Includes index.

Contents: Introduction 1 Pre-Assessment 9 Book 1: Setting the A Groundwork 17 CHAPTER 1: The 2015 A+ Exams 19 CHAPTER 2: A+ Soft Skills 27 CHAPTER 3: Protecting Yourself and Your PC 45 CHAPTER 4: An Overview of System Components 61 Book 2: Inside the Box 79 CHAPTER 1: Knowing Your Motherboard 81 CHAPTER 2: Picking Your Processor 125 CHAPTER 3: What to Remember about Memory 165 CHAPTER 4: Telling Your BIOS from Your CMOS 193 CHAPTER 5: Managing Storage Technology 223 CHAPTER 6: Working with Power 263 Book 3: Outside the Box 283 CHAPTER 1: Describing Ports, Cables, and Connectors 285 CHAPTER 2: Installing and Configuring Input Devices 313 CHAPTER 3: Installing and Configuring Output Devices 331 CHAPTER 4: Managing Printers 351 CHAPTER 5: Working with Multimedia Devices 385 CHAPTER 6: Dealing with Laptops and Mobile Devices 401 Book 4: Maintenance and Troubleshooting 445 CHAPTER 1: Performing Preventive Maintenance 447 CHAPTER 2: Troubleshooting Procedures and Guidelines 469 Book 5: Operating System Basics 499 CHAPTER 1: Comparison of Major Operating Systems 501 CHAPTER 2: Windows Operating System Functions 539 CHAPTER 3: Installing and Upgrading Windows 581 CHAPTER 4: Managing Files and Directories 613 CHAPTER 5: Command Prompt Procedures 643 CHAPTER 6: Working with System Files and the Boot Process 671 Book 6: Managing the Operating System 683 CHAPTER 1: Loading and Configuring Device Drivers 685 CHAPTER 2: Working with Applications 705 CHAPTER 3: Optimizing the Windows Environment 729 CHAPTER 4: Using Windows-Based Troubleshooting Utilities 767 Book 7: Recovering Systems 803 CHAPTER 1: Managing Error Codes and Startup Messages 805 CHAPTER 2: Managing Common Problems 823 CHAPTER 3: Preparing for Disasters with Disaster Recovery 843 Book 8: Networking 871 CHAPTER 1: Down to the Networking Basics 873 CHAPTER 2: Understanding Common Wireless Communications 921 CHAPTER 3: Networking the Operating System 951 CHAPTER 4: Configuring Internet Access 1017 Book 9: Securing Systems 1053 CHAPTER 1: Fundamentals of Security 1055 CHAPTER 2: Implementing Security 1097 CHAPTER 3: Viruses and Malicious Software 1135 Appendix: CompTIA A Exam Reference Matrix 1157 Index 1173

CompTIA's A+ certification is an essential certification to building a successful IT career. Test takers must pass both 90-question exams to be certified, and this book―plus online test bank―will help you reach your certification goal.

The 9 minibooks map to the exam's objectives, and include new content on Windows 10, Scripting, Linux, and mobile devices. You’ll learn about how computers work, networking, computer repair and troubleshooting, security, permissions, and customer service. You'll also find test-taking advice and a review of the types of questions you'll see on the exam.