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IT Essentials Companion Guide v6, 6th Edition

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  • Description
  • Sample Content
  • Updates
  • Copyright 2017
  • Dimensions: 8" x 9-1/8"
  • Pages: 928
  • Edition: 6th
  • eBook (Watermarked)
  • ISBN-10: 0-13-451008-9
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-13-451008-8

IT Essentials v6 Companion Guide supports the Cisco Networking Academy IT Essentials version 6 course. The course is designed for Cisco Networking Academy students who want to pursue careers in IT and learn how computers work, how to assemble computers, and how to safely and securely troubleshoot hardware and software issues.


As CompTIA Approved Quality Content, the course also helps you prepare for the CompTIA A+ certification exams 220-901 and 220-902. Students must pass both exams to earn the CompTIA A+ certification.


The features of the Companion Guide are designed to help you study and succeed in this course:


  • Chapter objectives–Review core concepts by answering the focus questions listed at the beginning of each chapter.
  • Key terms–Refer to the updated lists of networking vocabulary introduced, and turn to the highlighted terms in context.
  • Course section numbering–Follow along with the course heading numbers to easily jump online to complete labs, activities, and quizzes referred to within the text.
  • Check Your Understanding Questions and Answer Key–Evaluate your readiness with the updated end-of-chapter questions that match the style of questions you see on the online course quizzes.


This icon in the Companion Guide indicates when there is a hands-on Lab to do. All the Labs from the course are compiled and published in the separate book, IT Essentials v6 Lab Manual. Practicing and performing all these tasks will reinforce the concepts and help you become a successful PC technician.


