Table of Exercises

Exercise 2.1 Removing an Internal Storage Device 104

Exercise 2.2 Installing an Internal Storage Device 105

Exercise 2.3 Removing a Power Supply 117

Exercise 4.1 Changing the Refresh Rate in Windows 7 210

Exercise 4.2 Changing the Settings for Multiple Monitors 215

Exercise 4.3 Degaussing a CRT Monitor 218

Exercise 5.1 Configuring Windows 7 for Media Streaming 250

Exercise 8.1 Installing a NIC in Windows 7 368

Exercise 9.1 Replacing a Laptop Hard Drive 427

Exercise 9.2 Replacing Laptop Memory 428

Exercise 9.3 Removing a Laptop Video Card 431

Exercise 9.4 Removing a Laptop Keyboard 432

Exercise 9.5 Removing the Processor Cooling Assembly and Processor 434

Exercise 9.6 Replacing the CMOS Battery 435

Exercise 9.7 Flashing the System BIOS 436

Exercise 9.8 Removing External Devices 437

Exercise 10.1 Identifying the Parts of a Bubble-jet Printer 456

Exercise 10.2 Installing a USB printer in Windows 7 483

Exercise 10.3 Using an Inkjet Cleaning Solution 488

Exercise 10.4 Installing Memory into a Laser Printer 490

Exercise 11.1 Finding Trip Hazards 519

Exercise 11.2 Finding MSDS Sheets 530

Exercise 11.3 Understanding Punctuality 543

Exercise 11.4 Surprise Someone 546

Exercise 12.1 Changing a Screensaver 574

Exercise 12.2 Auto-Hiding the Taskbar 576

Exercise 12.3 Starting a Program from the Run Window 580

Exercise 12.4 Configuring Windows Update in Windows 7/Vista 589

Exercise 12.5 Configuring Windows Update in Windows XP 590

Exercise 12.6 Manually Creating a Restore Point in Windows 7 592

Exercise 12.7 Examining File Permissions 599

Exercise 13.1 Changing the Time Zone 612

Exercise 13.2 Showing Hidden Files and Folders 615

Exercise 13.3 Renew an IP Address in Windows XP System 626

Exercise 13.4 Renew an IP Address in Windows 7/Vista 628

Exercise 13.5 Renew an IP Address from the Command Line 628

Exercise 13.6 Command-Line Directory Management 633

Exercise 13.7 Running Chkdsk within Windows 638

Exercise 13.8 Running Chkdsk at the Command Line 638

Exercise 13.9 Working with Performance Monitor 646

Exercise 14.1 Turning On Windows 7 Firewall Logs 684

Exercise 15.1 Changing the Network Location Type in Windows Vista 735

Exercise 16.1 Run Windows Defender in Windows XP 771

Exercise 17.1 Testing Social Engineering 809

Exercise 18.1 Downloading an App from the App Store 841

Exercise 18.2 Downloading an App from Google Play 844

Exercise 18.3 Recalibrating an Onscreen Android Keyboard 851

Exercise 18.4 Connecting an iPhone to a WiFi Network 854

Exercise 18.5 Connecting an Android Phone to a WiFi Network 858

Exercise 18.6 Disabling Cellular Use for Data Networking on an iPhone 861

Exercise 18.7 Pairing an Android Device with a MacBook Pro 864

Exercise 18.8 Pairing an iPhone with a Vehicle’s Sound System 874

Exercise 18.9 Automatic Internet Email Configuration on an iPhone 876

Exercise 18.10 Automatic Internet Email Configuration on an Android Phone 880

Exercise 18.11 Manual Internet Email Configuration on an iPhone 885

Exercise 18.12 Manual Internet Email Configuration on an Android Phone 888

Exercise 18.13 Automatic and Manual Exchange Configuration on an iPhone 891

Exercise 18.14 Automatic and Manual Exchange Configuration on an Android Phone 893

Exercise 18.15 Setting the Passcode Lock on an iPhone 894

Exercise 18.16 Setting the Passcode Lock on an Android Phone 897

Exercise 19.1 Run Disk Defragmenter in Windows 7 955

Exercise 19.2 Run Disk Defragmenter in Windows XP 956

Exercise 19.3 Run Windows Defender in Windows 7 967

Exercise 19.4 Run Windows Defender in Windows XP 968

Exercise 19.5 Join Microsoft SpyNet using Windows Defender 969

Exercise 19.6 Creating a Restore Point in Windows Vista 971

Exercise 19.7 Creating a Restore Point in Windows XP 972

Exercise 20.1 Troubleshooting Practice 996

Exercise 20.2 Stopping and Restarting the Print Spooler in Windows 7 1028

Exercises with a CD icon next to them include a video walk-through on the companion CD.

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CompTIA Certification

It Pays to Get Certified

In a digital world, digital literacy is an essential survival skill. Certification proves you have the knowledge and skills to solve business problems in virtually any business environment. Certifications are highly valued credentials that qualify you for jobs, increased compensation, and promotion.

Certification Advances Your Career

Here are some of the primary benefits individuals report from becoming A+ certified:

CompTIA Career Pathway

CompTIA offers a number of credentials that form a foundation for your career in technology and 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 Certification

Join the Professional Community

Join the IT Pro Community at http://itpro.comptia.org. The free IT Pro online community provides valuable content to students and professionals.

