Author - Bill Ferguson/Prof.

Total Time - 10 Hours

The System Board
 The System Board Overview
 Components
 The Evolution of the CPU
 Challenges to Overcome
 Buses and the Bus Evolution
 Setting Speeds and Summary

Memory
 Types of Memory
 DRAM vs. SRAM
 How OS's View Memory
 Memory Management
 DOS Memory Management
 Window 9X Memory Management
 Tips on Upgrading Memory

Data Storage
 Logical and Physical on Floppy Disks
 Formatting Floppy Disks
 Managing Data Storage with DOS
 Managing Data Storage with Windows 9X
 Supporting Floppy Drives
 Replacing Damaged Floppy Drives
 Removable Drives
 Hard Drive Terminology
 IDE Hard Drives
 SCSI Hard Drives
 Installing SCSI Hard Drives
 Other Types of Hard Drives
 How Hard Drives Hold Data
 How Hard Drives Communicate with BIOS and the OS
 Commands and Utilites to Manage Data Storage
 How to Install a Hard Drive
 Considerations and Precautions
 Configuring the System for a Hard Drive
 Partitioning and Installing Programs
 Maintenance and Troubleshooting
 Utility Programs
 Hard Drive Troubleshooting Guidelines

Troubleshooting Tools
 Troubleshooting Tools
 Troubleshooting Viruses
 Troubleshooting Fundamentals
 Problems That Keep a Computer from Starting
 Troubleshooting Memory
 Troubleshooting the OS
 Problems After a Computer Boots
 Problems with the Keyboard and Monitor
 Troubleshooting Printers
 PC Maintenance

Adding and Changing Hardware
 Basic Principles of Installation
 Device Drivers
 Using Ports and Expansion Slots
 The UART Chip
 Univeral Serial Bus Ports
 1394 Firewire
 PCI Expansion Slots
 Resource Conflicts
 Small Computer Systems Interface

Multimedia Technology
 Multimedia Technology Defined
 Requirements and Sampling Fundamentals
 Standardization and Technologies
 Stages of Computerization of Sound
 MPEG Standards
 Video Reproduction

Electricity
 Electricity Terminology
 AC vs. DC Current
 Common Electronic Components
 Troubleshooting a Power Supply
 Surge Protection and Battery Backup
 Fire Safety

Supporting Windows 9X
 Bridging the Gap
 Configuration
 Performation the Installation
 Windows 9X Setup
 Plug and Play
 The Registry
 Built-In Tools

Supporting Windows NT
 Windows NT vs. Windows 9X
 Minimum Requirements and Upgrading NT
 FAT16 vs. NTFS
 NT Architecture and Design
 Preparing for the Installation
 The Boot Sequence
 Troubleshooting the Boot Process
 Customizing an NTVDM for DOS
 The Windows NT Registry
 Windows NT Tools
 Windows NT Networking

A+ Certification Part 4

Supporting Windows 2000
 The Windows 2000 Family
 Comparing to Windows NT and Windows 98
 New Features
 Installing Windows 2000
 Understanding the Boot Process
 Troubleshooting Tools
 File Maintenance Tools
 Management Consoles and Support

Communication Over Telephone Lines
 Layered Communication and Modems
 Modem Properties
 Modem Features
 Terminology
 Installing and Configuring Modems
 Troubleshooting Modems

Communication on an Intranet
 Communication Layers and the OSI Model
 Network Technologies - Ethernet
 Network Technologies - Token Ring & FDDI
 Networking Hardware
 Using Resources on Networks

Communication Over the Internet
 What the Internet Is and How it Works
 TCP/IP and IP Addressing
 Routing Using TCP/IP
 Default Gateways and Subnets
 Internet Services

On up coming PC User CDs

Summary and Study Tips
 A+ Certification Test Tips