Cheryl Schmidt is a professor of Network Engineering Technology at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Prior to joining the faculty ranks, she oversaw LAN and PC support for the college and other organizations. She started her career as an electronics technician in the U.S. Navy. She teaches computer repair and various networking topics, including CCNA, network management, and network design. She has published other works with Pearson, including IP Telephony Using CallManager Express and Routing and Switching in the Enterprise Lab Guide.

Cheryl has won awards for teaching and technology, including Outstanding Faculty of the Year, Innovative Teacher of the Year, Cisco Networking Academy Instructor Excellence Award, and Cisco Networking Academy Stand Out Instructor. She has presented at U.S. and international conferences. Cheryl keeps busy maintaining her technical certifications and teaching but also loves to travel, hike, do all types of puzzles, and read.

Christopher Lee teaches Information Technology and Electronics at Florida State College at Jacksonville. A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Chris earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He taught his first computer programming classes at age 14! Since then, he has worked for a variety of companies including IBM, Nortel Networks, Evans Solutions, Convergys Corporation, NGA Human Resources, and himself. His experience spans several industries: Telecommunications, Youth Outside the Educational Mainstream, Information Technology, Higher Education, Human Resources Outsourcing, and Community Development.

Chris has devoted countless volunteer hours in technology outreach. He enjoys helping children and adults (especially those in underserved communities) learn the skills or access the resources they need to be competitive in today's technological society. He has built strong partnerships with and implemented successful programs in organizations such as National Society of Black Engineers Jr (NSBE Jr), For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology(FIRST) LEGO League, Northeast Florida STEM2 Hub, Tristan's Acceleration Academy, and Renaissance JAX.

