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Exam:
CompTIA A+ (220-602)
1.0
Personal Computer Components
1.1 Install, configure, optimize and upgrade personal
computer components
Add, remove and configure personal computer
components including selection and installation of appropriate components
for example:
Storage devices
Motherboards
Power supplies
Processors / CPUs
Memory
Display devices
Input devices (e.g. basic, specialty
and multimedia)
Adapter cards
Cooling systems
1.2 Identify tools, diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting
techniques for personal computer components
Identify and apply basic diagnostic procedures
and troubleshooting techniques
Isolate and identify the problem using
visual and audible inspection of components and minimum configuration
Recognize and isolate issues with peripherals,
multimedia, specialty input devices, internal and external storage and CPUs
Identify the steps used to troubleshoot
components (e.g. check proper seating, installation, appropriate components,
settings and current driver) for example:
Power supply
Processor / CPUs and motherboards
Memory
Adapter cards
Display and input devices
Recognize names, purposes, characteristics
and appropriate application of tools for example:
Multimeter
Anti-static pad and wrist strap
Specialty hardware / tools
Loop back plugs
Cleaning products (e.g. vacuum, cleaning
pads)
1.3 Perform preventive maintenance of personal computer
components
Identify and apply common preventive
maintenance techniques for personal computer components for example:
Display devices (e.g. cleaning, ventilation)
Power devices (e.g. appropriate source
such as power strip, surge protector, ventilation and cooling)
Input devices (e.g. covers)
Storage devices (e.g. software tools
such as Disk Defragmenter and cleaning of optics and tape heads)
Thermally sensitive devices such as motherboards,
CPU, adapter cards memory (e.g. cleaning, air flow)
2.0 Laptops and Portable Devices
2.1 Identify fundamental principles of using laptops
and portable devices
Identify appropriate applications for
laptop-specific communication connections such as Bluetooth, infrared, cellular
WAN and Ethernet
Identify appropriate laptop-specific
power and electrical input devices and determine how amperage and voltage
can affect performance
Identify the major components of the
LCD including inverter, screen and video card
2.2 Install, configure, optimize and upgrade laptops
and portable devices
Removal of laptop-specific hardware such
as peripherals, hot-swappable and non-hot-swappable devices
Describe how video sharing affects memory
upgrades
2.3 Use tools, diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting
techniques for laptops and portable devices
Use procedures and techniques
to diagnose power conditions, video, keyboard, pointer and wireless card issues
for example:
Verify AC power (e.g. LEDs, swap AC adapter)
Verify DC power
Remove unneeded peripherals
Plug in external monitor
Toggle Fn keys
Check LCD cutoff switch
Verify backlight functionality and pixilation
Stylus issues (e.g. digitizer problems)
Unique laptop keypad issues
Antenna wires
3.0 Operating Systems – unless otherwise
noted, operating systems referred with within include Microsoft
Windows 2000, XP Professional, XP Home
and Media Center.
3.1 Identify the fundamental principles of operating
systems
Use
command-line functions and utilities to manage operating systems, including
proper syntax and switches for example:
CMD
HELP
DIR
ATTRIB
EDIT
COPY
XCOPY
FORMAT
IPCONFIG
PING
MD / CD / RD
Identify concepts and procedures for
creating, viewing and managing disks, directories and files on operating systems
Disks (e.g. active, primary, extended
and logical partitions and file systems including FAT32 and NTFS)
Directory structures (e.g. create folders,
navigate directory structures)
iles (e.g. creation, attributes, permissions)
Locate and use operating system utilities
and available switches for example:
Disk management tools (e.g. DEFRAG, NTBACKUP,
CHKDSK, Format)
System management tools
Device and Task Manager
MSCONFIG.EXE
REGEDIT.EXE
REGEDT32.EXE
CMD
Event Viewer
System Restore
Remote Desktop
File management tools (e.g. Windows EXPLORER,
ATTRIB.EXE)
3.2 Install, configure, optimize and upgrade operating
systems – references to upgrading from Windows 95 and NT may be made
Identify procedures and utilities used
to optimize operating systems for example:
Virtual memory
Hard drives (e.g. disk defragmentation)
Temporary files
Services
Startup
Application
3.3 Identify tools, diagnostic procedures
and troubleshooting techniques for operating systems
Demonstrate the ability to recover
operating systems (e.g. boot methods, recovery console,
ASR, ERD)
Recognize and resolve common operational
problems for example:
Windows specific printing problems
(e.g. print spool stalled, incorrect / incompatible driver form print)
Auto-restart errors
Bluescreen error
System lock-up
Device drivers failure (input /
output devices)
Application install, start or load
failure
Recognize and resolve common error
messages and codes for example:
Boot (e.g. invalid boot disk, inaccessible
boot drive, missing NTLDR)
Startup (e.g. device / service
failed to start, device / program in registry not found)
Event Viewer
Registry
Windows reporting
Use diagnostic utilities and tools
to resolve operational problems for example: o Bootable media
Startup modes (e.g. safe mode,
safe mode with command prompt or networking, step-by-step / single step mode)
Documentation resources (e.g. user
/ installation manuals, internet / web based, training materials)
Task and Device Manager
Event Viewer
MSCONFIG command
Recover CD / recovery partition
Remote Desktop Connection and Assistance
System File Checker (SFC)
3.4 Perform preventive maintenance for operating systems
Demonstrate the ability to perform preventive
maintenance on operating systems
including software and Windows updates
(e.g. service packs), scheduled backups / restore, restore points
4.0 Printers and Scanners
4.1 Identify the fundamental principles of using printers and scanners
Describe processes used by printers
and scanners including laser, ink dispersion, thermal, solid ink and impact
printers and scanners
4.2 Install, configure, optimize and upgrade printers
and scanners
Install and configure printers
/ scanners
Power and connect the device using local
or network port
Install and update device driver and
calibrate the device
Configure options and default settings
Install and configure print drivers (e.g.
