All in one CompTIA a+ certifications exam guide 8th

• Career Pathway—CompTIA A+ is a building block for other CompTIA certifications such as Network+, Security+ and vendor specific technologies... • Some of the primary benefits individua

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COMPTIA APPROVED QUALITY CURRICULUM

It Pays to Get Certified

In a digital world, digital literacy is an essential survival skill Certification proves you have the

knowledge and skill to solve business problems in virtually any business environment Certifications are highly valued credentials that qualify you for jobs, increased compensation, and promotion

CompTIA A+ Certification Advances Your Career

• The CompTIA A+ credential—provides foundation-level knowledge and skills necessary for a career

in PC repair and support

• Starting Salary—CompTIA A+ Certified individuals can earn as much as $65,000 per year

• Career Pathway—CompTIA A+ is a building block for other CompTIA certifications such as

Network+, Security+ and vendor specific technologies

• More than 850,000—individuals worldwide are CompTIA A+ certified.

• Mandated/Recommended by organizations worldwide—such as Cisco and HP and Ricoh, the U.S

State Department, and U.S government contractors such as EDS, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman

• Some of the primary benefits individuals report from becoming CompTIA A+ certified are:

• More efficient troubleshooting

• Improved career advancement

• More insightful problem solving

CompTIA Career Pathway

CompTIA offers a number of credentials that form a foundation for your career in technology and that allow you to pursue specific areas of concentration Depending on the path you choose to take, CompTIA certifications help you build upon your skills and knowledge, supporting learning throughout your entire career

Steps to Getting Certified and Staying Certified

1 Review exam objectives Review the certification objectives to make sure you know what is covered

in the exam:

www.comptia.org/certifications/testprep/examobjectives.aspx

2 Practice for the exam After you have studied for the certification, take a free assessment and sample

test to get an idea what type of questions might be on the exam:

www.comptia.org/certifications/testprep/practicetests.aspx

3 Purchase an exam voucher Purchase your exam voucher on the CompTIA Marketplace, which is

located at: http://www.comptiastore.com/

4 Take the test! Select a certification exam provider and schedule a time to take your exam You can

find exam providers at the following link:

www.comptia.org/certifications/testprep/testingcenters.aspx

5 Stay Certified! Continuing education is required Effective January 1, 2011, CompTIA A+

certifications are valid for three years from the date of certification There are a number of ways the certification can be renewed For more information go to:

http://certification.comptia.org/getCertified/steps_to_certification/stayCertified.aspx

Join the Professional Community

The free online IT Pro Community provides valuable content to students and professionals Join the IT Pro Community:

• U.S job board

Join the IT Pro Community and get access to:

• Forums on networking, security, computing, and cutting-edge technologies

• Access to blogs written by industry experts

• Current information on cutting-edge technologies

• Access to various industry resource links and articles related to IT and IT careers

Content Seal of Quality

This courseware bears the seal of CompTIA Approved Quality Content This seal signifies this content covers 100 percent of the exam objectives and implements important instructional design principles CompTIA recommends multiple learning tools to help increase coverage of the learning objectives

Why CompTIA?

• Global recognition—CompTIA is recognized globally as the leading IT nonprofit trade association and

has enormous credibility Plus, CompTIA’s certifications are vendor-neutral and offer proof of

foundational knowledge that translates across technologies

• Valued by hiring managers—Hiring managers value CompTIA certification because it is vendor- and

technology-independent validation of your technical skills

• Recommended or required by government and businesses—Many government organizations and

corporations (for example, Dell, Sharp, Ricoh, the U.S Department of Defense, and many more) either recommend or require technical staff to be CompTIA certified

• Three CompTIA certifications ranked in the top 10—In a study by DICE of 17,000 technology

professionals, certifications helped command higher salaries at all experience levels

How to Obtain More Information

• Visit CompTIA online Go to http://www.comptia.org/ to learn more about getting CompTIA certified

• Contact CompTIA Please call 866-835-8020, ext 5 or e-mail questions@ comptia.org

• Join the IT Pro Community Go to http://itpro.comptia.org/ to join the IT community to get relevant career information

• Connect with CompTIA Find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube

CAQC Disclaimer

The logo of the CompTIA Approved Quality Curriculum (CAQC) program and the status of this or other training material as “Approved” under the CompTIA Approved Quality Curriculum program signifies that, in CompTIA’s opinion, such training material covers the content of CompTIA’s related certification exam

The contents of this training material were created for the CompTIA A+ exams covering CompTIA certification objectives that were current as of the date of publication

CompTIA has not reviewed or approved the accuracy of the contents of this training material and specifically disclaims any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose CompTIA makes no guarantee concerning the success of persons using any such “Approved” or other training material in order to prepare for any CompTIA certification exam