Introduction ...............xxvii

Features of this Book ......xxviii

Chapter 1: Introduction to the World of IT ........ 1

Who Needs This Book? ............ 2

Technician Qualities .... 2

Breaking into IT with the CompTIA A+ Certification ................ 5

Basic Skills for This Course .... 5

Types of Computers ..... 8

Basic Computer Hardware ....... 8

Mice and Keyboards ..14

Common Peripherals .17

1s and 0s .............18

Safety Notes .......21

Chapter Summary ......22

Key Terms ...........23

Review Questions .......24

Exercises .............26

Chapter 2: Connectivity ......31

Introduction to Connectivity ..32

External Connectivity 32

Mouse and Keyboard Ports ....32

Video Ports .........33

Audio Ports .........44

eSATA Ports .......45

Modem and Serial Ports .........45

Network Ports ....47

Network Cabling ........48

Integrated Motherboard Ports 54

Getting to Know Ports.............54

Wireless Connectivity for Input Devices .....56

Chapter Summary ......57

Key Terms ...........59

Review Questions .......60

Exercises .............61

Activities .............64

Chapter 3: On the Motherboard...67

Introduction to the Motherboard ...................68

Processor Overview ...68

Processor Basics 69

Speeding Up Processor Operations Overview ....71

Clocking ..............72

Cache ...................73

Threading Technology .............73

Connecting to the Processor ..74

Multicore Processors .74

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) ..................76

Introduction to Virtualization .76

Intel Processors ..77

AMD Processors ........78

CPU Sockets ......79

Processor Cooling ......80

Installing a Processor 82

Upgrading Processors 84

Overclocking Processors ........84

Installing CPU Thermal Solutions ................85

Troubleshooting Processor Issues .................86

Expansion Slots .87

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) ..88

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) .................88

PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) .................89

Motherboard Security Options ......................93

Types of Motherboards ...........94

Upgrading and Replacing Motherboards ....95

Motherboard Troubleshooting .......................96

Chapter Summary ......99

Key Terms .........101

Review Questions .....102

Exercises ...........104

Activities ...........106

Chapter 4: Introduction to Configuration ......109

Configuration Overview .......110

BIOS Overview ........110

The Setup Program ..111

Flash BIOS .......112

BIOS/UEFI Configuration Settings ............113

CMOS Memory ........117

Motherboard Battery .............118

Firmware Updates: Flashing/Clearing the BIOS/UEFI ...........118

Other Configuration Parameters ..................120

Hardware Configuration Overview.............123

Installing a USB Device .......124

Installing an eSATA Card .....128

Installing a Network Interface Card ...........129

Troubleshooting Configurations ..................130

Chapter Summary ....133

Key Terms .........133

Review Questions .....134

Exercises ...........136

Activities ...........140

Chapter 5: Disassembly and Power ...................143

Disassembly Overview ..........144

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) .....................144

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) ..........146

Tools ..................147

Disassembly .....148

Reassembly .......156

Preventive Maintenance ........156

Basic Electronics Overview .159

Power Supply Overview .......163

Replacing or Upgrading a Power Supply ..170

Power Protection ......172

Symptoms of Power Supply Problems ......173

Chapter Summary ....177

Key Terms .........179

Review Questions .....180

Exercises ...........182

Activities ...........184

Chapter 6: Memory ....187

Memory Overview ...188

Memory Physical Packaging188

Planning a Memory Installation ..................189

Installing Memory Overview .......................200

Virtual RAM ....202

Monitoring Memory Usage in Windows ...203

Older Applications in Windows ..................204

Troubleshooting Memory Problems ...........205

Removable Storage ..207

Chapter Summary ....211

Key Terms .........212

Review Questions .....213

Exercises ...........215

Activities ...........221

Chapter 7: Storage Devices ...........223

Storage Devices Overview ...224

Hard Drive Overview ............225

Solid-State Drive (SSD) Overview .............227

Mechanical Drive Interfaces Overview .....229

M.2 and NVMe230

PATA, SATA, and SAS Connectivity .........231

Storage Device Configuration Overview ...235

System BIOS/UEFI Configuration for Storage Devices .........241

Hard Drive Preparation Overview ..............242

Windows Disk Management 250

Fault Tolerance 253

Windows Storage Spaces ......255

Disk Caching/Virtual Memory ....................256

Troubleshooting Storage Devices Overview .....258

Data Loss and Corruption ....260

Troubleshooting New Storage Device Installation ...................260

Troubleshooting Previously Installed Storage Devices ...........262

RAID Issues .....265

SSD Issues ........266

Chapter Summary ....268

Key Terms .........271

Review Questions .....272

Exercises ...........274

Activities ...........277

Chapter 8: Video and Multimedia Devices.....279

Multimedia Devices Overview ....................280

Video Overview ........280

Video Cards ......280

Projectors ..........287

Introduction to Audio ............289

Installing Sound Cards ..........292

Sound Cards Using Windows ......................293

Speakers ............295

Troubleshooting Sound Problems ..............296

Optical Drive Overview ........297

Optical Drive Installation .....300

Troubleshooting Optical Drive Issues ........300

Scanners ............302

Other Multimedia Devices ...305

Chapter Summary ....309

Key Terms .........310

Review Questions .....311

Exercises ...........313

Activities ...........315

Chapter 9: Printers and Multifunction Devices .....317

Printer/Multifunction Device Overview ....318

Categories of Printers ............318

Impact Printers .319

Inkjet Printers ...321

Laser Printers ...323

Thermal Printers .......327

3-D Printers ......329

Paper ..................332

Virtual Printing 334

Refilling Cartridges, Re-inking Ribbons, and Recycling Cartridges 335

Upgrading Printers ...336

Printer Maintenance .336

Printer Installation Overview .......................342

Installing Multifunction Devices .................343

USB Printer Installation ........343

Printers in the Windows Environment .......344

Printer Sharing .349

Cloud Printing/Scanning .......354

General Printer Troubleshooting .................355

USB-Attached Printer Troubleshooting .....359

Windows Printer Troubleshooting ..............359

Impact Printer Troubleshooting ...................362

Inkjet Printer Troubleshooting .....................363

Laser Printer Troubleshooting .....................363

Chapter Summary ....366

Key Terms .........368

Review Questions .....369

Exercises ...........371

Activities ...........372

Chapter 10: Mobile Devices ..........375

Mobile Device Overview ......376

Using Mobile Devices ...........382

Cell Phones .......385

Mobile Apps .....387

Mobile Device Wired Connectivity ............390

Mobile Device Wireless Connectivity .......393

Mobile Device Email Configuration ..........399

Mobile Device Synchronization and Backup ....401

Other Mobile Software Tools ......................408

Laptops Overview ....410

Laptop Hardware ......410

Laptop Power ...415

Laptop Repairs Overview .....418

Laptop Display 433

Mobile Device Security ........440

Mobile Device Travel and Storage .............447

Mobile Device Troubleshooting Overview ........447

Chapter Summary ....462

Key Terms .........465

Review Questions .....466

Exercises ...........468

Activities ...........470

Chapter 11: Computer Design and Troubleshooting Review ..473

Design Overview ......474

Computer System Design .....474

Motherboard and Associated Component Design ....................481

Power Supply and Case Design ..................481

Storage Subsystem Design ...483

Audio Subsystem Design .....483

Display Subsystem Design ...484

Troubleshooting Overview ...485

Step 1. Identify the Problem 486

Step 2. Establish a...