COMPTIA A+

a u d i oc r a s hc o u r s e tm

F o l l o wA l o n gM a n u a l

COMPTIA

A+

www.AudioLearn.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction .......................................................................... 1 Course Conventions and Content .................................................................................... 4 Chapter Two: The CompTIA A+ Exam ......................................................... 9 The Beginning of a Great Career ..................................................................................... 9 Overview of the CompTIA A+ Exam .............................................................................. 11 Eligibility, Registration and Scheduling ........................................................................ 14 Preparing for the Exam ...................................................................................................17 Test Center Regulations ................................................................................................. 20 Results Policy and Retakes ............................................................................................ 23 Chapter Two: Quiz ......................................................................................................... 25 Chapter Two: Key Takeaways ........................................................................................ 26 Chapter Three: CompTIA A+ Acronyms .................................................... 28 Chapter Three: Quiz ....................................................................................................... 35 Chapter Three: Key Takeaways ..................................................................................... 36 Chapter Four: Mobile Devices ................................................................... 37 Laptop Computers ......................................................................................................... 38 Expansion Options ..................................................................................................... 38 Hardware and Device Replacement ........................................................................... 39 Laptop Displays .......................................................................................................... 42 Wi-Fi Antenna Connector Placement ........................................................................ 43 Webcams and Microphones ....................................................................................... 43 Inverters...................................................................................................................... 44

Digitizer and Touchscreens ........................................................................................ 44 Use of Different Laptop Features ............................................................................... 44 Other Mobile Devices..................................................................................................... 45 Connections, Network Configuration, and Mobile Device Synchronization ................ 45 Additional Information .................................................................................................. 45 Chapter Four: Quiz ........................................................................................................ 47 Chapter Four: Key Takeaways ....................................................................................... 48 Chapter Five: Domain Two - Networking................................................... 50 TCP and UDP Ports, Protocols, and Their Purposes ..................................................... 50 Networking Hardware Devices ...................................................................................... 51 Install and Configure a Basic Wired or Wireless SOHO Network ................................ 53 Wireless Networking Protocols ..................................................................................... 53 Properties and Purposes of Services Provided by Networked Hosts ............................ 54 Common Network Configuration Concepts .................................................................. 55 Internet Connection Types, Network Types, and Their Features ................................. 55 Using Appropriate Networking Tools............................................................................ 57 Chapter Five: Quiz ......................................................................................................... 58 Chapter Five: Key Takeaways ........................................................................................ 59 Chapter Six: Domain Three - Hardware .................................................... 60 Basic Cable Types, Features, and their Purposes .......................................................... 60 Installing RAM Types .................................................................................................... 62 Selecting, Installing, and Configuring Storage Devices ................................................ 62 Installing and Configuring Motherboards, CPUs, and "Add On" Cards ....................... 63 Purposes and Uses of Various Peripheral Types ........................................................... 64

Custom PC Configuration to Meet Customer Specifications or Needs ......................... 64 Installing and Configuring Common Devices ............................................................... 65 Configure SOHO Multifunction Devices, Printers, and Settings .................................. 65 Installing and Maintaining Print Technologies ............................................................ 65 Chapter Six: Quiz ........................................................................................................... 67 Chapter Six: Key Takeaway............................................................................................ 68 Chapter Seven: Virtualization and Cloud Computing ................................ 69 Cloud Computing ........................................................................................................... 69 Infrastructure as a Service.......................................................................................... 69 Software as a Service .................................................................................................. 70 Platform as a Service .................................................................................................. 70 Public, Private, Hybrid and Community Cloud Models .............................................71 Some Important Concepts.......................................................................................... 72 Client-Side virtualization ............................................................................................... 73 Virtual Machines and Their Purpose ......................................................................... 73 Resource requirements .............................................................................................. 74 Emulator Requirements ............................................................................................. 74 Security Requirements ............................................................................................... 74 Network Requirements .............................................................................................. 75 Hypervisor .................................................................................................................. 75 Conclusion...................................................................................................................... 76 Chapter Seven: Quiz....................................................................................................... 77 Chapter Seven: Key Takeaways ..................................................................................... 78 Chapter Eight: Domain 5 – Hardware and Network Troubleshooting........80

