Next comes the reading assignment. Learn computer repair and practice what you've learned with the self-check and review exercises. At the end of the lesson is an open-book exam, which you may take online.
Lesson 1: A+ Certification and the Visible PC
What is A+ Certification? CompTIA; other certifications; structure and content of the A+ Certification exam; strategies for passing the A+ exam; how the PC works: input, processing, output, storage and the art of the PC technician; tools of the trade; anti-static tools; the CPU, RAM, motherboard, case, power supply, floppy drive, hard drive and CD-ROM drive; DB, DIN, Centronics, RJ, BNC, audio, USB and FireWire connectors; sound, network and video cards; PC peripherals.
Lesson 2: PC Microprocessors
CPU core components and installation; memory storage; RAM; address bus; Pentium CPUs; AMD CPUs; Intel Pentium 4; specialty processors: Intel Xeon, 64-bit and mobile processors; inserting a slot 1/slot A CPU and a PGA-type CPU; testing; cooling; overclocking.
Lesson 3: RAMS, BIOS and CMO
Organizing DRAM; DIPPs; 30-pin SIPPs; 30-pin and 72-pin SIMMs; SIMM sticks and parity; access speed; DIMM; EDO; SDRAM; PC100/133 standards; ECC; double pumping; RDRAM; DDR SDRAM; dual-channel architecture; double-sided SIMMs/DIMMs; installing and troubleshooting RAM; the function of BIOS; CMOS setup utilities; BIOS and device drivers; power-on self test (POST); beep codes; text errors; POST cards; the boot process; boot configuration.
Lesson 4: Expansion BUS and Motherboards
Structure and function of the expansion bus; I/O addresses; interrupt requests; direct memory access; memory addresses; modern expansion bus; installing and troubleshootig expansion cards and assigning resources; device drivers; verify; PCI-X and PCI-Express; installing, troubleshooting and upgrading motherboards; chipset varieties.
Lesson 5: Power Supplies; Floppy Drives
Understanding electricity; AC and DC; cooking; when power supplies die; fuses and fire; server systems and the EPS12V standard; Active PFC; formatting floppies; types of disks; inserting ribbon cables; determining drive letters; connectors; power; CMOS; floppy drive maintenance an troubleshooting; other CMOS options; radial misalignment; USB floppy drives.
Lesson 6: PC Hard Drives
How hard drives work: data encoding, moving the arms and geometry; parallel ATA and serial ATA; BIOS support: configuring CMOS and installing drives; troubleshooting, partitioning and formatting hard drives; maintaining and troubleshooting hard drives.
Lesson 7: Windows and Command-Line Interfaces
Operating system traits; communicating with hardware; creating a user interface; accessing and supporting programs; organizing and manipulating programs and data; tech utilities; OS folders; Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, and Me differences; Windows NT, XP and 2000; the boot process; deciphering the command line interface; syntax and switches; DIR command; directories.
Lesson 8: Installing and Maintaining Windows
Pre- and post-installation tasks; installing and upgrading Windows 9x/Me, Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP Professional; troubleshooting installation problems; maintaining and optimizing Windows 9x/Me; troubleshooting.
Lesson 9: CD, DVD Media and Video
How CD-ROMs work; DVD media; installing DVD and CD media drives; troubleshooting; CRT monitors; LCD displays; the video card; installing and configuring video software; troubleshooting video.
Lesson 10: SCSI and Sound
SCSI chains; SCSI IDs; termination; SCSI -1; SCSI-2; Se, HVD and LVD SCSI; SCSI-3; last notes on termination; bus mastering; SCSI cables and connectors; SCSI performance; power and connectivity; boot firmware; memory chips; storage; I/O; device drivers; costs vs. benefits of SCSI.
Lesson 11: Portable PCs and Printers
Desktop replacements and extenders; PDAs; PC cards; limited function and general purpose ports; modular laptops; batteries; power management; cleaning; heat; Centrino technology; ExpressCard installing and troubleshooting inkjet, impact, thermal, dye-sublimation and laser printers; printer language and connectivity; the laser printing process.
Lesson 12: Networking and the Internet
Packets/frames and NICs; Ethernet; token ring; parallel/serial; network operating systems; installing a NIC; configuring a network client, simple protocols; and TCP/IP; sharing and security; installing and configuring a wireless network; network troubleshooting; reproducing the problem; isolating symptom; make the fix and test; MikeÃ?s four-layer model; Bluetooth; connecting to the Internet via dial-up, DSL, cable, LAN, wireless, satellite and Internet connection sharing; e-mail; newsgroups; File Transfer Protocol, Telnet; terminal emulation; browser hassles; spyware.
