A+ Guide to Hardware: Managing, Maintaining and Troubleshooting 5th Edition

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 5
CompTIA A+ 220–701, Essentials Exam, 2009 Edition......Page 9
CompTIA A+ 220-702, Practical Application Exam, 2009 Edition......Page 20
CHAPTER 1 Introducing Hardware......Page 49
Hardware Needs Software to Work......Page 50
Hardware Used for Input and Output......Page 52
Hardware Inside the Computer Case......Page 55
The Motherboard......Page 56
The Processor and the Chipset......Page 57
Storage Devices......Page 58
Motherboard Components Used for Communication Among Devices......Page 67
Expansion Cards......Page 71
The Electrical System......Page 73
Instructions Stored on the Motherboard and Other Boards......Page 74
CHAPTER 2 Form Factors, Power Supplies, and Working Inside a Computer......Page 83
Form Factors used by Computer Cases, Motherboards, and Power Supplies......Page 84
Types of Form Factors......Page 85
Types of Computer Cases......Page 91
Measures and Properties of Electricity......Page 94
AC and DC......Page 95
Hot, Neutral, and Ground......Page 96
Some Common Electronic Components......Page 98
Types and Characteristics of Power Supplies......Page 100
How to Select a Power Supply......Page 104
Protect Yourself against Electrical Shock and Burns......Page 106
Protect the Equipment Against Static Electricity or ESD......Page 107
Protect Against Electromagnetic Interference......Page 110
Surge Protection and Battery Backup......Page 111
PC Support Technician Tools......Page 116
Steps to Take Apart a Computer......Page 120
Steps to Put a Computer Back Together......Page 132
Troubleshooting the Electrical System......Page 133
Problems with External Power......Page 134
Problems that Come and Go......Page 135
Problems with the Power Supply Fans......Page 136
Power Problems with the Motherboard......Page 137
Replacing the Power Supply......Page 138
CHAPTER 3 All About Motherboards......Page 147
Motherboard Form Factors......Page 148
Processor Sockets......Page 149
The Chipset......Page 153
Buses and Expansion Slots......Page 156
On-Board Ports and Connectors......Page 166
Hardware Configuration......Page 168
How to Select a Motherboard......Page 173
How Startup BIOS Controls the Boot Process......Page 175
Choosing Between a Hard Boot and a Soft Boot......Page 176
The Startup BIOS Controls the Beginning of the Boot......Page 177
Step 1: POST and Assignment of System Resources......Page 179
Step 2: Startup BIOS Finds and Loads the OS......Page 180
Maintaining a Motherboard......Page 182
Installing or Replacing a Motherboard......Page 187
Configuring the Motherboard Using BIOS Setup......Page 198
CHAPTER 4 Supporting Processors......Page 211
Types and Characteristics of Processors......Page 212
How a Processor Works......Page 213
Intel Processors......Page 218
AMD Processors......Page 220
Coolers, Fans, and Heat Sinks......Page 222
Case Fans and Other Fans and Heat Sinks......Page 224
Liquid Cooling Systems......Page 225
Dealing with Dust......Page 226
Select a Processor to Match System Needs......Page 228
Install a Processor......Page 230
BIOS Power Management Settings for the Processor......Page 245
Troubleshooting the Motherboard and Processor......Page 246
Problems with Installations......Page 247
Problems with the Motherboard or Processor......Page 249
Problems with Overheating......Page 251
Boot Problems before the Operating System Loads......Page 255
CHAPTER 5 Upgrading Memory......Page 269
Memory Technologies......Page 270
DIMM Technologies......Page 272
RIMM Technologies......Page 277
SIMM Technologies......Page 278
How to Upgrade Memory......Page 279
How Much Memory Do I Need and How Much Is Currently Installed?......Page 280
How Many and What Kind of Modules Can Fit on My Motherboard?......Page 281
How Do I Select and Purchase the Right Memory Modules?......Page 288
How Do I Install the New Modules?......Page 289
Recurring Problems......Page 293
CHAPTER 6 Supporting Hard Drives......Page 301
Solid State, Magnetic, and Hybrid Drives......Page 302
How Data is Organized on a Hard Drive......Page 304
Hard Drive Interface Standards......Page 307
The ATA Interface Standards......Page 308
SCSI Technology......Page 313
RAID: Hard Drives Working Together......Page 315
About Floppy Drives......Page 316
Floppy Drive Hardware......Page 317
Floppy Drive File System......Page 318
Selecting a Hard Drive......Page 319
Steps to Install a Serial ATA Drive......Page 320
Steps to Configure and Install a Parallel ATA Drive......Page 331
How to Implement Hardware RAID......Page 338
Steps to Install a Floppy Drive......Page 344
Problems with Hard Drive Installations......Page 346
How to Approach a Hard Drive Problem After the Installation......Page 348
Boot Problems Caused by Hard Drive Hardware......Page 351
Troubleshooting Floppy Drives and Disks......Page 356
CHAPTER 7 Installing and Supporting I/O Devices......Page 363
Basic Principles to Support I/O Devices......Page 364
