CompTIA A+: Software Troubleshooting
Overview/Description Diagnosing problems within a network or a computer requires a special and versatile toolbox for the IT specialist. This 9-video series outlines many popular troubleshooting tools and practical strategies needed to quickly isolate all kinds of problems, regardless of platform, and resolve them, to help restore normal working conditions efficiently and quickly. Various process checklists are invaluable—the five-step system checklist, the
six-step analyzing systems, the seven-step remediation of malware, all discussed here. Is the problem widespread or limited to one machine? Has anything significant been installed recently—hardware or software? Are users plagued by popups, spam, slow bootups, or slow performance? Do specific security issues need addressing? Is a Web-based email application (Hotmail, Yahoo, G-mail accounts) involved? If malware is suspected or discovered, the system is often infected; one machine or many may need
to be rebooted, restarted, and cleaned—and antivirus or antimalware installed. Learn what to do and when to do it, from rolling back updates to restarting service. Course helps prepare for CompTIA+ certification exam 220-1002. Expected Duration (hours) Lesson Objectives CompTIA A+: Software Troubleshooting Course Number: Expertise Level
What should you study in preparation for any of the Network exams? In our free 1002 Software Troubleshooting Study Guide, you’ll learn all you need to know. We’ll go through all of the terms and procedures you’ll see on the tests to make sure you’re prepared. Then, for extra practice before the test, you may check out our sample questions. General InformationWhen a software application fails to work effectively or appropriately, the user will seek help from a tech expert, which is you. You’ll need to know how to figure out what’s wrong and come up with a strategy for getting things back up and running. Because software troubleshooting is covered in around one-fourth (26%) of the questions on the CompTIA A+ Core Series 1002 exam, you’ll need to be familiar with all of the concepts included in this study guide. A scenario will be used to start any software troubleshooting questions. Visit our website to get hundreds of 1002 Software Troubleshooting Practice Test questions to familiarize yourself with the test format by clicking >> here Problems with Microsoft Windows OS (scenario)Microsoft Windows is the operating system of choice for many businesses. As a result, as a technician, you should be able to diagnose Windows OS difficulties and rapidly identify frequent issues. Common Symptoms It’s critical to be able to recognize common Windows OS symptoms and swiftly figure out how to fix the problem. Here are some of the most common symptoms we notice when there’s a problem with the Windows operating system.
Common Solutions Some of the most common symptoms of computer problems were described in the preceding section. Let’s have a look at some typical solutions to these issues below.
Read more >> 1002 Operational Procedures Study Guide PC Security Issues (scenario)Some computer problems are security-related. To deal with them, you’ll need to be able to recognize the signs of certain issues and know what tools are available to help you solve them.
Pop-ups can appear for a number of reasons. If you choose to click on a pop-up while on a browser, you may be exposed to malware. Random pop-ups should be dealt with using one of the malware cleaners available.
It’s probable that your browser has been diverted by malware if you notice that your browser has been modified or that the results of a search come from a third-party site. Anti-malware software may or may not be able to solve the problem. It’s possible that you’ll wish to restore your system from a known solid backup.
You may receive a security alert when browsing the Internet. This might indicate that the site isn’t secure or that the certificate isn’t trustworthy. Your browser will alert you to the issue, and you must then decide the best course of action.
Slow system performance might be caused by defective hardware or an operating system issue, but it can also be caused by a security threat. When a computer is infected with malware, the system’s performance might be severely reduced.
Networking difficulties aren’t necessarily the cause of internet connectivity problems. Malware-infected systems may restrict you from accessing particular websites or reroute you to another location entirely.
Malware may attack the operating system in a variety of ways, potentially preventing the machine from booting. You might be able to fix the problem using a malware remover, or you could have to restore from a known good backup. By using the Event Viewer, you might be able to figure out what’s causing the problem.
Crashes in applications might signal that the computer has been infected with malware. Malware can cause programs to crash or display a warning stating that the software is no longer functional.
If your operating system refuses to install updates, it might be a sign that you have a virus. Malware might obstruct regular operating system upgrades.
Antivirus should only be downloaded from trusted antivirus suppliers and websites. Attackers can make malware that looks like antivirus, but when the user installs it, the system is infected with a virus.