Chapter Eight: Quiz ....................................................................................................... 87 Chapter Eight: Key Takeaways ......................................................................................88 Chapter Nine: The Core One Exam ............................................................ 90 Chapter Nine: Quiz ...................................................................................................... 105 Chapter Nine: Key Takeaways ..................................................................................... 106 Chapter Ten: Security ............................................................................. 108 Physical Security Measures ......................................................................................... 109 Logical Security Concepts ............................................................................................ 109 Wireless Security Protocols and Authentication Methods........................................... 111 Detecting, Removing and Preventing Malware ............................................................ 112 Social Engineering, Threats and Vulnerabilities .......................................................... 115 Basic Microsoft Windows OS Settings.......................................................................... 118 Securing Mobile Devices .............................................................................................. 122 Data Destruction and Disposal Methods..................................................................... 122 SOHO Wireless and Wired Networks Security Configuration .................................... 123 Chapter Ten: Quiz ........................................................................................................ 126 Chapter Ten: Key Takeaways ........................................................................................127 Chapter Eleven: Domain Seven - Software Troubleshooting .................... 129 Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows OS Issues ......................................................... 129 Troubleshooting and Resolving PC Security Issues .................................................... 130 Best Practices for Malware Removal ............................................................................ 131 Troubleshooting Mobile OS and Application Issues. .................................................. 132 Troubleshooting Mobile OS and Application Security Issues..................................... 132 Chapter Eleven: Quiz ................................................................................................... 134

Chapter Eleven: Key Takeaways .................................................................................. 135 Chapter Twelve: Domain Four - Operational Procedures ......................... 137 Best Practices for Different Types of Documentation ..................................................137 Basic Change Management Best Practices .................................................................. 138 Basic Disaster Prevention and Recovery Methods ...................................................... 139 Common Safety Procedures......................................................................................... 140 Environmental Impacts and Appropriate Controls ..................................................... 141 Processes for addressing prohibited content, activity, and privacy, licensing, and policy concepts ............................................................................................................. 142 Proper Communication Techniques and Professionalism .......................................... 143 Basics of Scripting ........................................................................................................ 144 Remote Access Technologies ....................................................................................... 144 Chapter Twelve: Quiz ................................................................................................... 146 Chapter Twelve: Key Takeaways ................................................................................. 147 Chapter Thirteen: You Passed, What’s Next?........................................... 149 Final Exam .................................................................................................................... 151 Conclusion: Thank You!............................................................................................... 153 Ready to take your IT career to the next level? ........................................ 154 Follow Along PDF Manual ....................................................................... 165

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Welcome to this audio course about the CompTIA A+ certification program! I will be your guide throughout this course. I’d like to thank you for taking an interest in this course and congratulate you for making an excellent decision. You are about to follow a path towards a potentially rewarding career with a CompTIA A+ certification in tow.

After listening to this course, you should be primed and ready to take the CompTIA A+ exam. Once you pass, you’ll be well on your way to a long and fruitful career in the IT industry.

The IT world is wonderfully diverse. We’ve experienced exponential advances in technology over the past fifty years. This includes in computing technology, computer hardware, software applications, gadgets and peripherals, cloud computing, mobile devices, and the Internet itself. An increasing number of people are needed to fill vacancies within the IT industry on a regular basis. Open positions are as IT support or PC repair technicians, network administrators, computer programmers, and many more.

We each have our own goals and objectives in life. This includes working towards the type of careers that we wish to have. If you want to get into the IT industry, today is as good a time as any to enter the field. You’ll be able to take advantage of the myriad opportunities available.

You can start a career in the IT industry by first focusing on just one area of expertise.

Then, continue learning and upgrading your skills to improve your overall value to your organization or to the industry. Continue climbing the ladder until you reach the level of employment you are shooting for.

Are you simply an IT enthusiast or hobbyist? You can expand your interests and personal goals by learning about different aspects and skills within the IT realm. This might further fuel your passion and lead you from hobbyist to IT professional. You never know!

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Whatever your goals or passions are, the IT industry is vast enough to accommodate them. Having said that, there is a need to narrow your focus on specific goals while keeping your eye on the ultimate objective. All of the jobs I mentioned earlier require specific qualifications, training, and experience. They exist in vastly different streams that make it quite tedious or even impractical to cross from one to the other too often.

Depending on your goals and temperament, one stream may be better suited for some individual, but not for you. Consider carefully the path you want to follow.

If you’re envisioning a career in coding or programming, you may not need to be certified in trainings intended for hardware, network, or technician jobs. Maybe you want to have more personal interaction with others in your line of work. Start with an entry level job as a tech support agent if that's the case.

If you’re eyeing a job as a tech support or a computer service technician, CompTIA A+ certification can provide you with the best springboard to launch your career in the IT industry. It can provide you with foundational skills and a starting certification. From there, you can move on to further training and certifications to build your resume and move your career forward.

Sponsored by the Computing Technology Industry Association, the CompTIA A+ certification is a major, "vendor neutral" IT professional certificate program. It validates the holder’s capability, skills, and expertise for assuming most entry level IT positions.

These include computer service technicians, network tech support, PC repair and troubleshooting, and more.

