CompTIA^® A+^™ Core 1 Exam Notes :Operational Procedures

4.3 Given a scenario, perform printer maintenance

1. If a laser printer is printing at slow speeds, it is likely that the memory is not sufficient. Installing additional memory may speed up printing.

2. If a user complains that he is not able to print to a network printer. He is not even able to ping the network printer from his PC first verify whether the printer network card indicators are okay. If not, check whether the cable is plugged in properly.

3. When communicating across a serial cable, the most probable cause that the screen is dumping garbled characters is that the communication settings are not correct. Check the speed, parity, start/stop bits etc. If this is all correct, then you need to check the cable. Check whether you need a straight / cross cable, and the pin connections.

4. If two accounts are created on a PC by network admin with same privileges but only one of the account is able to use the attached printer then most likely the problem is that the default printer has changed to virtual printer for the other account who is not able to use the printer.

5. Operational Procedures

5.1 Given a scenario, use appropriate safety procedures

1. When working on computers, use special ESD wrist strap. Do not directly ground yourself with a piece of wire. An ESD wrist strap has built-in resistor to prevent electric shock. Use specially designed grounded ESD mats. Do not wear synthetic clothing. Place all electronic components into anti static bags. Anti static bags can be reused. Keep your workplace clean.

2. When attending to the computer maintenance or repair (other than the monitor), ensure that you work in a static free environment. Always wear wrist strap. You should not wear clothes/shoes that produce static charges.

3. Having an anti-static work station is the most appropriate solution when working with sensitive components. However, under emergencies, it may not always be possible to wear a wrist strap or have an anti static work station. The least a technician could do to minimize static under these circumstances is to tough a metal part in the PC (typically ground point) case. It is assumed here that the PC case is grounded, which is typically the case.

4. Screw drivers are very likely to be magnetized, and you need to be cautious when using the same near magnetic media.

5.2 Explain environmental impacts and the purpose of environmental controls

1. By causing irreversible mechanical damage to the hard drives, it may be ensured that the data is permanently lost. Even if you format, it is possible to recover data using special tools, and therefore it is not recommended under circumstances where hard drive contain sensitive information.

2. A hard disk should never be low level formatted at the customer premises. It is highly recommended that it is done at the manufacturer's or at any authorized center. It is very cumbersome to change the partition sizes, once the hard disk is partitioned and used. It may require backing up all the data and restoring after repartitioning.

3. Keeping the hard disk free of any dust, and enabling good airflow around the hard disk will enhance the life of the hard disk.

5.3 Given a scenario, demonstrate proper communication and professionalism

1. The following are the best practices that a computer technician should exercise:

a. Maintain a positive attitude
b. Listen and do not interrupt the customer
c. Be culturally sensitive
d. Be on time (if late contact the customer)
e. Avoid distractions like personal calls, taking co-workers, etc.
f. Avoid arguing with customers and/or being defensive
g. Follow-up with the customer about any installation or repair activity
h. Properly document any activity

2. If customer calls you because a solution that was earlier suggested by another technician did not appear to have solved the problem ask the customer to explain the problem. It is possible that you would be able to resolve the same without escalation. Decide if you need to escalate the issue after carefully reviewing the problem.

3. If a user calls to report that a notice pops up on their screen whenever they try to download video clips from a website. The notice says "The streaming media is limited to 60 minutes per day, please confirm". You have recently implemented a filter to allow only 60 min of streaming media per day per user computer. You need to maintain the professionalism when conversing with a user.

4. If a user reports that he had not heard from a help desk technician for the past two days, after the initial complaint was made assure the customer that the problem will be escalated, and would return the call at the earliest.

5. A PC may have multiple problems. Solving one problem doesn't mean that all the problems (or the main concern) has been solved. One needs to investigate and fix the problems that the user had reported. In the event of any difficulty in solving the problem, escalate the same to higher levels. Sfc /scannow will inspect all of the important Windows files on your computer, including Windows DLL files. If System File Checker finds an issue with any of these protected files, it will replace it. You must be logged in as a user with administrator rights in order to run the sfc /scannow command.

5.4 Explain the fundamentals of dealing with prohibited content/activity

1. Chain of custody (CoC) refers to the chronological documentation or paper trail, showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of physical or electronic evidence. Chain of custody ensures that the evidence is not tampered with when presented in a court.

2. If a user's PC has been confiscated for prohibited use before giving the PC to another department the technician needs to document change of custody

3. If you are attending to the maintenance of a clients computers and you notice that one of the systems have a lot of inappropriate content. You need to report the matter using proper channel first. Any inappropriate material should be reported to the management for necessary action. The reporting structure needs to be maintained in an organization.

CompTIA® A+™ Core 1 Exam Notes :Operational Procedures