CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One For Dummies

Pre-Assessment

The following questions are designed to areas of the CompTIA A+ Certified Professional exams that you may need to focus on when reading through this book. Take time to review each question and come up with the best answer for each question. Be sure to verify your work with the pre-assessment answers that follow, and use the chapter reference given to learn more about the topic related to the question.

Questions

1. Which of the following drive types can benefit from periodic disk defragmentation?

(A) HDD

(B) DVD-RW

(C) CompactFlash

(D) SSD

2. You're assisting a customer in an upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8.1. Which upgrade method would you recommend if the user states that the computer has been infected by malware in the near past?

(A) Unattended installation

(B) Clean install

(C) Repair installation

(D) System reset

3. The appearance of a proprietary crash screen is likely an indicator of:

(A) Improperly disconnected USB drive

(B) Corrupted Windows Update

(C) Hardware incompatibility

(D) Missing GRUB loader

4. Which of the following Windows 8.1 features restores the entire system to its state at a previous point in time?

(A) Windows RE

(B) System Restore

(C) System Refresh

(D) System Image Recovery

5. Which of the following devices should you use if you need to share one keyboard and mouse with multiple computers?

(A) KVM

(B) Port replicator

(C) Set-top box

(D) Riser card

6. You plan to secure a network printer for a customer by implementing the WPA encryption protocol. Which connectivity method for the printer should you use?

(A) Bluetooth

(B) 802.11

(C) Infrared

(D) USB 3.0

7. You're helping a customer who needs a second wired Ethernet interface on her laptop computer. Which of the following is the recommended option?

(A) Install a PCI Ethernet card

(B) Use a USB to RJ-11 dongle

(C) Use a USB-to-RJ-45 dongle

(D) Disable the on-board WiFi adapter

8. Which of the following file systems is common on Linux systems?

(A) HFS

(B) FAT32

(C) NTFS

(D) EXT3

9. A customer has dropped off a system to have the processor upgraded. Which of the following features of CPU sockets make replacement of the CPU easier?

(A) XD-bit

(B) Virtualization

(C) Cores

(D) ZIF

10. You are a service technician for an accounting firm and need to upgrade the RAM on a high-end desktop workstation. You grab an 8GB SODIMM module from inventory and are having trouble installing it. Which of the following represents the reason for the installation problem?

(A) The workstation only takes 4GB modules

(B) The module is not compatible

(C) High-end workstations use flash memory

(D) High-end workstations use solid state memory

11. You are installing a new motherboard for a workstation within your office. When connecting the power to the motherboard, you notice a 6-pin power connector. What component does this typically supply power to?

(A) Graphics card

(B) CPU

(C) SATA drives

(D) EIDE drives

12. You are configuring the security for a customer’s wireless network. Which of the following identifies the least secure wireless encryption protocol?

(A) WPA

(B) WPA2

(C) WEP

(D) TKIP

13. You are configuring a small LAN for one of your customers. You would like to implement NAT. Which of the following devices would you use?

(A) Hub

(B) Switch

(C) Modem

(D) Router

14. You are configuring the security on a folder that resides on an NTFS volume and has been shared as Data. The NTFS permissions give Bob the modify permission to the folder, but the folder has been shared giving Bob the read permission. What are Bob’s effective permissions when he connects to the shared folder?

(A) Full control

(B) Read

(C) Modify

(D) No permission

15. You have installed virtualization software on the computer and are trying to create a virtual machine but you continue to receive an error. What is most likely the cause?

(A) Disable cache memory in the BIOS

(B) Enable XD-bit in the BIOS

(C) Change the boot order in the BIOS

(D) Enable virtualization in the BIOS

16. You have been noticing that your server has been performing slowly over the last few days and now all of a sudden no one can make a connection to the server. Looking at server log files you have determined that the server was under attack. What type of attack likely occurred?

(A) DoS

(B) MTM

(C) Dumpster dive

(D) Dictionary

17. You are troubleshooting Bob’s workstations to determine why he cannot get access to the Internet. You use the ipconfig command and get the following output. What is likely the cause?

PS C:\> ipconfig /all

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : dcatt.ca

Description … … … . . : Qualcomm Atheros PCI-E Fast Ethernet

Physical Address… … … : 20-1A-06-34-2B-66

DHCP Enabled… … … . . : No

IPv4 Address… … … . . : 192.168.1.138

Subnet Mask … … … . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway … … … : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers … … … . . : 192.168.1.1

(A) There is no MAC address assigned to the system

(B) The DNS suffix is incorrect

(C) The default gateway address is incorrect

(D) The DNS server is incorrect

18. CompTIA has a six-step problem resolution process. What is the third step in the process?

(A) Identify the problem

(B) Test the theory to determine cause

(C) Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution

(D) Document findings, actions, and outcomes

19. You are working with a computer that is having a problem loading the user profile and the Windows Explorer interface. You have access to the command prompt window. What command will terminate the runaway process named RunAway.exe with a PID of 3375?

(A) Tasklist /Fl RunAway.exe

(B) Taskkill /FI RunAway

(C) Tasklist /PID 3375

(D) Taskkill /PID 3375

20. You are planning to move from your old office due to issues with power in the neighborhood. Within the neighborhood you are constantly being exposed to blackout, brownout, spikes, and voltage drops. Which device will protect you from all of these issues?

(A) Surge suppressor

(B) UPS

(C) Line conditioner

(D) Power tester

21. You have been called to a customer’s computer to help her deal with a recent problem she has developed when starting an application. You think it may be due to components that are loading automatically when Windows boots and loads. Which tool can you use to disable services or perform a selective startup of Windows?

