Table Of ContentCompTIA A+
Cert Guide
Mark Edward Soper
Scott Mueller
David L.Prowse
ptg
Pearson
800 East 96th Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 USA
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
ii CompTIA A+ Cert Guide
CompTIA A+ Cert Guide Associate Publisher
David Dusthimer
Copyright © 2010 by Pearson
Executive Editor
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a
Rick Kughen
retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from Acquisitions Editor
the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the Betsy Brown
information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken
Development Editor
in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no
Dayna Isley
responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for
damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Managing Editor
ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-4047-2 Patrick Kanouse
ISBN-10: 0-7897-4047-8
Project Editor
Seth Kerney
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file.
ptg
Printed in the United States of America Copy Editor
First Printing: October 2009 The Wordsmithery LLC
Indexer
Trademarks
Tim Wright
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or serv-
Proofreader
ice marks have been appropriately capitalized. Que Publishing cannot attest
Leslie Joseph
to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not
be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Technical Editors
Pawan Bhardwaj
Warning and Disclaimer Mark Reddin
Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate
Publishing Coordinator
as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provid-
Vanessa Evans
ed is on an “as is” basis. The authors and the publisher shall have neither
liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss Multimedia Developer
or damages arising from the information contained in this book or from Dan Scherf
the use of the CD or programs accompanying it.
Book Designer
Louisa Adair
Bulk Sales
Composition
Que Publishing offers excellent discounts on this book when ordered in
Mark Shirar
quantity for bulk purchases or special sales. For more information, please
contact
U.S. Corporate and Government Sales
1-800-382-3419
[email protected]
For sales outside of the U.S., please contact
International Sales
[email protected]
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
Contents at a Glance
Introduction xxxvi
Chapter 1 PC Technician Essentials 3
Chapter 2 PC Anatomy 101 21
Chapter 3 Motherboards, Processors, and Adapter Cards 51
Chapter 4 BIOS 115
Chapter 5 Power Supplies and System Cooling 157
Chapter 6 RAM 199
Chapter 7 I/O and Multimedia Ports and Devices 223
Chapter 8 Video Displays and Graphics Cards 295 ptg
Chapter 9 Laptops and Portable Devices 325
Chapter 10 Security 385
Chapter 11 Printers 423
Chapter 12 Storage Devices 481
Chapter 13 Using and Managing Windows 545
Chapter 14 Installing and Upgrading Windows Operating Systems 647
Chapter 15 Troubleshooting and Maintaining Windows 685
Chapter 16 Networking 738
Chapter 17 Safety and Environmental Issues 811
Chapter 18 Troubleshooting and Communications Methods and Professional
Behavior 833
Appendix A Answers to the “Do I Know This Already?” Quizzes and Troubleshooting
Scenarios 859
Index 894
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
iv CompTIA A+ Cert Guide
Table of Contents
Introduction xxxvi
Chapter 1 PC Technician Essentials 3
PC Tools 3
Preventing Electrostatic Discharge 4
The CompTIA Six-Step Troubleshooting Process 5
Numbering Systems Used in Computers 6
Decimal Numbering System 6
Binary Numbering System 6
Binary Versus Decimal MB/GB 10
Data Storage and Overhead 11
Hexadecimal Numbering System 14 ptg
Measuring Data Transfer and Frequency 14
Bandwidth 14
Parallel Information Transfers 15
Serial Transfers 16
Hertz (Hz) 17
Important Websites 18
Chapter 2 PC Anatomy 101 21
“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 22
The Essential Parts of Any Computer 26
Front and Rear Views of a Desktop PC 26
All Around a Notebook (Laptop) Computer 28
Quick Reference to PC Components 29
Points of Failure 30
Points of Failure on a Desktop Computer 31
Points of Failure on a Notebook Computer 31
Hardware, Software, and Firmware 32
Hardware 32
Software 32
Firmware 33
Why Hardware, Software, and Firmware Are Important to Understand 34
Working Inside Your PC 34
Opening the Case of a Desktop PC 34
Taking ESD Precautions 35
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
Contents v
Connecting Internal and External Data Cables 36
Attaching Cables to the Floppy Drive and Controller 36
Attaching the VGA Cable to a Video Card or Port 38
Installing a PCI Card 39
Hardware Resources 40
IRQs 41
I/O Port Addresses 43
DMA (Direct Memory Access) Channels 44
Memory Addresses 45
Viewing Hardware Resources in Use 45
Chapter 3 Motherboards,Processors,and Adapter Cards 51
“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 51
ptg
Motherboards and Their Components 55
The System Bus and I/O Bus 56
Form Factors 57
ATX and Micro ATX 57
BTX 57
NLX 59
Riser Cards and Daughterboards 59
Integrated I/O Ports 60
Memory Slots 62
Expansion Slots 62
PCI Slots 63
AGP 63
PCIe (PCI-Express) Slots 64
AMR and CNR Slots 66
