CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Eleventh Edition (Exams 220-1101 & 220-1102)

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents at a Glance
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 Safety and Professionalism
	1102
	The Professional Tech
		Professional Appearance and Attire
		The Traits of a Tech
	Effective Communication
		Assertive Communication
		Respectful Communication
		Getting Answers
		Expectations and Follow-Up
	Be Prepared!
		Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
		Antistatic Tools
		Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
		Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)
		Physical Tools
		Personal Safety
	1101
		Troubleshooting Methodology
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 2 The Visible Computer
	Historical/Conceptual
	The Computing Process
		The Computing Parts
		Stages
		Why the Process Matters to Techs
		Breaking It Down
	1101
	Computing Hardware
	1102
	Computing Software
		Common Operating System Functions
		User Interfaces
		File Structures and Paths
		The Tech Utility Launch Points
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 3 CPUs
	Historical/Conceptual
	CPU Core Components
		The Man in the Box
		Registers
		Clock
		Back to the External Data Bus
	Memory
		Memory and RAM
		Address Bus
	1101
	Modern CPUs
		Developers
		Technology
	Selecting and Installing CPUs
		Selecting a CPU
		Installation Issues
	Troubleshooting CPUs
		Symptoms of Overheating
		Catastrophic Failure
	Beyond A+
		Hybrid Cores
		Process Nodes
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 4 RAM
	Historical/Conceptual
	Understanding DRAM
		Organizing DRAM
		Practical DRAM
		DRAM Sticks
		Consumer RAM
	Types of RAM
		SDRAM
		DDR SDRAM
	1101
		DDR3
		DDR4
		DDR5
		RAM Variations
	Working with RAM
		Do You Need More RAM?
		Getting the Right RAM
		Installing DIMMs
		Installing SO-DIMMs in Laptops
	Troubleshooting RAM
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 5 Firmware
	1101
	We Need to Talk
		Talking to the Keyboard
	CMOS and the System Setup Utility
		Touring the System Setup Utility
		Noteworthy BIOS/UEFI Security Settings
		Exiting and Saving BIOS/UEFI Settings
	Power-On Self-Test (POST)
		Before and During the Video Test: The Beep Codes
		Text Errors
		POST Cards
		The Boot Process
	Care and Feeding of BIOS/UEFI
		Default/Optimized Settings
		Clearing CMOS
		Losing CMOS RTC Settings
		Flashing the ROM
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 6 Motherboards
	Historical/Conceptual
	How Motherboards Work
		Layers of the PCB
		Form Factors
	1101
		Chipset
		Standard Components
		Additional Components
	Expansion Bus
		Structure and Function of the Expansion Bus
		PCI
		PCI Express
		Installing Expansion Cards
		Troubleshooting Expansion Cards
	Upgrading and Installing Motherboards
		Choosing the Motherboard and Case
		Installing the Motherboard
	Troubleshooting Motherboards
		Symptoms
		Techniques
		Options
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 7 Power Supplies
	Historical/Conceptual
	Understanding Electricity
	1101
	Powering the PC
		Supplying AC
	1102
	1101
		Supplying DC
	Installing and Maintaining Power Supplies
		Installing
		Cooling
	Troubleshooting Power Supplies
		No Motherboard
		When Power Supplies Die Slowly
		Fuses and Fire
		Redundant Power Supplies
		Modular Power Supplies
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 8 Mass Storage Technologies
	Historical/Conceptual
	How Hard Drives Work
		Hard Drives
	1101
		Solid-State Drives
	Connecting Mass Storage
		PATA
		SATA
		eSATA and Other External Drives
		Refining Mass Storage Communication
	Protecting Data with RAID
		RAID
		Implementing RAID
		Software Versus Hardware
		Dedicated RAID Boxes
	Installing Drives
		Choosing Your Drive
		Cabling SATA Drives
		Connecting Solid-State Drives
		BIOS Support: Configuring CMOS and Installing Drivers
		Troubleshooting Hard Drive Installation
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 9 Implementing Mass Storage
	Historical/Conceptual
	Hard Drive Partitions
	1102
		Master Boot Record
		Dynamic Disks
		GUID Partition Table
		Other Partition Types
		When to Partition
		Partition Naming Problems
	Hard Drive Formatting
		File Systems in Windows
		FAT32
		NTFS
		exFAT
		File Systems in macOS
		File Systems in Linux
	The Partitioning, Formatting, and Pooling Process
		Bootable Media
		Partitioning and Formatting with the Installation Media
		Disk Management
		Formatting a Partition
		Storage Spaces
	Maintaining and Troubleshooting Hard Drives
		Maintenance
	1101
		Troubleshooting Hard Drive Implementation
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 10 Essential Peripherals
	1101
	Supporting Common Ports
		Serial Ports
		USB Ports
		Thunderbolt Ports
		General Port Issues
	Common Peripherals
		Keyboards
		Pointing Devices
		Biometric Devices
		Barcode Scanner/QR Scanner
		Touch Screens
		KVM Switches
		Game Controllers and Joysticks
		Digitizers
		Multimedia Devices and Formats
	Removable Storage Devices
		Flash Memory
		Optical Media
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 11 Installing and Upgrading Operating Systems
	1102
	Windows Versions and Editions
		What About Windows 11?