PCLTM, PostscriptTM, GDI)
Validate compatibility with operating
system and applications
Educate user about basic functionality
Install and configure printer upgrades
including memory and firmware
Optimize scanner performance including
resolution, file format and default settings
4.3 Identify tools and diagnostic procedures to troubleshooting
printers and scanners
Gather information about printer / scanner
problems
Review and analyze collected data
Isolate and resolve identified printer
/ scanner problem including defining the cause, applying the fix and verifying
functionality
Identify appropriate tools used for troubleshooting
and repairing printer / scanner problems
Multimeter
Screwdrivers
Cleaning solutions
Extension magnet
Test patterns
4.4 Perform preventive maintenance of printers and
scanners
Perform scheduled maintenance according
to vendor guidelines (e.g. install maintenance kits, reset page counts)
Ensure a suitable environment
Use recommended supplies
5.0 Networks
5.1 Identify the fundamental principles or networks
Identify
names, purposes and characteristics of basic network protocols and terminologies
for example:
ISP
TCP / IP (e.g. gateway, subnet mask,
DNS, WINS, static and automatic address assignment)
IPX / SPX (NWLink)
NETBEUI / NETBIOS
SMTP
IMAP
HTML
HTTP
HTTPS
SSL
Telnet
FTP
DNS
Identify names, purposes and characteristics
of technologies for establishing connectivity for example:
Dial-up networking
Broadband (e.g. DSL, cable, satellite)
ISDN networking
Wireless (all 802.11)
LAN / WAN
Infrared
Bluetooth
Cellular
VoIP
5.2 Install, configure, optimize and upgrade networks
Install and configure
browsers
Enable / disable script support
Configure proxy and security settings
Establish network connectivity
Install and configure network cards
Obtain a connection
Configure client options (e.g. Microsoft,
Novell) and network options (e.g. domain, workgroup, tree)
Configure network options
Demonstrate the ability to share network
resources
Models
Configure permissions
Capacities / limitations for sharing
for each operating system
5.3 Use tools and diagnostic procedures to troubleshoot
network problems
Identify names, purposes and characteristics
of tools for example:
Command line tools (e.g. IPCONFIG.EXE,
PING.EXE, TRACERT.EXE, NSLOOKUP.EXE)
Cable testing device
Diagnose and troubleshoot basic network
issue for example:
Driver / network interface
Protocol configuration
TCP / IP (e.g. gateway, subnet mask,
DNS, WINS, static and automatic address assignment)
IPX / SPX (NWLink)
Permissions
Firewall configuration
Electrical interference
5.4 Perform preventive maintenance of networks including
securing and protecting network cabling
6.0 Security
6.1 Identify the fundamentals and principles of security
Identify the purposes and characteristics
of access control for example:
Access to operating system (e.g. accounts
such as user, admin and guest. Groups, permission actions, types and levels),
components, restricted spaces
Identify the purposes and characteristics
of auditing and event logging
6.2 Install, configure, upgrade and optimize security
Install and configure
software, wireless and data security for example:
Authentication technologies
Software firewalls
Auditing and event logging (enable /
disable only)
Wireless client configuration
Unused wireless connections
Data access (e.g. permissions, basic
local security policy)
File systems (converting from FAT32 to
NTFS only)
6.3 Identify tool, diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting
techniques for security
Diagnose and troubleshoot
software and data security issues for example:
Software firewall issues
Wireless client configuration issues
Data access issues (e.g. permissions,
security policies)
Encryption and encryption technology
issues
6.4 Perform preventive maintenance for security
Recognize social engineering and address
social engineering situations
7.0 Safety and Environmental Issues
7.1 Identify potential hazards
and proper safety procedures including power supply, display devices and environment
(e.g. trip,
liquid, situational, atmospheric hazards
and high-voltage and moving equipment)
8.0 Communication and Professionalism
8.1 Use good communication skills including listening
and tact / discretion, when communicating with customers and colleagues
Use
clear, concise and direct statements
Allow the customer to complete statements
– avoid interrupting
Clarify customer statements – ask pertinent
questions
Avoid using jargon, abbreviations and
acronyms
Listen to customers
8.2 Use job-related professional behavior including
notation of privacy, confidentiality and respect for the customer and customers’
property
Behavior
Maintain a positive attitude and tone
of voice
Avoid arguing with customers and / or
becoming defensive
Do not minimize customers’ problems
Avoid being judgmental and / or insulting
or calling the customer names
Avoid distractions and / or interruptions
when talking with customers
Property
Telephone, laptop, desktop computer,
printer, monitor, etc.