The Art of the TechThe first lesson introduces the course and the CompTIA A+ certification. Get familiar with the how the components of a personal computer work together and how tech professional interact with clients. Finish with a tried-and-true troubleshooting methodology that applies to all tech situations.
The Visible ComputerTake a tour of the PC, starting with the exterior connectors. This lesson goes into details of the interior devices as well. The goal is to understand proper tech terminology and standard computer components.
Maintenance and Safety PrecautionsDive into the important safety techniques that every good tech absolutely needs to know. These techniques range from cleaning a computer to disposing of old parts safely.
Central Processing UnitsExplore the importance of central processing units, the core processing component in every PC. You will learn the variations in technology, practical information and practice installing and troubleshooting CPUs.
RAMDig into the details of a foundational computer component—RAM. You will learn about the different varieties of RAM and proper techniques for installing it. Then, wrap up the lesson by troubleshooting RAM and memory problems.
BIOS/UEFIThis lesson focuses on the BIOS or UEFI, essential programming that makes computers function. You will learn about the special tools used for storing configuration options for BIOS and UEFI.
Motherboards and CasesLesson 7 is all about motherboards, the bedrock of every PC. Understand form factors, types of expansion slots, and installation steps for expansion cards. This lesson also covers upgrading, installing, and troubleshooting motherboards.
Powering the PCThis lesson focuses on power supplies and the basics of powering a PC. You will learn about how electricity gets from your wall outlet into your PC, along with how to test that electricity. The goal is to understand power supply standards, how to install one inside your PC, and how to troubleshoot power supply problems.
Input DevicesGet to know the devices that enable you to input data into your computer. This lesson explores standard input devices (like keyboards and mice) and multimedia devices (like digital cameras and webcams). You will also learn about connecting those devices to computer using connectors like USB and FireWire.
Hard Drive TechnologiesDig into hard drive technologies, including traditional hard disk drives and modern solid-state drives. In this lesson, you will learn the fundamentals of protecting data with RAID technology. The goal is to understand how to install hard drives and how to troubleshoot bad drives.
Implementing Hard DrivesThis lesson will teach you how to prepare a hard drive for use by an operating system. You will also learn about maintaining your data using several included Windows utilities and partitioning and formatting a hard drive.
Removable MediaTo wrap up the course, you will learn about the various forms of removable media. This final lesson teaches you about older formats like tape drives, flash media like USB thumb drives and memory cards, and about optical media like DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, and external drives.