Unsolicited email messages, generally selling a product, but which might be a phishing attack, are known as spam. One approach to keep this under control is to use a good spam filter.
Malware may attack an operating system by renaming a system file and making it unusable.
Malware may make files vanish by simply deleting or renaming them.
Malware can change file rights and ownership.
One of the side effects of spam is that it makes a user the source of additional spam. The unknown user’s account is currently being hacked in order to distribute spam to other people.
Malware can modify file permissions, preventing the rightful user from accessing them.
If you receive a security alert when browsing the Internet indicating that a site has an invalid certificate, it might suggest that the site should be avoided or that anything as simple as an inaccurate PC clock setting exists because the site certificate date differs from your PC’s date.
The Event Viewer’s System and Application logs can show a user what has been going on with their device. An unauthorized user or attacker may be attempting to get access to the system if there are a lot of unknown failures or log-in attempts. Read more >> 1001 Cloud Computing and Virtualization Study Guide Malware Removal (scenario)Malware has the ability to spread quickly and wreak significant damage. The detection of malware is only the first step. It’s critical that you can remove the infection swiftly and without inflicting more harm. Make sure you complete each step in the correct sequence.
Malware isn’t often as visible as unusual error messages or security alerts. It might be as modest as a little slowness in the system or the appearance of unknown files. There are several websites dedicated to discussing malware symptoms, so a careful investigation is recommended.
Any system suspected of being infected with malware should be isolated right once. This is to prevent the infection from spreading to other devices on the network. Pulling out the network wire or disconnecting it from Wi-Fi is the simplest approach to isolating a device. Keep all of the files on the machine and don’t try to transfer them to another computer.
After quarantine, the next step in Windows would be to deactivate system restore. You don’t want the infection to spread to your backups.
After you’ve recognized the sort of malware and made sure it can’t propagate to other devices, you can start the cleanup process.
Set the anti-virus to automatically update the signature files and run scans after a virus has been removed to avoid future infections.
Re-enabling system restore and creating Windows restore points are the following steps.
When it comes to computer security, users are the final line of defense. This is due to the fact that no antivirus or spam filter tool can guarantee 100 percent accuracy. Even with these safeguards in place, the user should be taught about correct email and Internet usage in order to avoid virus infection on their device. Mobile Application Problems (scenario)Because portable devices are becoming more common in the workplace, you should familiarize yourself with the following issues relevant to their support.
If you can see the screen in a darker room, consider adjusting the screen brightness on mobile devices with dim displays. Go to Settings > Display > Brightness Level on an Android smartphone. Go to Settings > Displays and Brightness in Apple IOS. If it doesn’t work, you’ll have to replace the complete display.
Determine the distance between you and the wifi access point and see whether it can be changed. Check the device’s Wi-Fi connections. If a mobile device can connect to all other Wi-Fi networks but one, the problem might be with the Wi-Fi access point rather than the device.
Check that your Wi-Fi settings are accurate. If required, perform a hard reset on the individual device.
Unpair and pair the device to check Bluetooth setting values. If required, perform a hard reset on the individual device.
Because devices differ, double-check the remote device’s configuration. Examine the network’s functionality: Is it possible that they’re on the same subnet?
If your Apple device is entirely blank, you might be able to get the power choice to show by holding down the Power button and then powering off. To hard reset the device, press and hold the Power and Home buttons at the same time for 10 seconds.
Restart the device and try again with the app. Additionally, try doing a hard reset. If there is only one program that won’t load, try reinstalling it.
It’s possible that you’ll have to stop the program in question administratively, then resume it. Double-tap home on an iPhone and slide the app out of memory. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and stop slightly in the center of the screen on an iPhone 10 or later (which no longer has a home button on the Home screen). After that, swipe right or left to see which applications you’d like to close. To close the app in question, swipe up on the preview. To Force Stop an app on Android, go to Settings > Apps, pick the app, then press Force Stop.
Mobile keys are required to decode email. It’s possible that you’ll need to contact the sender and exchange keys.
The battery has to be replaced, and there are too many programs operating at the same time are the most common causes of low battery life.
