CompTIA A+ 1002 - Lesson 1

403 - You are troubleshooting a problem and find a disk marked as "foreign" listed under Drive Management. What does it mean?

The disk was configured as dynamic under a different computer then installed in this one. You need to import the disk to make it usable.

43 - System Files

The files necessary for the operating system to function properly.

388 - True or false? Each version of Windows has an Administrative Tools shortcut folder in Control Panel.

True—the contents do vary from version to version though.

46 - UNIX

UNIX is a family of more than 20 related operating systems that are produced by various companies. It can run on a wide variety of platforms. UNIX offers a multitude of file systems in addition to its native system. UNIX remains widely deployed in enterprise data centers to run mission critical applications and infrastructure.

8 - CLI

(Command Line Interface) A textual interface based on the operating system, where a user typically enters commands at the command prompt to instruct the computer to perform a specific task.

21 - File Extension

A series of characters at the end of a file name; used by an OS to identify the software application that is associated with a file.

35 - Operating System

A software package that enables a computer to function. It performs basic tasks, such as recognizing the input from a keyboard, sending the output to a display screen or monitor, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.

48 - Wildcard

A special character that is used to substitute characters in a string.

15 - End of Life System

A system that is no longer supported by the developer or vendor.

1 - ACPI

Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface) An open standard to communicate between the operating system and hardware to enable power management features.

41 - Shell

An OS component that interacts directly with users and functions as the command interpreter for operating systems.

50 - Window Media Center

An obsolete program included with Windows Vista and Windows 7 that included a broadcast TV schedule that allowed computers equipped with a TV tuner card to view and record TV programs. It also acted as a playback interface for optical discs.

3 - Android

An open-source operating system supported by a wide range of hardware and software vendors.

30 - Linux

An open-source operating system supported by a wide range of hardware and software vendors.

406 - You are supporting a user with a Windows 10 Home PC. The user has installed a computer game, but the game will not run. The computer is fitted with a dedicated graphics adapter. You determine that the adapter driver should be updated, but there is no newer driver available via Windows Update. How should you proceed?

Browse the graphics adapter vendor's website and use the card's model number in the driver search tool to look for the latest version. Compare the version information for the driver on the website to the installed version (use Device Manager to check the installed version number). If the website driver is newer, download and run the setup file to install and configure it. You should ensure that the setup file is digitally signed by the vendor. If the driver is only provided as a compressed archive, extract the driver files then use the Update Driver button in Device Manager to select it for use with the adapter.

397 - What is the effect of running the cd.. command?

Change the directory focus to the parent directory (equivalent of Up One Folder).

7 - Chrome OS

Chrome OS is derived from Linux, via an open source OS called Chromium. Chrome OS itself is proprietary. Chrome OS is developed by Google to run on specific laptop (chromebooks) and PC (chromeboxes) hardware.

6 - Charms

Commands displayed in a vertical bar on the right side of a Windows 8 Start Screen. The commands are Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings.

9 - Clusters

Disk sectors are grouped in clusters of 2, 4, 6, 8, or more. The smaller the cluster size, the lower the data overhead in terms of wasted space, but larger clusters can improve performance.

14 - Driver

Software that creates an interface between a device and the operating system. It may also include tools for configuring and optimizing the device.

383 - A customer asks whether an iOS app that your company developed will also work on her Apple macOS computer. What issue does this raise and what answer might you give?

Starting with the M1 processor, Apple's line up of MacOS devices support installing iOS applications. Any Apple MacOS device prior to the M1 processor in 2020 will not run iOS products.

381 - In terms of system hardware, what is the main advantage of a 64-bit version of Windows?

Support for more than 4 GB RAM.

386 - A user asks you how they can change Ease of Access settings. In which management interface(s) are these settings located in the different versions of Windows?

User-level features like this are configured via the Control Panel in Windows 7. In Windows 8 and Windows 10, there are Ease of Access settings in both the Control Panel and in the PC Settings/Windows Settings app but don't worry if you just answered "Settings app." It is also worth remembering that you can use Instant Search to return a list of user configuration options quickly.

380 - You receive a call from a customer who is confused after upgrading his Windows 7 Home Premium edition computer to Windows 10. The user cannot find the All Programs menu. What should you advise?

Users often need assistance when an OS version changes the desktop-style or user interface. In Windows 10, the Start Menu may be swapped to a Start Screen while in Tablet Mode. It is possible the user has a tablet-styled computer or may have enabled Tablet Mode unintentionally.

402 - True or false? A volume or partition MUST be assigned a drive letter to access it via Explorer.

False—assigning a drive letter is common practice, but a partition can be mounted to any point in the file system.

