What is A+

A+ Certification is a testing programme sponsored by the CompTIA (Computer Technology Industry Association) that certifies competency of service technicians in the computer industry.

Anyone that wants an internationally recognised credential as a competent computer service professional can take the A+ exams. All the major vendors, distributors as well as leading industry service organisations, back the programme.

Earning A+ Certification means that you possess the knowledge, and customer relation’s skills essential for a successful computer service technician.

The exams cover a broad range of hardware and software technologies, however they are not related to any vendor specific products.

To become certified you must pass two test modules, The core and one either MS Windows/DOS or The Macintosh module.

IBM SUPPORTS A+

IBM now specifies A+ Certification is required for all new hires in PC services business in Australia. Those service and support staff who are not already A+ certified will be required to complete this certification in 1998.

COMPAQ SUPPORTS A+

Compaq recognises A+ as an international certification aimed at setting a benchmark level of professionalism in the service industry. Ideally, the A+ certification should become a pre-requisite over time.

SOME ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING A+

The following list are some of the organisations that have funded the development of and on-going enhancements to the A+ certification programme

American Institute, Apple Computer Inc, Compaq Computers, CompuCom, Digital Equipment, Epson America Inc, Gateway 2000,H P,IBM Education, IBM PC Company, Ingram Micro, Intel Corp, Lexmark, Lotus Development, Microsoft Corp, NCR, OKIDATA, Packard Bell, Seagate Technologies, Tandy Service, Toshiba, U.S Robotics, Wang Laboratories, Zenith Data

COURSE OUTLINE – HARDWARE SUPPORT SKILLS

Overview and objectives

This four day practical “hands-on” course will teach support newcomers the essentials of installing and troubleshooting all types of PC hardware. On course completion, students will be able to:

• Install and configure PC hardware and system components
• Understand the basics of a computer and peripherals and local area networking
• Support and troubleshoot PC hardware, software and peripherals
• Have a good understanding of customer service techniques

• Are you able to use a keyboard and mouse?
• Can you recognize the main components of a PC and different data media such as floppy disks, CD-ROM, etc?
• Do you understand DOS file naming conventions and directory structures?
• Are you familiar with Windows and Windows applications?
• Can you use Windows File Manager or Explorer to create directories and sub-directories; and move, copy or rename files and directories?
• Can you use the DOS DIR, COPY, REN, DEL, MD, CD and RD commands?
• Can you use the DOS editor to create text and batch files?

• Introduction to the PC
• Key functions of a PC
• The system case
• The System Board
• I/O ports and cables
• Interface Cards
• Storage Devices
• Power Supply Unit (PSU)
• The Display Subsystem
• Modem types
• Modem functions

• Maintenance Toolkit

• The function of BIOS
• BIOS components

• BIOS/CMOS setup programs
• Standard BIOS/CMOS settings
• Advanced settings

• What are system resources?
• Interrupt Request Line (IRQ)
• Direct Memory Access (DMA)
• I/O Addresses (Ports)
• Memory Addresses
• Determining Resources in Use
• Resource Conflicts
• Setting system resources
• Plug and Play
• Installing Driver Software

• Cleaning and Preventative Maintenance

• Power Problems
• Dealing with power problems
• Uninterruptible power supplies
• Storage of Components for Future Use

• CRT servicing and handling
• Lasers and high-power light sources
• High Voltage Equipment

• Materials handling

• Static Electricity and the Human Body
• Static electricity and semiconductors
• ESD Packaging
• Personal anti-static methods
• Other ways of controlling ESD
• Hands-on exercise

• Disassembling the PC
• Reassembling the PC

• Installing an IDE Device
• Preparing a Hard Disk
• File Systems

• The SCSI interface
• Setting up a SCSI bus

• Installing a Video Card and Monitor
• Installing a modem

• Troubleshooting techniques
• Troubleshooting the boot process
• Troubleshooting internal devices
• Troubleshooting peripherals
• Optimization

• Processor Terminology
• Intel processors
• Math co-processors
• Summary of Processor Specifications
• Processor Sockets
• Non-Intel processors

• Memory types
• Random Access Memory (RAM)
• Memory packaging
• Memory characteristics

• System board components
• System board form factors
• Summary table of system board types
• Bus architecture
• The Expansion Bus
• Bus Architectures

• Dot Matrix Printers
• Inkjet Printers
• Laser Printers

• Printer Technologies
• Printer connections
• Configuring Printer Drivers
• General troubleshooting