Table of Contents

     Introduction xxix

 Chapter 1 Introduction to the Personal Computer System 1

     Objectives 1

     Key Terms 1

     Introduction (1.0) 4

         Welcome (1.0.1) 4

     Personal Computer Systems (1.1) 4

         Cases and Power Supplies (1.1.1) 5

         Internal PC Components (1.1.2) 12

         External Ports and Cables (1.1.3) 33

         Input and Output Devices (1.1.4) 41

     Select Computer Components (1.2) 49

         Select PC Components (1.2.1) 49

     Configurations for Specialized Computer Systems (1.3) 62

         Specialized Computer Systems (1.3.1) 63

     Summary (1.4) 69

         Summary (1.4.1) 69

     Summary of Exercises 69

         Labs 70

     Check your Understanding 70

 Chapter 2 Introduction to Lab Procedures and Tool Use 73

     Objectives 73

     Key Terms 73

     Introduction (2.0) 74

         Welcome (2.0.1) 74

     Safe Lab Procedures (2.1) 74

         Procedures to Protect People (2.1.1) 74

         Procedures to Protect Equipment and Data (2.1.2) 76

         Procedures to Protect the Environment (2.1.3) 79

     Proper Use of Tools (2.2) 82

         Hardware Tools (2.2.1) 82

         Software Tools (2.2.2) 88

         Organizational Tools (2.2.3) 89

         Demonstrate Proper Tool Use (2.2.4) 91

     Summary (2.3) 98

         Summary (2.3.1) 98

     Summary of Exercises 98

         Lab 98

     Check Your Understanding 99

 Chapter 3 Computer Assembly 103

     Objectives 103

     Key Terms 103

     Introduction (3.0) 104

         Welcome (3.0.1) 104

     Assemble the Computer (3.1) 104

         Open the Case and Connect the Power Supply (3.1.1) 104

         Install the Motherboard (3.1.2) 107

         Install Drives (3.1.3) 115

         Install the Adapter Cards (3.1.4) 117

         Install Cables (3.1.5) 120

     Boot the Computer (3.2) 132

         POST, BIOS, UEFI (3.2.1) 132

         BIOS and UEFI Configuration (3.2.2) 137

     Upgrade and Configure a Computer (3.3) 144

         Motherboard and Related Components (3.3.1) 144

         Storage Devices (3.3.2) 148

         Peripheral Devices (3.3.3) 149

     Summary (3.4) 151

         Summary (3.4.1) 151

     Summary of Exercises 152

         Labs 152

     Check Your Understanding 152

 Chapter 4 Overview of Preventive Maintenance 157

     Objectives 157

     Key Terms 157

     Introduction (4.0) 158

         Welcome (4.0.1) 158

     Preventive Maintenance (4.1) 158

         PC Preventive Maintenance Overview (4.1.1) 158

     Troubleshooting Process (4.2) 163

         Troubleshooting Process Steps (4.2.1) 163

         Common Problems and Solutions (4.2.2) 172

     Summary (4.3) 180

         Summary (4.3.1) 180

     Summary of Exercises 180

     Check your Understanding 180

 Chapter 5 Windows Installation 185

     Objectives 185

     Key Terms 185

     Introduction (5.0) 188

         Welcome (5.0.1) 188

     Modern Operating Systems (5.1) 188

         Operating System Terms and Characteristics (5.1.1) 188

         Types of Operating Systems (5.1.2) 193

         Customer Requirements for an Operating System (5.1.3) 194

         Operating Systems Upgrade (5.1.4) 196

     Operating System Installation (5.2) 199

         Storage Device Setup Procedures (5.2.1) 200

         Custom Installation Options (5.2.2) 214

         Boot Sequence and Registry Files (5.2.3) 222

         Multiboot (5.2.4) 226

         Disk Directories (5.2.5) 234

     Summary (5.3) 241

         Summary (5.3.1) 241

     Summary of Exercises 241

         Labs 241

     Check Your Understanding 242

 Chapter 6 Windows Configuration and Management 245

     Objectives 245

     Key Terms 245

     Introduction (6.0) 247

         Welcome (6.0.1) 247

     The Windows GUI and Control Panel (6.1) 247

     Windows Desktop, Tools, and Applications (6.1.1) 247

     Control Panel Utilities (6.1.2) 260

     Administrative Tools (6.1.3) 277

     Disk Defragmenter and Disk Error-Checking Tool (6.1.4) 284

     Command Line Tools (6.1.5) 286

     Client-Side Virtualization (6.2) 290

         Purpose and Requirements of Virtualization (6.2.1) 290

     Common Preventive Maintenance Techniques for Operating Systems (6.3) 295

         OS Preventive Maintenance Plan (6.3.1) 295

     Basic Troubleshooting Process for Operating Systems (6.4) 301

         Applying the Troubleshooting Process for Operating Systems (6.4.1) 302

         Common Problems and Solutions for Operating

         Systems (6.4.2) 305

     Summary (6.5) 311

         Summary (6.5.1) 311

