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CONTENTS AT A GLANCE

Chapter 1 Safety and Professionalism


Chapter 2 The Visible Computer
Chapter 3 CPUs
Chapter 4 RAM
Chapter 5 Firmware
Chapter 6 Motherboards
Chapter 7 Power Supplies
Chapter 8 Mass Storage Technologies
Chapter 9 Implementing Mass Storage
Chapter 10 Essential Peripherals
Chapter 11 Building a PC
Chapter 12 Windows Under the Hood
Chapter 13 Users, Groups, and Permissions
Chapter 14 Maintaining and Optimizing Operating Systems
Chapter 15 Working with the Command-Line Interface
Chapter 16 Troubleshooting Operating Systems
Chapter 17 Display Technologies
Chapter 18 Essentials of Networking
Chapter 19 Local Area Networking
Chapter 20 Wireless Networking
Chapter 21 The Internet
Chapter 22 Virtualization
Chapter 23 Portable Computing
Chapter 24 Understanding Mobile Devices
Chapter 25 Care and Feeding of Mobile Devices
Chapter 26 Printers and Multifunction Devices
Chapter 27 Securing Computers
Chapter 28 Operational Procedures
Appendix A Mapping to the CompTIA A+ Objectives
Appendix B About the Online Content
Glossary
Index
CONTENTS