CompTIA A+ is one of the most sought after certifications by computer professionals.

It’s fast becoming a mandatory requirement on an IT job applicant’s resume. From the perspective of HR or hiring managers from top companies in the industry, CompTIA A+ certification means competence. According to a survey conducted by International Data Corporation, approximately ninety six percent of HR Managers look for IT certifications during the recruitment screening process.

CompTIA A+ is becoming the standard that many companies look for when hiring for technical support or IT positions. These jobs include IT support specialists, IT field service techs, desktop support analysts, or helpdesk support personnel. CompTIA A+

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has issued more than two hundred and sixty thousand A plus certifications to various professionals since the association was established in the early nineteen eighties.

The CompTIA A+ certification exam is composed of two tests assembled by a panel of select IT professionals. One covers core hardware technologies and is called A plus Core.

The other focuses on operating systems. It’s called A plus OS. The exam is a computer based test broken down into two "ninety minute" sessions with ninety questions per test. The question types consist mostly of situational and identification, presented in a multiple choice format. The passing grade is five hundred and fifteen points out of nine hundred for the A plus Core. For the A plus OS, the passing grade is five hundred and five out of nine hundred.

Unlike other IT certification programs that typically cover only one domain, CompTIA A+ covers many relevant topics and subjects. This makes the program diverse enough to be timely and applicable to the needs of today's businesses. It also contributes to employee job performance across many fields in the IT industry. Those who pass the exam demonstrate that they know how to install, configure, upgrade, and repair PCs. They’re expected to be better equipped to troubleshoot and solve a wide range of problems and IT related issues. These issues range from network security and administration, to mobile devices and operating systems.

The CompTIA A+ certification exam can be taken from any of the "CompTIA accredited" third party testing centers around the world. Anybody can take the exam, as long as they satisfy a set criteria.

Before I provide a brief overview of this course, I would like to share with you the things that you can expect as we go through the material together. If you are ready, let’s begin.

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COURSE CONVENTIONS AND CONTENT What does course convention mean? Course conventions are the concepts and methods with which I will be presenting the course material to you. The content is broken down into several chapters, of which many are also subdivided into several smaller sections.

Every time that I start a new section or chapter, I will mention its name to you.

I will be presenting you with short quizzes throughout the course. You can find these quizzes in the Follow-along PDF Manual that I will discuss with you in a while. I suggest you take a quiz and refer to the answer key afterward to gauge how well you have retained the course material. Alternately, I will be discussing the correct quiz answers during the lectures. You can choose to pause the audio, take the short quiz, and then listen for the correct answers afterward if you don’t want to use the PDF manual. The quizzes usually consist of ten questions given near the end of each chapter.

As a way of recapping a chapter, I will finish each one with at least ten takeaways .

These takeaways are the key points to remember from the chapter. They will help you to retain as much information as possible the concepts you need to know.

I mentioned a Follow-along PDF Manual a while ago. Each AudioLearn course comes with a Follow-along PDF Manual which acts as a companion study guide. You can choose to either print out the manual to help you along, or read it in digital format.

These manuals contain quizzes, your final exam, learning summaries, and some links to additional relevant information. One good thing about printing the manual is that you can also use it to write additional notes and comments. This helps some people to better retain material they have learned. I find that it works for me, at least. Simply use the format of the Follow along PDF Manual that works best for you.

If you have been paying close attention, you heard me mention a final exam. Included in this course is a one hundred question final exam. Take it after you complete this course.

It will help you determine just how ready you are for the actual certification test. We have done our best to assemble questions that closely match up with what you will see on your certification exam. When you complete the course, take the exam, multiple

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times if you want. Shoot for a perfect score. This is a great way to reinforce what you will learn with me.

During the course of my lectures, I usually construct my sentences by referring to persons with a “he” or “his”. I find it simpler, rather than repeatedly saying “he or she” or “his or her”. Just note that when I use those words, I mean an individual, regardless of gender.

Many listeners find that repetition is an effective tool for learning. Throughout this audio course, I will be repeating many terms and concepts. This is because we consider them to be very important ideas that are worth repeating.

I also recommend that you listen to every lecture in this course at least twice for greater retention. It is difficult to fully grasp all the information, concepts, suggestions, and ideas in one listen. Taking notes is also highly recommended, whenever possible, depending on where you are listening. The concepts are best absorbed if you follow along with the PDF manual as I am presenting the course. If you cannot refer to the manual or take notes while listening, then just refer to it at a more appropriate time.

Please, don’t look at the manual while driving or doing anything that requires your full attention.

Throughout the course, I will be presenting and reviewing a wide range of topics. I will provide lots of helpful information. You’ll need to know this information to pass the exam.

