IT Support (CompTIA A+ Core 1 & Core 2) learning path: everything to study, topic by topic

Laptop and mobile hardware components and how to monitor them (battery health, screen, storage), plus safe replacement techniques for batteries, keyboards, touchpads, displays, digitizers, SSD/RAM modules, wireless cards and speakers

Accessories (docking stations, port replicators, stylus, trackpad, headsets, speakers, webcam, drawing pad, NFC payment readers) and connection methods: USB-C, micro-USB, Lightning, Bluetooth pairing, NFC, hotspot, tethering and airplane mode

Configuring cellular data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and VPN on mobile devices, email setup (POP3, IMAP, Exchange/Microsoft 365), mobile device synchronization, and supporting application installs, updates and sync issues

Mobile device connectivity and administration: airplane mode behavior and what can be re-enabled, physical SIM, eSIM and dual SIM, Wi-Fi calling, SIM fault isolation, MDM enrollment with selective wipe for BYOD versus full wipe for corporate devices, and mobile malware symptoms and remediation

Mobile and laptop sensors and power: location accuracy settings (GPS only, Wi-Fi and cellular assisted), accelerometer and gyroscope orientation, ambient light sensor and auto-brightness, USB charging current and ports, laptop AC adapter wattage and voltage matching, and laptop DC jack failure and replacement

Well-known TCP and UDP ports (FTP, SSH, Telnet, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP/S, POP3, IMAP, SMB, SNMP, LDAP, RDP), TCP versus UDP, and host services (DHCP, DNS, file/print, mail, web, syslog, AAA, proxy, IoT) with IPv4/IPv6, static versus dynamic addressing, APIPA, VLAN, VPN, DNS and DHCP configuration concepts

Wi-Fi standards (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4/5/6 GHz bands and channels, Bluetooth, NFC, RFID, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and configuring small office/home office networks: router and access point setup, SSID, WPA2/WPA3, DHCP, NAT, port forwarding, UPnP, QoS and firmware

Routers, switches (managed/unmanaged, PoE), access points, patch panels, firewalls, modems, ONTs, repeaters and extenders, plus internet connection types (cable, DSL, fiber, satellite, cellular, WISP) and network types (LAN, WAN, PAN, MAN, SAN, WLAN)

Hardware tools for network cabling (crimper, cable tester, punch-down tool, tone generator and probe, loopback plug, network tap, Wi-Fi analyzer) and how to use them with T568A/T568B and UTP/STP/fiber/coax cabling

Short-range and low-power wireless and network helpers: RFID and NFC tag reading, Bluetooth Low Energy for wearables and beacons, Z-Wave and Zigbee mesh for smart home devices, wireless repeaters versus access points and mesh nodes, and the role of a forward proxy for outbound web access control

Display technologies (LCD: IPS, TN, VA; OLED; mini-LED), backlights, resolution, refresh rate, aspect ratio, brightness, color depth, touch, and laptop display parts such as inverter, digitizer, webcam and Wi-Fi antennas

Video (HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, VGA), data (USB generations/types, Thunderbolt, SATA, eSATA, PCIe), network (Cat 5e/6/6a, fiber, coax), and power connectors: features, maximum speed, lengths and adapters

RAM types and form factors (DDR4, DDR5, DIMM, SODIMM), speeds and timings, ECC and non-ECC, registered/unbuffered, single/dual/triple/quad channel, compatibility with motherboard and CPU, and virtual memory

HDD (5400/7200 RPM), SSD, NVMe, M.2, SATA, 2.5/3.5-inch, flash and optical media, RAID levels (0, 1, 5, 6, 10), hot-swappable drives, and interface speeds

Motherboard form factors (ATX, micro-ATX, ITX), sockets and chipsets, BIOS/UEFI settings (boot order, secure boot, TPM, virtualization), CPU architectures (x86, x64, ARM), cores, hyperthreading, cooling, expansion slots (PCIe) and add-on cards (GPU, sound, network, capture), and installing CPUs with thermal paste

Wattage and efficiency ratings (80 PLUS), modular versus non-modular, connectors (24-pin ATX, 4/8-pin CPU, PCIe, SATA, Molex), input voltage selection, redundancy, and sizing a PSU for a given build