(A) diskpart.exe

(B) chkdsk.exe

(C) msconfig.exe

(D) defrag.exe

22. While managing a group of workers servicing computers in your repair shop, you have received complaints from them that they are seeing a lot of incidents of static discharge. They are worried about the components that they are working with. What steps can you take to reduce the chance of static discharge or ESD?

(A) Increase the relative humidity

(B) Decrease the relative humidity

(C) Increase the temperature

(D) Decrease the temperature

23. A user has called you while you are working on the support desk. He has an issue with power management settings that are being pushed out to users via Active Directory Group Policy Objects (GPO). After adjusting the GPO to correct the issue, you would like to have the client computer process the GPO changes immediately. What tool will you use to process the GPO changes?

(A) attrib

(B) gpresult

(C) expand

(D) gpupdate

24. You are working with a member of your IT administration team to set permissions on a Linux server on your network. You need to change the permissions granted to a group of users who will be accessing a directory. What command will you be using to change the permissions?

(A) chmod

(B) chown

(C) grep

(D) iwconfig

25. Your local IT administrator has made changes to C:\boot.ini to change the loading process for his Windows 8.1 computer; but this does not seem to have had any effect on the boot process. What component controls the boot configuration and thereby the boot process on a Windows 8.1 computer?

(A) ntoskrnl.exe

(B) winload.exe

(C) ntdetect.com

(D) BCD

Answers

A. The magnetic hard disk drive (HDD) definitely benefits from periodic disk defragmentation because its mechanical operation lends itself to fragmentation. See Book 2, Chapter 5.

B. Personally, I wouldn't take a chance on an upgrade if the system is suspect. Instead, I recommend backing up the user state, performing a clean Windows 8.1 installation, and restoring the user state (which doesn't include program files) to the upgraded system. See Book 5, Chapter 3.

C. Normally, the appearance of the Blue Screen of Death in Windows or the Spinning Beach Ball of Death (OS X) signifies a hardware incompatibility. For instance, you may have inadvertently installed the wrong RAM type in the system. See Book 7, Chapter 2.

D. System Image Recovery involves creating an image of the entire system drive. Therefore, restoring a computer with a previously created recovery image restores the entire operating system environment to its state at the previous point in time. See Book 7, Chapter 3.

A. A keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switch is exactly what you need in this situation. You'll oftentimes find KVMs in data centers so that engineers can easily manage several systems located in the same server rack. See Book 3, Chapter 2.

B. WiFi Protected Access (WPA) encryption is available on IEEE 802.11 WiFi networks only. While we're on the subject, be sure never to use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which is a fundamentally broken WiFi security protocol. See Book 3, Chapter 4.

C. If you remember that Ethernet uses the RJ-45 connector type, then you'll answer this question correctly every time. Recall that RJ-11 is used for traditional telephones and (yuck) analog modem connections. See Book 3, Chapter 6.

D. Linux computers typically use the EXT3 or EXT4 file systems, although they can support other file systems for compatibility with other operating system platforms. See Book 5, Chapter 3.

D. A zero insertion force (ZIF) socket is a type of socket used with PGA and LGA chips to allow easy removal and installation of the processor chip. A ZIF socket has a lever that allows releases the processor and allows it to be lifted out of the socket. See Book 2, Chapter 2.

B. Desktop computers use DIMM when installing RAM into the computer. SODIMM are used by laptop computers. See Book 2, Chapter 3.

A. The 6-pin power connector is typically used to supply power to the PCIe graphics card. See Book 2, Chapter 1.

C. In today’s day and age you should avoid the WEP encryption protocol when configuring wireless security because the encryption with WEP is easy to crack. When encrypting wireless traffic always use the newer protocols such as WPA2. See Book 8, Chapter 2.

D. Network address translation, or NAT, is a network service that allows multiple systems and devices on the network to access the Internet using a single IP address. NAT is typically a service provided with routers. See Book 8, Chapter 1.

B. When NTFS permissions conflict with shared folder permissions, the most restrictive permission will be the effective permission. In this case, read is more restrictive than modify. See Book 8, Chapter 3.

D. Before trying to configure virtual machines on the system you should verify that virtualization support has been enable within the BIOS. See Book 2, Chapter 4.

A. A denial of service attack (DoS) is when a system is overloaded with request from a hacker, which causes the server to be unresponsive to valid request from client, or eventually crashes the server. See Book 9, Chapter 1.

C. The default gateway address is incorrect. The default gateway address must reference the same network ID as your client system; in this case, the address should start with the network ID of 192.168.1.x instead of 192.168.2.x. See Book 8, Chapter 3.

B. The third step in the CompTIA problem is Test the theory to determine cause. You can review all six steps in Book 1, Chapter 2.

D. Taskkill.exe supports several options to terminate a task either by name or by PID. To terminate a task by PID you would use taskkill.exe /PID 3375 and to terminate by name you would use taskkill.exe /IM notepad.exe. Read through Book 6, Chapter 3.

B. The only device which protects against a blackout is a UPS. See Book 2, Chapter 6.

C. The System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe) can be used to perform a selective startup of Windows to assist in troubleshooting issues. Defrag.exe is used to defragment the disk, diskpart.exe is used to partition a disk, and chkdisk.exe is used to check your disks for errors. See Book 6, Chapter 4.

A. To reduce the chance of ESD, you should increase the relative humidity. ESD risks are increased in dry air. Locate this information in Book 4, Chapter 1.

