The A Certification and PC Repair Handbook

Christopher A. Crayton
Joel Z. Rosenthal
Kevin J. Irwin

CHARLES RIVER MEDIA, INC.

Hingham, Massachusetts

Copyright 2004 by CHARLES RIVER MEDIA, INC.
All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way, stored in a retrieval system of any type, or transmitted by any means or media, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopy, recording, or scanning, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Publisher: David Pallai
Cover Design: The Printed Image

CHARLES RIVER MEDIA, INC.
10 Downer Avenue
Hingham, Massachusetts 02043
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This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Christopher A. Crayton, Joel Z. Rosenthal, Kevin J. Irwin.
The A+ Certification and PC Repair Handbook.
ISBN: 1-58450-372-6

All brand names and product names mentioned in this book are trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. Any omission or misuse (of any kind) of service marks or trademarks should not be regarded as intent to infringe on the property of others. The publisher recognizes and respects all marks used by companies, manufacturers, and developers as a means to distinguish their products.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Crayton, Christopher A.
The A+ certification and pc repair handbook / Christopher Crayton, Joel Rosenthal, and Kevin Irwin.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-58450-372-6

1. Electrnic data processing personnel—Certification. 2. Computer technicians—Certification 3. Microcomputers—Maintenance and repair—Examinations—Study guides. I. Rosenthal, Joel. II. Irwin, Kevin. III. title.
QA76.3.C79 2004
004—dc22

2004002642

Printed in the United States of America

04 7 6 5 4 3 2 First Edition

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This book is dedicated to all of my former students who are now managing networks and fixing computers all over the world. It is also dedicated to all certification exam hopefuls who seek to change their lives by achieving certification success!

To Amanda and Rachael Hutchinson, Nancy and Ken Crayton, Sean Reilly, Rickey Johnson, Scott Barr, Jim Krick, Jerry Adams, and Rob Metty (Hawkeye)—thank you for your love, guidance, and continuing support.

To the families of Joel Rosenthal and Kevin Irwin-Ris , Laura, Karen, Olivia, and Lincoln.

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THE CD-ROM THAT ACCOMPANIES THE BOOK MAY BE USED ON A SINGLE PC ONLY. THE LICENSE DOES NOT PERMIT THE USE ON A NETWORK (OF ANY KIND). YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT THIS LICENSE GRANTS PERMISSION TO USE THE PRODUCTS CONTAINED HEREIN, BUT DOES NOT GIVE YOU RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP TO ANY OF THE CONTENT OR PRODUCT CONTAINED ON THIS CD-ROM. USE OF THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE CONTAINED ON THIS CD-ROM IS LIMITED TO AND SUBJECT TO LICENSING TERMS FOR THE RESPECTIVE PRODUCTS.

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Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I would like to thank David Pallai, founder and president of Charles River Media, for directing and editing yet another fantastic project. It has been an awesome learning experience to work with both David and his magnificent team at CRM. Their strict attention to detail and dedication to producing only the highest quality of work is truly apparent in this book and all other projects I have had the privilege of being involved with.

Very special thanks to authors Joel Rosenthal and Kevin Irwin for writing Part I, PC Repair and Maintenance. Simply put, never in my life have I seen better training material for those who wish to learn about or pursue a career in computer maintenance and repair. The easy-to-understand diagrams and intuitive video tutorials are superb. This is by far the best “hands-on” learning material available on the market today. From the heart, thanks again, gentlemen.

Joel and Kevin would like to thank Dave Pallai, not the least for suggesting that Joel write Part I of this book. They would also like to thank Bryan Davidson and Beth Roberts for helping get this book out in the form you see it in. Additionally, they thank Max Hersch, Roman Martynenko, Kelman Khersonsky, and Brian O’Connor for technical advice.

Joel would like to thank Steve Irwin for advising us along the way; Michael Rosenthal for steering Joel in the direction of computers; Rina Youngner and Andy Weiss, Joel’s high school English teachers, who helped turned Joel into a good writer; his daughter Laura Rosenthal for helping to make sure the cross-references were valid, and for her love and support; his wife, Ris ; and parents Estelle and Daniel Rosenthal for being a great cheering section.

Kevin would like to thank his wife Karen, daughter Olivia, son Lincoln, brother Steven Irwin, and parents Myrna and Larry Irwin for all their love, support, and dedication. Additionally, he would like to thank Steve Zelicoff for keeping Kevin in shape enough to be able to work on the book.