www.it-ebooks.info IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide Third Edition David Anfinson Ken Quamme Cisco Press 800 East 96th Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 USA www.it-ebooks.info ii IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide Third Edition David Anfinson • Ken Quamme Copyright© 2008 Cisco Systems, Inc. Cisco Press logo is a trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. Published by: Cisco Press 800 East 96th Street Indianapolis, IN 46240 USA All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Printed in the United States of America First Printing January 2008 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: ISBN-13: 978-1-58713-199-8 ISBN-10: 1-58713-199-4 Warning and Disclaimer This book is designed to provide information about PC hardware and software from the Cisco Networking Academy IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software course. Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possi- ble, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information is provided on an “as is” basis. The authors, Cisco Press, and Cisco Systems, Inc., shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book or from the use of the discs or programs that may accompany it. The opinions expressed in this book belong to the authors and are not necessarily those of Cisco Systems, Inc. Publisher Paul Boger Associate Publisher Dave Dusthimer Cisco Representative Anthony Wolfenden Cisco Press Program Manager Jeff Brady Executive Editor Mary Beth Ray Managing Editor Patrick Kanouse Development Editor Andrew Cupp Copy Editor Gayle Johnson Written Elegance, Inc. Technical Editors David E. Johnson Scott Stephenson Editorial Assistant Vanessa Evans Designer Louisa Adair Indexer Tim Wright Proofreader [PE to insert] www.it-ebooks.info Trademark Acknowledgments All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately cap- italized. Cisco Press or Cisco Systems, Inc., cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. 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If you have any comments regarding how we could improve the quality of this book, or otherwise alter it to better suit your needs, you can contact us through email at feedback@ciscopress.com. Please make sure to include the book title and ISBN in your message. We greatly appreciate your assistance. iii www.it-ebooks.info About the Authors David Anfinson, MCSE, MCSA, CCNA, CCDA, A+, Net+, HTI+, is a former instructor and CIO for Williston State College. David resides in Williston, North Dakota, with his wife, Teresa, and their children, Rachel and Shawn. Ken Quamme, CCNA, CCAI, A+, is an assistant professor at Williston State College, Williston, North Dakota, where he teaches the CCNA curricula, IT Essentials I and II, Cisco wireless, and IP telephony. Ken has served as vocational director and chief informa- tion officer for Williston State College. Ken resides in Williston, North Dakota, with his wife, Julie, and their children, Christopher, Jaci, and Logan. iv IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide www.it-ebooks.info About the Technical Reviewers David E. Johnson is a professor of information systems technology at New Hampshire Community Technical College, Pease Campus in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Among his certifications are A+, Net+, and CCNA. He received his B.A. and M.Ed. degrees from the University of Maine in Orono, Maine. Scott Stephenson is in his sixth year as the Cisco Networking Academy instructor at Burleson High School. His teaching duties include Cisco Networking Academy CCNA 1–4, Cisco Networking Academy IT Essentials, business computer programming, web design, and business computer information systems. He also teaches networking at Tarrant County College, and technology applications for Burleson Continuing Education. He holds A+ IT Technician, A+ Depot Technician, Server +, Network +, CCNA, Cisco Certified Academy Instructor Trainer, Microsoft Office Specialist, WebYoda Associate Webmaster, WebYoda Certified Webmaster, and WebYoda Academy Instructor technology certifications. He was the band director at Ballinger High School in Ballinger, Texas, for 16 years before entering the technology field. He graduated from Angelo State University, with a bachelor’s degree in music education. In 2006, he earned a Master of Science: Management Information Systems degree from Kenney-Western University. v www.it-ebooks.info Dedications This book is dedicated to Julie, Teresa, Christopher, Rachael, Jaci, Shawn, and Logan, our family. Thank you for your support. Acknowledgments We would like to give special recognition to Mary Beth Ray, Drew Cupp, Chris Cleveland, and Dayna Isley for providing their expertise in editing the book. vi IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide www.it-ebooks.info Contents at a Glance Introduction xxxi Chapter 1 Introduction to the Personal Computer 1 Chapter 2 Safe Lab Procedures and Tool Use 47 Chapter 3 Computer Assembly—Step by Step 75 Chapter 4 Basics of Preventive Maintenance and Troubleshooting 99 Chapter 5 Fundamental Operating Systems 113 Chapter 6 Fundamental Laptops and Portable Devices 171 Chapter 7 Fundamental Printers and Scanners 213 Chapter 8 Fundamental Networks 251 Chapter 9 Fundamental Security 313 Chapter 10 Communication Skills 341 Chapter 11 Advanced Personal Computers 365 Chapter 12 Advanced Operating Systems 405 Chapter 13 Advanced Laptops and Portable Devices 439 Chapter 14 Advanced Printers and Scanners 467 Chapter 15 Advanced Networks 499 Chapter 16 Advanced Security 537 Appendix Answers to Check Your Understanding Questions 565 Glossary 573 Index 605 vii www.it-ebooks.info Contents Introduction xxxi Chapter 1 Introduction to the Personal Computer 1 Objectives 1 Key Terms 1 Explain IT Industry Certifications 3 Identify Education and Certifications 3 Describe the A+ Certification 4 Describe the EUCIP Certification 5 Module 1: Computer Hardware 5 Module 2: Operating Systems 5 Module 3: Local-Area Network and Network Services 5 Module 4: Expert Network Use 6 Module 5: IT Security 6 Describe a Computer System 6 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Cases and Power Supplies 6 Describe Cases 7 Describe Power Supplies 9 Connectors 9 Electricity and Ohm’s Law 