D. The command gpupdate is used to trigger the processing of Activity Directory GPOs, while gpresult will display the effective results of GPOs. The command attrib is used to adjust file attributes, such as read-only and archive, while expand is used to expand compressed system files. See Book 5, Chapter 5.

A. The command to change permissions is chmod, while chown will change the owner and group who has access to the resource. The grep command will display and filter contents of files or output from commands, and iwconfig is used to manage wireless configurations. Review Book 5, Chapter 1.

D. The BCD or Boot Configuration Database stores boot configuration settings which are used during the boot process. The file ntoskrnl.exe is the operating system kernel, winload.exe is the operating system loader, and ntdetect.com was an OS load file from older Windows OSes. Review Book 5, Chapter 6.

Book 1

Setting the A+ Groundwork

Contents at a Glance

Chapter 1: The 2015 A+ Exams

Chapter 2: A+ Soft Skills

Chapter 3: Protecting Yourself and Your PC

Chapter 4: An Overview of System Components

Chapter 1

The 2015 A+ Exams

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding A+ Certification and its benefits

Looking at the exams and their objectives

Preparing for the exams

Arranging to take the exams

Test day

So, you are interested in taking the CompTIA A+ Certification Exams? This chapter introduces you to the exams and gives you a good idea of what you can expect when you go to take them. Knowing what to expect in regard to the exam procedures and format will remove that uncertainty, which can weigh on your mind. Read through the procedures here; then you will be able to focus on the exam facts, which will help you breeze through the exams.

I hope that this chapter helps remove some of that normal fear of the unknown by giving you information about the actual test-taking process. This chapter will also help you develop good test-taking skills.

CompTIA A+ Certification and Why You Need It

The benefit of the CompTIA A+ Certification is that it is proof that you know and have validated the hardware and software knowledge necessary to troubleshoot and repair computers. The CompTIA A+ Certification can be presented to employers and clients alike as proof of your competency and skill in this area. This certification is valid for three years from the day that you attain the certification, after which time you must renew by taking the newest version of the exam, or by taking a higher level certification exam. You can find out more on the subject at https://certification.comptia.org/continuing-education.

Formed in 1982, CompTIA was originally named the Association of Better Computer Dealers. It is a company focused on providing research, networking, and partnering opportunities to its 19,000 members in 100 countries. In 1993, in response to the need for vendor-neutral, entry-level PC certification, the company created the A+ Certification.

Prior to CompTIA creating the A+ Certification, there were many places where a person could get hardware and software certifications. However, such training was often very expensive, difficult to get, and not designed for accessibility for most people. Microsoft, Novell, IBM, and other software companies offered software certifications, but these were specifically focused on teaching high-level support skills for these products, were difficult for average users or support people to attain, and lacked relevance for most day-to-day work.

IBM, HP, Compaq, Sun, and other hardware companies offered hardware repair and maintenance certifications, but again, these were specifically focused on their hardware — and more on the peculiarities of their own platforms, and not always covering the basics of configuration and maintenance. CompTIA stepped in to fill the gap that a majority of users fell into, which is a hardware and software neutral certification that covered all the basics required by a support person. This certification can then be followed by vendor-based certifications, if desired, but the A+ Certification by itself proves a firm grasp of the basics.

An A+ Certification gives employers confidence that existing employees or new recruits have a level of knowledge with which they can do their jobs efficiently. It also gives employers a yardstick against which recruits and employees can be measured. And an A+ Certification also allows clients to rest assured that the person they hire to fix their computers has the knowledge to do so without blowing up equipment or deleting valuable data. This provides clients with peace of mind and increases repeat business. In the end, with the CompTIA A+ Certification on your side, you have more opportunities open to you in your career path.

Checking Out the Exams and Their Objectives

You have to take two exams to get your CompTIA A+ Certification. Both exams are required. The first required exam is the CompTIA A+ Exam 220-901, which focuses on the hardware aspects of computer repair. The second required exam is the CompTIA A+ Exam 220-902, which focuses on configuring and troubleshooting the software aspects of a system in a corporate network environment.

Revised exams for CompTIA A+ were released in 2015. In addition to traditional multiple-choice questions, the revised CompTIA A+ Exams include an unspecified number of performance-based questions (PBQs); these are short exercises that test your ability to solve problems in a simulated environment. The CompTIA website has a sample performance-based question that can be viewed at http://certification.comptia.org/testing/about-testing/performance-based-questions-explained.

You have 90 minutes to complete each exam; Table 1-1 contains the number of questions and passing score for each exam. CompTIA is releasing the exams as linear format exams — standard timed exams — taken on a computer. After CompTIA gathers grading statistics, it might re-release the exams as adaptive exams (what CompTIA has done in the past), but there are no current plans by CompTIA to do so. If the exam you take is adaptive, these limits will change. In this adaptive exam, you will be asked a minimal number of questions (usually about 15), and then asked additional questions based on any incorrect answers. The exam adapts to your wrong answers by choosing additional questions for you from the area where you are weaker.

TABLE 1-1 A+ Exam Information

The CompTIA A+ Exam 220-901

The CompTIA A+ Exam 220-901 covers the basics of computer hardware, network hardware, and mobile devices topics. Table 1-2 provides a breakdown of the exam areas that are covered on the CompTIA A+ 220-901 Exam. This exam puts heavy emphasis on computer components and hardware.

TABLE 1-2 CompTIA A+ Essentials Exam (220-901)

The CompTIA A+ Exam 220-902

In addition to the CompTIA A+ Exam 220-901, you have to take a second exam. This exam is the CompTIA A+ Exam 220-902, which is designed to measure skills required to maintain and troubleshoot operating systems and mobile devices. The breakdown of the exam components is covered in Table 1-3. Based on the domain breakdown, this exam has the widest breadth of topics for a well-rounded IT professional.

