Test Prep   

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
• It's also recommended that you have a PC that you can take apart and put back together again. Because of the dangers of electro-static discharge (to the machine, not to you), you are not required to tear apart your own primary computer. This is, however, a class that trains you to be a hardware technician - having a machine to play with greatly helps your learning.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

The CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 1: Hardware course teaches you about the hardware common to nearly every personal computer, including microprocessors, RAM, power supplies, motherboards, UEFI/BIOS, the system setup utility, the expansion bus, and input/output devices.

According to CompTIA, getting your A+ certification can lead to a rewarding IT career—with average salaries ranging from $45,000-$60,000, depending on the role you pursue.

Note: To properly prepare for your 220-1101/1102 CompTIA A+ certification exams, in addition to this course, you will need to complete the following course series: CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 2: Software and CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 3: Network Security.

The Art of the Tech

In Lesson 1, we'll introduce you to the course and to the CompTIA A+ certification, and then move right into essential information for every tech. You'll get the scoop on how the many components of the personal computer work together. We'll discuss how professional techs behave and interact with clients. And we'll finish with a tried-and-true troubleshooting methodology that will apply to all tech situations.

Desktop PC Basics

In Lesson 2, we'll take a tour of a desktop PC, starting with the exterior connectors. We'll go into details of the interior devices as well. Our goal is to begin teaching proper tech terminology and familiarize you with standard computer components. You'll also learn about some common computer roles, so you can better understand why desktop PCs are used in both homes and businesses.

Laptop PC Basics

This lesson looks at the ways laptops differ from desktops. You'll learn about laptop hardware, including a variety of support devices such as docking stations and port replicators. You'll find out how to manage laptop power and battery life and how to protect, maintain, and troubleshoot laptops.

Maintenance and Safety Precautions

In this lesson we dive into the important safety techniques that every good tech absolutely needs to know. These range from how to clean a computer to methods to avoid tech-induced damage to how to dispose of old parts safely.

Central Processing Units and RAM

In this lesson, we'll deliver the goods on central processing units, the core processing component in every PC. We'll explain variations in technology and then give practical information and advice on installing and troubleshooting CPUs. Plus, we'll dig into the details of one of the foundations of the computer: RAM. With RAM, the CPU can make magic happen. Without it? Literally nothing can happen. You'll learn about the different varieties of RAM and proper techniques for installing it. Then, we'll wrap up the lesson with troubleshooting RAM and memory problems.

Motherboards and Cases

In this lesson, we'll teach you about the essential programming that makes computers function, what's called the BIOS or UEFI. Plus, you'll learn about the special tools we use for storing configuration options for BIOS and UEFI. It's awesome stuff! We'll also teach you all about motherboards, the bedrock of every PC. You'll learn form factors, types of expansion slots, and installation steps for expansion cards. In this lesson, we'll also cover upgrading, installing, and troubleshooting motherboards.

Powering the PC

Today, we'll introduce you to power supplies and the basics of powering a PC. You'll learn about how electricity gets from your wall outlet into your PC, along with how to test that electricity. We'll teach you about the many power supply standards and how to install one inside your PC. Finally, we'll discuss how to troubleshoot a power supply with problems.

Input Devices

In this lesson, you'll learn about devices that enable you to input data into your computer. We'll discuss standard input devices (like keyboards and mice) and multimedia devices (like digital cameras and webcams). We'll also teach you about connecting those devices to your computers using connectors like USB and Thunderbolt.

Storage Technologies

Today, we'll dig into storage technologies, including traditional hard disk drives and modern solid-state drives. You'll also learn how to install storage devices of several interface types, including SATA and M.2. We'll also explain the fundamentals of troubleshooting storage devices.

Working with Storage Devices

In Lesson 10, you'll learn how to prepare a storage device such as a hard disk drive or solid-state drive for use by an operating system. We'll teach you about partitioning and formatting. We'll also cover maintaining your data using several included Windows utilities.

Removable Media and RAID

In this lesson, you'll explore various forms of mass storage that you can take with you, such as USB flash media, memory cards, optical drives, and external drives. You'll also discover how RAID arrays improve storage performance and/or reliability.

Operational Procedures

As we wrap up the course, you'll learn about all the other stuff that goes into making IT work, such as documentation, change management, ticketing systems, and disaster prevention and recovery.