		Windows 10 Home
		Workgroups vs. Domains
		Windows 10 Pro
		Windows 10 Pro for Workstations/Windows 10 Enterprise
		What Version of Windows Do I Have?
	Installing and Upgrading Windows
		Media Sources
		Types of Installation
		The OS Installation Process
		Troubleshooting Installation Problems
	Post-Installation Tasks
		Windows Updates
		Upgrading Drivers
		Restoring User Data Files (If Applicable)
		Installing Essential Software
		Migrating and Retiring Systems
		No Installation Is Perfect
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 12 Working with Operating Systems
	1102
	Registry
		Accessing the Registry
		Registry Components
		Talkin’ Registry
		Manual Registry Edits
		Command-Line Registry Editing Tools
	Your Basic Windows Toolset
		System Configuration
		Windows Settings
		Control Panel
	Processes, Applications, and Services Tools
		Task Manager
		Resource Monitor
		Microsoft Management Console
	macOS Preferences and Features
		System Preferences
		Apple ID
		AirDrop
		Spotlight
		Keychain
		FileVault
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 13 Users, Groups, and Permissions
	1102
	Authentication with Users and Groups
		Standard Accounts
		Groups
		Standard Account and Elevated Privileges
		Configuring Users and Groups in Windows
		Authentication Options
	Authorization Through NTFS
		NTFS Permissions
		Inheritance
		Permission Propagation
		Techs and Permissions
		Permissions in Linux and macOS
	Sharing Resources Securely
		Sharing Folders and Files
		Locating Shared Folders
		Protecting Data with Encryption
	Beyond Sharing Resources
		Security Policies
		User Account Control
		How UAC Works
		UAC in Modern Windows
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 14 Maintaining and Optimizing Operating Systems
	1102
	Maintaining Operating Systems
		Patch Management
		Scheduling Maintenance
		Controlling Autostarting Software
	Optimizing Operating Systems
		Installing and Removing Software
		Performance Options
	Preparing for Problems
		Backup and Recovery Options
		Backup Testing
		Backup Rotation Schemes
		Backing Up Personal Data
		System Restore in Windows
	Beyond A+
		Third-Party Backup Tools
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 15 Working with the Command-Line Interface
	1102
	Deciphering the Command-Line Interface
		Shells
		Accessing the Command-Line Interface in Windows
		Accessing the Command-Line Interface in macOS and Linux
		The Prompt
		Closing the Terminal
		Drives and Folders
	Mastering Fundamental Commands
		Structure: Syntax and Switches
		Changing Directory Focus: The cd Command
		Moving Between Drives
		Making Directories: The md/mkdir Command
		Removing Directories: The rd/rmdir Command
		Running a Program in Windows
		Running a Program in macOS and Linux
	Working with Files
		Reading Plaintext Files
		Using Wildcards to Locate Files
		Deleting Files
		Copying and Moving Files
		Pruning and Grafting Folder Trees
	Assorted Windows Commands
		chkdsk (/f /r)
		format
		hostname
		winver
		gpupdate
		gpresult
		sfc
		shutdown
		Keyboard Shortcuts
	Assorted macOS and Linux Commands
		See Running Processes: top and ps
		grep
		find
		Package Managers: apt-get and yum
		nano
		dd
		df
		shutdown
	Scripting
		Script Types and Languages
		Ask Not What You Can Do for Scripting
		Here Be Dragons
	Beyond A+
		Anatomy of a Script
		Environment Variables
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 16 Troubleshooting Operating Systems
	1102
	Common Windows Troubleshooting Procedures
		Turning Things Off and Back On
		System File Check
		Uninstall/Reinstall/Update Applications
		Resource Requirements
		Recovering When Windows Breaks
		Rebuild Windows Profiles
	Troubleshooting Common Windows OS Symptoms
		Blue Screen of Death
		Sluggish Performance
		Boot Problems
		Frequent Shutdowns
		Services Not Starting
		Applications Crashing
		Low Memory Warnings
		USB Controller Resource Warnings
		System Instability
		No OS Found
		Slow Profile Load
		Time Drift
	1101
	Troubleshooting Problems Related to Motherboard, CPU, RAM, and Power