TABLE 1-3 CompTIA A+ Exam (220-902)

Using This Book to Prepare for the Exams

Exams are stressful events for most people, but if you are well prepared, your stress level should be much lower. If you read and understand the material in this book, you should have no problem with any of the exams. The review questions at the end of each chapter in this book, and the sample exams on the book’s companion website at www.dummies.com/go/aplusaio are all designed to prepare you for what lies ahead. This book takes a holistic approach to studying for the exams. Review all the material found here, and then you will be prepared to go and take either of your exams you choose because they can be taken in either order. I recommend taking both of your exams in a short time frame to avoid forgetting the information you have learned.

tip Examine the objectives for each chapter before diving into the content so that you can use them as a guide to which sections you might need to focus on. After thoroughly reading the content of the chapter, attempt the Prep Test section at the end of the chapter. If you do poorly on the Prep Test, go back to the objectives to see where you need more effort. When you re-read the chapter sections, try to examine the content from another viewpoint to help you associate the information with the questions and the objectives. For example, a differing viewpoint might be that of a computer user, a help desk employee, or a desktop support technician. After you can complete the Prep Test in each chapter with an 85% or better score, move on to attempt the practice exams on the companion website. If you are unable to achieve a mark of 85% or better, you should continue to review the areas in which you are weak.

Making Arrangements to Take the Exams

The A+ Certification Exams can be scheduled at Pearson VUE testing centers. For more information about scheduling your exam, check the CompTIA A+ Certification page on CompTIA’s website at

http://certification.comptia.org/certifications/a

The cost to take the A+ Exams is $199 (US) per exam. CompTIA Premier members receive a discount.

The Day the Earth Stood Still: Exam Day

Knowing what to expect on the day of the exam can take some of the pressure off of you. The following sections look at the testing process.

Arriving at the exam location

Get to the exam location early on the day of the exam. You should arrive at the testing center 15 to 30 minutes before the exam starts. This keeps you from being rushed and gives you some temporal elbow room in case there are any delays. It is also not so long that you will have time to sit and stew about the exam. Get there, get into a relaxed frame of mind, and get into the exam.

To check in for your exam, you will need two pieces of identification: One must be a government-issued photo ID, while the other must have your name and signature. This may vary in some regions of the world.

When you get to the test site, before you sign in, take a few minutes to get accustomed to the testing center. Get a drink of water. Use the restroom if you need to. The test will be 90 minutes, so you should be able to last that long before another break.

Now relax. Getting to the exam site early gives you this privilege. You didn’t show up early just to stew and make yourself more nervous.

If you feel prepared and are ready to go, you might want to see whether you can start the test early. As long as a testing seat is available, this is usually not a problem.

You will not be able to take anything into the testing room. You will not be allowed electronics, paper, and so on. The testing center will provide you with something to write with and to write on, which they will take back at the end of test.

Taking the exam

In the testing room, and depending on the size of the testing center, there may be as many as eight computers set up. Each computer represents a testing seat.

tip Because the exam consists of multiple-choice questions and an unspecified number of performance-based questions, take it slow — or at least pace yourself. Trying to complete the questions too quickly will no doubt lead you to errors. When you are about to start the exam, you will see onscreen how many questions there will be, and how long you have to complete the exam. Be sure to read the onscreen exam instructions at the start of the exam; they do change from time to time.

Based on the number of questions and your exam time, figure out how long you can spend on each question. On average, you have slightly more than one minute per question. Take your time, but be aware of your time for the exam overall. Think of it this way: When you have completed 25% of the exam, you should have used only 25% of your allotted time.

Read the entire question and try to decide what the answer should be before looking at the answer choices. In most cases, you will find a few key words that are designed to remove any ambiguity in the question, as well as a few distracters and useless information designed to throw you off. If you do not notice these key words, the question will seem vague. If this is the case, re-read the question and look for the key words. Exam questions are written by many authors, so the style of writing for each question could differ.

remember Don’t overcomplicate the questions by reading too much into them. Besides the key words and the distracters, the question should be straightforward. In some cases, the question might ask for the best choice, and more than one answer might seem correct. Choose the one that is best — the quickest, most likely to succeed, least likely to cause other problems — whatever the question calls for. The best choice is always the right choice.

After identifying the key words and distracters, follow these additional steps:

Eliminate choices that are obviously wrong.

Most questions will ask you to choose one of four answers. Some questions will ask you to choose all that apply and have as many as eight choices. You should be able to immediately eliminate at least one choice — perhaps two. Now the odds of choosing the right answer have gotten substantially better. Re-read the question and the remaining choices carefully, and you should be able to locate the correct answer.

If you don’t have a clue which of the remaining choices is correct, mark an answer.

On a standard timed exam, you can review your answers. Not answering a question is automatically wrong, so if you at least have an answer, it might be right. You might also find information on other questions in the exam that triggers the correct answers for questions you were not sure of.

Make your choice and leave it.

Unless you have information that proves your choice is wrong, your first instinct is usually correct.

CompTIA has not announced an adaptive exam at the time this was written, but if they add the option, here are a few things to know about the adaptive exam process, as it varies from the standard form exam. The adaptive exam delivers a series of questions to you. If you answer a question incorrectly, you get additional questions in that category. You can’t review or change your answers on the adaptive exams like you can with standard timed exams. Because skipped questions are automatically wrong and you do not have the ability to change them, you must provide an answer to the question before moving to the next question. You are allowed to attempt to answer a finite number of questions (known only by CompTIA) before the test decides that you really don’t know what you need to know to pass the test. If you exceed the allowed number of wrong answers (again, known only by CompTIA), the exam ends; you fail. (But that won’t happen to you because you bought this wonderful book!) Currently the A+ Certification Exams are not adaptive.

