Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Pre-Assessment 9
Book 1: Setting the A Groundwork 17
CHAPTER 1: The 2015 A+ Exams 19
CHAPTER 2: A+ Soft Skills 27
CHAPTER 3: Protecting Yourself and Your PC 45
CHAPTER 4: An Overview of System Components 61
Book 2: Inside the Box 79
CHAPTER 1: Knowing Your Motherboard 81
CHAPTER 2: Picking Your Processor 125
CHAPTER 3: What to Remember about Memory 165
CHAPTER 4: Telling Your BIOS from Your CMOS 193
CHAPTER 5: Managing Storage Technology 223
CHAPTER 6: Working with Power 263
Book 3: Outside the Box 283
CHAPTER 1: Describing Ports, Cables, and Connectors 285
CHAPTER 2: Installing and Configuring Input Devices 313
CHAPTER 3: Installing and Configuring Output Devices 331
CHAPTER 4: Managing Printers 351
CHAPTER 5: Working with Multimedia Devices 385
CHAPTER 6: Dealing with Laptops and Mobile Devices 401
Book 4: Maintenance and Troubleshooting 445
CHAPTER 1: Performing Preventive Maintenance 447
CHAPTER 2: Troubleshooting Procedures and Guidelines 469
Book 5: Operating System Basics 499
CHAPTER 1: Comparison of Major Operating Systems 501
CHAPTER 2: Windows Operating System Functions 539
CHAPTER 3: Installing and Upgrading Windows 581
CHAPTER 4: Managing Files and Directories 613
CHAPTER 5: Command Prompt Procedures 643
CHAPTER 6: Working with System Files and the Boot Process 671
Book 6: Managing the Operating System 683
CHAPTER 1: Loading and Configuring Device Drivers 685
CHAPTER 2: Working with Applications 705
CHAPTER 3: Optimizing the Windows Environment 729
CHAPTER 4: Using Windows-Based Troubleshooting Utilities 767
Book 7: Recovering Systems 803
CHAPTER 1: Managing Error Codes and Startup Messages 805
CHAPTER 2: Managing Common Problems 823
CHAPTER 3: Preparing for Disasters with Disaster Recovery 843
Book 8: Networking 871
CHAPTER 1: Down to the Networking Basics 873
CHAPTER 2: Understanding Common Wireless Communications 921
CHAPTER 3: Networking the Operating System 951
CHAPTER 4: Configuring Internet Access 1017
Book 9: Securing Systems 1053
CHAPTER 1: Fundamentals of Security 1055
CHAPTER 2: Implementing Security 1097
CHAPTER 3: Viruses and Malicious Software 1135
Appendix: CompTIA A Exam Reference Matrix 1157
Index 1173