     Summary of Exercises 311

         Labs 311

     Check Your Understanding 312

 Chapter 7 Networking Concepts 317

     Objectives 317

     Key Terms 317

     Introduction (7.0) 320

         Welcome (7.0.1) 320

     Principles of Networking (7.1) 320

         Computer Networks (7.1.1) 320

         Types of Networks (7.1.2) 326

     Networking Standards (7.2) 332

         Reference Models (7.2.1) 333

         Wired and Wireless Ethernet Standards (7.2.2) 341

     Physical Components of a Network (7.3) 345

         Network Devices (7.3.1) 345

         Cables and Connectors (7.3.2) 351

     Basic Networking Concepts and Technologies (7.4) 361

         Networked Equipment Addressing (7.4.1) 361

         Transport Layer Protocols (7.4.2) 373

     Summary (7.5) 378

         Summary (7.5.1) 378

     Summary of Exercises 378

         Labs 379

         Packet Tracer Activities 379

     Check Your Understanding 379

 Chapter 8 Applied Networking 383

     Objectives 383

     Key Terms 383

     Introduction (8.0) 385

         Welcome (8.0.1) 385

     Computer to Network Connection (8.1) 385

         Networking Cards (8.1.1) 386

         Wireless and Wired Router Configurations (8.1.2) 393

         Network Sharing (8.1.3) 406

         Remote Connections (8.1.4) 415

     ISP Connection Technologies (8.2) 418

         Broadband Technologies (8.2.1) 418

     Internet Technologies (8.3) 424

         Data Centers and Cloud Computing (8.3.1) 425

         Networked Host Services (8.3.2) 427

     Common Preventive Maintenance Techniques Used for Networks (8.4) 432

         Network Maintenance (8.4.1) 432

     Basic Troubleshooting Process for Networks (8.5) 433

         Applying the Troubleshooting Process to Networks (8.5.1) 433

         Common Problems and Solutions for Networks (8.5.2) 437

     Summary (8.6) 439

         Summary (8.6.1) 439

     Summary of Exercises 439

         Labs 439

         Packet Tracer Activities 440

     Check Your Understanding 440

 Chapter 9 Laptops and Mobile Devices 445

     Objectives 445

     Key Terms 445

     Introduction (9.0) 448

         Welcome (9.0.1) 448

     Laptop Components (9.1) 448

         Features of Laptop Components (9.1.1) 449

         Laptop Displays (9.1.2) 460

     Laptop Configuration (9.2) 464

         Power Settings Configuration (9.2.1) 464

         Wireless Configuration (9.2.2) 468

     Laptop Hardware and Component Installation and Configuration (9.3) 472

         Expansion Slots (9.3.1) 472

         Replacing Hardware Devices (9.3.2) 478

     Mobile Device Hardware Overview (9.4) 492

         Mobile Device Hardware (9.4.1) 492

         Other Mobile Devices (9.4.2) 498

     Common Preventive Maintenance Techniques for Laptops and Mobile Devices (9.5) 500

         Scheduled Maintenance for Laptops and Mobile

         Devices (9.5.1) 500

     Basic Troubleshooting Process for Laptops and Mobile Devices (9.6) 502

         Applying (9.6.1) 502

         Common Problems and Solutions for Laptops and Mobile

         Devices (9.6.2) 506

     Summary (9.7) 512

         Summary (9.7.1) 512

         Summary of Exercises 513

         Labs 513

     Check Your Understanding 514

 Chapter 10 Mobile, Linux, and OS X Operating Systems 517

     Objectives 517

     Key Terms 517

     Introduction (10.0) 520

         Welcome (10.0.1) 520

     Mobile Operating Systems (10.1) 520

         Android versus iOS (10.1.1) 520

         Android Touch Interface (10.1.2) 525

         iOS Touch Interface (10.1.3) 530

         Windows Phone Touch Interface (10.1.4) 535

         Common Mobile Device Features (10.1.5) 538

     Methods for Securing Mobile Devices (10.2) 545

         Passcode Locks (10.2.1) 545

         Cloud-Enabled Services for Mobile Devices (10.2.2) 550

         Software Security (10.2.3) 553

     Network Connectivity and Email (10.3) 557

         Wireless and Cellular Data Network (10.3.1) 557

         Bluetooth (10.3.2) 563

         Configuring Email (10.3.3) 566

         Mobile Device Synchronization (10.3.4) 572

     Linux and OS X Operating Systems (10.4) 577

         Linux and OS X Tools and Features (10.4.1) 577

         Linux and OS X Best Practices (10.4.2) 592

         Basic CLI (10.4.3) 597

     Basic Troubleshooting Process for Mobile, Linux, and OS X Operating Systems (10.5) 599

         Applying the Troubleshooting Process to Mobile, Linux, and OS X Operating Systems (10.5.1) 600

         Common Problems and Solutions for Mobile, Linux, and OS X Operating Systems (10.5.2) 604