If you get all the initial category questions correct, you can pass the exam in relatively few questions. If you get an initial category question wrong in a category in which you are weak, though, you will find the adaptive format very difficult. You won’t know exactly how many questions you have to answer to complete the exam, so the end of an adaptive exam will always come as a surprise — hopefully, a good one.

If you are taking the nonadaptive exam, you are allowed to mark questions and come back to them later. However, I recommend selecting an answer for every question, even if you are unsure about it, because you might run out of time before you can review previous questions.

remember Your first choice is usually correct — don’t second-guess your first choice! Change your answer only if you’re absolutely positive it should be changed.

Regardless of which type of exam CompTIA has available for you when you take your exam (adaptive or standard timed), you are given a Pass/Fail mark right on the spot after completing the exam. In addition, you get a report listing how well you did in each domain. If you don’t pass (or even if you do), you can use this report to review the material on which you are still weak.

How does CompTIA set the pass level?

CompTIA uses a scale score to determine the total number of points that each question on the exam will be calculated from. Your final score will be between 100 and 900. In any case, the passing score (not a percentage, due to the scale) varies from one exam to the others. The scale score system allows the number of points assigned to questions to vary between each copy of the exam, which makes it harder for test candidates to compare scores across exams. You can find more information about the exam at https://certification.comptia.org/certifications/a#examdetails.

CompTIA has a retake policy. If you do not pass on the first attempt, you can take the exam again. There is no waiting period to make your second attempt at the exam, but you have to wait at least 14 days before your third or subsequent attempts. The CompTIA exam retake policy can be found at https://certification.comptia.org/testing/test-policies/comptia-certification-retake-policy.

Chapter 2

A+ Soft Skills

EXAM OBJECTIVES

Knowing your troubleshooting techniques

Communicating effectively and professionally

As a CompTIA A+ Certified Professional, you will often need to troubleshoot systems as well as deal with customers or clients. For you to complete these tasks, you need good troubleshooting skills, and you also need to develop good customer-relation skills.

This chapter examines the basics of troubleshooting. These basics are not centered on specific hardware components, but rather on basic methodology that is used to solve problems. This methodology will not change even though the underlying technology might change. Troubleshooting specific components is covered in Book 4, Chapter 2.

When solving problems for customers — internal or external customers — you will likely need to talk to them. This chapter takes a look at the communication skills that help you maintain a high level of professionalism.

Using Troubleshooting Procedures and Good Practices

Many people say that troubleshooting skills cannot be learned, but this is not true. If you are methodical or just curious, you will probably have an easier time troubleshooting. However, anyone can learn the practical order to follow when troubleshooting problems. Follow the steps in this chapter, and you should have an easy time when it comes to troubleshooting.

The two main sections of troubleshooting are hypothesis generation and hypothesis evaluation. In other words, based on the symptoms that you see, you create a list of things that might be wrong and then test to see whether any of them are actually the problem. Figure 2-1 shows a rough outline of general troubleshooting procedures.

FIGURE 2-1: Basic troubleshooting steps.

fortheexam CompTIA lays out its recommended troubleshooting process as follows, but remember to take any corporate policies into account when going through the process:

Identify the problem.

Establish a theory of probable cause.

Test the theory to determine cause.

Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution.

Verify full system functionality and if applicable implement preventive measures.

Document findings, actions, and outcomes.

To troubleshoot any system, you need to know how that system is supposed to function and what options can be changed or might fail. This information allows you to quickly assemble a list of hypotheses. The better you know the system, the easier this phase will be. You then need to test these hypotheses. Testing might involve using tools appropriate to the system to test the condition of certain components, or it might involve changing a series of configuration settings and rechecking to see whether the problem has been resolved at certain stages.

Identifying the problem

The first task is to identify the problem. The first step to identifying the problem is to question the system’s user. This shouldn’t be a police interrogation, nor should you accuse the user of causing the error. You might discover, after all is said and done, that the user actually did cause the error, but you should never assume that upfront, or you will quickly become an adversary instead of an advocate.

The information you gather from the user helps you set the scope of the problem. Many users start with the simple, It’s broken! It is up to you to figure out how it is broken, and you do that by asking simple questions: What issues are you having with it? What is it not doing? Does it always happen or only at certain times?

Even if the user gives you a better starting point, you will likely still need to ask some questions to refine the scope of the problem. Here are some things to keep in mind while you try to identify the problem:

Identify changes to the computer. Some errors are caused by the user or his surroundings. The user should always be asked up front, in much the same way a doctor asks whether his patient’s lifestyle has changed or whether he is on any medication. Ask the user whether he made any changes to the computer by installing software, changing hardware, or changing the computer’s location. This often provides you with an early lead to the possible problem.

Break big problems into smaller pieces. Continuing with the doctor analogy (see the preceding bullet), the I feel sick statement causes a doctor to ask questions and build a list of symptoms. That list of symptoms (sore throat, headache, runny nose, gaping hole in abdomen) might be easier to deal with if broken down into groups of symptoms rather than being treated as a whole. The doctor might then treat each group of symptoms individually. The same applies to computer problems. That broken computer might be malfunctioning because of a variety of smaller problems: insufficient RAM, a fragmented hard drive, malware, Trojans, and poor networking protocol configuration. If the problems are broken down instead of being treated as a whole, you can approach each item separately.