		Power-On Self-Test
		Proprietary Crash Screens
		Black Screen
		No Power
		Sluggish Performance
		Overheating
		Burning Smell
		Frequent Shutdowns
		Application Crashes
		Grinding Noise
		Capacitor Swelling
		Inaccurate System Date/Time
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 17 Display Technologies
	1101
	Video Displays
		Flat-Panel Displays
		Projectors
		Common Display Features
	Display Adapters
		Motherboard Slot
		Graphics Processor
		Video Memory
		Integrated GPUs
		Connector Types and Associated Cables
	Installing and Configuring Video
		Software
	1102
		Working with Drivers
	1101
	Troubleshooting Video
		Troubleshooting Monitors
		Troubleshooting Projectors
		Troubleshooting Video Cards and Drivers
	Beyond A+
	Evaluating Monitors
		Resolution
		PPI
		Brightness
		Viewing Angle
		Response Rate
		Refresh Rate
		Contrast Ratio
		Color Depth
		Panel Technology
		High Dynamic Range
		Adaptive Sync
	Additional Display Topics
		MicroLED
		eGPUs
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 18 Essentials of Networking
	1101
	Roles Hosts Play in Networks
	Networking Technologies
		Frames and NICs
		Ethernet
		Ethernet with Twisted Pair
		Ethernet with Alternative Connections
	Implementing Ethernet
		The Typical LAN
		Structured Cabling
		Going Wide
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 19 Local Area Networking
	1101/1102
	Interconnecting Networks
		Network Addressing with IPv4
		Network Addressing with IPv6
		Domain Name System
		Entering Client IP Information
		TCP vs. UDP
		TCP/IP Settings
		TCP/IP Tools
		Configuring TCP/IP
		Automatic Private IP Addressing
	Installing and Configuring a Wired Network
		Installing a NIC
		Configuring IP Addressing
		Connecting to a Switch
	Network Organization and Access Control
		Shared Resources
		Organizing with Workgroups
		Organizing with Domains
		File Servers and Drive Mapping
		Sharing Printers
	Troubleshooting Networks
		Repairing Physical Cabling
		Fixing Common Problems
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 20 Wireless Networking
	Historical/Conceptual
	Wireless Networking Components
	1101
		Wireless Networking Software
		Wireless Infrastructure
	1102
		Wireless Networking Security
	1101
	Wireless Networking Standards and Regulations
		IEEE 802.11-Based Wireless Networking
		Optimizing Wi-Fi Coverage
		Bluetooth
	1102
	Installing and Configuring Wireless Networking
		Wi-Fi Configuration
		Bluetooth Configuration and Troubleshooting
	Troubleshooting Wi-Fi
		Hardware Troubleshooting
		Software Troubleshooting
		Connectivity Troubleshooting
		Configuration Troubleshooting
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 21 The Internet
	Historical/Conceptual
	How the Internet Works
		TCP/IP: The Common Language of the Internet
		Internet Service Providers
		Connection Concepts
	1101
	Connecting to the Internet
		DSL
		Cable
		Fiber
		Wi-Fi
		WISP
		Cellular
		Satellite
		Connection to the Internet
	Using the Internet
		Internet Application Protocols
	1102
		Browsing the Web
		Communicating with Others
		Remote Access
		Sharing and Transferring Files
	1101
		Embedded Systems
	Internet Troubleshooting
		No Connectivity
		Limited Connectivity
		Local Connectivity
		Slow Network Speeds
		Latency and Jitter
		Poor VoIP Call Quality
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 22 Virtualization
	1101
	Hardware Virtualization
		Client-side Virtualization
		Benefits of Virtualization
		Purpose of Virtual Machines
		Creating a Virtual Machine
		Server-side Virtualization
	To the Cloud
		The Service-Layer Cake
		Ownership and Access
		Cloud Characteristics
		Desktop Virtualization
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 23 Portable Computing
	Historical/Conceptual
	Portable Computing Devices
		Taxonomy
	1101
		Input Devices
		Display Types
	Extending Portable Computers
		Single-Function Ports
		Networking Options
		Portable-Specific Expansion Slots
		Storage Card Slots
		General-Purpose Ports
	Managing and Maintaining Portable Computers
		Batteries
		Power Management
