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Supporting Operating Systems
Supporting Operating Systems
• Identify Common Operating Systems

• Troubleshooting Methodology
• Use Windows Features and Tools
• Manage Files in Windows
• Manage Disks in Windows
• Manage Devices in Windows
Copyright (c) 2018 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 2
What is an Operating System?
OS: (operating system) A software package that enables a PC to
function by performing tasks such as recognizing keyboard
input, sending output to a monitor, and controlling peripherals.
• Enables hardware, software, and users to communicate.

• Handles basic system functions:
• Hardware interfaces
• Input/output
• Consists of core files (kernel), device drivers, and programs.
• Command-line interface or GUI.
• Desktop styles are a big part of customer preference for one OS or OS
version over another.
OS Types
Market Section Description

Business client OS designed to work as a client on business networks.
NOS OS designed to run on servers on business networks.
OS designed to work on standalone or workgroup PCs in a home or small

Home client
office environment.
OS designed to work with a handheld portable device. For this section, the
Cell phone/Tablet
OSs must have a touch-operated interface.
Compatibility Issues
• Running applications on different operating systems is not always a

solution.
• Developers create platform-specific versions of apps.
• OS updates are affected by compatibility issues.
• New code in an OS might cause an app or device driver to stop working.
• Extensive testing before adoption in some business environments.
• Web apps partially mitigate the OS update concerns.
• Different OSs might communicate over a network differently.
• Common network protocols must be supported for global communication.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows: A GUI-based OS for home and business
users that has been developed into client and server versions.
Shell: An OS component that interacts directly with users and
functions as the command interpreter for operating systems.
• Dominant OS for commercial PCs.
• Different versions provide different features or user interface elements.
• Interface components for:
• General use.
• Technical configuration.
• Troubleshooting.
• The desktop is the top level of the interface.
• Can contain icons for opening apps and data files.
• Contains app launch and control tools (Start Menu/Screen and the taskbar).
Microsoft Windows Versions (Slide 1 of 3)
• Windows 10
• Current version
• Combines legacy and touch-
enabled controls
• Start button
• Feature updates
• Quality updates
• Windows 10 Mobile
• Consistent user interface and code
base for all devices.
• Ships on Windows 10 Mobile smart-
phones and Surface tablets.
• Windows 8/8.1
• First version to support touch-
screens.
• Start Screen and charms.
• Windows 7
• Start Menu interface
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP
• No longer supported
Windows Editions
• Editions for different markets

• Windows 7 editions:
• Starter
• Home Basic
• Home Premium
• Professional
• Enterprise
• Ultimate
• Windows 10 editions:
• Home
• Pro
• Enterprise
• Education
Windows in the Corporate World
Domain network: A group of computers which share a

common accounts database, referred to as the directory.
• Ability to join a domain

• BitLocker
• EFS
• BranchCache
Windows for Personal Use
Windows Media Center: An obsolete program included with

Windows Vista and Windows 7 that included a broadcast TV
schedule that allowed computers equipped with a TV tuner card
to view and record TV programs. It also acted as a playback
interface for optical discs.
• Media Center:
• Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate.
• Paid add-on in Windows 8.
• Discontinued in Windows 10.
• DVD player available from Microsoft.
• For playing commercial Blu-ray discs, you’ll need third-party software.
32-bit and 64-bit Windows
• All versions and editions are available as 32-bit or 64-bit software.

• 64-bit Windows can usually run 32-bit apps.
• 32-bit Windows can’t run 64-bit apps.
• 64-bit Windows requires 64-bit device drivers signed by Microsoft.
• If no 64-bit driver is available, the hardware can’t be used on a 64-bit Windows
installation.
Windows System Limits (Slide 1 of 3)
Windows 10 Windows 10 Windows 10 Windows 10

Feature
Home Pro Education Enterprise
SMP (Multiple
No 2-way 2-way 2-way
CPUs)
Multicore
Yes Yes Yes Yes
processors
32-bit memory 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB
64-bit memory 128 GB 2 TB 2 TB 6 TB
Windows 8 Windows 8 Windows 8

