Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Path Of The PC Tech: -- Importance of skill in managing and troubleshooting PCs -- Importance of CompTIA A+ certification -- What is CompTIA A+ certification? -- Who is CompTIA? -- Path to other certifications -- How do I become CompTIA + certified? -- What's the deal with "no more lifetime certification? -- Basic exam structure -- How do I take the exams? -- How much does the exam cost? -- How to pass the CompTIA A+ exams -- Historical/conceptual -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Operational Procedures: -- 801 -- Professional tech -- Appearance -- Traits of a tech -- Communication -- 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 -- Chapter review-- Questions -- Answers -- Visible PC: -- Historical/conceptual -- How the PC works -- Input -- Processing -- Output -- Storage -- Art of the PC technician -- 801 -- Complete PC -- External connections -- Devices and their connections -- Inside the system unit -- Case -- CPU -- RAM -- Motherboard -- Power supply -- Floppy drive -- Hard drive -- Optical drives -- Know your parts -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Visible Windows: -- Historical/conceptual -- Brief history of Microsoft Windows -- Early Windows -- Modern Windows -- 802 -- Windows XP -- Windows Vista -- Windows 7 -- Enter 64-bit Windows -- Windows interface -- User interface -- Hot keys -- Operating system folders -- System folder -- Program and personal document folders -- Tech utilities -- Right-click -- Control panel -- Device manager -- System tools -- Command line -- Microsoft management console -- Administrative tools -- Action center (unique to Windows 7) -- Beyond A + -- Windows 8 -- Windows embedded -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Visible Networks: -- Historical/conceptual -- Networking technologies -- Topology -- 801 -- Frames and NICs -- Introducing Ethernet -- Network protocols, LANs, and WANs -- Short history of the war of the network protocols and why TCP/IP won -- LANs, routing, and WANs -- 802 -- Network organization -- Workgroups -- Domains -- Homegroups -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Microprocessors: -- Historical/conceptual -- CPU core components -- Man in the box -- Clock -- Back to the external data bus -- Memory -- Memory and RAM -- Address bus -- 801 -- Modern CPUs -- Manufacturers -- Technology -- Selecting installing, and troubleshooting CPUs -- Selecting a CPU -- Installation issues -- 802 -- Troubleshooting CPUs -- Beyond A + -- Intel atom -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- RAM: -- Historical/conceptual -- Understanding DRAM -- Organizing DRAM -- Practical DRAM -- DRAM sticks -- Consumer RAM -- 801 -- Types of RAM -- SDRAM -- RDRAM -- DDR SDRAM -- DDR2 -- DDR3 -- RAM variations -- Working with ram -- Do you need more RAM? -- Getting the right RAM -- Installing DIMMs and RIMMs -- Installing SO-DIMMs in laptops -- 802 -- Troubleshooting RAM -- Testing RAM -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- BIOS: -- Historical/conceptual -- We need to talk -- Talking to the keyboard -- 801 -- BIOS -- CMOS -- Modify CMOS: the setup program -- Quick tour through a typical CMOS setup program -- Option ROM and device drivers -- Option ROM -- Devices drivers -- BIOS, BIOS, everywhere! -- 802 -- Power-on self test (POST) -- Before and during the video test: the beep codes -- Text errors -- POST cards -- Boot process -- Care and feeding of BIOS and CMOS -- Losing CMOS settings -- Flashing ROM -- Beyond A + -- UEFI -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Motherboards: -- Historical/conceptual -- How motherboards work -- Form factors -- 801 -- Chipset -- Motherboard components -- Expansion bus -- Structure and function of the expansion bus -- PCI -- AGP -- PCI-X -- Mini-PCI -- PCI express -- Installing expansion cards -- Troubleshooting expansion cards -- Upgrading and installing motherboards -- Choosing the motherboard and case -- Installing the motherboard -- 802 -- Troubleshooting motherboards -- Symptoms -- Techniques -- Options -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Power Supplies: -- Historical/conceptual -- Understanding electricity -- 801 -- Powering the PC -- Supplying AC -- Supplying DC -- Installing and maintaining power supplies -- Installing -- Cooling -- 802 -- Troubleshooting power supplies -- No motherboard -- Switches -- When power supplies die slowly -- Fuses and fire -- Beyond A + -- It glows! -- Modular power supplies -- Temperature and efficiency -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Hard Drive Technologies: -- Historical/conceptual -- How hard drives work -- Platter-based hard drives -- 801 -- Solid-state drives -- Parallel and serial ATA -- ATA-1 -- ATA-2 -- ATA-3 -- ATA-4 -- INT13 extensions -- ATA-5 -- ATA-6 -- ATA-7 -- SCSI: still around -- SCSI chains -- SCSI IDs -- Termination -- Protecting data with RAID -- RAID -- Implementing RAID -- Hardware versus software -- Personal RAID -- Future is RAID -- Installing 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 drivers -- Configuring controllers -- Autodetection -- Boot order -- Enabling AHCI -- 802 -- Troubleshooting hard drive installation -- Beyond A + -- Hybrid hard drives -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Implementing Hard Drives: -- Historical/conceptual -- Hard drive partitions -- 802 -- Master boot record -- Dynamic disks -- GUID partition table -- Other partition types -- When to partition -- Partition naming problems -- Hard drive formatting -- File systems in Windows -- FAT -- FAT32 -- NTFS -- FAT64 -- Partitioning and formatting process -- Bootable media -- Partitioning and formatting with the installation disc -- Disk management -- Formatting a partition -- Maintaining and troubleshooting hard drives -- Maintenance -- Troubleshooting hard drive implementation -- Beyond A + -- Third-party partition tools -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers.

