Page 1
Configure and apply BIOS settings.
Install firmware upgrades – flash BIOS
BIOS component information
RAM ,Hard drive ,Optical drive ,CPU
BIOS configurations
Boot sequence
Enabling and disabling devices
Date/time
Clock speeds
Virtualization support
BIOS security (passwords, drive encryption: TPM, lo-jack)
Monitoring
Temperature monitoring
Fan speeds
Voltage
Clock
Bus speed
Differentiate between motherboard components, their purposes, and properties.
Sizes
ATX,ITX
Micro-ATX
Expansion slots
PCI,PCI-X
PCIe,CNR
miniPCI
AGP2x, 4x, 8x
RAM slots, CPU sockets
Chipsets
North Bridge
South Bridge
CMOS battery
Jumpers, Power connections and types, Fan connectors
Front panel connectors
USB,Audio
Power button
Power light
Drive activity lights
Reset button
Bus speeds
Compare and contrast RAM types and features.
Types
DDR,DDR2,DDR3
SDRAM,SODIMM
RAMBUS,DIMM
Parity vs. non-parity
ECC vs. non-ECC
RAM configurations-Single channel vs. dual channel vs. triple channel
Single sided vs. double sided
RAM compatibility and speed
Install and configure expansion cards.
Sound cards,Video cards
Network cards,Riser cards
Serial and parallel cards
USB cards
Firewire cards
Storage cards
Modem cards
Wireless/cellular cards
TV tuner cards
Video capture cards
Install and configure storage devices and use appropriate media.
Optical drives
CD-ROM,DVD-ROM
Blu-Ray
Combo drives and burners
CD-RW,DVD-RW
Dual Layer DVD-RW
BD-R,BD-RE
Connection types
USB,Firewire
eSATA,Ethernet
IDE configuration and setup (Master, Slave, Cable Select)
SCSI IDs (0 – 15)
Hot swappable drives
Hard drives
Magnetic
5400 rpm,7200 rpm
10,000 rpm,15,000 rpm
Solid state/flash drives
Compact flash,SD
Micro-SD,Mini-SD
SSD
RAID types
0,1,5,10
Differentiate among various CPU types and features and select the appropriate cooling method.
Socket types
Intel: LGA, 775, 1155, 1156, 1366
AMD: 940, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, F
Characteristics
Speeds,Cores,Cache size/type
Hyperthreading,Virtualization support
Architecture (32-bit vs. 64-bit),Integrated GPU
Cooling
Heat sink , Fans
Thermal paste,Liquid-based
Compare and contrast various connection interfaces and explain their purpose.
Physical connections
USB 1.1 vs. 2.0 vs. 3.0 speed and distance characteristics (Connector types: A, B, mini, micro)
Firewire 400 vs. Firewire 800 speed and distance characteristics
SATA1 vs. SATA2 vs. SATA3, eSATA, IDE speeds
Other connector types
Serial,Parallel,VGA,HDMI, DVI, Audio, RJ-45,RJ-11
Analog vs. digital transmission
VGA vs. HDMI
Speeds, distances and frequencies of wireless device connections
Bluetooth,IR,RF
Install an appropriate power supply based on agiven scenario.
Connector types and their voltages
SATA,Molex,4/8-pin 12v,
PCIe 6/8-pin,20-pin,24-pin
Specifications
Wattage,Size,ATX
Number of connectors,Micro-ATX
Dual voltage options
Identify connector types and associated cables.
Display connector types
DVI-D,DVI-I,DVI-A,DisplayPort
RCA,BNC,miniHDMI,RJ-45,miniDin-6
HD15 (i.e. DE15 or DB15)
Display cable types
HDMI ,DVI,VGA,Component
Composite,S-video,
RGB,Coaxial,Ethernet
Device connectors and pin arrangements
SATA,eSATA ,USB,Audio,RJ-45
PATA(IDE,EIDE),IEEE1394
SCSI,PS/2,Parallel,Serial (DB-9)
Install and configure various peripheral devices.