• Differences between desktop and laptop PCs
• Problems

• Basic LAN Concepts
• The Uses and Benefits of a LAN
• Types of LAN
• LAN Topologies
• LAN Communications
• Extending the LAN
• Wide Area Networks

• Networked PCs
• Network cards and cables
• Network connectors
• Network Adapter Cards

• Customer Service Skills
• Basic Approach
• Collective responsibility
• Customer guidance and giving feedback
• Communication with a Customer
• Body language and dress code
• Putting it all together
• Other Customer Service Issues
• Handling customer complaints

COURSE OVERVIEW- SOFTWARE SUPPORT SKILLS

Overview and objectives

This four-day course, revised for the 2001 A+ Certification objectives, will give students a full understanding of the skills and techniques required to install and support Windows 98, Windows NT and Windows 2000. On course completion, students will be able to:

• Partition and format hard disk drives
• Install and configure Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT and Windows 2000
• Create, configure and use network and Internet connections
• Support and troubleshoot operating systems and applications

• Are you able to use a keyboard and mouse?
• Can you recognize the main components of a PC and different data media such as floppy disks, CD-ROM, etc?
• Do you understand DOS file naming conventions and directory structures?
• Are you familiar with Windows and Windows applications?
• Can you use File Manager or Explorer to create directories and sub-directories; and move, copy or rename files and directories?
• Can you use the DOS DIR, COPY, REN, DEL, MD, CD and RD commands?
• Can you use the DOS editor to create text and batch files?

• Objectives
• Introduction to the OS

• DOS Versions
• Features of DOS
• Windows Versions
• Features of Windows

• Integrated OS and GUI
• File/Program Manager vs. Windows Explorer
• Plug and Play
• Configuration Files
• CONFIG.SYS
• AUTOEXEC.BAT

• The Directory Structure
• The Default Drive
• Changing the Default Drive
• Directories and the DOS Prompt
• Changing the Current Directory (CD)
• Getting System Information
• Displaying the Directory Structure (TREE)
• Listing Files and Directories (DIR)
• Obtaining the version
• Getting Memory and Program Information
• MEM
• MEM /C

• Copying and Moving Files
• Renaming a File (REN)
• Deleting a File (DEL)
• Creating a Directory
• Removing a Directory
• Configuring DOS Drivers

• Introduction
• Changes to the Desktop

• Preparing the PC
• Partitioning a Disk
• Using the FDISK Command
• Formatting a Disk
• Formatting
• Using the FORMAT Command
• Pre-installation Checks
• Hardware requirements
• Hardware recommendations
• Essential Setup Information
• Remove Unnecessary TSRs
• Prepare a STARTUP Boot Disk
• Replacing or Dual-booting?
• Setup Methods
• Preparing to Run Setup
• Collecting Information
• Selecting Setup Type
• Copying Windows 98 Files
• Re-starting the Computer and Finishing the Installation
• Setup Failure
• Setup Recovery
• Setup log files
• Windows 98 Setup Files
• Windows 98 Installation Walk-through

• Hardware
• POST
• Plug and Play
• Bootstrap
• Real Mode
• IO.SYS
• MSDOS.SYS
• CONFIG.SYS
• COMMAND.COM
• AUTOEXEC.BAT
• Protected Mode
• WIN.COM
• VMM32.VxD and SYSTEM.INI
• Operating system initialization
• Desktop Initialization

• Creating a Startup Disk
• EBD.CAB File
• When to use the Startup Disk
• Start Menu
• Accessing the CD-ROM from the startup disk
• Startup Menu
• Normal
• Logged (\BOOTLOG.TXT)
• Safe Mode
• Step-by-step Confirmation
• Command prompt only
• Safe Mode command prompt
• Previous version of MS-DOS
• Startup Function Keys

• Real Mode Components
• IO.SYS
• MSDOS.SYS
• [Paths] section
• [Options] section
• COMMAND.COM
• CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT
• SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI
• Protected Mode Components
• VMM32.VxD
• KERNEL32.DLL and KRNL386.EXE
• GDI.EXE and GDI32.DLL
• USER.EXE and USER32.DLL

• Function of the Registry
• Structure of the Registry
• Editing the Registry
• Searching the Registry
• Adding a key
• Adding a value
• Changing value data
• Deleting a key or value
• Renaming a key or value
• Exporting the Registry
• Importing the Registry
• Backing up the Registry
• REGEDIT command syntax