Laser, inkjet, thermal, impact and 3D printers; the laser imaging process; multifunction device functions (print, scan, copy, fax, ADF), connectivity (USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), drivers, public/shared printers, print servers, security (user authentication, badging, audit logs) and settings (duplex, orientation, tray, quality)

Laser maintenance (toner, imaging drum, fuser, transfer belt/roller, pickup rollers, separation pads, maintenance kits), inkjet maintenance (cartridges, head cleaning, calibration, belt), thermal (feed assembly, heating element), impact (ribbon, print head, paper), and 3D printer (filament/resin, bed, nozzle)

Component details: coaxial F-type connectors for cable broadband, plenum-rated cable jackets, XMP and EXPO memory profiles, SAS versus SATA interfaces, SSD endurance ratings (TBW and DWPD), and importing a foreign RAID configuration after moving disks or replacing a controller

Heat, power and firmware details: thermal paste amount and application when mounting a CPU cooler, redundant hot-swap power supplies in servers, the 115/230 V input voltage selector, and a failing CMOS battery that resets the clock and BIOS settings

Printer details: page description languages PCL and PostScript and driver choice, secure print release (pull printing) with PIN or badge, and cleanup of spilled toner with a toner vacuum or cold water rather than heat or a standard vacuum

Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors, virtual machines, host resource requirements, containers, virtual desktop infrastructure, sandboxing, snapshots, emulators and virtualization-related BIOS/UEFI settings (VT-x, AMD-V)

Cloud deployment models (public, private, hybrid, community), service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, DaaS), cloud characteristics (shared resources, metered utilization, rapid elasticity, high availability, file synchronization), and desktop virtualization

Hypervisor and VM details: enabling hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x, AMD-V) in firmware, emulation versus virtualization across CPU architectures, guest additions or integration tools, nested virtualization, thin versus thick provisioned disks, VM templates and cloning, and virtual network modes (NAT, bridged, host-only, internal)

Cloud service characteristics a support technician must explain: object versus block versus file storage, storage tiers (hot, cool, archive), data residency, multitenancy, horizontal versus vertical scaling, SLA uptime percentages converted to downtime, and why file sync is not a backup against ransomware

Applying the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology to power-on failures, POST beep codes, proprietary crash screens (BSOD, pinwheel), intermittent shutdowns, overheating, burning smells, swollen capacitors, RAM errors, CPU throttling and power supply failures using a PSU tester and multimeter

Diagnosing clicking or grinding drives, slow performance, missing OS, S.M.A.R.T. warnings, bad sectors, failed or degraded RAID arrays, unreachable boot volumes, and recovery steps such as rebuild, reseat, replace and restore from backup

Diagnosing incorrect data source, physical cabling, no image, flickering, dim image, distorted geometry, burn-in, dead pixels, artifacts, projector overheating or fan noise, audio issues, and incorrect color patterns

Poor battery life, swollen battery, broken screen, digitizer and touch faults, no display, overheating, slow performance, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular failures, GPS problems, and apps that crash, plus when to reset or replace

Limited or no connectivity, APIPA 169.254.x.x addresses, intermittent connectivity, slow transfer speeds, high latency and jitter, SSID not found, port flapping, power over Ethernet faults, and use of ping, ipconfig/ifconfig, nslookup, tracert, cable testers and Wi-Fi analyzers

Streaks, faded prints, ghost images, toner not fusing, creased paper, paper jams, no connectivity, garbled characters, vertical lines, blank pages, incorrect page orientation, and 3D printer adhesion or extrusion faults

Common OS types and purposes (Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, iOS/iPadOS, Android), file systems (NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, ext4, APFS), and installation and upgrade methods: boot media, network (PXE), image and recovery partitions, unattended installs, in-place upgrade versus clean install, partitioning (MBR/GPT), compatibility checks, drivers, backups and end-of-life planning

Windows editions (Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, Enterprise) and feature differences (domain join, BitLocker, Remote Desktop host, Group Policy, Hyper-V, upgrade paths), plus built-in tools: Task Manager, Device Manager, Disk Management, Event Viewer, Services, MMC, Performance Monitor, Task Scheduler, Computer Management, System Configuration, Resource Monitor, Registry Editor, Group Policy Editor and Windows Update