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 Safety and Professionalism
1002
The Professional Tech
Appearance
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
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
1001
Computing Hardware
1002
Computing Software
Common Operating System Functions
User Interfaces
File Structures and Paths
The Tech 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
1001
Modern CPUs
Developers
Technology
Selecting and Installing CPUs
Selecting a CPU
Installation Issues
Troubleshooting CPUs
Symptoms of Overheating
Catastrophic Failure
Beyond A+
Intel Core M
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 4 RAM
Historical/Conceptual
Understanding DRAM
Organizing DRAM
Practical DRAM
DRAM Sticks
Consumer RAM
Types of RAM
SDRAM
RDRAM
1001
DDR SDRAM
DDR2
DDR3
DDR3L/DDR3U
DDR4
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
1001
We Need to Talk
Talking to the Keyboard
BIOS
CMOS and RTC
Typical System Setup Utility
Graphical UEFI System Setup Utility
Text-Based UEFI Intel-Based Setup Utility
Other BIOS Security Settings
Exiting and Saving Settings
Option ROM and Device Drivers
Option ROM
Device Drivers
BIOS, BIOS, Everywhere!
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 and CMOS
Default/Optimized Settings
Clearing CMOS RTC RAM
Losing CMOS RTC Settings
Flashing the ROM
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 6 Motherboards
Historical/Conceptual
How Motherboards Work
Form Factors
1001
Chipset
Standard Components
Additional Components
Expansion Bus
Structure and Function of the Expansion Bus
PCI
Mini-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
1001
Powering the PC
Supplying AC
1002
1001
Supplying DC
Installing and Maintaining Power Supplies
Installing
Cooling
Troubleshooting Power Supplies
No Motherboard
Switches
When Power Supplies Die Slowly
Fuses and Fire
Beyond A+
Modular Power Supplies
Temperature and Efficiency
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 8 Mass Storage Technologies
Historical/Conceptual
How Hard Drives Work
Magnetic Hard Drives
1001
Solid-State Drives
Hybrid Hard 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
PATA Drive Installation
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
1002
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
1001
Troubleshooting Hard Drive Implementation
Beyond A+
Third-Party Partition Tools
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 10 Essential Peripherals
1001
Supporting Common Ports
Serial Ports
USB Ports
FireWire Ports
Thunderbolt Ports
General Port Issues
Common Peripherals
Keyboards
Pointing Devices
Biometric Devices
Smart Card Readers
Barcode/QR Scanners
Touch Screens
KVM Switches
Game Controllers and Joysticks
Digitizers
Multimedia Devices and Formats
Storage Devices
Flash Memory
Optical Media
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 11 Building a PC
1001
Specialized PCs
Prerequisites to Building
Custom PCs for Specific Jobs
Standard Thick Clients
Thin Clients
Virtualization Workstation
Gaming PC
Graphics/CAD/CAM Design Workstation
Audio/Video Editing Workstation
Network Attached Storage Devices
1002
Installing and Upgrading Windows
Media Sources
Types of Installation
The OS Installation Process
Troubleshooting Installation Problems
Post-Installation Tasks
Patches, Service Packs, and Updates
Upgrading Drivers
Restoring User Data Files (If Applicable)
Install Essential Software
Migrating and Retiring Systems
No Installation Is Perfect
Beyond A+
Privacy Concerns with Windows 10
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 12 Windows Under the Hood
1002
Registry
Accessing the Registry
Registry Components
Talkin’ Registry
Manual Registry Edits
Command-Line Registry Editing Tools
The Boot Process
Applications, Processes, and Services
Task Manager
Resource Monitor
Performance Tools
Tools for Programmers
Component Services
Data Sources
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 13 Users, Groups, and Permissions
1002
Authentication with Users and Groups
User Accounts
Passwords
Groups
Standard User and Elevated Privileges
Configuring Users and Groups in Windows
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
Administrative Shares
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
1002
Maintaining Operating Systems
Patch Management
Managing Temporary Files in Windows
Registry Maintenance
Disk Maintenance Utilities
Scheduling Maintenance
Controlling Autostarting Software
Handy Windows Administration Tools
Optimizing Operating Systems
Installing and Removing Software
Installing and Optimizing a Device
Performance Options
Preparing for Problems
Backing Up Personal Data
System Restore in Windows
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 15 Working with the Command-Line Interface
1002
Deciphering the Command-Line Interface
Shells
Accessing the Command-Line Interface in Windows
Accessing the Command-Line Interface in macOS and
Linux
The Command Prompt
Closing the Terminal
File Formats and Filenames
Drives and Folders
Mastering Fundamental Commands
Structure: Syntax and Switches
Viewing Directory Contents: dir and ls
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
Using Wildcards to Locate Files
Deleting Files
Copying and Moving Files
Pruning and Grafting Folder Trees
Assorted Windows Commands
chkdsk (/f /r)
format
hostname
gpupdate
gpresult
sfc
shutdown
Using Special Keys in Windows
PowerShell
Assorted macOS and Linux Commands
ifconfig
iwconfig
ps
grep
apt-get/APT
vi
dd
shutdown
passwd
Scripting
Script Types and Languages
Anatomy of a Script
Environment Variables
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 16 Troubleshooting Operating Systems
1002
Failure to Boot
Failure to Boot: Hardware or Configuration
Failure to Boot: Windows
Failure to Boot: Linux
Failure to Start Normally
Device Drivers
