CompTIA® Strata™ Fundamentals: IT Technology
CompTIA Training Overview
You will set up, configure, maintain, troubleshoot, and perform preventative maintenance of the hardware, software, and security components of a basic personal computer workstation, including implementation of basic green IT practices.
The CompTIA® Strata™ Fundamentals course is designed to help you prepare for the FC0-U41 exam. Attending this course and using this student guide will help you prepare for certification. You should also refer to the exam objectives to see how they map to the course content.
CompTIA Training Prerequisites
Basic end-user experience with personal computers and personal computer software is highly desirable.
CompTIA Training Audience
The CompTIA® Strata™ Fundamentals: IT Technology course is targeted towards students completing their secondary education, considering the pursuit of a CompTIA® A+™ certification, and/or advanced home users who wish to further their IT knowledge. The CompTIA® Strata™ Fundamentals: IT Technology exam is targeted to help professionals and students work efficiently in their current roles, or obtain the necessary skills to start off their career in information technology. It is ideal for: individuals who are not quite ready for CompTIA® A+™ certification, companies that need a degree of tech support but cannot afford a full technician, students who are taking a PC maintenance and repair course that could benefit from a recognized industry qualification, or individuals looking for a change in their career and want to get into the IT field.
CompTIA Training Course duration
3 days
Course-specific Technical Requirements
Hardware
Each student and the instructor will require one desktop computer. You will also need to provide other hardware items for students to install; wherever possible, provide enough components so that each student has the chance to install each device. The following are the specifications for the desktop computers, as well as a list of other hardware items you will need to provide.
- Desktop computers should be ATX-based systems with PCI-e slots. The system should also include the following ports: parallel, VGA, PS/2 keyboard port, PS/2 mouse port, serial, USB, and, if possible, sound ports including Line In, Line Out, and MIC. Any additional ports are a plus. Desktop computers should also have bootable DVD-ROM drives.
- All computers should be 1 GHz Intel® Pentium® systems or higher.
- All computers should have 40 GB hard disks or larger.
- All computers should have 2 GB of RAM or more.
- All computers should have a keyboard and mouse.
- All computers should have a 800 x 600-capable display adapter and monitor.
- All computers should have network adapters and appropriate network cabling.
- Provide printing devices of your choice. You may want to have different printer types, such as laser printers and inkjet printers, if available.
- The instructor's computer should have a projection system so the students can follow activities and demonstrations and so the instructor can display the course slide presentation.
- Each student should have a basic computer toolkit including an anti-static wrist strap, screwdrivers, tweezers and other small tools, and a multimeter. You may wish to provide other sample tools to the students, such as a power supply tester, masking tape, and pens.
- Each student should have a cleaning kit that includes monitor cleaning wipes, keyboard cleaning wipes, lint-free cloths, rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, a lens cloth, window cleaner, toothpicks, a paint brush, a compressed air canister, and a computer vacuum.
- A classroom Internet connection.
- Each PC should contain the following internal devices that students can remove and reinstall, examine for troubleshooting purposes, or use to perform maintenance techniques: a hard disk; memory modules; a power supply; one or more adapter cards; and a cooling system.
- If the computers do not have integrated sound support, install sound cards.
- Provide a multimedia device of some type for students to install.
- Provide the appropriate cabling for all devices.
- Provide as many other samples of different types of computer components as possible to display for the students. This can include adapter cards for various bus types; SCSI, PATA, and SATA storage devices; a variety of ports and cables; USB devices or hubs; multimedia devices such as digital cameras or microphones; gaming devices such as joysticks; various network cables and connectors; different display device types; different printer types; modems, motherboards, CPUs, and chipsets; portable drives, and so on. Although you cannot work hands-on with every conceivable type of PC component within the confines of the classroom, the more different component types students can see and handle, the more beneficial their learning experience will be.
- Some activities and labs might require or suggest additional materials, so be sure to review the activity-specific setup requirements throughout the course prior to teaching this class.
