CompTIA A+ V15 220-1202

Windows disadvantages

Large install base provides big target for exploitation
Large hardware support can create challenging integration exercises

Linux disadvantages

Limited driver support
Limited support options

MacOS disadvantages

Requires Apple hardware
Less industry support than PC platform
Higher initial hardware cost

Chrome OS

Google OS based on Linux
Centers around Chrome web browser
Many different manufacturers
Relies on cloud

iOS Apps

Developed w/ iOS SDK on MacOS
Must be approved by Apple before release
Available to users in the App Store

Google Android

Open Handset Alliance
Open-source, based on Linux
Supported on many different manufacturer’s devices

Android Apps

Developed on Windows, MacOS, & Linux w/ Android SDK
Google Play
Also available from third-party sites

Vendor-specific limitations

End-of-life
Updating
Compatibility between operating systems
Almost no direct application compatibility

NT File System (NTFS)

Successor to FAT32
Quotas, file compression, encryption, symbolic links, large file support, security, recoverability
Not very compatible across operating systems

Resilient File System (ReFS)

Update to NTFS
Support for very large drives & storage arrays
Self-repairing, ongoing integrity checks - no more chkdsk!
Updates & improvements are ongoing

File Allocation Table (FAT)

One of the first file systems (circa 1980)

File Allocation Table 32 (FAT32)

2TB volume sizes
Max file size of 4GB

Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT)

Microsoft flash drive file system
Files can be larger than 4GB
Compatible across many operating systems

ext4

Commonly seen in Linux & Android

Extended File System (XFS)

High performance file system for Linux
Designed for scalability
Features for enterprise like support for large file system size, built-in journaling, & minimal fragmentation

Apple File System (APFS)

Added to MacOS High Sierra (10.12.4)
Included w/ iOS & iPadOS
Optimized for SSD

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Designed to prevent sensitive/confidential data from leaving an organization without authorization

Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)

Authentication standard that allows users to sign in once and access multiple apps without logging in again, basically enables SSO

Identity Access Management (IAM)

Process of managing identities and access to resources

Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP

Temporary authentication code that changes automatically every 30-60 seconds
Part of MFA

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Practice of controlling, monitoring, & securing accounts with elevated privileges

Zero-Touch Deployment

Most efficient method for quickly installing a pre-configured OS on multiple computers for a business

Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)

Allows installation of an OS on multiple computers over a local network from a central server, ideal for large scale deployment

Master Boot Record (MBR)

First sector of a hard drive containing boot code to start OS & a partition table used in Legacy BIOS
Max 2TB size and 4 primary partitions

Extended Partition

Feature of MBR partitioning style used to get more than 4 partitions by creating logical partitions, but not a partitioning style itself

GUID Partition Table (GPT)

Modern partitioning standard designed for new systems with a UEFI BIOS
Supports very large hard drives well beyond 2TB limit of MBR
Allows for a large number of partitions perfect for multiboot

Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)

Tool designed for configuring settings and policies on a single Windows machine.

Registry Editor (regedit.exe)

Low-level tool for directly editing Windows registry
High risk of system instability if used incorrectly

Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)

Tool used in enterprise settings to centrally deploy policies to computers within an Active Directory domain

Device Manager (devmgmt.msc)

Snap-in used to manage & troubleshoot hardware components & their drivers

Disk Management Utility (diskmgmt.msc)

Manages disk drives & partitions (creating, formatting, resizing)

Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe)

Utility used to free up disk space by removing temporary and unnecessary files

Disk Defragment and Optimize Drives (dfrgui.exe)

Optimizes drive performance by reorganizing data

Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc)

Snap-in tool specifically designed for managing user accounts and groups on a standalone Windows computer
Allows administrator to create, delete, & modify local user accounts & groups

Certificate Manager (certmgr.msc)

Snap-in tool for managing digital certificates used for security and authentication

Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc)

Dedicated tool for automating tasks and programs on a computer.
Allows user to specify a script/program to run @ specific time & date

Resource Monitor (resmon.exe)

Provides in-depth real-time data on how system’s resources like CPU, memory, & disk are being used by specific processes to pinpoint what apps causes performance issues

Performance Monitor (perfmon.msc)

Utility used for real-time monitoring of system performance & resource usage

Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc)