Registry
Advanced Startup Options
Rebuild Windows Profiles
Troubleshooting Tools
More Control Panel Tools
Application Problems
Application Installation Problems
Problems with Uninstalling
Compatibility
Missing File or Incorrect File Version
Unresponsive Apps
Application Crashes
Volume Shadow Copy Service and System Protection
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 17 Display Technologies
Video Displays
LCD Monitors
Historical/Conceptual
1001
Projectors
VR Headsets
Common Monitor Features
Display Adapters
Motherboard Slot
Graphics Processor
Video Memory
Integrated GPUs
Connector Types and Associated Cables
Installing and Configuring Video
Software
1002
Working with Drivers
Historical/Conceptual
3-D Graphics
1002
Troubleshooting Video
Troubleshooting Video Cards and Drivers
Troubleshooting Monitors
Troubleshooting Projectors
Beyond A+
Additional Display Topics
MicroLED
High Dynamic Range
Adaptive Sync
Video Modes
eGPUs
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 18 Essentials of Networking
1001
Roles Hosts Play in Networks
Historical/Conceptual
Networking Technologies
1001
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
1001/1002
TCP/IP
Network Addressing with IPv4
TCP/UDP
Network Addressing with IPv6
Installing and Configuring a Wired Network
Installing a NIC
Configuring IP Addressing
Connecting to a Switch
Sharing and Security
Network Shares
Network Organization
Troubleshooting Networks
Repairing Physical Cabling
Fixing Common Problems
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 20 Wireless Networking
Historical/Conceptual
Wireless Networking Components
1001
Wireless Networking Software
Wireless Network Modes
1002
Wireless Networking Security
1001
Speed and Range Issues
Wireless Networking Standards
IEEE 802.11-Based Wireless Networking
Other Wireless Standards
1002
Installing and Configuring Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi Configuration
Bluetooth Configuration
Cellular Configuration
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
Internet Tiers
TCP/IP: The Common Language of the Internet
Internet Service Providers
Connection Concepts
1001
Connecting to the Internet
Dial-Up
DSL
Cable
Fiber
Wi-Fi
Line-of-Sight Wireless
Cellular
Satellite
Connection to the Internet
Internet Application Protocols
1002
The World Wide Web
E-mail
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Telnet and SSH
SFTP
Voice over IP
Remote Desktop
Virtual Private Networks
File Sharing
Internet Utility Protocols
1001
The Internet of Things
Internet Troubleshooting
No Connectivity
Limited Connectivity
Local Connectivity
Slow Transfer Speeds
Beyond A+
Online Gaming
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 22 Virtualization
1001
Benefits of Virtualization
Power Saving
Hardware Consolidation
System Management and Security
Research
Implementing Virtualization
Meet the Hypervisor
Emulation Versus Virtualization
Client-Side Virtualization
Server-Side Virtualization
To the Cloud
The Service-Layer Cake
Ownership and Access
Why We Cloud
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 23 Portable Computing
Historical/Conceptual
Portable Computing Devices
Taxonomy
1001
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 Understanding Mobile Devices
1001
Mobile Computing Devices
Device Variants
Mobile Hardware Features
1002
Mobile Operating Systems
Development Models
Apple iOS
Google Android
Mobile OS Features
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 Care and Feeding of Mobile Devices
1001/1002
Troubleshooting Mobile Device Issues
Troubleshooting Tools
Touchscreen and Display Issues
Apps Not Loading
Overheating
Slow Performance
Battery Life
Swollen Battery
Frozen System
Cannot Broadcast to an External Monitor
No Sound from Speakers
Connectivity and Data Usage Issues
GPS and Location Services Problems
System Lockout
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
1001
Printer and Multifunction Device Components and
Technologies
Printers
Scanners
Copy and Fax Components
Automatic Document Feeders
Connectivity
The Laser Printing Process
Processing
Charging
Exposing
Developing
Transferring
Fusing
Cleaning
Installing a Multifunction Device
Setting Up Printers in Windows
1002
1001
Configuring Print Settings
Optimizing Print Performance
Managing Public/Shared/Networked Devices
Troubleshooting Printers
Troubleshooting General Issues
Troubleshooting Impact Printers
Troubleshooting Thermal Printers
Troubleshooting Inkjet Printers
Troubleshooting Laser Printers
Troubleshooting 3-D Printers
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 27 Securing Computers
1002
Analyzing Threats
Unauthorized Access
Social Engineering
Denial of Service
Data Destruction
Administrative Access
System Crash/Hardware Failure
Physical Theft
Malware
Environmental Threats
Security Concepts and Technologies
Access Control
Data Classification and Compliance
Licensing
Incident Response
Network Security
Malicious Software
Malware Signs and Symptoms
Malware Prevention and Recovery
Firewalls
Internet Appliances
Authentication and Encryption
Wireless Issues
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Chapter 28 Operational Procedures
1002
Documentation Best Practices
Network Documentation
Company Policies
Inventory Management
Managing Change Management
Change Management Processes
Implementing Change (Scenario)
Disaster Prevention and Recovery
Power Protection
Backup and Recovery Procedures
Account Recovery
Beyond A+
Chapter Review
Questions
Answers
Appendix A Mapping to the CompTIA A+ Objectives
220-1001 Exam Objectives
220-1002 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 Test
Other Online Book Resources
TotalSims for A+
Mike’s Video Training
Playing the Mike Meyers Introduction Video
Mike’s Cool Tools
Technical Support
Glossary
Index
Figure 1-9 Typical technician toolkit