• Differences between Windows 3.1x and 98
• Desktop
• Windows Explorer
• My Computer
• Folders
• The Printers folder
• Telephony Services
• Object Properties
• Plug and Play
• Using Shortcuts
• Placing a shortcut on the Desktop
• Deleting a shortcut
• Hidden File Extensions
• Viewing filename extensions
• Displaying hidden files
• Searching For Files
• User Profiles
• The MS-DOS Prompt Window
• Adding and Removing Programs
• The Install/Uninstall tab
• The Windows Setup tab
• The Desktop
• The Taskbar
• The Start Menu
• The System Tray
• The Recycle Bin
• The Windows Explorer
• Getting System Information
• My Computer
• The Network Neighborhood
• The Control Panel
• Add New Hardware
• Add/Remove Programs
• Date/Time
• Display
• Internet
• Mouse
• Modems
• Keyboard
• Printers
• System
• Power Management
• Regional Settings
• Multimedia

• Working with Folders
• Creating a New Folder
• Renaming a Folder
• Deleting a Folder
• Changing the Appearance of Items in a Folder
• Working with Files
• Filenames
• Renaming a file
• Moving a file
• Copying a file
• Copying a file to a floppy disk
• Deleting a file
• Undoing File Operations
• Using the alternate mouse button
• Drag and Drop
• Locating Files
• The Recycle Bin

• Architecture and File Systems
• Full 32-bit Operation
• Standardized 32-bit Device Drivers
• File System Support
• VFAT (FAT16)
• FAT32
• The CD-ROM File System
• Exclusive Access For Disk Management Tools
• Disabling 32-bit features
• Performance Settings
• Hard disk settings
• CD-ROM settings
• Disk Utilities
• DriveSpace disk compression
• ScanDisk
• Disk Defragmenter
• Backup
• Task Scheduler

• Multi-tasking
• Virtual Machines
• Windows 98 Memory Model
• Support for DOS-based Applications
• Configuring DOS Applications
• The Program tab
• The Font tab
• The Memory tab
• The Screen tab
• The Misc tab
• Long Filenames
• Windows 98 file naming rules
• Running Windows Applications
• 32-bit Windows applications
• 16-bit Windows applications
• The Task Manager
• System Management Utilities

• Adding Devics with Plug and Play
• Requirements for Plug and Play
• Windows 98 Plug and Play Components
• The Plug and Play Process
• The Add New Hardware wizard
• The Device Manager
• Troubleshooting Device Problems
• Support for Additional Hardware
• Support for Multiple Displays
• Enhanced PC Card Support

• Managing Printing
• Viewing the print queue
• Managing the print queue
• Pausing and restarting a printer
• Adding a Local Printer
• Changing Printer Settings
• Troubleshooting Printing
• The print job does not appear
• Printing is slow
• Printing jobs are incomplete or garbled
• Notes on EMF and RAW

• System Monitor

• Windows Me
• The TCP/IP protocol
• Home Networking Wizard
• Windows Media Player
• Windows Movie Maker
• Updated Help System

• Introduction
• Advantages of Peer-to-Peer Networking
• Disadvantages of Peer-to-Peer Networking
• Configuring Networking Information
• Network Adapter Cards
• Network Clients
• Network Protocols
• Identifying the Computer
• Windows 98 Login
• Windows 98 as a Server
• Adding File and Print Services
• Sharing Resources
• Access Privileges
• Sharing a Directory
• Sharing a Printer
• Connecting to Shared Resources
• The Network Neighborhood
• Mapping Drives
• UNC Names
• Connecting to Network Printers
• Storage and Automatic Re-entry of Passwords

• Overview of the Internet
• The Development of the Internet

• The World Wide Web
• HTML Web pages
• Web browsers
• Electronic Mail (Email)
• Newsgroups (Usenet)
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
• Anonymous FTP
• Gopher
• Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
• Internet Phone
• Videoconferencing

• IP Addresses
• Subnet Mask
• Configuring TCP/IP in Windows 98
• Automatic IP Configuration
• WINS Configuration
• DNS Configuration
• Testing TCP/IP

• Dial-up Services
• Analog telephone lines
• Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
• Leased lines
• Service Providers
• Online service providers
• Internet service providers
• Configuring the Internet Connection
• Creating a dial-up networking connection
• Configuring the browser