394 - True or false? In Windows 7, libraries cannot contain network folders.

False—this is one of the main reasons for using libraries. They can consolidate a "view" of files stored in different locations on different file systems.

11 - Control Panel

Management interface for configuring Windows settings. In Windows 8 and later, the touch-enabled app PC Settings/Windows Settings is used for many options previously configured via Control Panel.

27 - iOS

Mobile OS developed by Apple for its iPhone and iPad devices.

407 - You are supporting a user who has installed a vendor keyboard driver. The keyboard no longer functions correctly. Under Windows 10, what are the steps to revert to the previous driver?

Open Device Manager from the WinX menu, Instant Search, or the Computer Management console. Expand Keyboards then right-click the device and select Properties. On the Driver tab, select Rollback Driver.

390 - You are attempting to run a command but receive the message "The requested operation requires elevation." What must you do to run the command?

Open a new command prompt window with sufficient privileges. You can right-click the Command Prompt icon and select Run as administrator, or press Ctrl+Shift+Enter with the icon selected.

18 - Feature Updates

Semi-annual updates to the Windows operating system that include enhanced features that are installed in multiple phases, requiring a reboot after each phase of the update installation. Compare with quality updates.

410 - You are assisting a laptop user. While she was away from her desk, the laptop has powered off. The user was in the middle of working on a file and had forgotten to save changes. Can you reassure her and advise on the best course of action?

When a computer goes into a power saving mode, it will either maintain a small amount of power to the memory modules or write the contents of memory to a hibernation file on disk. Consequently, the user should be able to start the laptop again and the desktop will resume with the open file still there. You should advise the customer to save changes to files regularly however.

52 - Windows Settings

Windows 10 app for configuring and managing the Windows 10 computer.

32 - Microsoft Windows

Windows started as version 3.1 for 16-bit computers. A workgroup version provided rudimentary network facilities. Windows NT 4 workstations and servers (introduced in 1993) provided reliable 32-bit operation and secure network facilities, based around domains. The Windows 9x clients (Windows 95, 98, and Me) had far lower reliability and only support for workgroups, but were still hugely popular as home and business machines. Windows 2000 and Windows XP workstations married the hardware flexibility and user interface of Windows 9x to the reliability and security of Windows NT, while the server versions saw the introduction of Active Directory for managing network objects. The subsequent client releases of Windows (Vista and Windows 7) featured a substantially different interface (Aero) with 3D features as well as security improvements. The latest client versions— Windows 8 and Windows 10—are designed for use with touchscreen devices.

38 - Quality Updates

Windows updates that are typically released each Tuesday designed to address security vulnerabilities, usually installed in one group of patches and requiring a single reboot. Compare with feature updates.

17 - FAT

(File Allocation Table) A basic disk format allowing the OS to write data as files on a disk. The original 16-bit version (FAT16, but often simply called FAT) was replaced by a 32- bit version that is almost universally supported by different operating systems and devices. A 64-bit version (exFAT) was introduced with Windows 7 and is also supported by XP SP3 and Vista SP1 and some versions of Linux and macOS. There is also a 12-bit version used to format floppy disks.

22 - GPT

(GUID Partition Table) A modern disk partitioning system allowing large numbers of partitions and very large partition sizes.

23 - GUI

(Graphical User Interface) An easy to use, intuitive interface for a computer operating system. Most GUIs require a pointing device, such as a mouse, to operate efficiently. One of the world's first GUI-based operating systems was the Apple Mac OS, released in 1984. Thereafter, Microsoft produced their Windows family of products based around their GUI. In fact, recognizing that GUI covers a whole range of designs, the Windows interface is better described as a WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointing [device]) interface.

24 - HCL

(Hardware Compatibility List) Before installing an OS, it is vital to check that all the PC components have been tested for compatibility with the OS (that they are on the Hardware Compatibility List [HCL] or Windows Logo'd Product List). Incompatible hardware may not work or may even prevent the installation from completing successfully.

31 - MBR

(Master Boot Record) A sector on a hard disk storing information about partitions configured on the disk.

34 - NTFS

(NT File System) A Windows file system that supports a 64-bit address space and is able to provide extra features such as file-by-file compression and RAID support as well as advanced file attribute management tools, encryption, and disk quotas.

39 - RAID

(Redundant Array of Independent/Inexpensive Disks) A set of vendor-independent specifications for fault-tolerant configurations on multiple-disk systems.

45 - UAC

(User Account Control) A security system in Windows designed to restrict abuse of accounts with administrator privileges. Actions such as installing hardware and software can be performed without changing accounts but the user must authorize the use of administrative rights by clicking a prompt or re-entering user credentials.