I’ll add a few more tools to this toolkit as the book progresses that you’ll
want for a not-so-basic toolkit. Those more advanced tools will be introduced
as your knowledge grows.
You already own another great tool, the camera in your smartphone or
tablet. It’s amazing how handy it is to photograph screw locations, cable
connections, or other conditions so that you can later retrieve those images
when you reinstall something.
A lot of techs throw in an extension magnet to grab hard-to-reach bits that
drop into cases (an exception to the “no magnets” rule). Many also add a
magnifying glass and a flashlight for those hard-to-read numbers and text on
the printed circuit boards (PCBs) that make up a large percentage of devices
inside the system unit. Contrary to what you might think, techs rarely need a
hammer.
Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones require more complex kits
that include specialized tools, such as prying tools (called spudgers—isn’t
that a great word?). There are many excellent toolkits available for purchase;
I recommend the toolkits sold by iFixit (www.ifixit.com) and use one myself
(Figure 1-10). These kits are inexpensive and reliable, plus iFixit has
hundreds of free videos that walk you through many scenarios using the kits.
Figure 2-14 Laptop (a MacBook Air)

Figure 2-15 shows the side of a laptop with three different connection
types.

Figure 2-15 Ports on a laptop

Figure 2-16 shows a tablet computer, an Apple iPad. Note that the screen
has a touch interface, which makes it both an input and output device.
Figure 3-45 Heat-sink and fan assembly mounted to motherboard with
screws

For the final step, plug the fan power connector into the motherboard
standout. It won’t work if you don’t!

Overclocking
For the CPU to work, the motherboard speed, multiplier, and voltage must be
set properly. In most modern systems, the motherboard uses the CPUID
functions to set these options automatically. Some motherboards enable you
to adjust these settings manually by moving a jumper, changing a CMOS
setting, or using software; many enthusiasts deliberately change these settings
to enhance performance.
speed of RAM is a bit of a challenge because you’ll often hear both terms
used interchangeably. Table 4-1 shows all the speeds for DDR—not all of
these are commonly used.

Table 4-1 DDR Speeds

Following the lead of AMD and other manufacturers, the PC industry


adopted DDR SDRAM as the standard system RAM. In the summer of 2003,
Intel relented and stopped producing motherboards and memory controllers
that required RDRAM.
One thing is sure about PC technologies: any good idea that can be copied
will be copied. One of Rambus’ best concepts was the dual-channel
architecture—using two sticks of RDRAM together to increase throughput.
Manufacturers have released motherboards with MCCs that support dual-
channel architecture using DDR SDRAM. Dual-channel DDR motherboards
use regular DDR sticks, although manufacturers often sell RAM in matched
pairs, branding them as dual-channel RAM.
Dual-channel DDR requires two identical sticks of DDR and they must
snap into two paired slots. Many motherboards offer four slots (see Figure 4-
14).
Figure 4-34 CPU-Z showing RAM information

All new systems count on SPD to set the RAM timings properly for your
system when it boots. If you add a RAM stick with a bad SPD chip, you’ll
get a POST error message and the system will not boot. You can’t fix a
broken SPD chip; you just buy a new stick of RAM.

Installing SO-DIMMs in Laptops


It wasn’t that long ago that adding RAM to a laptop was either impossible or
required you to send the system back to the manufacturer. Long ago, laptop
makers used expensive, proprietary, custom-made RAM packages that were
Figure 5-36 Changing shunt location to clear CMOS RAM

NOTE Manufacturers of enthusiast boards designed for easy overclocking


experimentation know you’re going to screw up during the overclocking
process. You’ll often find a dedicated clear CMOS button hardwired to the
motherboard. Now that’s service!

If that doesn’t work or if you get one of the truly odd motherboards
without CLRTC jumpers, power down the system and unplug. Pry out the
little coin battery (see below) and wait for several seconds. Reinstall and
Chapter 8, “Mass Storage Technologies.”

