Understanding the fundamentals of personal computer storage is an important CompTIA A+ topic. In this module, we’ll provide you with an overview of computer storage systems, an explanation of disk geometry, and a description of how the master boot record manages to get your operating system started.
Computer storage systems are a myriad of drive formats, cable connections, and removable drives. As the capacity of hard drives continues to increase, it becomes even more important for the CompTIA A+ certified professional to be familiar with all aspects of personal computer storage.
What really happens when you start your computer? In this chapter, we’ll show you how the BIOS handles the most basic operations of your personal computer and how the CMOS stores all of your important configuration information. We’ll also show you how to use VMware Player or Microsoft Virtual PC to create a test lab on your computer where you can test your BIOS changes without modifying your PC settings.
Memory technology is a mix of form factors, speed ratings, and installation challenges. In this chapter, you’ll learn exactly how to identify, upgrade, and troubleshoot memory in today’s modern personal computers.
A CompTIA A+ certified professional needs to recognize when a BIOS upgrade may be needed, the precautions to take when upgrading a BIOS, and what to expect when the upgrade is underway. In this video, we’ll take you through each upgrade step and show you how some simple planning can make your BIOS upgrades run smoothly from start to finish.
Making changes to a personal computer’s BIOS can be a bit challenging the first time through. In this video, we’ll show you how to launch your BIOS configuration, provide you with some tips for navigating different BIOS options, and walk through some common CMOS settings found in most of today’s computers.
What really happens when you start your computer? In this video, we’ll show you how the BIOS handles the most basic operations of your personal computer and how the CMOS stores all of your important configuration information. We’ll also show you how to use VMware Player or Microsoft Virtual PC to create a test lab on your computer where you can test BIOS changes without modifying your PC settings.
The memory installation process is relatively simple, but what options do you have if your installed memory isn’t working as expected? In this module, we’ll show you how some simple physical troubleshooting and software-based memory diagnostics can help get your system up and running quickly.
The process of installing or upgrading a computer system’s memory is easy to accomplish if you have the right procedures in place. In this video, we’ll walk you through every step of memory installation. You’ll learn how to select the correct memory modules, how to physically install the new memory, and how you can check your work after the installation is complete.
The CompTIA A+ certification requires extensive knowledge of memory packages, pin counts, and memory functions. In this module, we’ll step through each memory package and describe the progression of the different memory types through the years. We’ll discuss packages such as DIMM, RIMM, SODIMM, and MicroDIMM, and we’ll also detail memory types such as SRAM, SDRAM, RDRAM, DDR, and DDR2.
