220-1102 Operating Systems Study Guide for the CompTIA A+ Core Series Exam

Microsoft Windows 10 Operating System (OS)

For the exam, you must be able to use common features and tools offered by the Microsoft Windows 10 OS. Questions pertaining to these features will be scenario based.

Task Manager

The Task Manager is a utility that displays and manages running applications and services, logged-in users, and system performance.

Services

This tab shows you the name of running services along with identification information, such as its description, group, and status.

Startup

This tab shows what services have been set to begin upon startup and their associated identifying information.

Performance

This tab shows how the CPU, Memory, Disk I/O, and network resources are utilized. It can be very helpful in identifying a bottleneck in a slow-running computer.

Processes

This tab lists the currently running processes and resource consumption.

Users

This tab shows currently logged-in users, their status, and applications run by these users.

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Snap-In

The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in is a GUI for running administrative and configuration tools.

Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc)—Event viewer is used to view application error logs, system errors, and security audit records.

Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc)—Disk Management is used to view disk information on the physical disk and the formatted file systems it contains.

Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc)—Task Scheduler allows you to configure automated tasks that will run on a schedule at specified times.

Device Manager (devmgmt.msc)—Device Manager allows you to view the status of devices, view the properties, and modify the configuration parameters.

Certificate Manager (certmgr.msc)—Certificate Manager is used to manage and view the certificates used by the OS and web browser.

Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc)—As a system administrator, you need to know how to create and delete users and maintain their accounts, as well as how to establish secure passwords.

Performance Monitor (perfmon.msc)—Performance Monitor displays in real time how the computer uses memory, disk, CPU, and the network, to help diagnose performance issues.

Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)—Group Policy Editor is used to edit the local group policy for the OS.

Additional Tools

The MMC offers these additional tools beyond the original monitoring and configuration tools.

System Information (msinfo32.exe)—System Information displays advanced hardware and driver information.

Resource Monitor (resmon.exe)—Resource Monitor shows how resources are being utilized by the CPU, memory, disk, and network.

System Configuration (msconfig.exe)—System Configuration can be run by the msconfig command. It allows you to change how Windows boots and what programs start with Windows.

Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe)—Disk Cleanup frees up space while not affecting the integrity of the files.

Disk Defragment (dfrgui.exe)—Disk Defragment relocates pieces of large files to continuous space on a disk for optimized performance.

Registry Editor (regedit.exe)—Registry Editor allows the user to view and change the Windows registry. The registry contains some operating system and application settings that may need to be changed in advanced troubleshooting.

Microsoft Windows 10 Control Panel Utility

The Control Panel includes tools and utilities to view, change, and troubleshoot system settings. Questions in this section will begin with a scenario.

Internet Options

Internet Options is a utility to manage network settings beyond basic IP connectivity. The settings are separated into multiple tabs.

Devices and Printers

The Devices and Printers screen lists printers, scanners, cameras, monitors, and other connected peripheral devices; the settings of these devices can also be accessed.

Programs and Features

Programs and Features is used to view and uninstall desktop applications installed on the OS.

In the Network and Sharing Center you can configure network adapters, create new network and dial-up connections, and configure network file and printer sharing.

System

System is the Control Panel utility that shows the hardware overview.

Windows Defender Firewall

The Windows Defender Firewall protects the computer by controlling what applications can access the network from this computer and also how this computer can be accessed over the network.

Mail

In Mail, emails can be configured, including Microsoft Outlook. Additional data files, RSS feeds, internet calendars, address books, and SharePoint lists can also be configured here.

Sound

The Sound screen is where you can manage devices to play and record sounds and configure sounds that the operating system produces for startup, shutdown, alerts, and prompts.

User Accounts

You can add, manage, and remove local users and their roles for the computer in User Accounts. Each user will have their own profile with different settings and user folders.

Device Manager

Device Manager lists all hardware connected to the computer and provides management for drivers of the devices.

Indexing Options

Indexing Options systematically indexes files, including Office documents, PDFs, text files, etc.

Administrative Tools

Administrative Tools is a shortcut to tools used in the administration of the OS.

File Explorer Options

File Explorer Options allows you to change how files are shown and searched.

Show Hidden Files

Hidden is a file flag that signifies that users don’t usually need to see certain files, like system and configuration files. Windows settings can be changed to show these files if they need to be accessed.

Hide Extensions

In Windows files have extensions at the end of the file name, after a period (e.g., .txt, .docx, .exe). To make the file names cleaner and prevent users from making accidental changes to the extensions, these are usually hidden. This can be changed with this setting.

General Options

The General tab of the File Options utility allows you to change the general behavior of the file browsing interface.

View Options

The View tab allows you to change appearance options, including showing hidden files and file extensions.

Power Options

You can choose what pressing the power button on the computer should do and configure the monitor and computer power to be reduced after a specified period of inactivity.

Hibernate

Hibernation is a mode that saves the current state of the computer and shuts it down. When started again, it restores to the same state, but without consuming power in the meantime.

Power Plans

There are three power plans that can be configured and selected depending on the current need: Power Saver, Balanced, and High Performance.

Sleep/Suspend

The Sleep or Suspend mode doesn’t shut down the computer like Hibernation does, but instead significantly reduces the power to the components for a quick restart where you left it.

Standby

The term Standby is sometimes used interchangeably with Sleep but is not used in the current Windows versions.

Choose What Closing the Lid Does

This option is only available on devices that contain a lid closure sensor.

Turn on Fast Startup

The Fast Startup function places the system into hibernation during shutdown so that the system can boot more quickly.

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Selective Suspend

This function allows the administrator to choose to suspend power to a device connected to a specified USB port.

Ease of Access

Ease of Access allows for a Windows OS to be configured for motor- and sensory-impaired users.

Windows Settings

Windows settings is designed to make configuring and personalizing the Windows OS more convenient for end users. Questions on these topics will begin with a scenario.

Time and Language

Changes related to date, time, and language settings can be configured here.

Update and Security

Settings related to the configuration of updates and security can be accessed here.

Personalization

The personalization applet can be used to change the display settings of the OS, including backgrounds, colors, fonts, etc.

Apps

The Apps section allows you to change the source of apps as well as uninstall apps.

Privacy

Privacy allows you to configure privacy settings on the OS.

System

The System applet offers the option to configure OS settings, including monitor configurations, the display settings, resolution, and scale settings, among others.

Devices

In the Devices applet, you are able to view, configure, and control connected devices.

Network and Internet

Here, you can configure network adapters, create new network and dial-up connections, and configure network file and printer sharing.

Gaming

The Gaming applet provides integration between the XBox platform and the computer through the XBox game bar.

Accounts

The accounts section is used to manage and configure user accounts and other accounts on the OS.