Command Prompt and PowerShell tools: cd, dir, md, rmdir, ipconfig, ping, tracert, nslookup, netstat, net use, hostname, chkdsk, sfc, diskpart, format, gpupdate, gpresult, robocopy, xcopy, winver, tasklist, taskkill, shutdown, and elevated versus standard sessions

Settings and Control Panel: accounts, apps, privacy, time and language, update and security, Internet Options, Devices and Printers, Programs and Features, Network and Sharing Center, System, Power Options, Credential Manager, Ease of Access; networking: Wi-Fi, wired, WWAN, proxy, VPN, public versus private profiles, static IP and DNS, domain versus workgroup, drive mapping, file and printer sharing and Windows Firewall

macOS features and tools: Finder, Dock, Spotlight, Mission Control, System Settings, Time Machine, Keychain, Disk Utility, FileVault, Terminal, iCloud, Gatekeeper, Remote Disk and Force Quit; Linux client basics: ls, cd, pwd, cp, mv, rm, chmod, chown, grep, find, sudo, apt/dnf, ps, top, df, ip, dig, passwd, nano/vi, backups with rsync and Samba shares

Installing applications against requirements: system requirements (CPU, RAM, storage, OS, 32 versus 64 bit), distribution methods (physical, ISO, download, managed deployment), permissions, security considerations, impact on device and network; cloud productivity: email, storage, collaboration, identity and single sign-on, synchronization, licensing and tenant configuration

Everyday Windows 11 administration tools in 220-1202: Task Scheduler (triggers, actions, run whether logged on or not, highest privileges), Performance Monitor (counters, data collector sets, baselines for CPU, memory and disk queue length), msconfig selective startup and clean boot to isolate startup conflicts (hide Microsoft services, disable the rest), Credential Manager for stored web and Windows credentials, program compatibility mode and the compatibility troubleshooter, and Windows activation methods (digital license, product key, KMS, MAK) with slmgr

Rolling out systems and software at scale: unattended Windows installation with an answer file (unattend.xml, autounattend.xml), silent application installs with msiexec switches (/i, /qn quiet no UI, /norestart, /l*v logging), User State Migration Tool scanstate and loadstate to move profiles and settings, and planning the network impact of a deployment (off-hours windows, bandwidth throttling, distribution points, pilot group, rollback plan)

Physical and logical security: access control vestibules, badges, biometrics, locks, cameras, MFA, authenticators, least privilege, ACLs, AAA, mobile device management, plus Windows security: Defender Antivirus and Firewall, users and groups, NTFS versus share permissions, run as administrator, UAC, BitLocker and BitLocker To Go, EFS, password policies, login time restrictions, disabling accounts and Group Policy

Wireless protocols and authentication: WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3, TKIP, AES, personal versus enterprise, RADIUS, TACACS+, Kerberos; SOHO hardening: change default credentials, firmware updates, SSID broadcast, MAC filtering, guest network, content filtering, disabling unused ports and services, port forwarding risks, UPnP, screened subnet concepts and IoT isolation

Malware types (virus, worm, trojan, ransomware, spyware, keylogger, rootkit, cryptominer, botnet, PUP), social engineering (phishing, vishing, smishing, spear phishing, whaling, shoulder surfing, tailgating, impersonation, dumpster diving), threats and vulnerabilities (DoS, DDoS, on-path, zero-day, SQL injection, brute force, dictionary, insider, EOL), and the seven-step malware removal procedure

Workstation hardening: password best practices, endpoint security, AutoRun and AutoPlay off, unnecessary services, patch management, default account changes, screen locks, encryption; mobile security: screen locks, biometrics, remote wipe, locator apps, MDM, BYOD versus corporate, OS updates, trusted app stores, VPN; browser security: trusted sources, extensions, password managers, secure connections and certificates, pop-up and ad blockers, privacy settings, sync and clearing data

Methods to sanitize or destroy data: recycling and repurposing, formatting versus secure erase, overwriting, drive wiping, degaussing, shredding, incineration, drilling, physical destruction vendors, certificates of destruction, NIST 800-88 guidance, SSD versus HDD sanitization and chain of custody

