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A+ Guide to Hardware Managing, Maintaining, and Troubleshooting

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ISBN-10: 0619217626

ISBN-13: 9780619217624

Edition: 4th 2007 (Revised)

Authors: Jean Andrews

List price: $174.95
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Written by best-selling author and instructor Jean Andrews, this edition maps fully to the 2006 A+ Exams. This full-color guide is designed to be the most complete, step-by-step book available for learning the fundamentals of supporting and troubleshooting computer hardware. Video clips are available on the accompanying CD so readers can watch the author bring concepts and technical topics to life via live demonstrations.
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Book details

List price: $174.95
Edition: 4th
Copyright year: 2007
Publisher: Course Technology
Publication date: 12/12/2006
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 784
Size: 8.50" wide x 10.75" long x 1.25" tall
Weight: 3.982
Language: English

CompTIA A+ Essential 2006 Examination Objectives
CompTIA A+ 220-602 2006 Examination Objectives
CompTIA A+ 220-603 2006 Examination Objectives
CompTIA A+ 220-604 2006 Examination Objectives
Introduction
Hardware Needs Software to Work
Hardware Needs Software to Work
PC Hardware Components
Hardware Used for Input and Output
Hardware Inside the Computer Case
The Motherboard
The Processor and the Chipset
Storage Devices
Motherboard Components Used for Communication Among Devices
Interface (Expansion) Cards
The Electrical System
Instructions Stored on the Motherboard and Other Boards
PC Repair Fundamentals
PC Support Technician Tools
Recovery CDs
Loop-back Plugs
Cleaning Pads and Solutions
Post Diagnostic Cards
Personal Computer Preventive Maintenance
When a PC Is Your Permanent Responsibility
Creating a Preventive Maintenance Plan
Dealing with Dust
Preparing a Computer for Shipping
Disposing of Used Equipment
How to Work Inside a Computer Case
Static Electricity
Steps to Take apart a Computer
Steps to Put a Computer Back Together
Understanding the Boot Process
Booting a Computer
Choosing Between a Hard Boot and a Soft Boot
The Startup BIOS Controls the Beginning of the Boot
Changing the Boot Sequence
How to Troubleshoot a PC Problem
Steps to Solving a PC Problem
Troubleshooting a Failed Boot
My Computer Won't Boot
Troubleshooting Major Subsystems Used for Booting
Form Factors and Power Supplies
Computer Case, Motherboard, and Power Supply Form Factors
Types of Form Factors
Types of Cases
Measures and Properties of Electricity
AC and DC
Hot, Neutral, and Ground
Some Common Electronic Components
Protecting Your Computer System
Static Electricity
EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)
Surge Protection and Battery Backup
Surge Suppressors
Energy Star Systems (The Green Star)
Power-Management Methods and Features
Energy Star Monitors
Troubleshooting the Electrical System
Problems with External Power
Problems with Loose Internal Connections
Problems That Come and Go
Problems with an Inadequate Power Supply
Problems with the Power Supply, Boards, or Drives
Problems with the Power Supply Fan
Power Problems with the Motherboard
Problems with Overheating
Replacing the Power Supply
Processors and Chipsets
Processors
How a Processor Works
The Intel Processors
AMD Processors
VIA and Cyrix Processors
Processor Sockets and Slots
The Chipset
Heat Sinks and Cooling Fans
Installing a Processor
Voltage to the Processor
CPU Voltage Regulator
Installing a Pentium II in Slot 1
Installing a Pentium 4 in Socket 478
Installing a Pentium 4 in Socket 775
Chapter 5
Selecting a Motherboard
Configuring and Supporting a Motherboard
Buses and Expansion Slots
Hardware Configuration
Flashing ROM BIOS
Motherboard Drivers
Replacing a Motherboard
Preparing the Motherboard to Go into the Case
Installing the Motherboard in the Case
Completing the Installation
Troubleshooting the Motherboard and Processor
Problems with Installations
Problems with the Motherboard and Processor
Upgrading Memory
RAM Technologies
SIMM Technologies
DIMM Technologies
RIMM Technologies
Error Checking and Parity
CAS Latency and RAS Latency
Tin or Gold Leads
Memory Speeds
How to Upgrade Memory
How Much and What Kind of Memory to Buy
Installing Memory
Troubleshooting Memory
Upgrade Problems
Recurring Problems
Hard Drives
Learning from Floppy Drives
How Floppy Drives Work
How to Install a Floppy Drive
How Hard Drives Work
Tracks and Sectors on the Drive
Low-Level Formatting
Calculating Drive Capacity on Older Drives
Drive Capacity for Today's Drives
