A+ Computer Technician
Exam # 220-701 & # 220-702

Unit 1.   Personal Computer Components Principles of personal computers

• Storage devices: FDD, HDD, CD / DVD / RW, Removable storage (e.g. tape drive, solid state such as thumb drive, flash and SD cards, USB, external CD-RW and hard drive)

• Motherboards: Form Factor - ATX / BTX, micro ATX / NLX, Integrated I/Os - sound, video, USB, serial, 1394 / firewire, parallel, NIC, modem, Memory - RIMM, DIMM, Processor sockets, Cache, Bus, Bus slots PCI, AGP, AMR, CNR, EIDE / PATA, SATA, SCSI, Chipsets, BIOS / CMOS / Firmware.
• Power Supplies: AC adapter, ATX, voltage
• Processor / CPU ; CPU chips - AMD, Intel, Hyperthreading, Dual core, Throttling, MMX, Overclocking, Cache, VRM, Speed, 32 vs. 64 bit
• Memory: Types -DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, DDR / DDR2, RAMBUS, Memory chips (8, 16, 32), Parity versus non-parity, ECC vs. non-ECC, Single-sided vs. double-sided
• Display devices: projectors, CRT and LCD, Connector types (e.g. VGA, DVI / HDMi, S-Video, Settings
• Input devices: mouse, keyboard, bar code reader, multimedia -web and digital cameras, MIDI, microphones, biometric devices, touch screen.
• Adapter cards: Video including PCI / PCIe and AGP, Multimedia, SCSI, serial, USB, Parallel
• Ports and cables: USB 1.1 and 2.0, parallel, serial, IEEE 1394 / firewire, RJ45 and RJ11, PS2 / Mini-DIN,

   Install, configure, optimize and upgrade personal computer components

• Storage devices: Drive preparation, Display devices, Basic input and multimedia devices

  Preventive maintenance

• Driver / firmware updates, Scheduling preventive maintenance
  
  

Unit 2.   Laptops and Portable Devices Principles of laptops and portable devices

• Form factors - memory and hard drives,  Peripherals -docking station, Expansion slots - PCMCIA I, II and III,  Communication connections - Bluetooth, infrared, cellular WAN, Ethernet, Power and electrical input devices - auto-switching and fixed-input power, supplies, batteries, Input devices -stylus / digitizer, function (Fn) keys and pointing devices such as touch pad, point stick / track point,

   Install, configure, optimize and upgrade laptops and portable devices

• Power management: features of BIOS-ACPI, suspend, hibernate and standby
• Safe removal of hardware, hot-swappable devices and non-hot-swappable devices
  
  

Unit 3.   Operating Systems: Windows 2003/2008, Windows 7/ XP/Vista, and Media Center.

• Differences between operating systems (Mac, Windows, Linux) and revision levels - GUI, system requirements, application and hardware compatibility
• Registry, virtual memory and file systems
• Windows Explorer, My Computer, Control Panel, Command Prompt, My Network Places, Task bar / systray, Start Menu
• Files: BOOT.INI, NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM, NTBOOTDD.SYS, Registry data files
• Disks (active, primary, extended and logical partitions), File systems, Files -extensions, attributes

    Install, configure, optimize and upgrade operating systems

• Hardware compatibility and minimum requirements, Installation methods - CD, floppy or USB, network installation, imaging, attended / unattended.
• Upgrade (hardware, application compatibility), Implementation (backup data, install additional Windows components)
• Device driver installation (automated and / or manual search and installation of device drivers), driver signing, device manager
• Optimize operating systems: virtual memory, temporary files, service, startup and applications

   Tools, diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting techniques for operating systems

• Boot sequence, recovering OS, Boot methods - safe mode, recovery console, restore point, ASR, ERD
• Operational issues such as bluescreen, system lock-up, start or load and Windows-specific printing problems (print spool stalled, incorrect / incompatible driver for print)
• Common error messages and codes: -invalid boot disk, missing NTLDR
• Operating system utilities: DEFRAG, NTBACKUP, CHKDSK, Format, device and task manager, MSCONFIG.EXE, Windows Explorer, ATTRIB.EXE

   Preventive maintenance on operating systems

• software and Windows updates (service packs), scheduled backups / restore, restore points
  
  

Unit 4.    Printers and Scanners

• Types:  laser, inkjet, thermal, solid ink, impact
• Printer and scanner components (memory, driver) and consumables (toner, ink cartridge, paper)
• Interfaces used by printers and scanners / port and cable type: Parallel, Network (NIC, print servers), USB, Serial, IEEE 1394 / firewire, Wireless -bluetooth, 802.11, infrared, SCSI
  
  

Unit 5.     Networks

• Addressing, , Bandwidth, indicators, Protocols - TCP / IP, IPX / SPX, NWLINK, NETBEUI / NETBIOS), Cables, Peer-to-peer and client / server.
• Common network cables: Plenum / PVC, UTP (e.g. CAT3, CAT5 / 5e, CAT6), STP, Fiber
• Connectors - RJ45 and RJ11, ST / SC / LC, MT-RJ
• LAN / WAN, ISDN, Broadband -DSL, cable, satellite, Dial-up, Wireless, Infrared, Bluetooth, Cellular
  
  

Unit 6.     Security

• Hardware and software security: Hardware deconstruction / recycling, Smart cards / biometrics - key fobs, cards, chips and scans, Authentication - user name, password, biometrics, smart cards, Malicious software -viruses, Trojans, worms, spam, spyware, adware, firewalls, File system security
• Wireless security: Wireless encryption - WEP.x and WPA.x, Access points - disable DHCP / use static IP, disable SSID broadcast, MAC filtering, update firmware, firewall
• Data access (basic local security policy), Encryption technologies, Backups, Data migration, Password management, Locking workstation

    Preventive maintenance for computer security

•  Installing service packs and patches
  
  

Unit 7.    Safety and Environmental Issues

•  ESD precautions and procedures, safe work environment and equipment handling
• Proper disposal procedures for batteries, display devices and chemical solvents and cans
  
  

Unit 8.    Communication and Professionalism

• 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