What you will learn

• Learn proper tech terminology and how all the components of the PC work together
• Discover important safety techniques that every good tech needs to know
• Gain practical information and advice on installing and troubleshooting CPUs
• Learn about the different varieties of RAM and proper techniques for installing it
• Obtain everything you need to know about motherboard form factors, types of expansion slots, and installation steps for expansion cards
• Gain knowledge of hard drive technologies and the fundamentals of protecting data with RAID technology

How you will benefit

• Learn the skills you need to promote yourself as a PC hardware technician capable of solving various computer issues
• Gain the confidence you need to successfully perform integral computer support in the workplace
• Become an indispensable part of any organization that uses computers daily
• Complete the first of three courses needed to prepare for your CompTIA A+ certification

Mike Meyers

Mike Meyers, also known as the "Alpha Geek," is widely recognized as the leading authority on CompTIA Certifications in the industry. He co-founded Total Seminars, LLC and National Cyber Group, LLC, and has been providing PC and network repair seminars, books, videos, and courseware to thousands of organizations worldwide. With his extensive experience in the computer and network repair industry since 1987, Mike has worked as a technician, instructor, author, consultant, and speaker.

Mike is the author of several popular PC books and videos, including the best-selling CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide and CompTIA Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide. He also serves as the series editor for the highly successful Mike Meyers' Certification Passport series and the Mike Meyers' Guide to series. Mike has sold over a million IT and certification books.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
• Access to a Mac running macOS (in addition to the PC) is recommended.
• You should have access to a hard drive that you can install, format, and partition, and to a couple of Plug and Play devices that you can practice installing. Because of the dangers of electro-static discharge (to the machine), you are not required to tear apart your own primary computer.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge is also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

The CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 2: Software course teaches you about working with many different operating systems, virtual machines, and various software. In part two of our three-step series, you will learn how to operate and maintain these items on our systems.

According to CompTIA, getting your A+ certification can lead to a rewarding IT career—with average salaries ranging from $45,000-$60,000, depending on the role you pursue.

Note: Students should previously have completed the CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 1: Hardware course. Upon completion of CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 2: Software, you should prepare to enroll in our final prep course, CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 3: Network Security, to successfully prepare for both the 220-1101/1102 exams and your career as a certified technician.

Understanding Operating Systems

In this lesson, you'll learn basic operating system concepts and the various operating systems (and versions) covered on the CompTIA A+ exams. You'll explore common OS functions that enable users, software, and hardware to interact with each other. We'll also look at the primary user interfaces—the graphic user interface and the command line interface—and how the GUI manifests in recent versions of Windows, macOS, and Linux. We'll also look at basic OS security features that protect the system by authenticating users and requiring proper authorization to take certain actions.

Installing Windows

This lesson is all about Microsoft Windows. You'll learn how to prepare for installing or upgrading Windows, install the OS, and apply the post-installation finishing touches. You'll also learn how to troubleshoot any problems that might pop up during installation.

Starting Windows and Managing User Accounts

What do you do after installing Windows? Start it up, of course! Here you'll learn about sign-in options and security, and the different kinds of user accounts available and how to manage them. Then you'll discover the various ways that Windows controls access to files and other resources based on the permissions assigned to user accounts and groups.

Customizing and Configuring Windows

This lesson focuses on the two main Windows utilities that you can use to customize and configure its settings: the Settings app and the Control Panel. We'll compare the two utilities and then review how to make the most common system changes, such as changing desktop appearance settings, disabling a webcam, modifying default apps for certain file types, and more.

Using Windows Utilities

Windows includes dozens of helpful special-purpose utilities you can use to configure and troubleshoot a system. Here you'll learn about the Task Manager and its role in shutting down unresponsive apps and correcting slow startup and sluggish performance issues. Then we'll look at the Microsoft Management Console and explore some of its most popular snap-ins. You'll finish up by learning how to access, back up, and make changes to the Registry and understand the Registry's structure.

Exploring macOS and Linux

CompTIA A+ exam 220-1102 includes several objectives that deal with macOS and Linux, and this lesson prepares you for that by explaining the macOS desktop and how to use it to manage files, install and run apps, and access popular utilities such as Keychain and Boot Camp. You'll learn how to customize the desktop and protect your disks, files, and accounts. We'll round out this lesson by explaining the basics of the Linux OS, including distros, the (optional) desktop GUI, file systems, startup apps, and software updates.