Figure 7-18 SATA power connector

Splitters and Adapters You may occasionally find yourself without


enough connectors to power all of the devices inside your PC. In this case,
you can purchase splitters to create more connections (see Figure 7-19). You
might also run into the phenomenon of needing a SATA connector but
having only a spare Molex. Because the voltages on the wires are the same, a
simple adapter will take care of the problem nicely.
Figure 7-19 Molex splitter

ATX
The original ATX power supplies had two distinguishing physical features:
the motherboard power connector and soft power. Motherboard power came
from a single cable with a 20-pin P1 motherboard power connector. ATX
power supplies also had at least two other cables, each populated with two or
more Molex or mini connectors for peripheral power.
When plugged in, ATX systems have 5 V running to the motherboard.
They’re always “on,” even when powered down. The power switch you press
to power up the PC isn’t a true power switch like the light switch on the wall
in your bedroom. The power switch on an ATX system simply tells the
computer whether it has been pressed. The BIOS or operating system takes
over from there and handles the chore of turning the PC on or off. This is
called soft power.
Using soft power instead of a physical switch has a number of important
enable you to continue working throughout the process. This is possible if
you stop relying on a single hard drive and instead use two or more drives to
store your data. Sounds good, but how do you do this? Well, you could install
some fancy hard drive controller that reads and writes data to two hard drives
simultaneously (see Figure 8-17). The data on each drive would always be
identical. One drive would be the primary drive and the other drive, called the
mirror drive, would not be used unless the primary drive failed. This process
of reading and writing data at the same time to two drives is called disk
mirroring.

Figure 8-17 Mirrored drives

If you really want to make data safe, you can use a separate controller for
each drive. With two drives, each on a separate controller, the system will
continue to operate even if the primary drive’s controller stops working. This
super-drive mirroring technique is called disk duplexing (see Figure 8-18).
Disk duplexing is also marginally faster than disk mirroring because one
controller does not write each piece of data twice.

Figure 8-18 Duplexing drives

Even though duplexing is faster than mirroring, they both are slower than
the classic one-drive, one-controller setup. You can use multiple drives to
increase your hard drive access speed. Disk striping (without parity) means
spreading the data among multiple (at least two) drives. Disk striping by itself
provides no redundancy. If you save a small Microsoft Word file, for
example, the file is split into multiple pieces; half of the pieces go on one
drive and half on the other (see Figure 8-19).
Figure 8-19 Disk striping

The one and only advantage of disk striping is speed—it is a fast way to
read and write to hard drives. But if either drive fails, all data is lost. You
should not do disk striping—unless you’re willing to increase the risk of
losing data to increase the speed at which your hard drives store and retrieve
data.

NOTE In practice (as opposed to benchmarking) you won’t experience any


performance difference between mirroring and striping.

Disk striping with parity, in contrast, protects data by adding extra


information, called parity data, that can be used to rebuild data if one of the
drives fails. Disk striping with parity requires at least three drives, but it is
common to use more than three. Disk striping with parity combines the best
of disk mirroring and plain disk striping. It protects data and is quite fast. The
While partitions and volumes can be assigned a drive letter, D: through Z:,
they can also be mounted as a folder on another drive, also known as a mount
point. This enables you to use your existing folders to store more data than
can fit on a single drive or partition/volume (see Figure 9-47).

Figure 9-47 Mounting a drive as a folder

Imagine you use your Documents folder on a Windows machine to store


your digital photos. As your collection grows, you realize your current 500-
GB hard drive is running out of space. You’re willing to buy another hard
drive, but you have a great organizational structure in your existing
Documents folder and you don’t want to lose that. You don’t have to move
everything to the new hard drive, either.
After you install the new hard drive, you can mount the primary partition
(or logical drive) as a folder within the existing Documents folder on your C:
drive (for example, C:\Users\Mike\My Photos). At this point the drive
doesn’t have a letter (though you could add one later, if you wanted). To use
the new drive, just drop your files into the My Photos folder. They’ll be
stored on the second hard drive, not the original 500-GB drive (see Figure 9-
48). Amazing!
Figure 9-48 Adding photos to the mounted folder stores them on the second
hard drive.

To create a mount point, right-click on an unallocated section of a drive


and choose New Simple Volume. This opens the appropriately named
wizard. In the second screen, you can select a mount point rather than a drive
letter (see Figure 9-49). Browse to a blank folder on an NTFS-formatted
drive or create a new folder and you’re in business.

EXAM TIP The CompTIA A+ 1002 exam objectives mention “splitting”


partitions. To be clear, you never actually split a partition. If you want to turn
the CompTIA A+ 1001 exam. Just remember the names of the ports and
connectors, DB-9 and RS-232.