Feature
Core Pro Enterprise
SMP (Multiple
No 2-way 2-way
CPUs)
Multicore
Yes Yes Yes
processors
32-bit memory 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB
64-bit memory 128 GB 512 GB 512 GB
Windows 7 Windows 7 Windows 7 Windows

Windows
Feature Home Home Professiona 7
7 Ultimate
Basic Premium l Enterprise
64-bit Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
SMP (Multiple
No No 2-way 2-way 2-way
CPUs)
Multicore
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
processors
32-bit memory 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB 4 GB
64-bit memory 8 GB 16 GB 192 GB 192 GB 192 GB
OS Lifecycles
End of life system: A system that is no longer supported by the

developer or vendor.
• No more security updates.

• Critical vulnerability for active systems.
• Windows support lifecycle policy:
• 5 years mainstream support per version.
• 5 years extended support per version.
• Dependent on Service Pack applications.
• For Windows 10 feature updates, 18 or 30 months depending on edition.
• Always verify hardware compatibility before installing or upgrading an OS.
Apple Operating Systems (Slide 1 of 2)
• Apple Mac OS, OS X, and macOS.

• Available only on
Apple-built computers.
• Stable.
• Less extra hardware
available.
• Kernel is based on UNIX.
• Update limitations
for new versions
(support.apple.com).
• No end of life.
Apple Operating Systems (Slide 2 of 2)
• Apple iOS.
• iPhone and iPad.
• Closed source OS based on UNIX.
• Not compatible with macOS.
• Touch interface.
• Fingers or stylus.
• Gestures.
• Update limitations
for new versions
(support.apple.com).
• No end of life.
UNIX-Based Operating Systems (Slide 1 of 2)
UNIX: Family of OSs typically running mission critical
applications and infrastructure.
Linux: An open-source operating system supported by a wide
range of hardware and software vendors.
• UNIX is portable to different hardware platforms.
• Several versions/flavors of UNIX.
• Often not compatible.
• Not always open source.
• Linux was designed to be open source.
• Many distributions/distros of Linux.
UNIX-Based Operating Systems (Slide 2 of 2)
Chrome OS: Proprietary OS developed by Google.

Android: Open-source OS used on smart phones and tablets.
• Chrome OS.
• Derived from Linux and Chromium.
• Proprietary.
• Developed by Google for Chromebook and Chromebox.
• Focus is on web apps.
• Android.
• Derived from Linux.
• Open source.
• Developed by mobile device manufacturers for
smart phones and tablets.
• Versions named after sweets.
Activity
Discussing OS Types
Troubleshooting Basics
• The process of problem-solving.

• Causes, symptoms, and consequences.
• Hard disk drive fault (cause).
• Fault causes the PC to display a blue screen (symptom).
• Blue screen prevents user from accomplishing work (consequence).
• Sometimes resolving the consequence is more important than addressing
the cause.
• Causes can also be symptoms of larger problems.
• Especially with recurring issues.
Problem Management
Problem management: A method of identifying, prioritizing,
and establishing ownership of incidents.
Incident: Something that is not normal and disrupts regular
operations in the computing environment.
1. User contacts Help Desk.
• Operator or technician is assigned, and trouble ticket is generated.
2. User describes the problem.
• Operator asks clarifying questions, and categorizes the problem, assesses urgency, and
estimates time to resolve.
3. Operator might walk user through some initial troubleshooting steps.
• Ticket might be escalated to another support person.
4. Troubleshooting continues until the problem is resolved.
• Operator confirms user satisfaction and records details on trouble ticket and closes it.
The CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting Model (Slide 1 of 2)
1. Identify the problem.