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Meyers, lovingly called the “AlphaGeek” by those who know him, is the industry’s leading

authority on CompTIA A+ certification He is the president and co-founder of Total Seminars, LLC, a provider of PC and network repair seminars, books, videos, and courseware for thousands of

organizations throughout the world Mike has been involved in the computer and network repair industry since 1977 as a technician, instructor, author, consultant, and speaker

Author of numerous popular PC books and videos, including the best-selling CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Mike is also the series editor for the highly successful Mike Meyers’

Certification Passport series, the Mike Meyers’ Computer Skills series, and the Mike Meyers’ Guide to

series, all published by McGraw-Hill

As well as writing, Mike has personally taught (and continues to teach) thousands of students, including U.S senators, U.S Supreme Court justices, the United Nations, every branch of the U.S Armed Forces, most branches of the Department of Justice, hundreds of corporate clients, academic students at every level, prisoners, and pensioners

E-mail: michaelm@totalsem.com

Facebook: Mike Meyers (Houston, TX)

Twitter/Skype/most instant messaging clients: desweds

Web forums: www.totalsem.com/forums

About the Editor-in-Chief

Scott Jernigan wields a mighty red pen as Editor in Chief for Total Seminars With a Master of Arts

degree in Medieval History, Scott feels as much at home in the musty archives of London as he does in the warm CRT glow of Total Seminars’ Houston headquarters After fleeing a purely academic life, he dove headfirst into IT, working as an instructor, editor, and writer

Scott has written, edited, and contributed to dozens of books on computer literacy, hardware, operating

systems, networking, and certification, including Computer Literacy—Your Ticket to IC 3 Certification, and co-authoring with Mike Meyers the All-in-One CompTIA Strata® IT Fundamentals Exam Guide

Scott has taught computer classes all over the United States, including stints at the United Nations in New York and the FBI Academy in Quantico Practicing what he preaches, Scott is a CompTIA A+ and

CompTIA Network+ certified technician, a Microsoft Certified Professional, a Microsoft Office User Specialist, and Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certified

About the Technical Editor

Chris Crayton (CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, MCSE) is an author, editor, technical consultant, and trainer Mr Crayton has worked as a computer and networking instructor at Keiser University, as network administrator for Protocol, an eCRM company, and as a computer and network specialist at Eastman Kodak Mr Crayton has authored several print and online books on PC Repair, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Security+, and Microsoft Windows Mr Crayton has served as technical editor on numerous

professional technical titles for leading publishing companies, including the CompTIA A+ All-in-One Exam Guide, the CompTIA A+ Certification Study Guide, and the Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+

Certification Passport

CONTENTS AT A GLANCE

Chapter 1 The Path of the PC Tech

Chapter 2 Operational Procedures

Chapter 3 The Visible PC

Chapter 4 Visible Windows

Chapter 5 Visible Networks

Chapter 6 Microprocessors

Chapter 7 RAM

Chapter 8 BIOS

Chapter 9 Motherboards

Chapter 10 Power Supplies

Chapter 11 Hard Drive Technologies

Chapter 12 Implementing Hard Drives

Chapter 13 Removable Media

Chapter 14 Installing and Upgrading Windows

Chapter 15 Windows Under the Hood

Chapter 16 NTFS, Users, and Groups

Chapter 17 Maintaining and Optimizing Windows Chapter 18 Working with the Command-Line Interface Chapter 19 Troubleshooting Windows

Chapter 20 Input Devices

Chapter 21 Video

Chapter 22 Local Area Networking

Chapter 23 Wireless Networking

Chapter 24 The Internet

Chapter 25 Multimedia

Chapter 26 Portable Computing

Chapter 27 Mobile Devices

Chapter 28 Printers

Chapter 29 Securing Computers

Chapter 30 Virtualization

Chapter 31 The Right PC for You

Chapter 32 The Complete PC Tech

Appendix A Mapping to the CompTIA A+ Objectives Appendix B About the Download

Glossary

Index

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 The Path of the PC Tech

The Importance of Skill in Managing and Troubleshooting PCsThe Importance of CompTIA A+ Certification

What Is CompTIA A+ Certification?

Who Is CompTIA?

The Path to Other Certifications

How Do I Become CompTIA A+ Certified?

What’s the Deal with “No More Lifetime Certification”?

The Basic Exam Structure

How Do I Take the Exams?

How Much Does the Exam Cost?

How to Pass the CompTIA A+ Exams

Assertive Communication

Respectful Communication

Eliciting Answers

Expectations and Follow-up

Safety and Tools

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)Anti-static Tools

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)Physical Safety

Tools of the Trade

Devices and Their Connectors

Inside the System Unit

Enter 64-bit Windows

The Windows Interface

Frames and NICs

Introducing Ethernet

Network Protocols, LANs, and WANs

A Short History of the War of the Network Protocols and Why TCP/IP WonLANs, Routing, and WANs

CPU Core Components

The Man in the Box

RAM Variations

Working with RAM

Do You Need More RAM?