Removable Media: -- Historical/conceptual -- Floppy drives -- Floppy drive basics -- 801 -- Installing floppy drives -- Flash memory -- USB thumb drives -- Flash cards -- Optical drives -- CD-Media -- DVD-Media -- Blu-ray Disc-Media -- Installing optical drives -- Troubleshooting removable media -- Floppy drive maintenance and troubleshooting -- Troubleshooting optical drives and discs -- Beyond A + -- Color books -- BDXL -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Installing And Upgrading Windows: -- 802 -- 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 necessary -- Select an installation method -- Determine how to partition the hard drive and what file system to use -- Determine your computer's network role -- Decide on your computer's language and locale settings -- Plan for post-installation tasks -- 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 -- Windows XP clean installation process -- Windows Vista/7 clean installation process -- Automating the installation -- Installing Windows over a network -- Troubleshooting installation problems -- Test 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 -- No installation is perfect -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Windows Under The Hood: -- 802 -- Registry -- Accessing the registry -- Registry components -- Talkin' registry -- Manual registry edits -- Command-line registry editing tools -- Boot process -- Windows XP boot process -- Windows Vista/7 boot process -- Processes and services and threads, oh my! -- Task manager -- Performance console -- Performance tools in Windows Vista and Windows 7 -- Tools for programmers -- Component services -- Data sources -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- NTFS, Users, And Groups: -- 802-- Authentication with users and groups -- Passwords -- Groups -- Simple tools for managing users -- Advanced user management -- Authorization through NTFS -- NTFS permissions -- Permission propagation -- Techs and permissions -- Sharing a Windows PC securely -- Sharing in Windows XP -- Sharing in Windows Vista -- Sharing in Windows 7 -- Locating shared folders -- Administrative shares -- Protecting data with encryption -- User account control -- UAC in Windows Vista -- UAC in Windows 7 -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Maintaining And Optimizing Windows: -- 802 -- Maintaining Windows -- Windows patch management Managing temporary files with disk cleanup -- Registry maintenance -- Error-checking and disk defragmentation -- Scheduling maintenance -- System configuration -- System information -- Optimizing windows -- Installing and removing software -- Installing/optimizing a device -- Performance options -- Hardware profiles -- Preparing Windows for problems -- Backing up personal data -- System restore -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Working With The Command-Line Interface: -- Historical/conceptual -- 802 -- Deciphering the command-line interface -- Accessing the command line -- 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 -- Running a program -- Working with files -- Attributes -- Wildcards -- Renaming files -- Deleting files -- Copying and moving files -- Even more tools, utilities, and commands -- Beyond A + -- Using special keys -- Compact and cipher commands -- PowerShell -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Troubleshooting Windows: -- 802 -- Failure to boot -- Failure to boot: hardware or configuration -- Failure to boot: Windows XP -- Failure to boot: Windows Vista and Windows 7 -- Failure to load the GUI -- Device drivers -- Registry -- Advanced start up options -- Troubleshooting tools in the GUI -- Troubleshooting tools in windows Vista and Windows 7 -- Application problems -- Application installation problems -- Problems with uninstalling -- Compatibility -- Missing file or incorrect file version -- Crashing programs -- Volume shadow copy service and system protection -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Input Devices: -- 801 -- Supporting common ports -- Serial ports -- USB ports -- FireWire ports -- General port issues -- Standard input devices -- Keyboards -- Mice -- Scanners -- Biometric devices -- Bar code readers -- Touch screens -- KVM switches -- Gamepads and joysticks -- Digitizers -- Multimedia devices -- Digital cameras and camcorders -- Web cameras -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Video: -- Video displays -- Historical/conceptual -- CRT monitors -- 801 -- LCD monitors -- Projectors -- Plasma displays -- Common features -- Power conservation -- Display adapters -- Modes -- Motherboard connection -- Graphics processor -- Video memory -- Integrated GPUs -- Connector types and associated cables -- Installing and configuring video software -- 802 -- Working with drivers -- 3-D graphics -- Troubleshooting video -- Troubleshooting video cards/ drivers -- Troubleshooting monitors -- Troubleshooting playback -- Beyond A + -- DLP -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Local Area Networking: -- 801/802 -- Beyond basic Ethernet cabling -- Alternative connections -- Network devices -- Structured cabling -- TCP/IP -- Network addressing -- IPv6 -- Installing and configuring a wired network -- Installing a NIC -- Configuring network client -- Sharing and security -- Troubleshooting networks -- Repairing physical cabling -- Fixing common problems -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers.