• Question the user, and identify changes to the computer.
• Perform backups before implementing any changes.
• Ask about environmental or infrastructure changes.
• Review system and app logs.
2. Establish a theory of probable cause.
• Question the obvious.
• If necessary, conduct internal or external research based on symptoms.
3. Test the theory to determine causes.
• Once the theory is confirmed, determine the next steps to solve the problem.
• If the theory is not confirmed, re-establish a new theory or escalate the issue.
The CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting Model (Slide 2 of 2)
4. Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the

solution.
5. Verify full system functionality, and if applicable, implement preventive
measures.
6. Document findings, actions, and outcomes.
Customer Service and Communications Skills
• Soft skills can be as important as technical skills.

• Question types:
• Open questions: Encourage the user to explain in their own words.
• Closed questions: Yes/No, or reading an error message off the screen.
• Develop a troubleshooting mindset.
• Be calm.
• Take breaks.
• Challenge assumptions.
• Assess costs and impact.
• Know when to escalate an issue.
Problem Identification (Slide 1 of 2)
• Work methodically to ensure you diagnose the correct problem and select
the best resolution.
• Troubleshooting combines problem-solving with decision-making.
• Be prepared before starting the process.
• Gather tools, documentation, and other necessities.
• Use clear, concise, and accurate instructions when asking users to perform tasks.
• Schedule downtime as needed, but be sensitive to the user’s needs.
• Back up locally stored data.
• Consider imaging the drive before changing any configuration parameters.
Problem Identification (Slide 2 of 2)
• Elicit factual information from the user or technician who reports the issue:
• What are the exact error messages on the screen or coming from the speaker?
• Has anyone else experienced the same issue?
• How long has the problem been occurring?
• What has changed? Did you change things, or did someone else?
• Has anything been tried to solve the problem?
Sources of Information
• Perform a physical inspection.

• Reproduce the problem.
• Check system and application logs or diagnostic software.
• Check the system documentation, such as installation or maintenance logs.
• Consult any other technicians who might have worked on the system
recently or who might be working on a related issue.
Determination of Probable Causes
• Diagnose problems by identifying symptoms.

• Symptoms can lead you to possible causes.
• Question the obvious.
• Step through what should happen, either yourself or by observing the user, and
identify the point at which there is a failure or error.
• Work up or down layers (for example, power, hardware components,
drivers/firmware, software, network, and user actions).
• Categorize and eliminate non-causes.
• Be prepared to backtrack and try different paths.
• Research the issue.
• Re-establish a theory when necessary.
Problem Escalation
• Confer with colleagues and others when you are stuck.

• Escalate when you can’t solve a problem.
• Senior staff, knowledge experts, SMEs, technical staff, developers, programmers,
and administrators within your company.
• Suppliers and manufacturers—warranty and support contracts and helplines or
web contact portals.
• Other support contractors and consultants, websites, and social media.
• Balance timeliness with possible higher costs.
• Follow organizational policies.
Solution Implementation and Testing
• Three possible solutions for most IT problems:

• Repair.
• Replace.
• Workaround.
• Assess costs and time requirements.
• Be aware of change management policies.
• When implementing solutions:
• Consider the effect on others.
• Test after each change, and revert if the change does not solve the problem.
Verification and Documentation
• Tests:
• Try to use a component.
• Swap component out for a known good one.
• Inspect component for proper connection, damage, and indicator lights.
• Disable or uninstall a component.
• Check documentation and software diagnostic tools.
• Update software or device drivers.
• Be sure you are satisfied the problem is solved.
• Be sure the user is satisfied the problem is solved.
• Implement preventive measures.
• Document findings, actions, and outcomes.
• Helps immensely with future troubleshooting.
Activity
Discussing Troubleshooting Methodology
Windows Settings and Control Panel (Slide 1 of 2)
Control Panel: Management interface for configuring Windows
settings.
• Windows 7 Control Panel:

• 1: Task groups
• 2: Configuration applets
• 3: Navigation breadcrumb
• 4: Search box
Windows Settings and Control Panel (Slide 2 of 2)
Windows Settings: An app for configuring and managing the

Windows 10 computer.
• Windows Settings:
• Touchscreen enabled
• Most (but not all) configuration
settings are here
User Accounts (Slide 1 of 3)
User account: A logon ID used to access a Windows computer.
• Protection through authentication.