47 - VBR

(Volume Boot Record) Loads the boot manager, which for Windows is bootmgr.exe.

389 - When would you use the mmc command?

A Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is used for Windows administration. Running mmc opens an empty console. You would do this to create a custom toolkit of the snap-ins used to configure advanced features of Windows. You can save the custom console for future use.

20 - File Explorer

A Microsoft Windows tool that offers a single view of all the resources and information that you can access from a computer.

42 - Standard User Account

A Microsoft Windows user account recommended for day-to-day operations, which has much more limited capabilities than the Administrator account, and is able to run installed programs.

2 - Administrator Account

A Microsoft Windows user account that can perform all tasks on the computer, including installing and uninstalling apps, setting up other users, and configuring hardware and software.

37 - Plug and Play

A Plug and Play system (comprising a compatible BIOS, operating system, and hardware) is self-configuring. When a hardware device is added or removed, the operating system detects the change and automatically installs the appropriate drivers.

19 - File Attribute

A characteristic that can be associated with a file or folder that provides the operating system with important information about the file or folder and how it is intended to be used by system users.

26 - Home Directory

A directory (folder) where you are placed when you log in to the OS. In Linux, it is typically represented by the ~ symbol. The home directory could be redirected to a network location.

16 - exFAT

A file system designed for flash memory cards and memory sticks.

28 - ISO File

A file that contains all of the contents from an optical disc in a single file which can be mounted to the file system as though it were a physical optical drive.

29 - Kernel

A low-level piece of code responsible for controlling the rest of the operating system.

51 - Windows Server

A network operating system typically used for private network servers and Internet servers running web, email, and social networking apps.

33 - Mount Point

A partition or volume mapped to a folder in another file system rather than allocated a drive letter.

49 - Windows Certified Product List

A searchable database of hardware devices that have been tested to ensure they are compatible with the Windows 10 operating system.

40 - Sector

A sector is the term given to the regularly sized subdivision of a drive track. During low-level formatting, the size and position of the sectors are written to the disk so that the data can be placed into uniform spots that the drive head can easily access.

401 - What type of partitioning scheme must a disk use if Windows is installed to a 64- bit UEFI-based computer?

GPT-style partitioning.

5 - Boot Partition

In Microsoft terminology, the partition that contains the operating system (that is, the\WINDOWS folder) is referred to as the boot partition. This is typically a different partition to the system partition (the partition containing the boot files).

44 - System Partition

In Microsoft terminology, the system partition is the bootable partition on the hard disk. This is usually, but not always, separate to the boot partition, which contains the operating system. The system partition is usually hidden from File Explorer (no drive letter is assigned to it).

4 - Apps

Programs installed via a vendor store interface that extend the functionality of a computing device. An app must be written and compiled for the particular operating system used by the device.

13 - Desktop Style

The UI elements that allow the user to interact with the OS vary between OS types and versions. For example, the Windows Start Menu has evolved into the Start Screen.

25 - Hives

The Windows Registry is made up of hives. Each hive contains a discrete body of configuration data corresponding to an aspect of the system; for example; the SOFTWARE hive contains all the software configuration information. The files comprising the hives are stored in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder.

393 - Which is or are the main location(s) for system files in Windows?

The Windows folder (or system root) contains the files used to run Windows itself. Program Files contains the executable and settings files installed by desktop applications. You might also mention that the Users folder contains user settings files, user-specific application data, and user-generated data files. There are also some additional hidden folders (notably ProgramData) but do not worry if you have not included these.

36 - Partitioning

The act of dividing a physical disk into logically separate storage areas, often referred to as drives.

404 - A customer with a Windows 10 Home computer contacts you. She stores family photos on the computer''s hard disk, but says she has read about disk failure and worries that they might be at risk. Is she right to be concerned and what solutions can you suggest?

The customer is right to consider the risk and take steps to mitigate it. One option is to make a backup of the files so that they are always stored on at least two devices. You could also suggest configuring the RAID-like functionality available with the StorageSpaces feature of Windows 10. Note that you cannot recommend Dynamic Disks as that is not available with the Home edition. Using both Storage Spaces and an offsite backup method, such as copying to a cloud drive, will give the best protection.

12 - Desktop

The desktop is at the top of the object hierarchy in Explorer, containing the Computer, Documents, Network, and Recycle Bin objects. The desktop also stores shortcuts to programs, files, and system objects.

409 - You are troubleshooting an issue with a wireless adapter. When you open Device Manager, you find the device''s icon is shown with a down arrow superimposed. What does this mean and why might this configuration have been imposed?