I/O Ports on the Motherboard......Page 366
Display Devices......Page 377
How to Install a Keyboard and Mouse......Page 396
How to Install a Barcode Reader......Page 400
How to Install a Fingerprint Reader......Page 401
How to Install a KVM Switch......Page 404
Installing and Configuring I/O Devices and Ports......Page 405
Using Device Manager......Page 406
Using Ports on the Motherboard......Page 411
Installing and Configuring Adapter Cards......Page 415
Troubleshooting Motherboard I/O Ports......Page 429
Troubleshooting Keyboards......Page 430
Troubleshooting Monitors and Video Cards......Page 431
Troubleshooting Other Adapter Cards......Page 436
CHAPTER 8 Multimedia Devices and Mass Storage......Page 443
Sound Cards and Onboard Sound......Page 444
TV Tuner and Video Capture Cards......Page 446
How Data is Read and Written to Optical Discs......Page 450
How Much Data Can be Stored on Optical Discs......Page 452
Standards Supported by CD, DVD, and BD Drives......Page 453
Features of Optical Drives......Page 454
Caring for Optical Drives and Discs......Page 457
Removable Storage......Page 458
Solid-State Storage......Page 459
External Hard Drives......Page 462
Tape Drives......Page 464
Installing Digital Cameras Broadband Technologies......Page 467
Installing Webcams and Microphones......Page 468
Installing MIDI Devices......Page 470
Installing a Media Reader......Page 472
Installing an Optical Drive......Page 474
Installing an External Hard Drive......Page 479
Problems with Optical Drives......Page 482
Problems when Burning a CD, DVD, or BD......Page 483
Problems with Removable Storage Devices......Page 484
Problems with Capture Cards......Page 485
CHAPTER 9 PC Maintenance and Troubleshooting Strategies......Page 493
Stay Safe and Keep Others Safe......Page 494
Physically Protect Your Equipment......Page 496
How to Dispose of Used Equipment......Page 498
Protecting Software Copyrights Personal Computer......Page 499
Set Up a Method of Documentation......Page 501
Create a Preventive Maintenance Plan......Page 502
How to Troubleshoot a PC Problem......Page 504
Step 1: Interview the User and Back Up Data......Page 505
Step 2: Examine the System and Make Your Best Guess......Page 507
Step 3: Test Your Theory......Page 510
Step 5: Verify the Fix and Take Preventive Action......Page 513
Step 6: Document What Happened......Page 514
CHAPTER 10 Networking Essentials......Page 519
Networking Technologies......Page 520
Broadband Technologies......Page 523
Wireless Technologies......Page 526
Dial-Up Technology......Page 530
Internet Access When You Travel......Page 532
Networking Adapters and Ports......Page 533
Cables and Connectors......Page 535
Hubs and Switches......Page 540
Wireless Access Points......Page 542
Routers......Page 544
Layers of Network Communication......Page 547
Character-Based Names Identify Computers and Networks......Page 551
Ping and Ipconfig......Page 553
Connect to a Network using an Ethernet Connection......Page 555
Connect to a Network Using a Wireless Connection......Page 559
CHAPTER 11 Supporting Notebooks......Page 573
Warranty Concerns......Page 574
Service Manuals and Other Sources of Information......Page 576
The OEM Operating System Build......Page 578
Caring for Notebooks......Page 581
Supporting Notebook Peripheral Devices......Page 583
Port Replicators and Docking Stations APPENDIX A......Page 584
PC Card, CardBus, and ExpressCard Slots......Page 586
Using Bluetooth, Cellular, and Wi-Fi Connections......Page 590
Power and Electrical Devices......Page 594
Power Management......Page 598
Input Devices......Page 604
Video......Page 606
Troubleshooting, Replacing, and Upgrading Internal Parts......Page 608
Three Approaches to Dealing with a Broken Internal Device......Page 609
Upgrading Memory......Page 610
Replacing a Hard Drive......Page 614
Disassembling and Reassembling a Notebook Computer......Page 617
CHAPTER 12 Supporting Printers......Page 641
Types of Printers......Page 642
Printer Features......Page 649
Installing and Sharing Printers......Page 650
How to Install a Printer using Vista......Page 651
How to Install a Local Printer using Windows XP......Page 653
Steps to Install a Network Printer Using Windows XP......Page 656
Manage Printer Features and Settings......Page 658
Share an Installed Printer......Page 661
How to Use a Shared Printer......Page 664
Printer Languages......Page 666
Using Windows to Manage Printers......Page 667
Printer Consumables......Page 669
Maintaining Printers......Page 671
Printer Maintenance Kits......Page 672
Upgrade the Printer Memory or Hard Drive......Page 677
Cleaning a Printer......Page 679
Updating Printer Firmware......Page 681
Printer Does Not Print......Page 684
Problems with Laser Printers......Page 691
Problems with Inkjet Printers......Page 696
Problems with Impact Printers......Page 697
APPENDIX A: CompTIA A+ Acronyms......Page 703
APPENDIX B: Keystroke Shortcuts in Windows......Page 713
Glossary......Page 717
Index......Page 745