CompTIA A Certification 2003 Objectives

Section 1 - Overview and Terminology

1. Overview
2. Hardware Terminology
3. Software Terminology

How Software and Harware Work Together

1. The Boot Process
2. Key Files for OS's
3. Key Resources for Devices Continued

The System Board

1. The System Board Overview
2. Components
3. The Evolution of the CPU
4. Challenges to Overcome
5. Buses and the Bus Evolution
6. Setting Speeds and Summary

Memory

1. Types of Memory
2. DRAM vs. SRAM
3. How OS's View Memory
4. Memory Management
5. DOS Memory Management
6. Window 9X Memory Management
7. Tips on Upgrading Memory

Data Storage

1. Logical and Physical on Floppy Disks
2. Formatting Floppy Disks
3. Managing Data Storage with DOS
4. Managing Data Storage with Windows 9X
5. Supporting Floppy Drives
6. Replacing Damaged Floppy Drives
7. Removable Drives
8. Hard Drive Terminology
9. IDE Hard Drives
10. SCSI Hard Drives
11. Installing SCSI Hard Drives
12. Other Types of Hard Drives
13. How Hard Drives Hold Data
14. How Hard Drives Communicate with BIOS and the OS
15. Commands and Utilites to Manage Data Storage
16. How to Install a Hard Drive
17. Considerations and Precautions
18. Configuring the System for a Hard Drive
19. Partitioning and Installing Programs
20. Maintenance and Troubleshooting
21. Utility Programs
22. Hard Drive Troubleshooting Guidelines

Troubleshooting Tools

1. Troubleshooting Tools
2. Troubleshooting Viruses
3. Troubleshooting Fundamentals
4. Problems That Keep a Computer from Starting
5. Troubleshooting Memory
6. Troubleshooting the OS
7. Problems After a Computer Boots
8. Problems with the Keyboard and Monitor
9. Troubleshooting Printers
10. PC Maintenance

Adding and Changing Hardware

1. Basic Principles of Installation
2. Device Drivers
3. Using Ports and Expansion Slots
4. The UART Chip
5. Univeral Serial Bus Ports
6. 1394 Firewire
7. PCI Expansion Slots
8. Resource Conflicts
9. Small Computer Systems Interface

Multimedia Technology

1. Multimedia Technology Defined
2. Requirements and Sampling Fundamentals
3. Standardization and Technologies
4. Stages of Computerization of Sound
5. MPEG Standards
6. Video Reproduction

Electricity

1. Electricity Terminology
2. AC vs. DC Current
3. Common Electronic Components
4. Troubleshooting a Power Supply
5. Surge Protection and Battery Backup
6. Fire Safety

Supporting Windows 9X

1. Bridging the Gap
2. Configuration
3. Performation the Installation
4. Windows 9X Setup
5. Plug and Play
6. The Registry
7. Built-In Tools

Supporting Windows NT

1. Windows NT vs. Windows 9X
2. Minimum Requirements and Upgrading NT
3. FAT16 vs. NTFS
4. NT Architecture and Design
5. Preparing for the Installation
6. The Boot Sequence
7. Troubleshooting the Boot Process
8. Customizing an NTVDM for DOS
9. The Windows NT Registry
10. Windows NT Tools
11. Windows NT Networking

Supporting Windows 2000

1. The Windows 2000 Family
2. Comparing to Windows NT and Windows 98
3. New Features
4. Installing Windows 2000
5. Understanding the Boot Process
6. Troubleshooting Tools
7. File Maintenance Tools
8. Management Consoles and Support

Communication Over Telephone Lines

1. Layered Communication and Modems
2. Modem Properties
3. Modem Features
4. Terminology
5. Installing and Configuring Modems
6. Troubleshooting Modems

Communication on an Intranet

1. Communication Layers and the OSI Model
2. Network Technologies - Ethernet
3. Network Technologies - Token Ring & FDDI
4. Networking Hardware
5. Using Resources on Networks

Communication Over the Internet

1. What the Internet Is and How it Works
2. TCP/IP and IP Addressing
3. Routing Using TCP/IP
4. Default Gateways and Subnets
5. Internet Services

Printers

1. Laser Printers
2. Ink-Jet Printers and Dot Matrix Printers
3. Troubleshooting Printers
4. Sharing Printers on a Network

Notebook Computers

1. Power Management
2. Connecting Peripheral Devices
3. Supporting Notebooks

Preventative Maintenance

1. The Goals of Preventative Maintainence
2. What is a Virus?
3. Where Viruses Hide
4. Virus Prevention

Backups and Fault Tolerance

1. Backup Technology and Strategies
2. Fault Tolerance

Summary and Study Tips

1. A+ Certification Test Tips

Section 2 - What Has changed on the Tests?

1. Overview

Command Line functions

1. Management Commands pt. 1
2. Management Commands pt. 2
3. Troubleshooting Commands pt. 1
4. Troubleshooting Commands pt. 2

Windows XP Operating System

1. Similarities to Other Windows Systems
2. Differences from Other Windows Systems Overview
3. New Interfaces and Look
4. New Fault Tolerance (Restore Points)
5. New Security
6. Windows XP (Clean Installation)
7. Upgrading to Windows XP
8. Managing and Navigating Files and Folders

Networking

1. New and Old Cables and Connectors
2. New Internet Connectivity
3. Networking with Windows XP

Tips and Tricks

1. Tips for Taking the Tests

Credits

1. About this Author