Input devices
Mouse,Keyboard,
Touch screen,KVM
Scanner,Barcode reader
Microphone,Biometric device
Game pads,Joysticks,Digitizer
Multimedia devices
Digital cameras,Microphone
Webcam,Camcorder
MIDI enabled devices,
Output devices
Printers,Speakers
Display devices
NETWORKING
Identify types of network cables and connectors
Fiber
Connectors: SC, ST and LC
Twisted Pair
Connectors: RJ-11, RJ-45
Wiring standards: T568A, T568B
Coaxial
Connectors: BNC, F-connector
Categorize characteristics of connectors and cabling.
Fiber
Types (single-mode vs. multi-mode)
Speed and transmission limitations
Twisted pair
Types: STP, UTP, CAT3, CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6, plenum, PVC
Speed and transmission limitations
Coaxial
Types: RG-6, RG-59
Speed and transmission limitations
Page 2
Explain properties and characteristics of TCP/IP.
IP class
Class A, Class B , Class C
IPv4 vs. IPv6
Public vs. private vs. APIPA
Static vs. dynamic
Client-side DNS
DHCP
Subnet mask
Gateway
Explain common TCP and UDP ports, protocols, and their purpose.
Ports
21 – FTP
23 – TELNET
25 – SMTP
53 – DNS
80 – HTTP
110 – POP3
143 – IMAP
443 – HTTPS
3389 – RDP
Protocols
DHCP
DNS
LDAP
SNMP
SMB
CIFS
SSH
SFTP
3389 – RDP
TCP vs. UDP
Compare and contrast wireless networking standards and encryption types.
Standards
802.11 a/b/g/n
Speeds, distances and frequencies
Encryption types
WEP, WPA, WPA2, TKIP, AES
Install, configure, and deploy a SOHO wireless/wired router using appropriate settings.
MAC filtering
Channels (1 – 11)
Port forwarding, port triggering
SSID broadcast (on/off)
Wireless encryption
Firewall
DHCP (on/off)
DMZ
NAT
WPS
Basic QoS
Compare and contrast Internet connection types and features.
Cable
DSL
Dial-up
Fiber
Satellite
ISDN
Cellular (mobile hotspot)
Line of sight wireless internet service
WiMAX
Identify various types of networks.
LAN, WAN
PAN, MAN
Topologies
Mesh, Ring, Bus, /li>
Star, Hybrid
Compare and contrast network devices, their functions, and features.
Hub, Switch, Router
Access point, Bridge, Modem
NAS,Firewall
networking tools
Crimper, Cable tester
Loopback plug,Multimeter
Laptops
Install and configure laptop hardware and components.
Expansion options
Express card /34
Express card /54
PCMCIA
SODIMM
Flash
Hardware/device replacement
Keyboard
Hard Drive (2.5 vs. 3.5)
Memory
Optical drive
Wireless card
Mini-PCIe
screen
DC jack
Battery
Touchpad
CPU
Speaker
System board
Compare and contrast the components within the display of a laptop.
Types
LCD
LED
OLED
Plasma
Compare and contrast laptop features.
Special function keys
Dual displays
Wireless (on/off)
Volume settings
Screen brightness
Bluetooth (on/off)
Keyboard backlight
Printer
Explain the differences between the various printer types and summarize the associated imaging process
Laser
Imaging drum, fuser assembly, transfer belt, transfer roller, pickup rollers, separate pads, duplexing assembly
Imaging process: processing, charging, exposing, developing, transferring, fusing and cleaning
Inkjet
Ink cartridge, print head, roller, feeder, duplexing assembly, carriage and belt
Calibration
Thermal
Feed assembly, heating element
Special thermal paper
Impact
Print head, ribbon, tractor feed
Impact paper
install, and configure printers.
Use appropriate printer drivers for a given operating system
Print device sharing
Wired
USB, Parallel
Serial, Ethernet
Wireless
Bluetooth, 802.11x
Infrared (IR)
Printer hardware print server
Printer sharing
Sharing local/networked printer via Operating System settings
perform printer maintenance.
Laser
Replacing toner, applying maintenance kit, calibration, cleaning
Thermal
Replace paper, clean heating element, remove debris
Impact
Replace ribbon, replace print head, replace paper
Operating Systems
perform printer maintenance.