Check to discover which program is utilizing the most CPU if your phone looks to be overheating. The heat created in a cell phone is commonly caused by this, as well as recharging a battery.
You should do a hard reset on a frozen mobile device to bring it back to life. For 10 seconds on IOS, press and hold the Home and Power buttons at the same time. Press and release the Volume Up button, then do the same for the Volume Down button for newer iPhones that don’t have a home button (10 and up). After that, push and hold the Side button until the display abruptly turns off, which should take roughly 10 seconds. For an Android, simultaneously press and hold the Power, Volume, and Home buttons for 10 seconds.
Check to see that the volume control is set to the correct level. Plug an earbud into the internal speaker to test it. Reset the gadget to its factory settings.
Restart the device with a hard reset. If that doesn’t work, get a new digitizer.
Ten failed login attempts on an Apple iOS device will result in the device’s internal storage being erased. This feature is enabled by default, however it may be turned off. To unlock an Android smartphone, log in using the Google account connected with the device.
Mobile devices, like desktops, retain event logs despite the fact that their users seldom see them. The logs can show you what’s going on at any given moment. The Xcode program is required in order to see these logs on iOS. You might also use Logcat on Android. Read more >> 1001 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Study Guide Mobile Application Security Problems (scenario)When it comes to mobile devices, you should be aware of the following problems and symptoms.
Different circumstances, such as interference and being too far away from a cell tower, might result in a weak signal.
The quantity of electricity accessible to portable devices is limited. If the battery is frequently running low, check to see what other programs are active and disable them if they are not essential. In addition, many portable gadgets have aging batteries that may need to be changed.
As distance increases, the quantity of bandwidth (speed) accessible from a cell tower decreases. You might use a third-party program to check the amount of bandwidth available to validate the theoretical maximum throughput.
If you think your WiFi is being used by illegal users, you should use a network analyzer to examine how traffic is being handled.
It’s conceivable that an unexpected user has associated with your Bluetooth. Check your mobile device to check what is truly associated with you, then turn off Bluetooth when not in use.
Malicious software can be used to get unauthorized access to mobile devices. Personal files and data might be disclosed to unauthorized users if a computer is infected. Consider running an anti-malware check on your mobile device, just like you would on your PC or laptop. Consider doing a factory reset and a clean installation if programs that were not previously installed emerge.
Your contract may limit the amount of data you may use, depending on your carrier. When you get close to the limit, the carrier normally alerts you. Your carrier may disable data use if you are ignorant of this and go over your data limit.
Make sure you’re connected to a secure Wi-Fi network so you can see exactly what’s being communicated.
To avoid unwanted GPS tracking on a smartphone, the user must turn off the phone’s tracking (location) capability.
Mobile devices’ cameras and microphones are susceptible to hackers, providing access to this equipment. To avoid this, users must be cautious while downloading apps, as they should be in most situations of mobile hacking. Only download apps from a reputable source.
An excessive level of network consumption or too many programs running at the same time might be the reason for shorter battery life. Malicious software operating on the device might potentially be the cause of higher-than-normal resource use. We hope that our free 1002 Software Troubleshooting Study Guides have been helpful in your test preparation. Check out our website for more practice tests and other study guides for other sections. Which management tool can be used to investigate applications that stop responding frequently?Which management tool can be used to investigate applications that stop responding frequently? The Windows Reliability Monitor can be used to view a log of problematic events that are related to system stability. This tool is useful to see what applications are routinely freezing/not responding.
Which of the following actions would be of help while troubleshooting a black blank screen on a Windows based PC?Which of the following actions would be of help while troubleshooting a black/blank screen on a Windows-based PC? Unplug and restart the printer.
Which one of the following data destruction methods involves electromagnetic disruption?Degaussing
Degaussing destroys computer data using a high-powered magnet which disrupts the magnetic field of an electronic medium. The disruption of the magnetic field destroys the data.
What is the correct sequence of steps for enabling automatic virtual memory management in MS Windows Select 2 answers?What is the correct sequence of steps for enabling automatic virtual memory management in MS Windows? System applet in Control Panel -> Advanced system settings -> Performance -> Settings -> Advanced -> Virtual memory -> Change...
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