Working at a Command Prompt

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the text-based command-line interface in each of the "big three" operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Linux. You'll explore the command prompt and find out how to use it to navigate the folder structure. You'll learn about basic commands for listing files and creating new directories, and we'll discuss advanced commands for moving and copying files. This lesson will finish up by explaining the basics of scripting using text commands.

Troubleshooting Windows Startup and System Issues

This lesson looks at the various reasons a Windows system doesn't boot normally—or isn't stable after booting up—and how to fix them. You'll learn about the Windows Recovery Environment and its many tools and features, and explore the options on the Startup Settings menu, such as Safe Mode. Then you'll take your command prompt knowledge from Lesson 7 and put it to work to troubleshoot and repair boot problems at a command line interface. Finally, we'll look at the various causes of system instability and crashes and how to troubleshoot them.

Troubleshooting Windows Performance and Application Issues

This lesson continues our look at Windows troubleshooting. It tackles some common Windows performance problems from sluggish performance to services not starting, and demonstrates some of Windows' many tools and utilities for troubleshooting various problems. Here you'll put to work many of the utilities you learned about in earlier lessons in specific troubleshooting scenarios, and access the many troubleshooting tools and wizards that Windows provides for different kinds of hardware and connectivity issues.

Virtual Machines and Remote Access

In this lesson, we'll discuss virtualization—using special software to run a second operating system within your actual OS. We'll show you what virtualization is and explain its many benefits. You'll also learn about the types of virtualization and popular virtualization software. To finish up this lesson, you'll learn about technologies that enable technicians (and also end users) to control computers remotely.

Printers and Multifunction Devices

The CompTIA A+ certification strongly stresses the area of multifunction devices (MFDs) and printing, so you'll need a high degree of technical knowledge about all types of printers. Here we'll begin our trip into printers and MFDs. You'll learn about the types of printers and scanners in common use today. We'll teach you how printers connect to PCs and networks, plus we'll talk about how they communicate with computers. Finally, we'll look at the laser printing process in detail so that you can troubleshoot like a printer technician.

Installing and Troubleshooting Printers and Multifunction Devices

In this course's final lesson, you'll learn the practical side of supporting printers and MFDs. You'll learn how to unbox and set up a printer, and how to install drivers for it to make it work in Windows. You'll then learn how to configure and maintain printers, and how to troubleshoot the many different problems that printers have, from general connectivity issues to print quality problems specific to certain printer technologies.

What you will learn

• Learn how to install, organize, maintain, and troubleshoot three different versions of Windows (explore similar features in MacOS and Linux)
• Examine and compare the features and structures of Windows Vista, 7, and 8/8.1
• Get a deeper understanding of how we use virtualization and virtual machines in modern networks
• Learn about printers and multifunction devices, from the various technologies in use to installing and troubleshooting

How you will benefit

• Master many of the techniques covered on the certification exam and feel confident on test day
• Become an integral part of any organization as you learn to install and troubleshoot new hardware, software, and MFDs
• Open the door to new opportunities as a technician once certification is achieved

Mike Meyers

 Mike Meyers, also known as the "Alpha Geek," is widely recognized as the leading authority on CompTIA Certifications in the industry. He co-founded Total Seminars, LLC and National Cyber Group, LLC, and has been providing PC and network repair seminars, books, videos, and courseware to thousands of organizations worldwide. With his extensive experience in the computer and network repair industry since 1987, Mike has worked as a technician, instructor, author, consultant, and speaker.

Mike is the author of several popular PC books and videos, including the best-selling CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide and CompTIA Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide. He also serves as the series editor for the highly successful Mike Meyers' Certification Passport series and the Mike Meyers' Guide to series. Mike has sold over a million IT and certification books.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
• A Windows PC that you can experiment on. You will probably want to remove/install various devices, such as video, sound, and modems. Because of the dangers of electro-static discharge (to the machine, not the student), however, we do not require you to tear apart your own primary computer. This is a class that trains you to be a technician - having a machine to play with greatly helps your learning.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

The CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 3: Networking/Security course focuses on keeping our networks and systems secure from outside threats and how to troubleshoot issues as they appear.