		Cleaning
		Heat
		Protecting the Machine
	Upgrading and Repairing Laptop Computers
		Disassembly Process
		Standard Upgrades
		Hardware/Device Replacement
	Troubleshooting Portable Computers
		Power and Performance
		Components
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 24 Mobile Devices
	1101
	Mobile Computing Devices
		Device Variants
		Mobile Hardware Features
	1102
	Mobile Operating Systems
		Development Models
		Apple iOS and iPadOS
		Google Android
		Mobile OS Features
	1101
	Configuring a Mobile Device
		Enhancing Hardware
		Installing and Configuring Apps
		Network Connectivity
		Data
		E-mail
		Synchronization
		Mobile Device Communication and Ports
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 25 Maintaining and Securing Mobile Devices
	1101/1102
	Troubleshooting Mobile Device Issues
		Troubleshooting Tools
		Touchscreen and Display Issues
		Apps Not Launching
		Overheating
		Update Failures
		Slow Response
		Battery Life
		Swollen Battery
		Random Reboots and Freezes
		Cannot Broadcast to an External Monitor
		No Sound from Speakers
		Connectivity and Data Usage Issues
		GPS and Location Services Problems
		Encryption Problems
	Securing Mobile Devices
		BYOD Versus Corporate-Owned Devices
		Profile Security Requirements
		Preventing Physical Damage
		Combating Malware
		Dealing with Loss
		Recovering from Theft
		Securing Your Data
	Mobile OS and Application Security Issues
		Troubleshooting Tools
		Risks, Symptoms, and Clues
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 26 Printers and Multifunction Devices
	1101
	Printer and Multifunction Device Consumables
		Printers
		Scanners
		Copy and Fax Components
		Automatic Document Feeders
		Connectivity
		Physical Installation
	The Laser Printing Process
		Processing
		Charging
		Exposing
		Developing
		Transferring
		Fusing
		Cleaning
	Installing a Multifunction Device
		Setting Up Printers in Windows
	1102
		Configuring Print Settings
		Optimizing Print Performance
		Managing Public/Shared/Networked Devices
	1101
	Maintaining and Troubleshooting Printers
		Maintaining and Troubleshooting General Issues
		Maintaining and Troubleshooting Impact Printers
		Maintaining and Troubleshooting Thermal Printers
		Maintaining and Troubleshooting Inkjet Printers
		Maintaining and Troubleshooting Laser Printers
		Troubleshooting 3-D Printers
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 27 Securing Computers
	1102
	Analyzing Threats and Vulnerabilities
		Threats
		Vulnerabilities
	Security Concepts and Technologies
		Physical Security
		Logical Security
	Network Security
		Malicious Software
		Malware Signs and Symptoms
		Malware Prevention and Recovery
	1101
		Firewalls
		Internet Appliances
	1102
		Authentication and Encryption
		Wireless Issues
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Chapter 28 Operational Procedures
	1102
	Implementing Best Practices Associated with Documentation and Support Systems Information Management
		Asset Management
		Documentation for Policies, Procedures, Industry Standards, and Compliance
		Ticketing Systems
		Knowledge Base/Articles
	Change-Management Best Practices
		Documented Business Processes
		Change-Management Process
	Environmental Impacts and Local Environmental Controls
		Temperature, Humidity, and Ventilation
		Hazardous Materials
	Prohibited Content/Activity and Privacy, Licensing, and Policies
		Data Classification
		Regulated Data
		Compliance
		Licensing, End-User License Agreement, and Digital Rights Management
		Incident Response
	Beyond A+
	Chapter Review
		Questions
		Answers
Appendix A Mapping to the CompTIA A+ Objectives
	220-1101 Exam Objectives
	220-1102 Exam Objectives
Appendix B About the Online Content
	System Requirements
	Your Total Seminars Training Hub Account
		Privacy Notice
	Single User License Terms and Conditions
	TotalTester Online
		Pre-Assessment
	Playing the CompTIA A+ Introduction Video
	Mike’s CompTIA A+ Video Training Sample
	TotalSims Sample for CompTIA A+
	Mike’s Cool Tools
	Technical Support
Glossary
Index