Provides a centralized location to find chronological records of system activity, including application errors, security audits, and other critical info essential for diagnosing cause of a system crash

System Configuration (msconfig.exe)

Primary tool for managing how Windows starts up
Allows users to control which programs & services load automatically during boot

System Information (msinfo32.exe)

Comprehensive diagnostic tool that provides a detailed summary of a computer’s hardware, components, & software environment in one single interface
Ideal for quickly checking CPU, RAM, OS version, & other specs

ipconfig command

Displays local TCP/IP configuration, IP address, subnet mask, & DNS server address
For diagnosing network connectivity issues
/flushdns clears DNS resolver cache, removing outdated or incorrect DNS entries
/release releases current IP address

ping command

Tests connectivity to a specific host

tracert command

Traces route that data packets take to a destination & displays each intermediate hop, allowing a tech to quickly identify where a connection might be failing or experiencing high latency

pathping command

Combines features of ping & tracert commands
Traces route to destination & sends multiple ping packets to each hop over time, providing detailed statistics on network latency & packet loss for each router

nslookup command

Queries DNS servers to resolve hostnames

whoami command

Shows current logged in user’s username

hostname command

Displays computer’s network name

netstat command

Displays active network connections, routing tables, & network statistics including listening ports, making it essential for checking unauthorized network activity

net use command

Connects to shared network resources
[drive letter]:\\[computer name]\[share name] maps a shared folder to a local drive letter

net user command

Manages local user accounts
Change passwords, create new accounts, & delete existing ones

winver command

Displays precise Windows version & build number of the OS

dir command

Lists files & directories in a folder
/w switch modifies output to show files & folders in a wide format, listing names horizontally across the screen
/s switch lists files in the current directory & all subdirectories
/a switch displays files with specific attributes
/p switch pauses output after each full screan

mkdir/md command

Create a new folder

rmdir/rd command

Deletes empty directories
To delete a directory & all its contents
/s switch removes subdirectories & files
/q switch runs in quiet mode

robocopy command

Ideal for large file transfers & network interruptions
Supports restartable mode (/z) to resume interrupted transfers & can generate a log file

chkdsk command

Check integrity of a disk volume
Scans & fixes logical file system errors & identifies bad sectors

format command

Erases data & creates new file system to prepare a storage device for use

diskpart command

Manages local disk structure & volumes, allowing techs to create, delete, & format parititions

sfc command

Scans & repairs corrupted Windows system files

gpupdate command

Refreshes Group Policy settings, forcing a computer to immediately retrieve & apply changes from the domain controller without waiting for the default automatic refresh interval
/force reapplies all policies even unchaned ones

gpresult command

Displays Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) allowing an administrator to verify which Group Policy settings are currently being applied
/r switch displays applied policies

Domain

Centralized network model that relies on Active Directory to manage all network resources, user accounts, & security policies from a single location

Windows Home

Designed for consumer market & includes seamless integrating with a Microsoft account & basic Device Encryption

Windows Pro

Max 2TB RAM
Active Directory
Windows Domain
Remote Desktop
BitLocker

Windows Pro for Workstations

Supports up to 4 CPUs & max of 6TB RAM
ReFS

Windows Enterprise

AppLocker (control which apps users can run)
BranchCache (securely cache data @ remote sites & reduce network traffic)

Spotlight

Universal search tool that lets users quickly find files, apps, documents, & emails by typing a query

Multiple Desktops (Spaces)

Allows creating virtual desktops to organize apps & windows by task, reducing clutter & enabling quick switching

Mission Control

Provides overview of open windows & desktops

Finder

Graphical file browser

Keychain

Password manager

/Applications folder

Central default location for most Mac apps accessible by all user accounts

/Users folder

Contains individual home folders of each user

/Library folder

Stores system-wide shared resources & support files

~/Library

Hidden folder in each user’s home directory storing user-specific preferences, caches, & app support files

/System folder

Contains core macOS files & is heavily protected by System Integrity Protection

FileVault

Apple’s full-disk encryption feature that renders all data on the startup disk unreadable w/o the decryption key, protecting data if device is lost or stolen

FirstAid

Verifying/repairing file system errors

.dmg file

macOS virtual disk
Mounts like a physical drive & typically contains the .app bundle & a shortcut to the Applications folder