A+ Certification for Dummies, 3rd Edition ISBN:0764541870 by Ron Gilster John Wiley & Sons © 2004 This painless test preparation tool begins with an introduction to basic electronics and numbering systems relevant to computer processing, then builds hardware knowledge from the bottom up, and finishes off by demonstrating how to work on computers Table of Contents A+ Certification For Dummies, 3rd Edition Introduction Book I - A+ Hardware Technology Exam Part I - Laying Down Some Fundamentals Chapter 1 - The 2003 A+ Certification Exams Chapter 2 - Basic Electronics and Number Systems Part II - Inside the Box Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 - The Motherboard - BIOS - Bus Structures - Microprocessors - Memory Systems - Storing Data - Powering and Cooling the PC Part III - Outside the Box Chapter 10 - Input/Output Ports Chapter 11 - Input Devices Chapter 12 - Output Devices Chapter 13 - Printers Chapter 14 - Portable Systems Part IV - Remembering Why It’s Called Hardware Taking a PC Apart (And Putting It Back Together Again) Chapter 16 - Keeping the PC Running Chapter 17 - Troubleshooting PC Problems Chapter 18 - The Hardware Side of Networking Book II - Operating System Technologies Exam Chapter 15 - Part V - Operating Systems Chapter 19 - Windows OS Basics Chapter 20 - Windows 95, 98, and Me Chapter 21 - Windows 2000 Professional Chapter 22 - Windows XP Professional Part VI - Connecting to a Network Chapter 23 - Making the Network Connection Chapter 24 - Working with the Network Chapter 25 - Sharing the Internet Chapter 26 - Troubleshooting System Problems Appendix A - Hardware Technology Exam Objectives Appendix B - Operating System Exam Objectives A+ Certification For Dummies, 3rd Edition Cheat Sheet Index List of Figures List of Tables List of Labs List of Sidebars Back Cover Here’s the fun and easy way to study for the exam—all the rewards in half the time! Here’s the exam 220-301 and 220-302 test-prep guide you’ve been waiting for—an economical For Dummies book that actually makes studying fun Prepared by a CompTIA-certified expert and packed with proven tips and practice exams, it’s all you need to get up to speed on core hardware and operating system technologies— and pass the test! Discover how to: Review the material, objective by objective Assess what you know—and don’t know Spot and avoid test traps Answer questions quickly Hone your skills Create custom practice exams About the Author Ron Gilster has more than 35 years of experience in virtually every aspect of computing technology He has held consulting and management positions with several high profile companies A+ Certification For Dummies, 3rd Edition by Ron Gilster Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8700 Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, e-mail: permcoordinator@wiley.com Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc and/or its affiliates All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation You should consult with a professional where appropriate Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S at 317-572-3993, or fax 317572-4002 Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books Library of Congress Control Number: 2003105687 ISBN: 0-7645-4187-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 3B/QW/RQ/QT/IN About the Author Ron Gilster (A+, Network+, i-Net+, Server+, CCSE, CCNA, MBA, and AAGG) has been operating, programming, and repairing computers for more than 30 years Ron has extensive experience training, teaching, and consulting in computer-related areas, including working on mainframes, minicomputers, and virtually every type of personal computer and operating system that exists In addition to a wide range of positions that have included College Instructor, Customer Service Manager, Data Processing Manager, Management Information Systems Director, and Vice President of Operations in major corporations and small businesses, Ron has been a management consultant with an international auditing firm and has operated his own computer systems consulting firm Ron has authored a number of certification books, including Network+ Certification For Dummies, i-Net+ Certification For Dummies, Server+ Certification For Dummies, CCNA For Dummies, Cisco Networking For Dummies, MCSA All-in-One Reference For Dummies, and PC Repair Bench Book (all for Wiley Publishing), as well as several books on computer and information literacy, applications programming, and other computer hardware topics Ron also acted as the series editor for Wiley Publishing’s End to End series and Network+ Certification Bible Dedication To Connie, Carly, Markus, Kirstie, and Jessica Author’s Acknowledgments I would like to thank the virtual “cast of thousands” at Wiley who helped to get this book published, especially Melody Layne, Carol Sheehan, Pat O’Brien, John Edwards, Jean Rogers, Dan DiNicolo, Laura Moss, Laura Carpenter VanWinkle, and Amanda Foxworth, all of whom were on my side all the way Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/ Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development Project Editor: Pat O’Brien Acquisitions Editor: Melody Layne Copy Editors: John Edwards Jean Rogers Technical Editor: Dan DiNicolo Editorial Manager: Kevin Kirschner Media Development Manager: Laura VanWinkle Media Development Supervisor: Richard Graves Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Production Project Coordinator: Ryan Steffen Layout and Graphics: Carrie Foster Joyce Haughey Michael Kruzil Heather Ryan Jacque Schneider Julie Trippetti Proofreaders: Laura Albert David Faust John Greenough Dwight Ramsey Charles Spencer TECHBOOKS Production Services Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher Mary C Corder, Editorial Director Publishing for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services Introduction Overview If you have bought or are considering buying this book, you probably fit one of the following categories: You know how valuable A+ Certification is to a professional personal computer (PC) technician’s career and advancement You’re wondering just what A+ Certification is all about You think that reading this book may be a fun, entertaining way to learn about computer hardware maintenance and repair You love all For Dummies books and wait impatiently for each new one to come out You’re a big fan of mine and can’t wait to read all of my new books Well, if you fit any of the first four scenarios, this is the book for you! However, I’m not certified in the appropriate medical areas to help you if you are in the last category! If you’re already aware of the A+ Certified Computer Technician program and are just looking for an excellent study aid, you can skip the next few sections of this introduction because your search is over However, if you don’t have the foggiest idea of what A+ Certification is, how it can benefit you, or how to prepare for it, read on! ... You’re wondering just what A+ Certification is all about You think that reading this book may be a fun, entertaining way to learn about computer hardware maintenance and repair You love all For Dummies books and wait impatiently for each new one to come out... Remember icons point out important background information and advantages of the technology that may appear on the exam Tip Tip icons flag information that can come in extra-handy during the testing process You may want to take notes on these tidbits!... get this book published, especially Melody Layne, Carol Sheehan, Pat O’Brien, John Edwards, Jean Rogers, Dan DiNicolo, Laura Moss, Laura Carpenter VanWinkle, and Amanda Foxworth, all of whom were on my side all the way Publisher’s Acknowledgments