Next up, I will present you with an outline of our course material, so that you can set the proper expectations.

I will start the course by discussing all the essential details related to CompTIA A+ certification.

From there, I will discuss the importance of passing the CompTIA A+ examination and how it will give you head start in launching your career in the IT industry.

Next, I will take stock of the key steps in the certification process. Along the way, I will answer your initial questions such as “What is Comp-TIA?”, “What is A plus certification?” and “What can I do with an A plus certification?”.

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From there, I will delve into the technical scope of the exam. This can help you evaluate whether you are ready to take it or if you need further preparation. I’ll also cover the additional steps you need to take to confirm your eligibility to sit for the test. I will also inform you about the process of registering for and scheduling your exam.

After registering and receiving your test date, the next thing to do is to study and prepare for your scheduled exam. I will provide you with helpful tips, as well as cover some of the important points that you need to bear in mind when taking the exam. In this section, I will also anticipate possible questions that you may face. I’ll share some tips, strategies, and guidelines for the exam.

Next, I’ll talk about the various protocols and procedures you must observe during the actual test. I will touch on some scenarios that you may face during the course of the exam. Then you’ll know how to respond to these situations if they arise.

The course will close out with a discussion of the steps you need to follow upon receiving your CompTIA A+ exam results. Now that you have received the results, what happens next? If you were not fortunate enough to pass the test, I will explain the mechanics of applying for a retake, as well as other matters regarding your results and retakes.

As you have just heard, we have a lot of ground to cover. So, be sure to listen attentively and as often as you can. Make sure to work at a pace that is comfortable to you. Our aim is to set you off on a course towards a rewarding career in the IT industry. You'll start your journey by passing the CompTIA A+ certification exam. Familiarize yourself with the material and other necessary requirements as much as you can, so that you will be thoroughly prepared and confident heading into the exam.

While I have only started with the introductory part of this course, that does not mean there will be no takeaways that you can derive from this chapter. So, here they are: One: The CompTIA A+ certification can pave the way towards a potentially rewarding career in the IT industry.

Two: More and more people are needed to fill in various positions within the IT industry. This is due to the exponential advances in technology that we have experienced over the past fifty years or so. Advances have been in computing

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pen handy. Have your Follow-along PDF Manual close at hand and let’s get started!

Thanks for listening.

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COMPTIA A+ Follow Along PDF Manual

www.AudioLearn.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Registration, Scheduling, Postponement and Withdrawal ......................4 Exam Scheduling Process ....................................................................... 5 Chapter 2 Quiz ........................................................................................6 Chapter 2 Quiz Answers.............................................................................................. 9 Acronyms ............................................................................................. 10 Chapter 3 Quiz ...................................................................................... 22 Chapter 3 Quiz Answers............................................................................................ 25 Mobile Devices Body of Knowledge ....................................................... 26 Important Hardware Components in Mobile Devices ............................ 27 Types of Laptop Display ........................................................................28 Chapter 4 Quiz ...................................................................................... 29 Chapter 4 Quiz Answers ........................................................................................... 31 Common Network Protocols ................................................................. 32 Networking Hardware .......................................................................... 33 Chapter 5 Quiz ...................................................................................... 34 Chapter 5 Quiz Answers ............................................................................................ 37 Types of Cables .....................................................................................38 Chapter 6 Quiz ...................................................................................... 39 Chapter 6 Quiz Answers ........................................................................................... 42 Cloud Deployment Models .................................................................... 43 Chapter 7 Quiz ......................................................................................44 Chapter 7 Quiz Answers ............................................................................................ 47 6 Key Steps of Hardware and Network Troubleshooting .......................48 Chapter 8 Quiz ...................................................................................... 49 2

Chapter 8 Quiz Answers ........................................................................................... 52 Boot and Installation Methods .............................................................. 53 Types of Partitioning, File Systems, and Formatting ............................. 54 Chapter Nine Quiz ................................................................................. 55 Chapter 9 Quiz Answers ........................................................................................... 58 Types of Malware .................................................................................. 59 Chapter 10 Quiz ................................................................................... 60 Chapter 10 Quiz Answers .......................................................................................... 63 Common Malware Symptoms ............................................................... 64 Malware Removal Process .................................................................... 65 Chapter 11 Quiz ..................................................................................... 66 Chapter 11 Quiz Answers .......................................................................................... 69 Network Topology Diagrams ................................................................. 70 Chapter 12 Quiz ..................................................................................... 71 Chapter 12 Quiz Answers .......................................................................................... 74 Final Exam ............................................................................................ 75 Final Exam Answers ............................................................................................... 101

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To download the audio version of this course, please visit our website WWW.AudioLearn.com

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