• Profile contains settings and default document folders.
• Administrator and standard user accounts.
• Local and Microsoft accounts.
• Windows 7 User Accounts applet
• Windows 8 and 10 use Windows

Settings to create user accounts.
UAC (Slide 1 of 2)
UAC: (User Account Control) Windows security system to

restrict abuse of administrator privileges.
• Secure Desktop Mode:

• Security Shield icon:
• Confirmation of administrative
rights usage.
UAC (Slide 2 of 2)
• UAC configuration
Administrative Tools (Slide 1 of 3)
• Component Services
• Computer Management
• Data Sources
• Event Viewer
• Local Security Policy
• Print Management
• Reliability and
Performance
Monitoring
• Services
Access Options for System Tools (Slide 1 of 2)
• Computer or This PC
• WinX/Power Users menu
Access Options for System Tools (Slide 2 of 2)
• Instant Search box and Run command
• Management consoles:
• devmgmt.msc
• diskmgmt.msc
• compmgmt.msc
Command Line Tools (Slide 1 of 4)
• Some commands require elevated privileges.
• Run as administrator
• Command syntax: command /switches arguments

• Getting Help
• Text editors
• Run command
Windows Shutdown Options
• Shut down
• Standby/Sleep
• Hibernate
• Log off
• Switch user
• Lock
• Restart
The Windows Registry (Slide 1 of 2)
• The Registry
• Stores configuration
information for hardware,
OS, and apps.
• Structure:
• Root keys
• Subkeys
• Values
• Hives
• Registry Editor (regedit)
The Windows Registry (Slide 2 of 2)
• Registration files
Activity
Discussing Windows Features and Tools
Activity
Using Windows Features and Tools
Windows File and Folder Management Tools
System Hierarchies in Windows Versions (Slide 1 of 3)
• Windows 7
• Windows 8
• Windows 10
• Quick access
• Desktop
• OneDrive
• User account
• This PC
• Libraries
• Network
• Control Panel
• Recycle Bin
Drives, Folders, and Files
Root directory: Top of the file directory structure on a drive.
File extension: Characters at the end of a file name; used by an
OS to identify the application that is associated with a file.
• Local drives.
• Folder creation rules:
• Unique names within a folder.
• No reserved characters
\/:*?<>|
• Full path: no more than 260
characters.
• File creation.
• Text or binary data.
• File name extensions.
System Files
System files: The files necessary for the operating system to

function properly.
• System files and folders in a typical Windows installation:

• Windows
• Program Files/Program Files (x86)
• Users
• bootmgr
• pagefile.sys
• hiberfil.sys
File Attributes
Attribute: A characteristic that can be associated with a file or
folder that provides the operating system with important
information about the file or folder and how it is intended to be
used by system users.
Attribute Usage
Prevents changes being saved back to the file. The user will be
Read-only (R)
prompted to create another file containing the modified data.
Specifies whether the file is visible in the default view (it is possible to
Hidden (H)
adjust Windows to display hidden files and folders, though).
System (S) Specifies that the file should not be accessible to ordinary users.
Archive (A) Shows whether a file has changed since the last backup.
Permissions
• Needed to view, create, modify, and delete files

or folders.
• Full control
• Modify
• Read/list/execute
• Write
Folder Options (Slide 1 of 3)
• Windows 7 General tab provides options

for layout of Explorer windows.
• Windows 7 View tab controls how files

and folders are shown.
• Hide extensions for known file types.
• Hidden files and folders.
• Hide protected operating system files.
• Windows 10 View menu provides similar functionality.
Directory Navigation at the Command Prompt (Slide 1
of 3)
• Command prompt shows your location in the directory structure.
• If you are at C:\, the command prompt is C:\>
• Default drives:
• Standard user: C:\%HomePath%
• Administrator: C:\Windows\System32
of 3)
• Changing the current directory with the cd command.
• Full path
• Subdirectory
• Parent directory
• Drive root
of 3)
Wildcard: A special character that is used to substitute
characters in a string.
• Listing files and directories with the dir command.