Compare and contrast the features and requirements of various Microsoft Operating Systems
Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Media Center, Windows XP 64-bit Professional
Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise
Windows 8.1
Windows 10
Upgrade paths – differences between in place upgrades, compatibility tools, Windows upgrade OS advisor
Features:
32-bit vs. 64-bit
Aero, gadgets, user account control, bit-locker, shadow copy, system restore, ready boost, sidebar, compatibility mode, XP mode, easy transfer, administrative tools, defender, Windows firewall, security center,event viewer, file structure and paths, category view vs. classic view
Page 3
install, and configure the operating system using the most appropriate method.
Boot methods
USB
CD-ROM
DVD
PXE
Type of installations
Creating image
Unattended installation
Upgrade
Clean install
Repair installation
Multiboot
Remote network installation
Image deployment
Partitioning
Dynamic
Primary
Extended
Logical
File system types/formatting
FAT
FAT32
NTFS
CDFS
Quick format vs. full format
Load alternate third party drivers when necessary
Workgroup vs. Domain setup
Time/date/region/language settings
Driver installation, software and windows updates
Factory recovery partition
command line tools
Networking
PING
TRACERT
NETSTAT
IPCONFIG
NET
NSLOOKUP
NBTSTAT
OS
TASKKILL
BOOTREC
SHUTDOWN
TASKLIST
MD,RD,CD,DEL
FORMAT
COPY
XCOPY
ROBOCOPY
DISKPART
SFC
CHKDSK
Recovery console
Fixboot
Fixmbr
use appropriate operating system features and tools.
Administrative
Computer management
Device manager
Users and groups
Local security policy
Performance monitor
Services
System configuration
Task scheduler
Component services
Data sources
Print management
Windows memory diagnostics
Windows firewall
Advanced security
MSCONFIG
General
Boot
Services
Startup
Tools
Task Manager
Applications
Processes
Performance
Networking
Users
Task Manager
Disk management
Drive status
Mounting
Extending partitions
Splitting partitions
Assigning drive letters
Adding drives
Adding arrays
Others
User State Migration tool (USMT), File and SettingsTransfer Wizard, Windows Easy Transfer
Command line utilities
MSCONFIG
REGEDIT
CMD
SERVICES.MSC
MMC
MSTSC
NOTEPAD
EXPLORER
MSINFO32
DXDIAG
Control Panel utilities
Internet options
Connections
Security
General
Privacy
Programs
Advanced
Display/Display Settings
Resolution
Folder options
View hidden files
Hide extensions
General options
View options
System
Performance (virtual memory)
Remote settings
System protection
Power options
Hibernate
Power plans
Sleep/suspend
Standby
Windows firewall
User accounts
Unique to Windows XP
Add/remove programs
Network connections
Printers and faxes
Automatic updates
Network setup wizard
Unique to Vista
Tablet PC settings
Pen and input devices
Offline files
Problem reports and solutions
Printers/li> Unique to Windows 7
HomeGroup
Action Cente
Security Center
Remote Applications and Desktop Connections
Troubleshooting
Setup and configure Windows networking on a client/desktop.
HomeGroup, file/print sharing
WorkGroup vs. domain setup
Network shares/mapping drives
Establish networking connections
(VPN,Dialups,Wireless
Wired,WWAN (Cellular))
Proxy settings
Remote desktop
Home vs. Work vs. Public network settings
Firewall settings
Exceptions
Configuration
Enabling/disabling Windows firewall
Configuring an alternative IP address in Windows
IP addressing
Subnet mask
DNS
Gateway
Network card properties
Half duplex/full duplex/auto
Speed
Wake-on-LAN
QoS
Perform preventive maintenance procedures using appropriate tools.
Best practices
Schedules backups
Scheduled check disks
Scheduled defragmentation
Windows updates
Patch management
Driver/firmware updates
Antivirus updates
Tools
Backup
System restore
Check disk
Recovery image
Defrag
Explain the differences among basic OS security settings.
User and groups
Administrator
Power user
Guest
Standard user
NTFS vs. Share permissions
Allow vs. deny
Moving vs. copying folders and files
File attributes
Shared files and folders
Administrative shares vs. local shares
Permission propagation
Inheritance
System files and folders
User authentication
Explain the basics of client-side virtualization.