Prioritize problems and decide in which order they should be tackled. With your list of problems, decide which are the most critical and should be approached first. For instance, if the hard drive is corrupted and you need to re-install or upgrade the operating system, fix the issue with the hard drive before performing the software upgrade.

remember In most cases, you prioritize the issues based on the impact to the user and the impact of other fixes implemented at a later time. One rule I live by is, Fix the business problem first. For example, if you are working for a stock trader, she needs her stock trading program working immediately, but she might be willing to wait for a fix to the word processing program.

Analyzing the problem and potential causes

For each problem you work on, decide the scope of the problem. This can be done by testing. The initial tests you conduct determine the scope of the problem. Say you go to a doctor for an upset stomach. She asks stomach- and food-related questions and then probably runs some basic tests to determine whether the problem is an ulcer, an allergy, or just some bad sushi.

The same is true with computer issues. You ask questions and then perform rudimentary tests to determine the scope of the issue. For example, after being told that a printer does not print, you might verify that its cables are in place, it powers up, it has toner or ink, and it accepts commands from the computer. These rudimentary checks allow you to see how large the problem is; from there, you can perform additional analyses. For example, if the printer is passing paper but the pages come out blank, your list of potential causes can be reduced because it is not a power issue. Rather, the problem is either with the transfer of the printing material — the ink or toner — or with the interpretation of the commands from the computer. With this narrowed list of potential causes, you can move on with addressing the problem.

The basic troubleshooting process

With your list of potential causes in hand, move on to figuring out potential solutions. In some instances, you might approach the problem starting at a general level and then work down to specific components. Conversely, you might look at entire systems, like the power system, in a sequential manner. In most cases, your potential causes can be placed on an imaginary line that forms a resolution path. The resolution path forms a sequential chain of possible causes for the issue, starting at one point and moving to another. For instance, if a computer does not power up, you can start testing at the electrical socket; move to the power supply, power supply connectors, power switch, motherboard; and then move to the devices. This process moves through the sequential chain along the possible path that power would flow. Following a possible resolution path from one end to the other is sometimes referred to as the layered or linear approach.

tip The term layered is often used when discussing networking issues because the layers in the networking model are easily definable and are often referenced. For more information about the layered network model, see Book 8, which discusses networking.

Most systems that make up computer systems and networks can be broken down into layered models, and troubleshooting can move through these layers. Another example of layered troubleshooting is a gasoline engine, with its two major systems: the electrical system and a fuel supply system. The electrical system has layered troubleshooting starting at a power source (say, a battery) through power supply cables, a distributor, and finally to a spark plug. The fuel supply system starts with fuel storage, supply lines, a pump, and filter, and then ends at a combustion chamber. In the event of a problem, both systems can be reviewed and tested from end to end, in a linear or layered manner, until the problem is located.

The following sections take a close look at some suggestions for implementing potential solutions.

Back up any settings or files you need to change

You don’t want to introduce more problems to a system than it had when you started. Before changing any basic input-output system (BIOS) or application settings, record the original settings — or back them up. For instance, if an application that you are troubleshooting stores its configuration in a text or binary file, copy that file so you can quickly restore it to the initial state if your solution doesn’t work.

Some computers allow you to make a backup copy of your BIOS settings, which are stored in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) memory; or back up the existing BIOS prior to overwriting it with an upgrade. Some things cannot easily be reversed, like the application of a Service Pack, so care should be taken when doing those tasks, such as setting a restore point or making a full system backup.

remember If you need to make a large number of changes, it is a good idea to take a complete backup of the computer prior to starting your troubleshooting process so that you will be able to retrieve any settings or files that are deleted or modified.

Test one configuration change at a time

This step is required to know what the fix actually is. If you change five things and the problem component now works, you don’t know which change made the difference. In some cases, you might incur monetary costs. For instance, if the computer starts to blue screen on boot and you suspect a hardware fault, you could change the disk controller, hard drive, RAM, CPU, and power supply. After that, if the problem no longer exists, what was the solution? Are you going to replace all five components the next time you have the issue? By substituting one item at a time and testing at each step to re-create the issue, you will know which change you implemented corrected the problem.

Question the obvious

When I get the messages Missing Operating System, NTLDR is missing, BOOTMGR is missing, or messages related to winload.exe or BCD not being found, the first thing I do is look for a floppy disk or USB drive that was left plugged into the system. For power problems, is it plugged in? For network problems, is the cable plugged into the correct jack? These simple first steps are often overlooked by the user. Just because it is obvious to you does not mean it is obvious to the user. If the solution is not obvious, go back to your layered approach — it will not let you down.

Research to find potential fixes

If you run out of ideas for a specific problem, do a little research. The "Documentation resources" sidebar, later in this chapter, gives you some ideas about where to begin.

remember There is nothing wrong with you, as a CompTIA A+ Certified Professional, not knowing the solution to a particular issue with a specific product. What is important is that you know where you can find the answers — quickly.

Prioritize potential fixes for the problem

After you spent time researching the symptoms, now you have a long list of items to check and possible solutions to apply, and you must prioritize them. You can put the most-likely fix at the top of your list, or you can put the quickest and least-disruptive fix at the beginning of the list. In most cases, you will likely do the latter.

For instance, a good fix for many software-related problems is to reimage the computer or re-install the application. Although this often fixes the problem, it can be time consuming for you and disruptive for the user. Re-installation often involves checking for local files that need to be backed up, backing them up, verifying application settings, restoring the computer operating system, restoring backed-up user files, and reapplying settings. This usually leaves a lot of settings that the user needs to reset when she runs the application(s) for the first time after re-installation. Because this is time consuming and disruptive, it should be left toward the end of the list of options. Rather, the list should begin with items such as verifying application settings, testing new-user profiles, and applying other quicker and less-disruptive fixes.