USB Ports
Universal serial bus (USB) connects almost every type of peripheral one
might consider today. Most folks have used USB ports and USB devices, but
let’s go beyond the user level and approach USB as techs.

Understanding USB
The core of USB is the USB host controller, an integrated circuit normally
built into the chipset. The host controller acts as the interface between the
system and every USB device that connects to it. Connected to the host
controller is a USB root hub, the part of the host controller that makes the
physical connection to the USB ports. Every USB root hub is a bus, similar in
many ways to an expansion bus. Figure 10-2 shows one possible diagram of
the relationship between the host controller, root hub, and USB ports.

Figure 10-2 Host controller, root hub, and USB ports in a typical system

A single host controller supports up to 127 USB devices, though real-life


circumstances create sharper limits. Even if a host controller supports a
Figure 10-35 Secure Digital card

Connection Digital cameras either plug directly into a USB port (see Figure
10-36) or connect to a Wi-Fi network. Another common option is to connect
the camera’s storage media to the computer, using one of the many digital
media readers available.
Figure 11-14 Remote network installation

Another type of installation that is very popular for re-creating standard


configurations is an image deployment (Figure 11-15). An image is a
complete copy of a hard drive volume on which an operating system and any
desired application software programs have been preinstalled. Images can be
stored on servers, optical discs, or flash-media drives, in which case the tech
runs special software on the computer that copies the image onto the local
hard drive or SSD. Images can also be stored on special network servers, in
which case the tech connects to the image server by using special software
that copies the image from the server to the local HDD or SSD. A leader in
this technology for many years was Norton Ghost, which was available from
Symantec. Symantec now offers Symantec Ghost Solution Suite. Other
similar programs are Clonezilla and Acronis True Image.
Figure 14-13 Error checking in Windows 10

Disk Defragmenter (in Windows 7) or Optimize Drives (in Windows 8


forward) keeps hard drives running efficiently by reorganizing files scattered
into pieces on your hard drive into tight, linear complete files (see Figure 14-
14). Long ago Disk Defragmenter was a manual process. Today, current
versions of Windows run Disk Defragmenter/Optimize Drives automatically
by default on HDDs. You can access Optimize Drives by right-clicking on a
drive and selecting Properties | Tools tab | and either Defragment now or
Optimize Drives.
Errors Are Good!
Consider errors in general for a moment—not just command-prompt
errors such as “Invalid directory,” but any error, including errors in the
GUI. Many new computer users freeze in horror when they see an error
message. Do not fear error messages. Error messages are good! Love
them. Worship them. They will save you.
Seriously, think how confusing it would be if the computer didn’t tell
you when you messed up. Error messages tell you what you did wrong so
you can fix it. You absolutely cannot hurt your PC in any way by typing
the dir or cd command incorrectly. Take advantage of this knowledge and
experiment. Intentionally make mistakes to familiarize yourself with the
error messages. Have fun and learn from errors!

To return to the root directory, type cd \ and press enter. You can use the
cd command to point the prompt to any directory. For example, typing cd
obiwan\my\hope from a C:\ prompt would change it to C:\Obiwan\my\hope>
—assuming, of course, that your system has a directory called
C:\Obiwan\my\hope.
Once the prompt has changed, type dir again. You should see a different
list of files and directories. Every directory holds different files and
subdirectories, so when you point the prompt to different directories, the dir
command shows you different contents.
Changing directory focus in macOS and Linux is similar to doing so in
Windows, but you use a / instead of a \. Using the same example just shown
for Windows, from the root directory you type cd /obiwan. To go to the
/Obiwan/my/hope directory you type cd /obiwan/my/hope.

NOTE On a Linux system it is considered bad manners to create files and


folders in the root (/) directory. In fact, you need “root” permissions to do
such a thing. This is because of Linux’s history as a multi-user system; it was
important to include restrictions so that users couldn’t break the underlying
Figure 28-1 Typical network topology diagram
Figure 28-2 A sampling of Cisco network diagram icons

Knowledge Base/Company Articles


Organizations use documentation to enable cooperation among employees
and coordination among departments. From a tech’s perspective,
documentation helps in troubleshooting various issues. Creating and
maintaining a company knowledge base—a set of documents that tell the tale
of equipment used, problems encountered, and solutions to those problems—
provides an essential tool for current and future techs. These company-
specific articles illuminate very specific details about company tech,
including links to manufacturer sites and information.