     Summary (10.6) 610

         Summary (10.6.1) 610

     Summary of Exercises 611

         Labs 611

     Check Your Understanding 611

 Chapter 11 Printers 617

     Objectives 617

     Key Terms 617

     Introduction (11.0) 619

         Welcome (11.0.1) 619

     Common Printer Features (11.1) 619

         Characteristics and Capabilities (11.1.1) 619

         Printer Types (11.1.2) 623

     Installing and Configuring Printers (11.2) 631

         Installing and Updating a Printer (11.2.1) 632

         Configuring Options and Default Settings (11.2.2) 636

         Optimizing Printer Performance (11.2.3) 640

     Sharing Printers (11.3) 641

         Operating System Settings for Sharing Printers (11.3.1) 641

         Print Servers (11.3.2) 644

     Maintaining and Troubleshooting Printers (11.4) 646

         Printer Preventive Maintenance (11.4.1) 647

         Troubleshooting Printer Issues (11.4.2) 651

         Common Problems and Solutions for Printers (11.4.3) 655

     Summary (11.5) 658

         Summary (11.5.1) 658

     Summary of Exercises 658

         Labs 659

     Check Your Understanding 659

 Chapter 12 Security 663

     Objectives 663

     Key Terms 663

     Introduction (12.0) 666

         Welcome (12.0.1) 666

     Security Threats (12.1) 666

         Types of Security Threats (12.1.1) 666

     Security Procedures (12.2) 674

         Windows Local Security Policy (12.2.1) 674

         Securing Web Access (12.2.2) 679

         Protecting Data (12.2.3) 683

         Protection Against Malicious Software (12.2.4) 694

         Security Techniques (12.2.5) 698

         Protecting Physical Equipment (12.2.6) 706

     Common Preventive Maintenance Techniques for Security (12.3) 710

         Security Maintenance (12.3.1) 710

     Basic Troubleshooting Process for Security (12.4) 718

         Applying the Troubleshooting Process to Security (12.4.1) 718

         Common Problems and Solutions for Security (12.4.2) 721

     Summary (12.5) 724

         Summary (12.5.1) 724

     Summary of Exercises 724

         Labs 724

     Check Your Understanding 724

 Chapter 13 The IT Professional 729

     Objectives 729

     Key Terms 729

     Introduction (13.0) 730

         Welcome (13.0.1) 730

     Communication Skills and the IT Professional (13.1) 730

         Communication Skills, Troubleshooting, and the

         IT Professional (13.1.1) 731

         Working with a Customer (13.1.2) 732

         Employee Best Practices (13.1.3) 738

     Ethical and Legal Issues in the IT Industry (13.2) 743

         Ethical and Legal Considerations (13.2.1) 743

         Legal Procedures Overview (13.2.2) 747

     Call Center Technicians (13.3) 750

         Call Centers, Level One Technicians, and Level Two

         Technicians (13.3.1) 750

     Summary (13.4) 754

         Summary (13.4.1) 754

     Summary of Exercises 755

         Labs 755

         Activity Professional Behaviors with Customers (13.1.2.3) 755

     Check Your Understanding 756

 Chapter 14 Advanced Troubleshooting 761

     Objectives 761

     Key Terms 761

     Introduction (14.0) 762

         Welcome (14.0.1) 762

     Computer Components and Peripherals (14.1) 763

         Apply Troubleshooting Process to Computer Components and Peripherals (14.1.1) 763

     Operating Systems (14.2) 766

         Apply Troubleshooting Process to Operating Systems (14.2.1) 766

     Networks (14.3) 770

         Apply Troubleshooting Process to Networks (14.3.1) 770

     Security (14.4) 775

         Apply Troubleshooting Process to Security (14.4.1) 775

     Summary (14.5) 779

         Summary (14.5.1) 779

     Summary of Exercises 779

         Labs 779

     Check Your Understanding 780

 Appendix A Answers to “Check Your Understanding” Questions 783

 Glossary 805

 TOC, 9781587133558, 10/7/2016


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