Mass Storage Interfaces 67
EIDE/PATA 68
SATA 69
SCSI 69
Choosing the Best Motherboard for the Job 70
Installing Motherboards 71
Step-by-Step Motherboard Removal (ATX and BTX) 71
Step-by-Step Motherboard Removal (NLX) 73
Preparing the Motherboard for Installation (ATX/BTX) 74
Step-by-Step Motherboard Installation (ATX/Baby-AT) 75
Step-by-Step Motherboard Installation (NLX) 76
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
vi CompTIA A+ Cert Guide
Troubleshooting Motherboards 76
System Will Not Start 77
Devices Connected to the Port Cluster Don’t Work 80
Devices Connected to Header Cables Don’t Work 81
Mass Storage Devices Do Not Work Properly 82
Memory Failures 82
Card, Memory, or Heat Sink Blocked by Motherboard Layout 82
Processors and CPUs 83
Overview of Processor Differences 83
Intel Processors 83
AMD Processors 86
Processor Sockets and Packaging 89
ptg
CPU Technologies 90
Hyperthreading (HT Technology) 90
Dual-Core and Multi-Core 91
Processor Throttling 91
Microcode (MMX) 91
Overclocking 92
Cache 93
VRM 93
Speed (Real Versus Actual) Clock Speed Versus Performance 94
32-bit Versus 64-bit 95
Choosing the Best Processor for the Job 95
Performance 95
Thermal Issues 95
32-bit Versus 64-bit (x64) Compatibility 96
Other Processor Features 96
Installing Processors 96
Removing the Heat Sink 97
Removing the Processor 99
Installing a New Processor 100
Slot-Type CPU (early Pentium III, early AMD Athlon, and Others) 102
Troubleshooting Processors 104
System Runs Slower Than Rated Speed 104
Other Causes for Overheating 105
Processor Failure 105
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
Contents vii
Installing Adapter Cards 105
General Installation 105
Display Adapters 109
Sound Cards 109
Video Capture Cards 110
Troubleshooting Adapter Cards 110
Device Connected to Adapter Card Doesn’t Work 110
Performing Driver and Firmware Upgrades 111
Chapter 4 BIOS 115
“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 115
Understanding BIOS, CMOS, and Firmware 119
Configuring the System BIOS 121
ptg
Accessing the BIOS Setup Program 122
BIOS Settings Overview 124
Automatic Configuration of BIOS/CMOS Settings 127
Selecting Options 128
Main Menu 128
Standard Features/Settings 129
PATA and SATA BIOS Configuration 130
Floppy Drive BIOS Configuration 130
System Information 131
Advanced BIOS Settings/Features 132
Integrated Peripherals 133
Onboard Devices 134
I/O Devices 135
PATA/IDE and SATA Configuration 136
Power Management 138
PnP/PCI Configurations 139
Hardware Monitor 140
Processor and Memory Configuration 141
Security Features 142
Exiting the BIOS and Saving/Discarding Changes 143
Power-On Self-Test and Error Reporting 144
Beep Codes 145
POST Error Messages 146
POST Hex Codes 147
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
viii CompTIA A+ Cert Guide
BIOS Updates 148
Flash BIOS Update 149
BIOS Chip Replacement 151
Chapter 5 Power Supplies and System Cooling 157
“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 157
Power Supplies 161
Power Supply Ratings 161
Multivoltage Power Supplies 163
Causes and Cures of Power Supply Overheating 165
Overloading 165
Inadequate Air Flow Outside the System 167
Fan Failure 167
ptg
Inadequate Air Flow Inside the System 168
Dirt and Dust 168
Replacing Power Supply Form Factors and Connectors 169
Removing and Replacing the Power Supply 172
Testing Power Supplies with a Multimeter 174
Determining Power Supply DC Voltage Levels 176
Avoiding Power Supply Hazards 178
Power Protection Types 179
Surge Suppressors 180
Battery Backup Units (UPS and SPS) 182
Buying the Correct-Sized Battery Backup System 184
Power Conditioning Devices 184
Troubleshooting Power Problems 185
System Cooling 186
Passive and Active Heat Sinks 187
North/Southbridge Cooling 188
Video Card Cooling 190
Case Fans 191
Thermal Compound 192
Liquid Cooling Systems 195
Chapter 6 RAM 199
“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 199
RAM Basics 203
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
Contents ix
RAM Types 205
DRAM 205
SRAM 205
SDRAM 205
DDR SDRAM 206
DDR2 SDRAM 206
Rambus 206
Operational Characteristics 207
Comparison of Memory Modules 207
Memory Module Width 209
Parity and Non-Parity Memory 209
ECC and Non-ECC Memory 210
ptg
Registered and Unbuffered Memory 211
Single-Sided and Double-Sided Memory 212
Installing Memory Modules 212
Installing DIMMs and Rambus RDRAM Modules 212
Troubleshooting Memory 214
Verifying RAM Compatibility 214
Overclocking Can Lead to System Instability 215
Avoid Mixing Metals in RAM and Sockets 215
Use Caution When Mismatching RAM Speeds 215
EDO Compatibility with Other RAM Types 216
“Parity Error - System Halted” Message 217
RAM-Sizing Errors at Bootup 217
Determining Whether Cache RAM Is the Source of a Memory Problem 218
Other Methods for RAM Testing 218
Preventative Maintenance for Memory 219
Chapter 7 I/O and Multimedia Ports and Devices 223
“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 223
Understanding I/O Ports 227
USB 227
USB Port Types, Speeds, and Technical Details 227
Adding USB Ports 230
SCSI 231
Multiple Device Support with SCSI Host Adapters 231
Jumper Block and DIP Switch Settings for Device IDs 232
SCSI Standards 234
From the Library of Lee Bogdanoff