• Domain Name Structure
• Top-level domain names
• Sub-domains
• Local domains
• URLs
• Internet Email Addresses

• Features
• Multiple Platforms
• Multi-tasking and Multi-threading
• Security
• Support for Other Operating Systems
• Built-in Networking
• High Capacity
• Multiple Protocol Support
• Windows NT File Systems
• Windows NT or Windows 9x?
• Windows NT Server versus Windows NT Workstation
• Windows NT Workstation
• Windows NT Server

• System Requirements
• The Installation Process
• Required Information
• The Setup Program (WINNT.EXE)
• Setup Switches
• /OX - Create only boot diskettes
• /B - Diskless installation
• /S - Source location
• Steps to Prepare for Network Installations
• Upgrading from Windows 3.1x and 9x
• The Windows NT 'Upgrade' Program

• Windows NT Boot Sequence
• Pre-Boot Sequence
• Intel Specific Boot Sequence
• Windows NT Load Sequence
• Logon Sequence
• Core Boot Files
• The BOOT.INI File
• ARC Naming Conventions
• Boot.ini Switches

• Windows NT Registry
• Registry Structure
• Hives and Files
• Last Known Good
• Value Entries
• Sample Devices and Services
• Registry editors
• Control Panel
• Changing System Settings
• General Tab
• Performance Tab
• Environment Tab
• Startup and Shutdown Tab
• Hardware Profiles Tab
• Adding and Removing SCSI Devices
• Configuring the DOS and Win16 Virtual Machine

• Introduction
• User Account Management
• Creating New User Accounts
• User Account Details
• Renaming a User Account
• Deleting a User Account
• Understanding Groups
• Default Group Accounts
• Creating New Group Accounts
• Setting Security Policies
• Password Policy
• User Rights Policy
• User Rights
• Abilities
• Audit Policy

• File System Comparison
• File Allocation Table (FAT)
• New Technology File System (NTFS)
• NTFS Recovery
• NTFS Security
• NTFS Auditing
• Ownership of Files and Directories
• Working with Multiple Disks
• Stripe Sets
• Volume Sets
• Using Disk Administrator
• The Partition Menu
• The Tools Menu

• Windows NT Explorer
• Permissions for Shared Directories
• Local Security
• File Permissions
• Directory Permissions
• Copied and Moved Files
• How User and Group Permissions Interact
• File Compression

• Error Categories
• Event Viewer
• Windows NT Diagnostics
• The Emergency Repair Process
• Creating a Repair Disk
• The Emergency Repair Disk
• Creating an NT Boot Disk

• Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows 2000 Server
• Windows 2000 Advanced Server
• Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
• Windows 2000 Workgroups and Domains
• Workgroups
• Domains
• Domain Controller
• Member Server
• Windows 2000 Client Computers
• Differences from Windows 9x

• Hardware Requirements
• Disk Partitions
• File System Choices
• NTFS
• FAT
• Domain or Workgroup Selection
• Joining a Workgroup
• Running the Setup Program
• Creating Setup Boot Disks for Windows 2000
• Creating a Distribution Server for Network Installations
• Configuring the Client Computer for Network Installation
• Stages of Setup

• Windows 2000 Boot Files
• Using the Last Known Good Control Set
• Advanced Boot Options
• The Recovery Console

• Microsoft Management Console
• Making consoles available to other users
• Console Modes
• Control Panel Settings
• Administrative Tools Folder
• Folder Options
• Network and Dial-up Connections
• Scheduled Tasks
• System
• Users and Passwords
• Installing New Hardware
• Plug and Play Devices
• Installing Devices Manually
• Determining Available System Resources

• Windows 2000 Partitions
• Windows 2000 Volumes
• Managing Disks and Volumes
• Converting from FAT / FAT32 to NTFS
• Compressing Files and Folders
• Moving and copying compressed files
• Using Disk Quotas
• Encrypting Files and Folders

• Local and Domain user accounts
• Built-in User Accounts
• Administrator
• Guest
• Creating User Accounts
• The Local Users And Groups Snap-in
• Planning and Implementing Groups
• Built-in Groups

• NTFS Folder and File Permissions
• Folder Permissions
• File Permissions
• Assigning Permissions to Users and Groups
• How Multiple User and Group Permissions Interact
• Permissions Inheritance
• Setting Permissions
• Ownership
• Moving and Copying Files and Folders

• Auditing
• Account and Password Policies
• Logon Options

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