• Switches
• Wildcards:
• Question mark
• Asterisk
File Management at the Command Prompt
• Moving and copying files

• Copying directory structures
• Renaming files
• Deleting files
• Creating directories
• Removing directories
Activity
Discussing File Management in Windows
Disk Partitions
Partitioning: The act of dividing a physical disk into logically
separate storage areas, often referred to as drives.
• MBR or GPT contains partition information.

• Basic or dynamic.
• MBR-style partitioning:
• Up to 4 primary partitions; 1 partition can be active or bootable.
• Boot sectors.
• System partition and boot partition.
• GPT-style partitioning:
• Required for 64-bit Windows on UEFI firmware.
• Supports up to 128 primary partitions.
• Larger partitions and backups, plus a protective MBR for backward compatibility.
File Systems (Slide 1 of 2)
Sector: A uniformly sized subdivision of a drive track.

Cluster: A group of sectors.
• High-level formatting prepares the partition for the OS.

• Sectors and clusters:
• Sectors were traditionally 512 bytes.
• Clusters are groups of 2, 4, or 8 sectors.
• Some sectors now 4K.
File Systems (Slide 2 of 2)
• NTFS developed for Windows.

• Recovery
• Security
• POSIX compliance
• Compression
• Indexing
• Dynamic disks
• FAT file systems named for the File Allocation Table.
• FAT16
• FAT32
• exFAT
• CDFS
• UDF (ISO 13346)
The Windows Disk Management Console (Slide 1 of 6)
• Disk Management console.

• Drives in the top pane.
• Disks in the bottom pane.
• Disk initialization
• Drive addition and drive letter assignment
• Drive letter and mount point assignment.
• Drive formatting
• Partition splits and extensions
Disk Arrays (Slide 1 of 2)
Array: (RAID) A set of vendor-independent specifications for

fault-tolerant configurations on multiple-disk systems.
• Fixed disks are required.

• Dynamic volume types:
• Simple
• Spanned
• Striped
• Mirrored
• RAID 5
Disk Arrays (Slide 2 of 2)
• Volume management
• Breaking the mirror.
• Removing the mirror.
Drive Status Indicators
• Disk status indicators:

• Online
• Not Initialized
• Unreadable
• Foreign
• Offline/Missing
• Volume/Partition status indicators:
• Healthy
• Failed/Unknown
• Failed Redundancy
• Regenerating
• Resynching
• Formatting
Storage Spaces (Slide 1 of 2)
• Windows 8/10 feature for configuring disk arrays.
Storage Spaces (Slide 2 of 2)
Mount Points and Disk Images
Mount point: A partition or volume mapped to a folder in

another file system rather than allocated a drive letter.
• Mount points provide access

to other file systems.
• Disk images provide access to
virtual machines.
Disk and Volume Management at the Command
Prompt (Slide 1 of 2)
• The diskpart command
• Basic process:
• Run diskpart
• Enter select disk 0
• Enter detail disk
• Enter select partition
(volume) 0
• Enter detail partition
(volume)
• Enter exit
Disk and Volume Management at the Command
Prompt (Slide 2 of 2)
• The format command:
• Formats a drive and removes all existing data.
• Syntax: format volume switches
Switch Use
/fs: Specify the file system (NTFS, FAT, or FAT32).
/v: Enter a label for the volume.
/q Perform a quick format (does not scan for bad sectors).
Specify the size of allocation units (512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16K,
/a:
32K, 64K).
Force the volume to dismount. This will cause file errors for users
/x
with files open on the volume.
Enable file compression if using NTFS. Avoid enabling compression
/c
on the drive root, especially if the drive contains system files.
Activity
Discussing Windows Disk Management
Activity
Managing Files, Folders, and Disks in Windows
Power Options
• Power management depends on hardware, firmware, and OS.