The icon indicates that the device has been disabled. It could be that there was a fault, or there may be a network configuration or security reason for disabling the adapter. In this sort of situation, use incident logs and device documentation to establish the reason behind the configuration change.

384 - Apart from Windows and macOS, what operating system options are there for client PCs?

The other main choice is one of the distributions of Linux. A company might also use some sort of UNIX. Finally, Chrome OS is installed on Chromebox PCs. These are often used by educational institutions and businesses who rely primarily on web applications, rather than locally installed desktop software.

10 - Command Interpreter

The portion of an operating system or script language that is able to read and implement commands entered by a user or from a script file.

398 - Which Windows command is probably best suited for scripting file backup operations?

The robocopy command offers more options than xcopy, so it will usually be the better choice. The copy command is quite basic and probably not suitable.

400 - What is the difference between the boot partition and the system partition?

The system partition contains the boot files; the boot partition contains the system root (OS files).

395 - You receive a call from a user trying to save a file and receiving an "Access Denied" error. Assuming a normal configuration with no underlying file corruption, encryption, or malware issue, what is the cause and what do you suggest?

The user does not have "Write" or "Modify" permission to that folder. If there is no configuration issue, you should advise the user about the storage locations permitted for user- generated files. If there were a configuration issue, you would investigate why the user had not been granted the correct permissions for the target folder.

396 - You need to assist a user in changing the extension of a file. Assuming default Explorer view settings, what steps must the user take?

The user must first show file extensions, using the View tab in the Folder Options applet. In Windows 8/10, extensions can be shown through a check box on the View menu ribbon. The user can then right-click the file and select Rename, or press F2 and over-type the extension part.

387 - You receive a call from a Windows 7 user who wants to "speed his computer up." After questioning him, you find that he is actually getting frustrated at having to click through UAC authorizations. He asks how to turn them off. Explain how this is done. Should you offer any other advice?

There are several ways to disable User Account Control (UAC) but the simplest is via the User Accounts applet in Control Panel. You can also just search for "UAC" to open the dialog box. You should advise the customer that UAC is an important security feature, and that by disabling it, his computer will be more vulnerable to malware.

408 - A Windows 7 Professional user is trying to join a video conference and cannot hear any sound from her headset or the computer''s built-in speakers. Which tool can you suggest using to try to remedy the fault?

There is an automated Windows Troubleshooting tool for diagnosing and correcting problems with audio playback. You should advise the customer to open the Troubleshooting applet in Control Panel and select the troubleshooter for audio playback.

385 - You are advising a customer with an older model Android smartphone. The customer wants to update to the latest version of Android, but using the update option results in a "No updates available" message. What type of issue is this, and what advice can you provide?

This is an issue with update limitations. Android is quite a fragmented market, and customers must depend on the handset vendor to implement OS updates for a particular model. The customer can only check the handset vendor's website or helpline to find out if a version update will ever be supported for that model.

392 - What tasks would you perform using the regedit tool?

This tool allows you to make manual changes to the Window Registry database. You can also use it to export and back up portions of the registry. You might also import registry files to apply a suggested fix.

399 - If a single physical disk is divided into three partitions, how many different file systems can be supported?

Three—each partition can use a different file system.

391 - Why might you run the shutdown command with the /t switch?

To specify a delay between running the command and shutdown starting. You might do this to give users a chance to save work or to ensure that a computer is restarted overnight.

382 - You are advising a customer whose business is expanding. The business owner needs to provision an additional 30 desktop computers, some of which will be installed at a second office location. The business is currently run with a workgroup network of five Windows 7 Home Premium desktop computers and one file server. Why might you suggest licenses for an edition of Windows 10 that supports corporate needs for the new computer and has upgrades for the old computers? Which specific editions(s) could you recommend?

Without a domain, accounts must be configured on each computer individually. With over 30 computers to manage at two locations, this would be a substantial task so switching to a domain network, where the accounts can be configured on the server, is likely to save costs in the long term. The BranchCache feature would also allow computers at the second office to minimize bandwidth usage when downloading documents (Enterprise edition only) and updates from the main office. You can suggest either Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise for use on a domain. As Windows moves towards a service model, subscription-based licensing of the Enterprise edition is becoming the mainstream choice.

405 - Is the command format d: /fs:exfat /q valid? If so, what is its effect, and what precaution might you need to take before running it?

Yes, it is valid. It formats drive D with the exFAT file system by using a quick format (does not scan for bad sectors). This will delete the file table on the drive so existing data files can be overwritten—the formatted drive will appear to be empty in Explorer. If there are existing files that need to be preserved, they should be backed up before running the format command.