IT and Tech Certifications
25 flashcards
~13 min
CompTIA A plus Core Concepts
Pass your CompTIA A+ certification with this comprehensive flashcard deck covering all the core concepts tested on the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-1102) exams. The CompTIA A+ is the industry-standard entry-level IT certification, held by...
About this deck
Pass your CompTIA A+ certification with this comprehensive flashcard deck covering all the core concepts tested on the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-1102) exams. The CompTIA A+ is the industry-standard entry-level IT certification, held by over a million IT professionals worldwide, and is recognized by Microsoft, Dell, Intel, and the US Department of Defense.
This deck covers PC hardware components, storage technologies, display technologies, networking fundamentals, operating system basics, virtualization, cloud computing, troubleshooting methodology, security fundamentals, and operational procedures. Based on publicly available CompTIA A+ exam objectives.
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Central Processing Unit — the "brain" of a computer. Executes program instructions by fetching, decoding, and executing data. Key specs: clock speed (GHz), number of cores, cache size (L1/L2/L3). Modern CPUs: Intel Core, AMD Ryzen.
Random Access Memory — volatile (loses data when power off), fast temporary storage for actively running programs and data. Modern PCs use DDR4 or DDR5 SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM). More RAM = can run more applications simultaneously.
HDD (Hard Disk Drive): Spinning magnetic platters — slower, cheaper per GB, more storage, fragile (moving parts). SSD (Solid-State Drive): Flash memory chips — much faster, more durable (no moving parts), more expensive per GB. NVMe SSDs (M.2 slot) are faster than SATA SSDs.
The main circuit board connecting all PC components. Contains: CPU socket, RAM slots, PCIe slots (GPU, expansion cards), SATA connectors (storage), M.2 slot (NVMe SSD), BIOS/UEFI chip, power connectors, USB headers, chipset. The form factor determines case compatibility (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX).
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System): Older firmware (16-bit, max 2.1TB drives, MBR). UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface): Modern replacement — supports drives >2TB (GPT partition table), faster boot (Secure Boot), mouse support, 32/64-bit. Most modern systems use UEFI.
SATA (Serial ATA): Most HDDs and SSDs — up to 600MB/s. M.2 (NVMe): Fast slot for NVMe SSDs — up to 7GB/s (PCIe 4.0). PCIe: High-speed slot for GPUs, NVMe cards. USB: External storage. eSATA: External SATA.
HDMI: Audio + video — most common for TVs and monitors. DisplayPort (DP): Higher bandwidth, supports higher refresh rates/resolutions — common for gaming monitors. VGA: Older analog — being phased out. DVI: Digital/analog — older. USB-C/Thunderbolt: Modern compact connector for displays.
A processor specialized for rendering graphics and images. Contains thousands of small cores for parallel processing. Used for: gaming, video editing, 3D rendering, machine learning. Dedicated GPU (discrete card — NVIDIA GeForce, AMD Radeon) vs Integrated GPU (built into CPU — Intel UHD, AMD Radeon Vega).
6 steps: 1. Identify the problem (gather information). 2. Establish a theory of probable cause. 3. Test the theory. 4. Establish a plan of action and implement the solution. 5. Verify full system functionality and implement preventive measures. 6. Document findings.
Laser: Uses toner (dry powder) + heat/pressure — fast, high volume, lower per-page cost, text quality excellent. Inkjet: Uses liquid ink — slower, higher per-page cost, but better photo quality. Laser better for office; inkjet better for photos.
Technology that allows multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run on a single physical computer (host), each with its own OS. A hypervisor manages VMs. Type 1 (bare-metal): Runs directly on hardware (VMware ESXi, Hyper-V). Type 2 (hosted): Runs on top of an OS (VirtualBox, VMware Workstation).
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): Provides virtualized hardware (servers, storage) — user manages OS and software. Example: AWS EC2, Azure VMs. PaaS (Platform as a Service): Provides development platform — user manages apps. Example: Heroku. SaaS (Software as a Service): Ready-to-use software via browser. Example: Gmail, Microsoft 365.
Public cloud: Resources owned by a cloud provider, shared among many tenants (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud). Private cloud: Dedicated infrastructure for one organization — more control. Hybrid cloud: Mix of public and private. Community cloud: Shared by organizations with similar needs (e.g., government agencies).
Microsoft's directory service for Windows domain networks. Stores information about users, computers, and resources. Provides authentication (verifying identity) and authorization (controlling access). Allows centralized management of users, group policies, and permissions across an organization.
Home: Basic features, no domain join, no Group Policy. Pro: Domain join, BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop, Group Policy, Hyper-V. Enterprise: Advanced management, DirectAccess, AppLocker. Education: Similar to Enterprise for schools.
A Windows utility (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) showing: Processes (running programs and resource usage), Performance (CPU, RAM, disk, network graphs), Users (logged-in accounts), Services (background Windows services). Used to end unresponsive tasks, monitor performance, and identify resource hogs.
A full-disk encryption feature in Windows Pro and Enterprise. Encrypts the entire drive — if the drive is removed, data cannot be read without the BitLocker recovery key. Requires a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip or a startup PIN/USB key.
32-bit (x86): Maximum 4GB RAM addressable. 64-bit (x64): Can address up to 18 quintillion GB of RAM theoretically. Modern CPUs are 64-bit. 64-bit OS can run 32-bit apps; 32-bit OS cannot run 64-bit apps. All modern OSes should be 64-bit.
Redundant Array of Independent Disks — combines multiple drives. RAID 0: Striping — speed, no redundancy. RAID 1: Mirroring — full redundancy, 50% capacity. RAID 5: Striping with parity — good balance of speed, redundancy, capacity (min 3 drives). RAID 10: Striping + mirroring (min 4 drives).
A diagnostic test run by the BIOS/UEFI every time a computer boots. Tests: CPU, RAM, storage, keyboard, video. If a component fails: beep codes or on-screen error messages indicate the problem. Successful POST → OS loads.
Virus: Attaches to files, spreads when files shared. Worm: Self-replicates across networks without human action. Trojan: Disguised as legitimate software. Ransomware: Encrypts files, demands payment. Spyware: Secretly monitors activity. Adware: Unwanted advertising software. Rootkit: Hides malware from detection.
Users and programs should be granted only the minimum level of access/permissions needed to perform their function — nothing more. Limits damage from accidents, errors, or malicious activity. Fundamental principle of security and access control.
Authentication using two or more factors from different categories: Something you know (password/PIN), Something you have (phone/smart card/token), Something you are (fingerprint/face scan — biometrics). Significantly more secure than passwords alone.
Degaussing: Uses magnetic field to erase magnetic storage (HDDs, tapes). Shredding: Physically destroys drives. Overwriting (wiping): Writes random data multiple times over drive. Drilling/Punching: Physical destruction. SSDs should be shredded or cryptographically erased — degaussing doesn't work on flash memory.
Use cable ties/velcro straps to bundle cables. Label both ends of cables. Use patch panels in rack setups. Route cables away from heat sources and high-traffic areas. Separate power cables from data cables (reduce interference). Maintain consistent colours (e.g., blue = data, red = power).