Wireless Networking: -- Historical/conceptual -- Wireless networking components -- 801 -- 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 networking -- Wi-Fi configuration -- Bluetooth configuration -- Cellular configuration -- Troubleshooting Wi-Fi -- Hardware troubleshooting -- Software troubleshooting -- Connectivity troubleshooting -- Configuration troubleshooting -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Internet: -- Historical/conceptual -- How the internet works -- Internet tiers -- TCP/IP: the common language of the internet -- Internet service providers -- Connection concepts -- 801 -- Connecting to the internet -- Dial-up -- DSL -- Cable -- LAN -- 802-11 wireless -- Fiber -- Cellular -- Satellite -- Connection to the internet -- Windows internet connection sharing -- Internet application protocols -- World Wide Web -- E-mail -- File transfer protocol (FTP) -- Telnet and SSH -- SFTP -- Voice over IP -- Remote desktop -- Virtual private networks -- Support applications (internet utilities) -- 802 -- Internet troubleshooting -- No connectivity -- Limited connectivity -- Local connectivity -- Slow transfer speeds -- Beyond A + -- Online gaming -- Chat -- File sharing -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Multimedia: -- Sound -- Historical/conceptual -- How sound works in a PC -- 801 -- Getting the right sound hardware -- Speakers -- Microphones -- MIDI-enabled devices -- Installing sound in a Windows system -- Troubleshooting sound -- Video capture -- Hardware -- Software -- Troubleshooting video capture and play back -- TV tuners -- Tuner hardware -- Tuner software -- Tuner troubleshooting -- Beyond A + -- Publishing multimedia -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Portable Computing: -- 801/802 -- Portable computing devices -- Input devices -- Display types -- Desktop replacements -- Netbooks -- Ultrabooks -- Tablet PCs -- Expanding portable computers -- Single-function ports -- Network -- 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 replacement -- Troubleshooting probable computers -- Laptop won't power on -- Screen doesn't come on properly -- Wireless doesn't work or works intermittently -- Input problems -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Mobile Devices: -- 802 -- Features and capabilities -- Mobile experience -- Adding apps -- Enhancing hardware -- Configuration -- Network connectivity -- Data -- Bluetooth -- E-mail -- Synchronization -- Security -- Preventing damage -- Dealing with loss -- Recovering from theft -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Printers: -- 801 -- Printer technologies -- Impact printers -- Inkjet printers -- Dye-sublimation printers -- Thermal printers -- Laser printers -- Solid ink -- Printer languages -- Printer connectivity -- Laser printing process -- Processing -- Charging -- Exposing -- Developing -- Transferring -- Fusing -- Cleaning -- Laser printing in color -- Installing a printer in Windows -- Setting up printers -- Optimizing print performance -- 802 -- Troubleshooting printers -- General troubleshooting issues -- Troubleshooting impact printers -- Troubleshooting thermal printers -- Troubleshooting inkjet printers -- Troubleshooting laser printers -- Beyond A + -- Multifunction peripherals -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Securing Computers: -- 801-802 -- Analyzing threats -- Unauthorized access -- Social engineering -- Data destruction -- Administrative access -- System crash/hardware failure -- Physical theft -- Malware -- Environmental threats -- Security concepts and technologies -- Access control -- Data classification and compliance -- Reporting -- 802 -- Network security -- Malicious software -- Malware signs and symptoms -- Malware prevention and recovery -- Firewalls -- Authentication and encryption -- Wireless issues -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Virtualization: -- Historical/conceptual -- What is virtualization? -- 802 -- Meet the hypervisor -- Emulation versus virtualization -- Sample virtualization -- Why do we virtualization? -- Power saving -- Hardware consolidation -- System recovery -- System duplication -- Research -- Virtualization in modern networks -- Virtual machine managers -- Hypervisors -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Right PC For You: -- 801 -- Building your first PC -- Evaluating parts -- Thick client -- Workstations PCs -- Thin client -- Virtualization workstations -- Media workstations -- Specialized consumer PCs -- Building a home server PC -- Setting up a home theater PC -- Gaming PC -- Chapter review -- Questions -- Answers -- Complete PC Tech: -- 802 -- How computers work -- Troubleshooting theory -- Identify the problem -- Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious) -- Test the theory to determine cause -- Verify and prevent -- Document findings, actions, and outcomes -- Tech toolkit -- Utilities -- Field replaceable units (FRUs) -- Review -- Questions -- Answers -- Appendix A: Mapping to the comp TIA A + objectives -- Appendix B: About the CD-Rom: -- Playing the Mike Meyers introduction video -- Viewing the CompTIA exam objectives -- Systems requirements -- Installing and running total tester -- Total tester -- Mike's cool tools -- Mike's video training -- Secure PDF copy of the book -- Technical support -- Index.