Incident Documentation
Tracking specific problems through incident documentation helps current and
future techs deal with problematic hardware and individuals. If you have five
identical color laser printers in five departments, for example, and one starts
jamming regularly after 10,000 pages, documenting the problem—the
incident—and the solution will point very clearly to the potential problems
with the other four printers when they reach that same usage level.
Chapter Review

Questions
1. Henry gets a help desk call from Arthur in Accounting who reports
that his keyboard is not working. This seems like a familiar problem,
one that another tech mentioned a short time back. Where should
Henry look to find information on the problem?
A. Change documentation
B. Incident documentation
C. Inventory management documentation
D. Risk management documentation
2. Annie wants to mark several Mac laptops issued to salespeople so that
she can set up a scanner at the office door to track each time the
laptops enter and leave the building. What will help her accomplish
this goal?
A. Add a barcode sticker to each laptop.
B. Add an RFID tag to each laptop.
C. Submit a change document to the change board.
D. It can’t be done, because the laptops run macOS.
3. Joan has proposed upgrading the inkjet printers in the marketing
department with color laser printers. The purpose of the change is to
reduce the cost per page printed, because toner is less expensive than
ink and the duty cycle of laser printers is longer than that of inkjet
printers. The marketing department currently has three inkjet printers.
What’s her logical next step?
A. She should complete the scope of change part of the change
document to factor in the price of the printers.
B. She should perform a risk analysis to determine any potentially
negative consequences.
C. She should download the documentation on the new printers and
begin the education process for the marketing department on how
to use them.
D. She should contact the change board with her initial proposal.
4. Once the change board has reviewed and approved Joan’s plan for the
new printers, what’s her next step?
A. Create a backout plan in case the quality of print with the laser
printers isn’t sufficient for the marketing materials.
B. Test the backup plan.
C. Finalize the change documentation.
D. Implement the change plan.
5. What broad term describes the process of creating a road map for
current and future techs to make changes or repairs over time for an
organization?
A. Change documentation
B. Change management
C. Management documentation
D. Network documentation
6. What broad term describes the process of enabling organizations to
implement changes to IT infrastructure in a safe and cost-effective
manner?
A. Change documentation
B. Change management
C. Management documentation
D. Network documentation
7. As part of the change management process, educating users on new
systems is an important component in which of the following?
A. Backout plan
B. Accessibility training
C. End-user acceptance
D. Risk analysis
8. Which device protects computing devices from power dips and
blackouts?
A. GPS
B. Surge suppressor
C. Surge protector
D. UPS
9. Which of the following should Eddi in sales use to protect her folder
of client information from natural disasters?
A. Local file-level backup
B. Cloud-based file-level backup
C. Local image backup
D. Cloud-based local image backup
10. What does creating a password recovery disc do for you in a
Windows 10 system?
A. Enables you to log in without using a password
B. Enables you to share your password with a remote user
C. Provides account recovery in case you forget your password
D. Provides a changeable password for added security

Answers
1. B. Henry should check the incident documentation to see if there’s a
history of problems with the computer at that workstation.
2. B. Annie should add a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to
each laptop and install a scanner at the door to track when the laptops
are taken out of the office and returned.
3. A. Joan hasn’t finished the scope of change yet, so she should include
the price of the printers.
4. A. Once the change board has approved the change plan, Joan should
make sure to have a good backout plan in place in case something
unforeseen and negative happens.
5. D. The term network documentation describes the road map for
current and future techs to make changes or repairs over time for the
organization.
6. B. The term change management describes the process organizations
use to implement changes to IT infrastructure in a safe and cost-
effective manner.
7. C. Training users in new or updated systems leads to end-user
acceptance of the changes.
8. D. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) protects computing
devices from power dips and blackouts.
9. B. Eddi should use a cloud-based file-level backup to protect her
folder from natural disasters.
10. C. A password recovery disc provides account recovery in case of a
forgotten password.
APPENDIX A
Mapping to the CompTIA A+
Objectives

220-1001 Exam Objectives


220-1002 Exam Objectives

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