Purpose of virtual machines
Resource requirements
Emulator requirements
Security requirements
Network requirements
Hypervisor
Page 4
Security
Apply and use common prevention methods..
Digital security
Antivirus
Firewalls
Antispyware
User authentication/strong passwords
Directory permissions
User education
Principle of least privilege
Compare and contrast common security threats
Malware
Rootkits
Phishing
Spyware
Viruses
Worms Trojans
Implement security best practices to secure a workstation.
Setting strong passwords
Requiring passwords
Restricting user permissions
Changing default user names
Disabling guest account
Disable autorun
secure a SOHO wireless network.
Change default user-names and passwords
Changing SSID
Setting encryption
Disabling SSID broadcast
Enable MAC filtering
Antenna and access point placement
Assign static IP addresses
secure a SOHO wired network.
Change default usernames and passwords
Enable MAC filtering
Assign static IP addresses
Disabling ports
Physical security
Troubleshooting
troubleshoot common problemsrelated to motherboards, RAM, CPU and power with appropriate tools..
Common symptoms
Unexpected shutdowns
System lockups
POST code beeps
Blank screen on bootup
BIOS time and settings resets
Attempts to boot to incorrect device
Continuous reboots
No power
Overheating
Loud noise
Intermittent device failure
Fans spin – no power to other devices
Indicator lights
BSOD
Tools
Multimeter
Power supply tester
Loopback plugs
POST card
troubleshoot hard drives andRAID arrays with appropriate tools.
Common symptoms
Read/write failure
Slow performance
Loud clicking noise
Failure to boot
Drive not recognized
OS not found
RAID not found
RAID stops working
BSOD
Tools
CHKDSK
FORMAT
File recovery software
troubleshoot common video and display issues.
Common symptoms
VGA mode
No image on screen
Overheat shutdown
Dead pixels
Color patterns incorrect
Dim image
Flickering image
Distorted image
Discoloration (degaussing)
troubleshoot wired and wireless networks with appropriate tools.
Common symptoms
No connectivity
APIPA address
Limited connectivity
Local connectivity
Intermittent connectivity
IP conflict
Slow transfer speeds
Tools
PING
IPCONFIG
TRACERT
NETSTAT
NBTSTAT
NET
troubleshoot operating system problems with appropriate tools.
Common symptoms
BSOD
Failure to boot
Improper shutdown
Spontaneous shutdown/restart
RAID not detected during installation
Device fails to start
Missing dll message
Services fails to start
Compatibility error
Slow system performance
Boots to safe mode
File fails to open
Missing NTLDR
Missing Boot.ini
Missing operating system
Missing Graphical Interface
Graphical Interface fails to load
Invalid boot disk
Tools
Fixboot
Recovery console
Fixmbr
Sfc
Repair disks
Pre-installation environments
MSCONFIG
DEFRAG
REGSRV32
REGEDIT
Event viewer
Safe mode
Command prompt
Emergency repair disk
Automated system recovery
troubleshoot common securityissues with appropriate tools and best practices.
Common symptoms
Pop-ups
Browser redirection
Security alerts
Slow performance
Internet connectivity issues
PC locks up
Windows updates failures
Rogue antivirus
Spam
Renamed system files
Files disappearing
File permission changes
Hijacked email
Access denied
Tools
Anti-virus software
Anti-malware software
Anti-spyware software
Recovery console
System restore
Pre-installation environments
Event viewer
Best practices for malware removal
Identify malware symptoms
Quarantine infected system
Disable system restore
Update anti-virus software
Scan and removal techniques (safe mode, pre-installation environment)
Schedule scans and updates
Enable system restore and create restore point
Educate end user
troubleshoot printers with appropriate tools .
Common symptoms
Faded prints
Ghost images
Toner not fused to the paper
Creased paper
Paper not feeding
Paper jam
Garbled characters on paper
Vertical lines on page
Backed up print queue
Low memory errors
Access denied
Printer will not print
Color prints in wrong print color
Unable to install printer
Error codes
Tools
Maintenance kit
Toner vacuum
Compressed air
Printer spooler
Many More.....