Test related components

Sometimes, a symptom in one area is caused by a problem in another. The classic example with computers is being asked to look at a computer that is reported as slow, and has an extremely active hard drive. You can test the hard drive and related cables, use diagnostic utilities to test its health, swap it with another, only to not find a solution. Then you have to take a step back and evaluate other system components, such as memory. In many cases, a lack of RAM can cause excessive paging, which causes high disk activity, so the solution to the problem might be to add RAM to the computer and not do anything with the hard drive. If you did not look at the related component (RAM), you would not have been able to solve the problem with the active hard drive. In some cases, you might need to do some research to know what components of the system are related. Don’t just go for the obvious: Test related systems as well. That might be where the actual issue is.

Call in the big guns

remember You are not alone in this exercise. In many cases, there may be internal resources to which you may escalate a problem that you cannot resolve. If there are no internal resources above you, then in many cases there is a vendor or manufacturer that you may be able to contact. Many vendor support departments have seen your problem and can offer steps to resolve the issue. Never be afraid to realize your limits and ask for help when you need it.

Evaluating results

At each step of the analysis and application of potential fixes, evaluate the results. By evaluating often, you will know what is working, what is not, and what additional problem you might have caused. At any time, the results might cause you to change your initial hypothesis and choose to pursue a different path. Changing your hypothesis should be done only if there is sufficient proof that your initial statements were in error, or you might find yourself running in circles.

Once you have identified the source of the problem, there may be repair options available to the customer. Make sure you present the pros and cons of each available option so that the customer can make an informed decision. In some cases, repair may not be the most cost-effective solution.

Going the extra mile

Once you have found the problem, resolved it, and verified that the system is back in full operation, what else can you do? Well, if that problem was a result of user error or malicious people, then take a minute to think if there is anything that can be done to prevent the problem from re-occurring. You usually cannot remove all chance of it happening again, but you may be able to take some steps that will greatly reduce the chance of it happening again. For example:

If the problem was related to malware being installed from a website, then anti-malware software could be installed.

If the problem was a dropped laptop, then a proper carrying case can be provided.

If the problem was a file that was modified or deleted, then you can adjust the security or permissions on the file to prevent it from happening again.

By helping your clients this way, you may not see them back with the same problem; but this type of action will increase the level of trust between you and the client, which will bring the client back to you in the future.

Going the extra mile also involves contacting the client in the near future to ensure that your work properly resolved the issue and that he or she is happy with the service you provided.

Documenting findings, activities, and outcomes

The philosopher George Santayana said, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. To remember a solution for the long term, write it down or otherwise record it. If you do not document your findings, you might find yourself repeating the same troubleshooting steps in the future to solve a similar problem, when the process could have been abbreviated.

I recommend using a personal or a corporate knowledge base to record troubleshooting activities. Some companies have a formal help desk or trouble ticket system, with the main goal of documenting their problems and solutions. Having a technician close his trouble tickets with Problem resolved might be fast for the technician, but it is not the purpose of the application. One of the application’s goals is to build a database of problems and resolutions. The more detail that is included in the resolution documentation, the more helpful it will be in the future.

After the trouble ticket database has enough information, it becomes more than a place where the information is stored: It also becomes a place where solutions are found. The larger the database, the more likely it will be able to provide your solution. When a problem is reported, you can search the database to see whether the problem has previously happened for that person (or another person), and you might be provided with a solution. Testing a few known solutions is faster than starting the troubleshooting process at the beginning.

Depending on your job role, you may also need to document the solution for your clients, so that they have a permanent record of the fix or a record of how you spent your time.

DOCUMENTATION RESOURCES

CompTIA A+ Certified Professionals aren’t expected to know every answer, but they should have a good list of resources at their disposal to find an answer. Here are the most common resources:

Vendor manuals: Gone are the days of an IT department filled with bookcase upon bookcase of manuals for every application the company owns. In many cases, manuals are now shipped on DVD in PDF format or are available for download from vendors’ websites. Many of these manuals have specific sections detailing product installation, options to watch during the installation, and diagnostics or troubleshooting. Looking up a computer’s symptoms in this guide can lead to concise, quick solutions.

Service documentation: In addition to general user manuals, some companies offer additional service documentation that can be obtained by owners of the product. In some cases, this will be available to you only if you are certified on the product or you are employed by the manufacturer. Check whether this technical documentation is available to you because it often has detailed configuration and troubleshooting information.

External knowledge bases: In the same way that your organization can create its own internal knowledge base of problems and solutions, many vendors have compiled their knowledge base, and they make this data available and searchable on their websites. If the manuals seem to be lacking, see whether the vendor has a searchable online knowledge base. In some cases, vendors ignore the manual when they maintain a good knowledge base. Again, if your problem is found in the database, you likely have a quick solution that you can apply.

Training: Knowledge is half the battle, and one of the best ways to get quick knowledge is to attend vendor training on the products that you are working on. In many cases, you will find out a product’s gotchas — those common but hard-to-solve problems that are unique to the product. If you don’t walk away with this, you should at least leave the training with a complete picture of how the product is suppose to work, which can reduce your troubleshooting time.

Other Internet resources: In addition to the vendor websites as an official support tool, additional discussion forums and websites might have answers to your specific problems, even though the website or forum is geared toward a general industry area. For instance, you might have issues with a specific sound card; if the vendor’s website does not provide you with the answer, you might find the answer on a site that covers all computer audio cards and issues. Your favorite search engine is a good place to start looking for these sites.