11 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Internal Components 12 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Motherboards 13 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of CPUs 15 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Cooling Systems 18 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of ROM and RAM 19 ROM 20 RAM 20 Memory Modules 21 Cache Memory 21 Error Checking 22 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Adapter Cards 22 viii IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide www.it-ebooks.info Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Storage Drives 23 Floppy Drives 24 Hard Drives 24 Optical Drives 25 Flash Drives 25 Network Drives 25 Types of Drive Interfaces 26 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Internal Cables 26 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Ports and Cables 28 Serial Ports and Cables 28 USB Ports and Cables 29 FireWire Ports and Cables 29 Parallel Ports and Cables 30 SCSI Ports and Cables 31 Network Ports and Cables 31 PS/2 Ports 32 Audio Ports 33 Video Ports and Connectors 33 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Input Devices 34 Identify the Names, Purposes, and Characteristics of Output Devices 36 Monitors and Projectors 36 Printers, Scanners, and Fax Machines 38 Speakers and Headphones 39 Explain System Resources and Their Purposes 40 Interrupt Requests 40 Input/Output (I/O) Port Addresses 41 Direct Memory Access 42 Summary 43 Summary of Exercises 43 Check Your Understanding 43 ix www.it-ebooks.info [...]... reading and completing this book, you have the opportunity to review all key concepts that the CompTIA A+ exams cover If you use this book along with its companion IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Labs and Study Guide, Third Edition (ISBN 1-58713-198-6), you can reinforce those concepts with hands-on exercises and test that knowledge with review questions and exercises The IT Essentials: PC Hardware. .. Index 573 605 www .it- ebooks.info 565 xxxi Introduction IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide, Third Edition, is a supplemental book to the Cisco Networking Academy IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software version 4 course The course teaches you how to build a computer and troubleshoot problems that occur in everyday use The course is designed to prepare you to take and pass the CompTIA... Understanding www .it- ebooks.info 464 461 xxvi IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide Chapter 14 Advanced Printers and Scanners Objectives 467 Key Terms 467 467 Describe Potential Safety Hazards and Safety Procedures Associated with Printers and Scanners 468 Install and Configure a Local Printer and Scanner 469 Connect the Device to a Local Port 470 Install and Configure the Driver and Software. .. accompanying IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Labs and Study Guide, Third Edition (ISBN 1-58713-198-6) ■ Virtual Desktop Activity and Virtual Laptop Activity references: Throughout each chapter and at the end of each chapter, there are references to the Virtual Desktop activities and Virtual Laptop activities that can be found on the CD that accompanies this book ■ “Check Your Understanding” review...x IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide Chapter 2 Safe Lab Procedures and Tool Use Objectives 47 Key Terms 47 47 Identify Safe Working Conditions and Procedures 49 Identify Safety Procedures and Potential Hazards for Users and Technicians 49 General Safety Guidelines 50 Fire Safety Guidelines 50 Identify Safety Procedures to Protect Equipment from Damage and Data from... principles, standards, and purposes The different types of network topologies, protocols, and logical models, as well as the hardware needed to create a network, will also be discussed in this chapter Configuration, troubleshooting, and preventive www .it- ebooks.info xxxiv IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide maintenance will be covered You will also learn about network software, communication... Networking Academy IT Essentials PC Hardware and Software version 4 course This student typically is pursuing a career in information technology (IT) or wants to have the knowledge of how a computer works, how to assemble a computer, and how to troubleshoot hardware and software issues Features of This Book The features in this book facilitate an understanding of computer systems and troubleshooting... Terms 537 537 www .it- ebooks.info 535 531 528 xxix Outline Security Requirements Based on Customer Needs Outline a Local Security Policy 538 539 Explain When and How to Use Security Hardware 541 Explain When and How to Use Security Application Software 543 Select Security Components Based on Customer Needs 543 Describe and Compare Security Techniques 544 Passwords 544 Logging and Auditing 544 Wireless... Data from the Computer 558 Step 5: Evaluate the Problem and Implement the Solution Step 6: Close with the Customer 559 Identify Common Problems and Solutions 559 www .it- ebooks.info 559 xxx IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide Summary 561 Summary of Exercises 561 Check Your Understanding Appendix 562 Answers to Check Your Understanding Questions Chapter 1 565 Chapter 2 565 Chapter 3... Netiquette 349 346 Implement Workstation Ergonomics and Time- and StressManagement Techniques 350 Workstation Ergonomics 350 Time Management 351 Stress Management 351 www .it- ebooks.info xxii IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide Observe Service Level Agreements (SLA) Follow Business Policies 352 354 Explain Ethics and Legal Aspects of Working with Computer Technology 355 Ethical Customs Legal . Indiana 46240 USA www .it- ebooks.info ii IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide Third Edition David Anfinson • Ken Quamme Copyright©. www .it- ebooks.info IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide Third Edition David Anfinson Ken Quamme Cisco Press 800 East 96th Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 USA www .it- ebooks.info ii. in Williston, North Dakota, with his wife, Julie, and their children, Christopher, Jaci, and Logan. iv IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Companion Guide www .it- ebooks.info About the Technical