Hard Drive Interface Standards
The ATA Interface Standards
SCSI Technology
Other Interface Standards
Selecting and Installing a Hard Drive
How to Select a Hard Drive
Installations Using Legacy BIOS
Steps to Install a Parallel ATA Hard Drive
Serial ATA Hard Drive Installations
Installing a Hard Drive in a Wide Bay
Troubleshooting Hard Drives
Problems with Hard Drive Installations
How to Approach a Hard Drive Problem After the Installation
Hard Drive Hardware Problems
Troubleshooting Floppy Drives and Disks
Installing and Supporting I/O Devices
Basic Principles to Support I/O Devices
Working with Keyboards
How Keyboard Keys Work
Keyboard Connectors
Installing Keyboards
Cleaning the Keyboard
The Mouse and Other Pointing Devices
Mouse Technologies
Cleaning a Mouse
Touch Screens
Other Pointing Devices
Specialty Input Devices
Barcode Readers
Fingerprint Readers and Other Biometric Devices
Monitors, Projectors, and Video Cards
Monitors
Using a Projector
Video Cards
Using Ports and Expansion Slots for Add-On Devices
Using Serial Ports
Infrared Transceivers
Using Parallel Ports
Using USB Ports
Using IEEE 1394 Ports
Installing and Supporting Expansion Cards
Troubleshooting I/O Devices
Troubleshooting Keyboards
Troubleshooting a Touch Screen
Troubleshooting a Mouse or touchpad
Troubleshooting Monitors and Video Cards
Multimedia Devices and Mass Storage
Multimedia on a PC
CPU Technologies for Multimedia
Sound Cards and Onboard Sound
Digital Cameras and Flash Memory Devices
Web Cameras and Microphones
MP3 Players
MIDI Devices
TV Tuner and Video Capture Cards
Optical Storage Technology
Using CDs
Using DVDs
Caring for Optical Drives and Discs
Hardware Used for Backups and Fault Tolerance
Tape Drives
Removable Drives
Fault Tolerance, Dynamic Volumes, and Raid
Troubleshooting Multimedia Devices
Problems with CD, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD-RW Installation
Problems When Burning a CD
Troubleshooting Sound Problems
Troubleshooting Tape Drives
PCs on a Network
Physical Network Architectures
Sizes of Networks
Networking Technologies
Additional Terms Used in Networking
Introducing Ethernet
Wireless Networks
Telephone Networks
Token Ring and FDDI
Windows on a Network
Four Suites of Protocols
Addressing on a Network
Installing a NIC and Connecting to a Network
Installing a NIC Using Windows 2000/XP
Installing a NIC Using Windows 9x/Me
Installing a Wireless Adapter in a Notebook
How to Set Up Your Own Wireless Network
Security on a Wireless LAN
Choosing a Wireless Access Point
Configure and Test Your Wireless Network
Troubleshooting a Network Connection
Notebooks, Tablet PCs, and PDAs
Supporting Notebooks
Tips for Buying a Notebook
Special Considerations When Servicing Notebooks
Caring for Notebooks
Connecting Peripheral Devices to Notebooks
Replacing and Upgrading Internal Parts
Three Approaches to Dealing with a Broken Internal Device
Upgrading Memory
Replacing a Hard Drive
Replacing the LCD Panel
Replacing a Mini PCI Card
Other Field Replaceable Units for Notebooks
Troubleshooting Notebooks
Problems with the Power System
Problems with Video
A Notebook Gets Wet
The Notebook Is Dropped
Protecting and Retrieving Data
More Errors and What to Do About Them
Online Resources for Troubleshooting Notebooks
Surveying Tablet PCs
Surveying PDAs
Battery Life on a PDA
Applications on a PDA
Connecting a PDA to a PC
PDA Manufacturers and Operating Systems
Supporting Printers and Scanners
How Printers and Scanners Work
Laser Printers
Inkjet Printers
Dot Matrix Printers
Thermal Printers and Solid Ink Printers
Introducing Scanners
Installing and Sharing a Printer
Installing a Local Printer
Sharing a Printer with Others in a Workgroup
Maintaining Printers and Scanners
Printer Languages
Using Windows to Manage Printers
Routine Printer Maintenance
Supporting Scanners
Troubleshooting Printers and Scanners
Printer Does Not Print
Problems with Laser Printers
Problems with Inkjet Printers
Problems with Dot Matrix Printers
Troubleshooting Scanners
How an OS Uses System Resources
Interrupt Request Number (IRQ)
Memory Addresses
I/O Addresses
DMA Channels
Electricity and Multimeters
Electricity: A Basic Introduction
Voltage
Amps
Ohms
Wattage
Measuring the Voltage of a Power Supply
Using a Multimeter
How to Measure the Voltage of a Power Supply
Practicing Measuring the Output of Your Power Supply
Appendix C
All About SCSI
Signaling Methods Used on SCSI Cables
Connectors Used with SCSI Cables
Termination
SCSI-1, SCSI-2, and SCSI-3
Using ISA Expansion Slots
Using Legacy Drivers
Disassembling a Notebook
Disassembling an Older ThinkPad
Disassembling a Newer Dell Notebook
CompTIA A+ Acronyms
Glossary
Index