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
    6. Video Ports and Cables
    7. Multiple Displays
    8. Projectors
    9. Monitor Preventive Maintenance
    10. Monitor Energy Efficiency
    11. Privacy
    12. Video Adapters
    13. Specialized Video Cards
    14. Video Memory
    15. Installing a Video Adapter
    16. Troubleshooting Video
    17. Printers Overview
    18. Printer Ports
    19. Networked Printers
    20. Wireless Printers
    21. Categories of Printers
    22. Impact Printers
    23. Inkjet Printers
    24. Laser Printers
    25. Thermal Printers
    26. Paper
    27. Refilling Cartridges, Re-inking Ribbons, and Recycling Cartridges
    28. Printer Installation
    29. Upgrading Printers
    30. Printer Preventive Maintenance
    31. Printers in the Windows Environment
    32. Windows Printer Troubleshooting
    33. General Printer Troubleshooting
    34. Impact Printer Troubleshooting
    35. Inkjet Printer Troubleshooting
    36. Laser Printer Troubleshooting
    37. Soft Skills—Work Ethics
    38. Chapter Summary
    39. Key Terms
    40. Review Questions
    41. Exercises
    42. Activities
  22. Chapter 10. Computer Design
    1. Design Overview
    2. Computer System Design
    3. Motherboard and Associated Component Design
    4. Power Supply and Case Design
    5. Storage Subsystem Design
    6. Audio Subsystem Design
    7. Display Subsystem Design
    8. Mobility Design
    9. Soft Skills—Dealing with Irate Customers
    10. Chapter Summary
    11. Key Terms
    12. Review Questions
    13. Exercises
    14. Activities
  23. Chapter 11. Basic Operating Systems
    1. Basic Operating Systems Overview
    2. Basic Windows Usage Overview
    3. Basic Mobile Device Usage
    4. Managing Windows Files and Folders
    5. Attributes, Compression, and Encryption
    6. Determining the Windows Version
    7. Windows Registry
    8. Editing the Windows Registry
    9. Recovering the Windows OS
    10. Recovering a Mobile OS
    11. Virtualization Basics
    12. Recovery Console/WinRE
    13. Command Prompt Overview
    14. Command Prompt Basics
    15. Moving Around from a Command Prompt
    16. The TYPE Command
    17. Copying Files
    18. The ATTRIB Command
    19. Why Learn Commands?
    20. Command Format
    21. Soft Skills—Staying Current
    22. Chapter Summary
    23. Key Terms
    24. Review Questions
    25. Exercises
    26. Activities
  24. Chapter 12. Windows XP, Vista, and 7
    1. Windows XP Overview
    2. Windows Vista/7 Overview
    3. Logging on to Windows
    4. Pre-Installation of Windows
    5. Viruses
    6. Installation/Upgrade of Windows
    7. Corporate Windows Deployment
    8. Verifying the Installation
    9. Troubleshooting a Windows Installation
    10. Dual-Booting Windows
    11. Virtualization
    12. Reloading Windows
    13. Updating Windows
    14. Backing Up/Restoring the Windows Registry
    15. Backing Up and Restoring the Windows System State
    16. Configuring Windows Overview
    17. Configuring Windows
    18. Adding Devices
    19. System Restore
    20. Installing/Removing Software
    21. Microsoft Management Console
    22. Advanced Boot Options Menu
    23. Overview of the Windows Boot Process
    24. Speeding Up the Windows Boot Process
    25. Troubleshooting the Windows Boot Process
    26. Windows XP ASR (Automated System Recovery)
    27. WinRE
    28. System Configuration Utility
    29. Task Manager and Event Viewer
    30. Troubleshooting a Service That Does Not Start
    31. Windows Reboots
    32. Shutdown Problems
    33. Monitoring System Performance
    34. Supporting Windows Computers Remotely
    35. Preventive Maintenance for Your Operating System
    36. Soft Skills—Avoiding Burnout
    37. Chapter Summary
    38. Key Terms
    39. Review Questions
    40. Exercises
    41. Activities
  25. Chapter 13. Internet Connectivity
    1. Internet Connectivity Overview
    2. Modems Overview
    3. Serial Communication Overview
    4. How to Configure Serial Ports and Devices
    5. 56Kbps Modems
    6. Fax Modems
    7. Digital Modems and ISDN
    8. VoIP
    9. Cable Modems
    10. xDSL Modems
    11. Troubleshooting Cable and DSL Modems
    12. Satellite Modems
    13. Modem Preventive Maintenance
    14. Mobile Connectivity
    15. Web Browsers
    16. Soft Skills—Mentoring
    17. Chapter Summary
    18. Key Terms
    19. Review Questions
    20. Exercises
    21. Activities
  26. Chapter 14. Introduction to Networking
    1. Networking Overview
    2. Types of Local Area Networks
    3. Network Topologies
    4. Network Media Overview
    5. Copper Media
    6. Fiber Media
    7. Protecting Your Network and Cable Investment
    8. Ethernet Issues and Concepts
    9. Network Standards
    10. The OSI Model
    11. The TCP/IP Model
    12. Network Addressing
    13. IP Addressing
    14. Subnetting Basics
    15. Wireless Networks Overview
    16. Bluetooth
    17. Wireless Networks
    18. Antenna Basics
    19. Wireless Network Standards
    20. Wired or Wireless NIC Installation
    21. Wireless Broadband
    22. Virtualization Network Issues
    23. Access Point/Router Installation
    24. Configuring a Networked Printer
    25. Network Troubleshooting
    26. Network Printer Troubleshooting
    27. Network Terminology
    28. The TCP/IP Model in Action
    29. Sharing
    30. Email
    31. Network Connectivity
    32. Mobile Device Network Connectivity
    33. Mobile Apps
    34. Soft Skills—Being Proactive
    35. Chapter Summary
    36. Key Terms
    37. Review Questions
    38. Exercises
    39. Activities
  27. Chapter 15. Computer and Network Security
    1. Security Overview
    2. Security Policy
    3. Physical Security
    4. Protecting the Operating System and Data
    5. DEP (Data Execution Prevention)
    6. Protecting Access to Local and Network Resources
    7. Permissions
    8. Internet Security
    9. Security Incident Reporting
    10. Wireless Network Security Overview
    11. Wireless Authentication and Encryption
    12. Default Settings
    13. More Wireless Options
    14. Wireless Security Conclusion
    15. Wireless Network Troubleshooting
    16. Mobile Security
    17. A Final Word About Security
    18. Soft Skills—Building Customer Trust
    19. Chapter Summary
    20. Key Terms
    21. Review Questions
    22. Exercises
    23. Activities
  28. Glossary
  29. Index

Product information

  • Title: Complete CompTIA® A+ Guide to PCs, Sixth Edition
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: February 2013
  • Publisher(s): Pearson IT Certification
  • ISBN: 9780133057638