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D. RJ-45

5. Modern keyboards connect to which of the following ports? (Select all that apply.)

A. DIN

B. FireWire

C. Mini-DIN

D. USB

6. Which end of the USB cable plugs into the PC?

A. A

B. B

C. Mini-A

D. Mini-B

7. A printer usually plugs into which of the following ports? (Select all that apply.)

A. DB-9

B. DB-25

C. Mini-DIN

D. USB

8. What do you plug into a three-row, 15-pin port?

A. Joystick

B. Keyboard

C. Monitor

D. Mouse

9. What connector was designed to connect your PC to a high-end television set?

A. DB-HD

B. HDMI

C. VESA

D. VGA

10. What connector was designed to connect your PC to a high-end audio system?

A. DB-HA

B. DVI

C. Mini-audio

D. S/PDIF

Answers

1. C. The commands that tell the computer what to do are called, collectively, programming.

2. B. Modern computers use DIMMs for RAM.

3. C. Connect an anti-static wrist strap to any handy metal part of the computer. The metal plate, by the way, is the section on the strap where you connect the cable from the PC.

4. D. A typical network card sports an RJ-45 port.

5. C, D. Modern keyboards connect to either mini-DIN or USB ports.

6. A. Plug the A connector into the PC.

7. B, D. A printer usually plugs into either DB-25 or USB. (Although some can use FireWire, it’s not as common.)

8. C. You plug a monitor into a three-row, 15-pin port.

9. B. HDMI was designed to connect your PC to a high-end television set.

10. D. S/PDIF was designed to connect your PC to a high-end audio system.

CHAPTER 4

Understanding Windows

In this chapter, you will learn how to

Relate the history of Microsoft Windows

Explain the Windows interface

Identify the operating system folders of Windows 2000, XP, and Vista

Describe the utilities in Windows essential to techs

As a tech, you need to understand Windows at a level beyond that of regular users. This chapter introduces you to some of the more powerful aspects of Windows, such as NTFS and the Registry. Not only must techs run through the standard Windows features that everyone uses every day (Start button, Recycle Bin, and so on), they must also be comfortable drilling down underneath that user-friendly surface to get their hands a little dirty.

This chapter begins by introducing and organizing the many variations of Windows on the market today and helping you appreciate the difference between, for example, Windows XP Home and Windows Vista Ultimate. The chapter then takes you through the Windows interface in detail. The third section looks more closely at the techie aspects of Windows, including the structure of the OS. The fourth section provides an overview of the many utilities for techs available in Windows. The chapter closes in the “Beyond A+” section with a discussion of the versions of Windows not on the current CompTIA A+ exams, such as Windows 7 and non-desktop versions of Windows. Let’s get started!

Historical/Conceptual

A Brief History of Microsoft Windows

Many users think of Windows as a monolithic thing, as the operating system (OS) for the PC (as opposed to the Macintosh), but as a tech you need to understand that Microsoft produces many varieties of the OS, each with specific tools, utilities, file structures, and interfaces. And you need to be able to navigate through any modern version of Windows fluidly.

Microsoft currently supports seven families of Windows, of which three concern the CompTIA A+ certified technician: Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista. (I’ll cover the other four families of Windows in the “Beyond A+” section of this chapter.) Within each of these families—my word, not Microsoft’s—Windows comes in multiple versions. Here’s the list for the top three:

Table 4-1 Versions of Windows on the CompTIA A+ exams

The problem of variety is compounded the minute you start working with older computers or talking with users or techs who’ve been in computers for a few years. You’ll hear about Windows 95, for example, or Windows Me, or even Windows 3.x.