Organizational security controls tested in 220-1202: data loss prevention that detects and blocks sensitive data leaving by email, USB or cloud, offboarding that disables accounts and retrieves devices the same day to reduce insider threat, physical access controls (badges, access control vestibule or mantrap, biometrics, guards, locked racks) and wider physical security controls (fencing, bollards, cameras, lighting, alarms, cable locks, privacy screens), and single sign-on that authenticates once for many applications (SAML, OpenID Connect) with MFA

User-facing protections and threats: account lockout policy (threshold of failed attempts, lockout duration, reset counter) against password guessing and spraying, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen reputation checks for phishing sites and unrecognized downloads, evil twin rogue access points that clone a legitimate SSID and how to avoid them (VPN, verify the network, certificate checks), and what private browsing hides (local history, cookies) versus what remains visible to websites, employers and ISPs

Common Windows symptoms and causes: blue screen of death, slow performance, boot problems, frozen system, missing or corrupt profile, no OS found, application crashes, low memory, inaccessible boot device, update failures, service failures, time drift, and recovery tools such as Safe Mode, WinRE, System Restore, Startup Repair, sfc, DISM, bootrec and reset this PC

Mobile symptoms: no power, slow performance, no wireless or cellular connectivity, Bluetooth pairing, no display, battery drain, overheating, frozen system, app crashes, sync failures, failed updates; security symptoms: leaked data, unexpected data usage, unauthorized root or jailbreak, sideloaded apps, fake security warnings, pop-ups, unauthorized account access and location tracking

Symptoms of compromise: unwanted notifications, browser redirection, pop-ups, certificate warnings, slow performance, disabled antivirus, missing files, renamed files, ransomware notes, email spam from the user, unauthorized elevated access, invalid certificates, and responses such as isolation, scanning, restore, credential reset, forensics preservation and escalation

Specific symptoms and fixes: wrong system time breaking certificates and domain logon (w32tm /resync, /query /status, NTP source, five-minute Kerberos tolerance), applications failing with a missing VCRUNTIME140.dll or MSVCP140.dll fixed by installing the matching Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable instead of downloading DLL files, Windows Search returning incomplete results fixed by rebuilding the index, iMessage text messages lost after switching phones until the number is deregistered from iMessage, and responding to a SIM swap attack with the carrier, passwords and multifactor authentication

Ticketing systems (user information, severity, categories, escalation, descriptions, progress notes, resolution), asset tagging and inventory, knowledge base articles, network and acceptable use documentation, passwords and password managers, SOPs; change management: business processes, purpose and scope, risk analysis, plan, change board approval, backout plan, end-user acceptance, documented changes

Backup methods and media: full, incremental, differential, synthetic; 3-2-1 rule, on-site versus off-site, cloud, local and NAS storage, file history, system images, recovery objectives (RPO and RTO), testing restores, retention, encryption of backups and recovery from image or restore points

Safety: ESD straps and mats, equipment grounding, electrical safety and disconnecting power, proper lifting, PPE, fire safety, MSDS and SDS, battery handling, cable management and trip hazards, personal safety; environment: temperature, humidity, ventilation, dust and air filtration, UPS and surge protectors, power loss types, EMI, proper disposal of batteries, toner and e-waste and compliance requirements

Incident response basics (chain of custody, report through proper channels, data and device preservation), licensing (digital rights management, EULA, open source versus commercial, personal versus corporate), regulated data (PII, PHI, PCI, GDPR, FERPA), prohibited content and activity, acceptable use policy, password and BYOD policies, and handling of sensitive material found on a device

Professional communication with customers: appropriate language and avoiding jargon, active listening and clarifying questions, cultural sensitivity, timeliness and punctuality, avoiding distractions, handling difficult customers and confidential information, setting expectations with timelines, follow-up and customer satisfaction, and not disclosing experiences on social media

Script file types (.bat, .ps1, .vbs, .sh, .js, .py), variables, loops, conditionals, comments, environment variables, use cases (restart machines, map drives, install apps, backups, automation) and risks (malware, inadvertent changes, crashes); remote access: RDP, VPN, SSH, remote monitoring and management, screen-sharing tools, video conferencing, file transfer and security considerations for each

Basic artificial intelligence concepts: application integration, policy and privacy (input data, compliance), limitations (bias, hallucinations, accuracy), human-in-the-loop, approved tools and AI-generated content risks including data leakage, plus uses in support such as ticket summaries, knowledge search and chatbots