Content Seal of Quality

This courseware bears the seal of CompTIA Approved Quality Content. This seal signifies that 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?

How to Obtain More Information

Introduction

Welcome to the CompTIA A+ Complete Deluxe Study Guide. This is the sixth version of our best-selling study guide for the A+ certification sponsored by CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association).

This book was written at an intermediate technical level; we assume that you already know how to use a personal computer and its basic peripherals, such as USB devices and printers, but we also recognize that you may be learning how to service some of that computer equipment for the first time. The exams cover basic computer service topics as well as some more advanced issues, and they cover some topics that anyone already working as a technician, whether with computers or not, should be familiar with. The exams are designed to test you on these topics in order to certify that you have enough knowledge to fix and upgrade some of the most widely used types of personal desktop computers.

We’ve included review questions at the end of each chapter to give you a taste of what it’s like to take the exams. If you’re already working as a technical service or support technician, we recommend that you check out these questions first to gauge your level of knowledge. (You can also take the assessment test at the end of this introduction, which is designed to see how much you already know.)

Don’t just study the questions and answers—the questions on the actual exams will be different from the practice ones included in this book and on the CD. The exams are designed to test your knowledge of a concept or objective, so use this book to learn the objective behind the question.

You can use the book mainly to fill in the gaps in your current computer service knowledge. You may find, as many PC technicians have, that being well versed in all the technical aspects of the equipment is not enough to provide a satisfactory level of support—you must also have customer-relations skills. We include helpful hints to get the customers to help you help them.

What Is A+ Certification?

The A+ certification program was developed by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) to provide an industry-wide means of certifying the competency of computer service technicians. The A+ certification is granted to those who have attained the level of knowledge and troubleshooting skills that are needed to provide capable support in the field of personal computers. It is similar to other certifications in the computer industry, such the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) program and the Microsoft certification programs. The theory behind these certifications is that if you need to have service performed on any of their products, you would sooner call a technician who has been certified in one of the appropriate certification programs than just call the first “expert” in the phone book.

The A+ certification program was created to offer a wide-ranging certification, in the sense that it is intended to certify competence with personal computers from many different makers/vendors. You must pass two tests to become A+ certified:

• The A+ 220-801 exam, which covers basic computer concepts, PC hardware, basic networking, soft skills (such as customer service), and safety
• The A+ 220-802 exam, which covers operating systems, security, mobile devices, and troubleshooting

You don’t have to take the 220-801 and the 220-802 exams at the same time. The A+ certification is not awarded until you’ve passed both tests.

Why Become A+ Certified?

There are several good reasons to get your A+ certification. The CompTIA Candidate’s Information packet lists five major benefits:

• It demonstrates proof of professional achievement.
• It increases your marketability.
• It provides greater opportunity for advancement in your field.
• It is increasingly a requirement for some types of advanced training.
• It raises customer confidence in you and your company’s services.

Provides Proof of Professional Achievement

The A+ certification is quickly becoming a status symbol in the computer service industry. Organizations that include members of the computer service industry are recognizing the benefits of A+ certification and are pushing for their members to become certified. And more people every day are putting the “A+ Certified Technician” emblem on their business cards.

Increases Your Marketability

A+ certification makes individuals more marketable to potential employers. A+ certified employees also may receive a higher base salary because employers won’t have to spend as much money on vendor-specific training.

Provides Opportunity for Advancement

Most raises and advancements are based on performance. A+ certified employees work faster and more efficiently and are thus more productive. The more productive employees are, the more money they make for their company. And, of course, the more money they make for the company, the more valuable they are to the company. So if an employee is A+ certified, their chances of being promoted are greater.

Fulfills Training Requirements

A+ certification is recognized by most major computer hardware vendors. Some of these vendors apply A+ certification toward prerequisites in their own respective certification programs, which has the side benefit of reducing training costs for employers.

Raises Customer Confidence

As the A+ Certified Technician moniker becomes better known among computer owners, more of them will realize that the A+ technician is more qualified to work on their computer equipment than a noncertified technician is.

How to Become A+ Certified

A+ certification is available to anyone who passes the tests. You don’t have to work for any particular company. It’s not a secret society. It is, however, an elite group. To become A+ certified, you must do two things:

• Pass the A+ 220-801 exam
• Pass the A+ 220-802 exam

The exams can be taken at any Pearson VUE testing center. If you pass both exams, you will get a certificate in the mail from CompTIA saying that you have passed, and you will also receive a lapel pin and business card.

To register for the tests, call Pearson VUE at (877) 551-PLUS (7587) or go to www.vue.com. You’ll be asked for your name, Social Security number (an optional number may be assigned if you don’t wish to provide your Social Security number), mailing address, phone number, employer, when and where you want to take the test, and your credit card number (arrangement for payment must be made at the time of registration).

Although you can save money by arranging to take more than one test at the same seating, there are no other discounts. If you have to repeat a test in order to get a passing grade, you must pay for each retake.

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Who Should Read This Book?

If you are one of the many people who want to pass the A+ exams, and pass them confidently, then you should buy this book and use it to study for the exams.

This book was written to prepare you for the challenges of the real IT world, not just to pass the A+ exams. This study guide will do that by describing in detail the concepts on which you’ll be tested.