If you want to jumpstart your career with your first tech support job, this third and final course in our CompTIA prep series is a necessary component to prepare you for the A+ certification exam successfully.

According to CompTIA, getting your A+ certification can lead to a rewarding IT career—with average salaries ranging from $45,000-$60,000, depending on the role you pursue.

Note: Students need to complete CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 1: Hardware and CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 2: Software before attempting CompTIA A+ Certification Prep 3: Networking/Security to properly prepare to sit for the A+ certification exam.

Video Technologies

In this first lesson, you'll learn the details of monitors—standard desktop and projectors—and video cards. You'll learn how they work and function together to produce the display you see, and how to install and troubleshoot them.

Multimedia

In this lesson, you'll delve into the details of multimedia. You'll explore how sound works in a digital environment, examine all the components that work to record and play back video, and learn how 3D graphics work.

Portable Computing Devices

In this lesson, you'll examine the many features of portable computers. You'll explore the many ways to expand the capabilities of portables, from connecting to external monitors to docking stations. You'll also look at how to upgrade, manage, maintain, repair, and troubleshoot them.

Essentials of Networking

In this lesson, you'll be introduced to the essentials of networking. You'll explore topics such as network hardware and topologies and learn about Ethernet, coaxial and fiber cabling technologies, and more.

Local Area Networking

In this lesson, you'll delve deeper into networking. You'll learn about the TCP/IP protocol and how to install, configure, and troubleshoot a basic network.

Wireless Networking

In this lesson, you'll explore wireless technologies, starting with the basics, such as components, software, modes, security, speed, and range. You'll learn about wireless networking standards, such as radio wave and infrared networks. You'll finish the lesson with a look at installing, configuring, and troubleshooting wireless networks.

Internet Connections

Get ready to take the networking covered in previous lessons and expand it to fill the Internet. You'll start by learning how the Internet works and then examine the various connection types to get onto the Internet. The lesson will be wrapped up with a discussion of how you actually connect.

The Internet

In this lesson, you'll continue to dig further into the nuts and bolts of how the Internet works at the software layer, including the application and utility protocols, Internet applications, and cloud-computing services.

Security Hygiene

This lesson will teach you how to maintain security hygiene. You'll discover the many threats faced and then dive into access-control techniques. You'll also learn about topics like data classification, compliance, and reporting procedures.

Network Security

In this lesson, you'll jump into security aspects in the big bad world; specifically, threats from outside your network. You'll look at malicious software types and how to deal with them. You'll also learn what protections you should establish networkwide. The knowledge in this lesson is invaluable to you as both a tech and for the CompTIA A+ certification exams.

Understanding Mobile Devices

In this lesson, you'll learn about the features and capabilities of smartphones and tablets, as well as the mobile operating systems that power them. You'll also explore common configuration techniques for working with mobile devices.

Care and Feeding of Mobile Devices

In this final lesson, you'll wrap up the trio of CompTIA A+ exam prep courses by learning how to troubleshoot and secure mobile device hardware, operating systems, and apps.

What you will learn

• Learn how to install and troubleshoot video technologies properly
• Understand how to upgrade, manage, maintain, and repair portable computing devices
• Learn the essentials of networking, including local area networking and wireless networking
• Discover the best ways to keep your network secure
• Understand how to work with mobile devices

How you will benefit

• Prepare for both the 1101/1102 CompTIA A+ Certification Exams
• Complete the third and final course needed to prepare for your CompTIA A+ certification
• Open the door to new opportunities as a technician once certification is achieved

Mike Meyers

Mike Meyers, also known as the "Alpha Geek," is widely recognized as the leading authority on CompTIA Certifications in the industry. He co-founded Total Seminars, LLC and National Cyber Group, LLC, and has been providing PC and network repair seminars, books, videos, and courseware to thousands of organizations worldwide. With his extensive experience in the computer and network repair industry since 1987, Mike has worked as a technician, instructor, author, consultant, and speaker.

Mike is the author of several popular PC books and videos, including the best-selling CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide and CompTIA Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide. He also serves as the series editor for the highly successful Mike Meyers' Certification Passport series and the Mike Meyers' Guide to series. Mike has sold over a million IT and certification books.