Getting the Right RAM

Installing DIMMs and RIMMs

Installing SO-DIMMs in Laptops

Modify CMOS: The Setup Program

A Quick Tour Through a Typical CMOS Setup ProgramOption ROM and Device Drivers

Option ROM

Device Drivers

BIOS, BIOS, Everywhere!

Power-On Self Test (POST)

Before and During the Video Test: The Beep CodesText Errors

POST Cards

The Boot Process

Care and Feeding of BIOS and CMOS

Losing CMOS Settings

Mini-PCI

PCI Express

Installing Expansion Cards

Troubleshooting Expansion Cards

Upgrading and Installing MotherboardsChoosing the Motherboard and CaseInstalling the Motherboard

Modular Power Supplies

Temperature and Efficiency

How Hard Drives Work

Platter-Based Hard Drives

Choosing Your Drive

Jumpers and Cabling on PATA Drives

Cabling SATA Drives

Connecting Solid-State Drives

Connecting SCSI Drives

BIOS Support: Configuring CMOS and Installing DriversConfiguring Controllers

Autodetection

Boot Order

Enabling AHCI

GUID Partition Table

Other Partition Types

When to Partition

Partition Naming Problems

Hard Drive Formatting

File Systems in Windows

Partitioning and Formatting with the Installation DiscDisk Management

Troubleshooting Removable Media

Floppy Drive Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Optical Drives and Discs

Preparing for Installation or Upgrade

Identify Hardware Requirements

Verify Hardware and Software Compatibility

Decide What Type of Installation to Perform

Determine How to Back Up and Restore Existing Data, If NecessarySelect an Installation Method

Determine How to Partition the Hard Drive and What File System to UseDetermine Your Computer’s Network Role

Decide on Your Computer’s Language and Locale Settings

Plan for Post-Installation Tasks

The Installation and Upgrade Process

Installing or Upgrading to Windows XP Professional

Installing or Upgrading to Windows Vista

Installing or Upgrading to Windows 7

Upgrading Issues

The Windows XP Clean Installation ProcessThe Windows Vista/7 Clean Installation ProcessAutomating the Installation

Installing Windows over a Network

Troubleshooting Installation Problems

Text Mode Errors

Graphical Mode Errors

Lockups During Installation

Post-Installation Tasks

Patches, Service Packs, and Updates

Upgrading Drivers

Restoring User Data Files (If Applicable)

Migrating and Retiring

Command-Line Registry Editing Tools

The Boot Process

The Windows XP Boot Process

The Windows Vista/7 Boot Process

Processes and Services and Threads, Oh My!

Simple Tools for Managing Users

Advanced User Management

Sharing a Windows PC Securely

Protecting Data with Encryption

User Account Control

UAC in Windows Vista

Windows Patch Management

Managing Temporary Files with Disk CleanupRegistry Maintenance

Error-Checking and Disk Defragmentation

Installing/Optimizing a Device

Performance Options

Hardware Profiles

Preparing Windows for Problems

Backing Up Personal Data

Deciphering the Command-Line Interface

Accessing the Command Line

The Command Prompt

Filenames and File Formats

Drives and Folders

Mastering Fundamental Commands

Structure: Syntax and Switches

Viewing Directory Contents: The dir Command

Changing Directory Focus: The cd Command

Moving Between Drives

Making Directories: The md Command

Removing Directories: The rd command

Working with Directories

Copying and Moving Files

And Even More Tools, Utilities, and CommandsBeyond A+

Using Special Keys

The compact and cipher Commands

Troubleshooting Tools in the GUI

Troubleshooting Tools in Windows Vista and Windows 7Application Problems

Application Installation Problems

Problems with Uninstalling

General Port Issues

Standard Input Devices

Installing and Configuring a Wired NetworkInstalling a NIC

Configuring a Network Client

Sharing and Security

Troubleshooting Networks

Repairing Physical Cabling

Fixing Common Problems

Wireless Networking Software

Wireless Network Modes

Wireless Networking Security

Speed and Range Issues

Wireless Networking Standards

IEEE 802.11-Based Wireless Networking

Other Wireless Standards

802

Installing and Configuring Wireless NetworkingWi-Fi Configuration

Bluetooth Configuration

Connection to the Internet

Windows Internet Connection SharingInternet Application Protocols

The World Wide Web

Virtual Private Networks

Support Applications (Internet Utilities)802

Chapter 26 Portable Computing

Portable-Specific Expansion Slots

Storage Card Slots

Protecting the Machine

Upgrading and Repairing Laptop ComputersDisassembly Process

Standard Upgrades

Hardware Replacement

Troubleshooting Portable Computers

Laptop Won’t Power On

Screen Doesn’t Come On Properly

Wireless Doesn’t Work or Works IntermittentlyInput Problems

Dealing with Loss

Recovering from Theft

Chapter Review