With these documentation resources and the basic troubleshooting guidelines in your arsenal, you should be able to approach problems and troubleshoot them in a methodical, organized way.

Additional troubleshooting processes for specific hardware components are covered in other sections of this book, with much of it in Book 4, Chapter 2.

Professionalism and Communication

Whether you are an internal or external support professional, you have customers. For the external support professional, it is easy to identify your customers. For the internal support professional, the people for whom you provide support are still your customers, and you still need to provide them with service. To provide this service, you will be required to communicate with them, and this communication should remain professional in its tone and manner. The best way to maintain the right level of professionalism is to respect the customer; whether the customer is right or wrong, you should still give him respect. You can show him respect while you educate him, work with him, or explain to him what he doesn’t understand related to the technology that he is using.

fortheexam The professionalism and communication section of the A+ Exams should be common sense for most readers. The exam questions will present a wide range of responses to given scenarios; the answer will usually be the one that illustrates good communication skills and respect for the client. Verbally abusing the client and hanging up will not be the correct answer!

Good communication skills

What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.

— COOL HAND LUKE

A breakdown in communication can be blamed for many of the problems that exist in our world today. Difficult customers or situations are a source of conflict, but that conflict often begins with a misunderstanding. To avoid this conflict with your customers, always make sure you use good communication skills. Here is a list of things to keep in mind when communicating with a customer:

Listen to the customer and don’t interrupt. One of the best abilities of a good communicator is the ability to listen. All too often in today’s society, the emphasis is on speed; and for the sake of speed, people tend not to listen. The active part of active listening is still listening. Part of not listening is completing other peoples’ thoughts or sentences. This is a problem that can be resolved by resisting the urge to just jump in and taking notes to discuss after the customer has finished her statement. Put yourself in the listener’s position while you let the person tell you the problem and how it is affecting her life. Not listening can extend to email. I have written emails to vendor support addresses, detailing a problem and the steps already taken to solve that problem, only to receive a stock reply from the vendor support person saying, Try this, which was already tried, or does not address the problem. At times like that, I usually reply to the email, stating the fact that he failed to read message and rather suggested a solution based on the subject line or the first line of the message.

Clarify statements and repeat what you have heard. One technique that helps to clarify any misunderstandings is to repeat to the user what he told you. This reinforces for the user that you are listening and are not daydreaming. It also verifies that you understand what the user said. When you repeat it, you may substitute terms or give additional examples of what the client described to you. Ask questions to gather additional information about what the customer is saying.

Use open verses closed questions to gather information. Open-ended questions will encourage the customer to provide additional information, rather than closed-ended. A question such as Describe what you saw, is better than Did the screen flicker? You may get information you did not expect when using open-ended questions.

Use clear, concise, and direct statements. Translation: Don’t be long-winded. Many people like to hear themselves talk; resist any temptations to verbosity you might have. Don’t use a $10 word when a 25¢ word will do. Keep your statements direct with clearly focused points.

Avoid tech talk. As a CompTIA A+ Certified Professional, you are constantly exposed to technical terms and abbreviations that you slowly incorporate into your vocabulary. However, not everybody in the general public is familiar with RAID, asynchronous, MTBF, SCSI, and a whole slew of other terms can confuse clients who refer to the computer as being composed of a monitor and a hard drive. Whenever possible, try to gauge the user’s knowledge level and use an appropriate level of terminology.

Professional behavior

Always try to conduct yourself with professionalism. Doing so generates respectability in the eyes of your clients and supervisors. The following list contains some aspects of professionalism that should be practiced:

Positive attitude: It is often said that animals can smell fear on a person. The same is true of users: They can smell a negative attitude right away. You should approach each client and each job with a positive attitude and a feeling of confidence. If you do, you will get more satisfaction from your job. Regardless of your position, there will likely be some aspects of your job that you don’t enjoy, but don’t let these things bring down your attitude.

In most cases, you deal with clients who have problems that might put the client in a foul mood. If you seem happy to see a client, he will likely lighten his mood, and you will both have a more positive experience. Win/win.

warning This could go in reverse if you let it: The client’s negative attitude could dampen your mood. Don’t let this happen. Stay positive.

Project confidence: As with a positive attitude, it is important to project confidence in your role as a CompTIA A+ Certified Professional. Having confidence in your actions is important to establish trust with your customers and to increase their confidence in you. This does not mean that you always need to know the answer; but it does mean that you need to be confident even when saying you do not know. You are always able to tell the customer you will find the answer for him.

Proper dress: Professionalism likely includes appropriate attire as well as attitude. When choosing what to wear, plan around the jobs you are doing. Client meetings might dictate formal business attire; if you are expecting to pull cable through crawlspaces, though, something more casual would fit the task.

remember Regardless of the job, your clothes should be clean and well-kept. To a client, a shoddy appearance indicates shoddy work.

Privacy, confidentiality, and discretion: It’s surprising what information clients are willing to let you see on their computers. In many cases, you have access to their most private documents. In corporate environments, this can include confidential employee information found on the computer you are servicing, documents left in a printer, or documents and material left on the desk at which you are working. When doing retail bench work, this can include private financial information that is in their computer. In both cases, a client’s computer often holds information that you should not be seeing — and, in normal circumstances, you would not be allowed to see. In most cases, you will know what you should and should not be looking at. If there is a reason to open a file to verify accessibility, then sure — you will need to do that. However, you should ignore the information you