Untitled Flashcards Set

CompTIA A+ Operating System Installation and Troubleshooting Study Guide

I. Quiz

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each:

1. What is the key difference between an attended and unattended installation of an operating system?

2. Explain the difference between a clean installation and an in-place upgrade.

3. What hardware requirements should you consider before upgrading to Windows 11?

4. Why is backing up files essential before upgrading an operating system, even if Microsoft claims it's unnecessary?

5. What is the purpose of changing the boot device priority in a computer's BIOS/UEFI settings?

6. Describe what a "recovery partition" is and how it can be used.

7. Explain the difference between the "Refresh" and "Reset" Windows functions as they existed in older versions of Windows 10.

8. Why should one consider system requirements before installing an application?

9. Explain what POS-T (Power On Self-Test) is and what it indicates during the boot process.

10. What is "safe mode," and why is it useful for troubleshooting Windows?

II. Quiz Answer Key

1. Attended vs. Unattended Installation: An attended installation requires manual input from the user during the entire process (clicking "next," configuring settings, etc.). An unattended installation involves some level of automation, either partially (low-touch) or entirely (zero-touch), reducing the need for user interaction.

2. Clean Installation vs. In-Place Upgrade: A clean installation involves installing the operating system on a blank hard drive, wiping any existing data. An in-place upgrade involves upgrading the existing operating system to a newer version without removing the previous operating system and the information contained on the hard drive.

3. Hardware Requirements for Windows 11: Beyond the basic requirements, Windows 11 requires a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip version 2.0 or higher for security features. It is vital to check if the current applications and hardware meet these requirements before upgrading.

4. Importance of Backups Before Upgrading: Even though Microsoft says that files are never lost during an in-place upgrade, there's always a small chance of data loss if the upgrade fails. Backing up files ensures that important documents and settings can be restored in case something goes wrong.

5. Purpose of Changing Boot Device Priority: Changing the boot device priority allows the computer to boot from a source other than the hard drive, such as a DVD or USB drive. This is crucial when installing a new OS or running diagnostic tools outside of the normal operating system environment.

6. Recovery Partition: A recovery partition is a hidden section on the hard drive that contains a factory image of the operating system. It allows users to reset their computer to its original state, as it was when it was first shipped.

7. Refresh vs. Reset in Older Windows 10: "Refresh" was like formatting the machine, putting it back to factory settings but keeping the user's data. "Reset" was more extreme, wiping everything on the machine, including data.

8. Importance of System Requirements: Before installing an application, one should consider system requirements to make sure that their hardware can handle the application. This avoids performance issues and ensures the application runs smoothly on the system.

9. POS-T (Power On Self-Test): POS-T is a diagnostic process that runs when a computer is first powered on, checking the essential hardware components. A single beep usually indicates that all tests have passed, while other beep patterns indicate specific hardware errors.

10. Safe Mode: Safe mode is a diagnostic mode in Windows that starts the operating system with a minimal set of drivers and services. It's useful for troubleshooting issues caused by faulty drivers or conflicting software, as it provides a clean environment to identify and resolve problems.

III. Essay Questions

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of attended versus unattended operating system installations in different organizational contexts.

2. Compare and contrast clean installations and in-place upgrades, considering factors such as data preservation, compatibility, and time investment.

3. Analyze the importance of hardware compatibility and application/driver support when planning an operating system upgrade, with specific examples of potential issues and mitigation strategies.

4. Evaluate the different boot methods available (Optical media, USB, Network) and their suitability for various scenarios, such as home users, small businesses, and large enterprises.

5. Discuss the importance of performing regular backups, user training and testing applications prior to use and deployment.

IV. Glossary of Key Terms

• Attended Installation: An OS installation requiring manual user interaction throughout the process.

• Unattended Installation: An OS installation that involves some automation, either partially (low-touch/light-touch) or fully (zero-touch).

• Clean Installation: Installing an operating system on a blank hard drive, wiping all previous data.

• In-Place Upgrade: Upgrading an existing operating system to a newer version while keeping existing data and applications.

• Hardware Compatibility: The ability of hardware components to function correctly with a specific operating system or application.

• TPM (Trusted Platform Module): A chip on the motherboard that provides hardware-based security features like encryption.

• Boot Device Priority: The order in which the computer checks different devices (hard drive, USB, DVD, network) for a bootable operating system.

• BIOS (Basic Input/Output System): Firmware used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process, and to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs. It has been largely replaced by UEFI.

• UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface): A more modern replacement for BIOS, with improved features and security.

• Recovery Partition: A hidden partition on the hard drive containing a factory image of the operating system for system recovery.

• Safe Mode: A diagnostic mode that starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services.

• System Restore: A Windows tool that allows users to revert their system to a previous state by using restore points.

• POS-T (Power On Self-Test): A diagnostic process that runs when a computer is first powered on, checking essential hardware components.

• Driver Rollback: Reverting to a previous version of a device driver to resolve compatibility issues.

• MSConfig (Microsoft System Configuration): System utility to troubleshoot the Microsoft Windows startup process.