Syllabus
A+ Guide to Software:
Managing, Maintaining, and Troubleshooting
Year
General Course Information
Instructor: Bruce Case
Office: B-Building
Phone: 253.945.5635
E-mail: bcase@fwps.org
Course Web Site:
http://schools.fwps.org/tj/businessdept/aplus/aplus1syl.html
Classroom: Business Dept B-4/Tech room in Cafeteria
Class Times: 6th period
Prerequisites: none
Textbook: Andrews, Jean, A+
Guide to Software: Managing, Maintaining, and Troubleshooting,
Second Edition Course Technology, Incorporated, 2003, ISBN 0-619-18627-5
Course Objectives
The goal of this course is to provide a thorough, step-by-step
process for learning the fundamentals of supporting and troubleshooting
computer operating systems so that students will be prepared to pass
CompTIA’s broad-based, vendor –independent A+ OS certification exam.
This course covers a wide range of material about operating systems,
from using the different Windows operating systems to demonstrating
how the boot process works, as well as installing, supporting, and
troubleshooting the different Windows operating systems. The course
begins with a general overview of how software and hardware actually
relate to each other on a computer. Other topics include supporting
hard drives from a software point of view, supporting and troubleshooting
Windows on networks and the Internet, and an introduction to the Linux
and Mac OS operating systems. The final topic addresses issues related
to notebook computers. The course takes a hands-on approach to learning
the steps to installing, troubleshooting and supporting the most common
operating systems in use on the personal computer. In addition to
explaining concepts, the course uses a multitude of real world examples
of problems and issues related to operating systems, making it a practical
preparation for the real world. The students will be involved with
working on school equipment—repairing and diagnosing OS problems.
This provides the computer experiences necessary to reinforce the
concepts discussed in this course.
Grading and Evaluation Criteria
- 30% of the grade is based on a midterm and final examination.
Both examinations are cumulative and given in a multiple-choice
format. An in-class review will be held prior to each examination.
Students will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. If the student
passes the final exam with an A or B then the letter grade will
be given.
- 40% of the grade is based on completing the end of chapter case
project assignments. Also, working on school equipment will be
included in this category.
- 20%% of the grade is based upon quizzes at the end of each chapter.
Quizzes are announced a week in advance normally and will vary
from 10 to 30 questions that may be in any format.
- 10% of the grade is based on keeping a project notebook. Students
are asked to obtain a small notebook or to use a lab notebook
and keep notes on the results of the hands-on projects at the
end of each chapter in the text, as well as daily work activities.
The notes should include comments that you can use once the class
is over to help describe dialog box results, to keep copies of
the network diagrams you make, to retain information on configurations,
to describe alternative steps, and other information pertinent
to the projects and problems encountered in the course. The notebook
will be checked at the end of each semester
Course Outline
Week |
Topics |
Chapter
Readings |
Case/Hands-on Projects |
Hands-On Projects
Notebook |
Exam |
|
Introducing and Comparing Operating
Systems |
Chapter 1 |
Review Questions 1-30 pg. 38-39
Compare interfaces pg. 40 |
Choosing an OS
Page 40 |
|
|
How an OS works with Hardware and
Other Software |
Chapter 2 |
Chapter 1: Recording Information
about your computer.
Review Questions 1-33 pg. 90-91 |
Observing win.9x pg. 93
Using device manager pg.93 |
|
|
Understanding the Boot Process and
Command Line |
Chapter 3 |
Chapter 2: Working with CMOS
Review Questions 1-33 pg. 151
Creating a Startup Disk Pg. 154 |
Case Project –Hard drive Installation
Pg. 155 |
|
|
Installing and Using Windows 9x |
Chapter 4 |
Review questions 1-33 pg. 213 |
|
|
|
Supporting and Troubleshooting Windows
9x |
Chapter 5 |
Review Questions 1-33 pg. 262-263
Do labs on 264 and 265 |
|
|
|
Understanding and Supporting Windows
NT |
Chapter 6 |
Review Questions 1-27 pg. 300-301
Labs on 302 |
|
|
|
Installing and Using Windows 2000
Professional |
Chapter 7 |
Review Questions 1-25 pg. 327-328
Lab Project Pg. 330 |
|
Semester Exam |
|
Managing and Troubleshooting Windows
2000 |
Chapter 8 |
Review Questions 1-30 pg. 369-37
Lab Project p.372—finding Win. 2000 Utilities. |
|
|
|
Installing and Using Windows XP
Professional |
Chapters 9 |
Review Questions 1-25 pg. 406
Install Windows XP Pg. 407 |
|
|
|
Managing and Supporting Windows
XP |
Chapter 10 |
Review Questions 1-30 pg. 442
Lab Projects on pg. 443 |
|
|
|
Windows on a Network |
Chapter 12 |
Review Questions 1-33 pg. 533
Lab Project 535 |
|
|
|
Windows on the Internet |
Chapter 13 |
Review Questions 1-25 pg. 571 |
|
|
|
Supporting Hard Drives |
Chapter 11 |
Review Questions 1-30 pg. 479 |
|
|
|
Linux, Macs, and Notebooks |
Chapter 14 |
Review Questions 1-25 pg. 609 |
|
Final Exam |
|