• ACPI power levels:
• Standby/Suspend to RAM.
• Hibernate/Suspend to Disk.
• Windows sleep and hybrid
modes.
• Power Options applet.
Display and Sound Devices
• Personalization settings in Control Panel or Windows Settings.

• Display resolution.
• Color depth and refresh rate.
• Sound applet for sound settings.
Hardware Device Configuration and Management
(Slide 1 of 4)
Plug and Play: Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) is a protocol
framework allowing network devices to autoconfigure services,
such as allowing a games console to request appropriate
settings from a firewall.
• Windows automatically detects new or changed hardware, finds drivers,
and installs and configures the device.
• Minimal user input includes installing vendor’s driver.
(Slide 2 of 4)
• Add Hardware Wizard
(Slide 3 of 4)
• Devices and Printers:
• Windows 7 and 8
(Slide 4 of 4)
• Devices page in Windows
Settings:
• Windows 10
Device Manager (Slide 1 of 3)
• Device Manager:
• Verification of
installation
• Device Manager:
• Troubleshooting
• Updates
• Device properties
• Safely Remove Hardware icon

• Stop or eject a device.
• Device Manager
• Uninstall a device.
Hardware Diagnostics (Slide 1 of 3)
• Troubleshooting app
• System Information
• DirectX Diagnostic Tool
Activity
Discussing Windows Device Management
Reflective Questions
1. Which versions of Windows do you expect to support?
2. Which part of the CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting Model do you expect to

find most challenging, and why?

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Supporting Operating Systems

Supporting Operating Systems

• Identify Common Operating Systems

• Enables hardware, software, and users to communicate.

Market Section Description

NOS OS designed to run on servers on business networks.

OS designed to work on standalone or workgroup PCs in a home or small

• Running applications on different operating systems is not always a

• Editions for different markets

Domain network: A group of computers which share a

• Ability to join a domain

Windows Media Center: An obsolete program included with

• All versions and editions are available as 32-bit or 64-bit software.

Windows 10 Windows 10 Windows 10 Windows 10

64-bit memory 128 GB 2 TB 2 TB 6 TB

Windows 8 Windows 8 Windows 8

64-bit memory 128 GB 512 GB 512 GB

Windows 7 Windows 7 Windows 7 Windows

64-bit memory 8 GB 16 GB 192 GB 192 GB 192 GB

End of life system: A system that is no longer supported by the

• No more security updates.

• Apple Mac OS, OS X, and macOS.

Chrome OS: Proprietary OS developed by Google.

• The process of problem-solving.

1. Identify the problem.

4. Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the

• Soft skills can be as important as technical skills.

• Perform a physical inspection.

• Diagnose problems by identifying symptoms.

• Confer with colleagues and others when you are stuck.

• Three possible solutions for most IT problems:

Discussing Troubleshooting Methodology

• Windows 7 Control Panel:

Windows Settings: An app for configuring and managing the

User account: A logon ID used to access a Windows computer.

• Protection through authentication.

• Windows 7 User Accounts applet

• Windows 8 and 10 use Windows

UAC: (User Account Control) Windows security system to

• Secure Desktop Mode:

• Instant Search box and Run command

• Some commands require elevated privileges.

• Command syntax: command /switches arguments

Discussing Windows Features and Tools

Using Windows Features and Tools

System files: The files necessary for the operating system to

• System files and folders in a typical Windows installation:

• Needed to view, create, modify, and delete files

• Windows 7 General tab provides options

• Windows 7 View tab controls how files

• Windows 10 View menu provides similar functionality.

• Listing files and directories with the dir command.

• Moving and copying files

Discussing File Management in Windows

• MBR or GPT contains partition information.

Sector: A uniformly sized subdivision of a drive track.

• High-level formatting prepares the partition for the OS.

• NTFS developed for Windows.

• Disk Management console.

• Drive addition and drive letter assignment

• Drive letter and mount point assignment.

• Partition splits and extensions

Array: (RAID) A set of vendor-independent specifications for