1.2 - CompTIA A+ Core 2

1.2a - Installing Operating Systems: Professor Messer

Boot methods

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

  • Booting from a bare-bones OS version found on a USB

  • The computer and motherboard must support this functionality.

  • All installation programs are placed on the USB drive.

Network/Prebuilt Execution Environment

  • Prebuilt Execution Environment (PXE): Performs a remote OS boot via a network. A computer/computer BIOS must support booting with PXE.

  • A PXE BIOS looks for a boot server (i.e., a workstation) that supports PXE, then installs the operating system as a network share.

Internet-based

  • Allows installation of operating systems from the Internet - examples include Linux distros, macOS Recovery installation, and Windows updates

External/hot-swappable drive

  • Some external drives can mount an ISO/optical drive image

Internal hard drive (partition)

  • Files from an external drive (e.g., ISO files) can be copied onto a separate drive to start the operating system from that particular partition.

Multiboot

  • Picking two or more operating systems from a boot menu (e.g., Windows and Linux at the same time).

Types of installations

Clean install

  • Clean install: Wiping the existing operating system and installing a new one from scratch, ensuring a fresh start without any previous data or configurations.

Upgrade

  • Upgrade/in-place upgrade install: Installing a newer version of the operating system while keeping existing files and applications intact.

Image deployment

  • Image deployment: Installing/configuring an OS on a computer, creating an image based on your desired configuration, then using that image to install the OS on multiple machines.

Remote network installation

  • Remote network installation: Installing an OS over a network/Internet from a local server/shared drive, facilitating installations on multiple computers without requiring physical media.

Repair installation

  • Repair installation: (Windows only) copies and reinstalls all files present, but leaves base configurations in place - rewrites operating system files but leaves user files unmodified.

Zero-touch deployment

  • Zero-touch deployment: Installation of an operating system with all the settings/configurations for an organization’s network (e.g., settings for mail servers, Active Directory, or Domains) - the user turns on the system and can instantly start using it.

Recovery partition

  • Recovery partition: A hidden partition that contains all files related to installing an operating system

Other considerations

  • Third-party drivers: Use these when the installation program/OS installation wizard doesn’t recognize the given hardware drivers (e.g., for disk storage or network connections). This is typically prompted during the installation process.


Partitioning

  • Partitioning: Separates data into logical pieces on a physical data storage drive. Useful for maintaining separate operating systems.

    • These formatted partitions are known as volumes (according to Microsoft).

GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) Partition Table (GPT)

  • GPT (GUID Partition Table): Standard for formatting storage drive partitions. Requires a UEFI BIOS and can have up to 128 partitions with a max size (Windows) of 256 TB and 9 billion TB (normal).

Master Boot Record (MBR)

  • Master Boot Record (MBR): Legacy partitioning scheme that supports up to 4 primary partitions and a maximum disk size of 2 TB, using BIOS firmware.

  • Primary partition: Refers to drive partitions that are bootable (can launch an OS using the files stored).

  • Extended partition: Used to create multiple partitions in one, with a limit of one extended partition per storage device. Extended partitions are not bootable.

Drive format/preparing disks

  • Steps:

    1. Initialize/prepare disks: Some disks may already be partitioned. Existing partitions may not always be compatible with your operating system.

    2. Allocating storage drives to partitions

    3. Formatting the partition to store data:

      • Quick format: Involves creating a new file table with no previous disk/partition checks. The default setting for Windows 10/11 and can be changed using the diskpart utility. Data can technically be recovered.

      • Full format: Fully rewrites the disk with 0s. Data is unrecoverable, and the drive is physically checked for bad sectors - very time-consuming.

  • BE CAREFUL! Initializing disks has a huge potential for data loss - any storage drive administration carries huge data risks.

1.2b - Upgrading Windows: Professor Messer

Upgrade considerations

  • Upgrading the OS keeps all files in place, compared to a install that resets OS configurations.

Backup files and user preferences

Application and driver support/backward compatibility

  • Check with app developers and hardware manufacturers for compatibility issues.

Hardware compatibility

  • Windows can run a compatibility check to see if your hardware can run Windows 11 (PC Health Check)

  • Windows 11 requires a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) above TPM 2.0 - this is used for security/cryptographic functions (Bitlocker, Windows Hello)

    • Can be checked by running tmp.msc.

  • Windows 11 requires a modern UEFI BIOS with Secure Boot enabled - this can be cheked via System Information → System Summary on Windows.

Feature updates

  • Feature updates: Annual updates with new features - use to occur every 3 to 5 years.

Product life cycle