Each computer requires the following software:
- Microsoft® Windows Vista® Business with appropriate licenses. This will be installed during the initial classroom setup.
- Classroom Internet access. Please configure Internet access and TCP/IP settings as appropriate for your classroom environment.
- Windows Vista Business Service Pack 1 or later and all the current security patches. The setup instructions and classroom activities assume that you will obtain these through an Internet connection. Otherwise, you must download all current Windows Vista Business critical updates to installation CD-ROMs and have those available to the students to complete the operating system setup.
- Device drivers and software manuals for each device the students will install. You should be able to obtain this live from the Internet during class; if not, you can download the drivers and burn them to CD-ROMs or place them on a network share, or provide the manufacturers' original disks.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- identify basic computer concepts and components.
- identify various system unit components.
- identify various computer peripherals.
- identify the characteristics of portable computing devices and media players.
- set up a basic PC workstation.
- work with files and folders in a Windows®-based system.
- plan and perform software installations.
- describe the technologies used in computer networks.
- identify Internet protocols and email protocols, and browse the Internet using a web browser.
- describe personal computer security threats and security measures to prevent attacks on computer systems.
- identify the risks associated with upgrading software and hardware.
- perform maintenance of computer components using preventative maintenance techniques.
- maintain and troubleshoot a basic PC workstation.
- identify and implement green IT techniques.
- Lesson 1: Getting Started with Computers
- Topic 1A: Computer Basics
- Topic 1B: Components of a Personal Computer
- Lesson 2: System Unit Components
- Topic 2A: System Board Components
- Topic 2B: Storage Devices
- Lesson 3: Computer Peripherals
- Topic 3A: Input Devices
- Topic 3B: Display Devices
- Topic 3C: External Devices
- Lesson 4: Portable Computing Devices and Media Players
- Topic 4A: Portable Computing Devices
- Topic 4B: Media Players
- Lesson 5: Setting Up a Basic PC Workstation
- Topic 5A: Personal Computer Connection Methods
- Topic 5B: Connect Display Devices
- Topic 5C: Connect Input Devices
- Topic 5D: Connect External Devices
- Topic 5E: Start the Computer
- Topic 5F: Configure the Operating System
- Lesson 6: Working with Files and Folders
- Topic 6A: Create a File
- Topic 6B: Navigate Folders with Windows Explorer
- Topic 6C: Manage Files and Folders
- Topic 6D: Compress and Extract Files
- Lesson 7: Working with Software
- Topic 7A: Identify Installation Requirements
- Topic 7B: Install Software
- Lesson 8: Network Technologies
- Topic 8A: Network Types
- Topic 8B: Ethernet Technologies
- Topic 8C: Wireless Networks
- Lesson 9: Working with the Internet
- Topic 9A: Information Networks
- Topic 9B: Work with a Web Browser
- Topic 9C: Internet Protocols
- Topic 9D: Email Protocols
- Topic 9E: Internet Addresses
- Lesson 10: Personal Computer Security Concepts
- Topic 10A: Social Engineering Attacks
- Topic 10B: Malicious Software
- Topic 10C: System Vulnerabilities
- Topic 10D: Personal Computer Security Measures
- Lesson 11: Identifying Risks in Upgrading Systems
- Topic 11A: Identify Risks Associated with Upgrading Software
- Topic 11B: Identify Risks Associated with Upgrading Hardware
- Lesson 12: Preventative Maintenance Techniques
- Topic 12A: Tools of the Trade
- Topic 12B: Prevent Electrical Hazards
- Topic 12C: Perform Preventative Maintenance
- Lesson 13: Maintaining and Troubleshooting a Basic PC Workstation
- Topic 13A: Back Up and Restore Data
- Topic 13B: Operating System Utilities
- Topic 13C: Troubleshoot Common Hardware and Software Issues
- Lesson 14: Green IT
- Topic 14A: Green Equipment
- Topic 14B: Green Policies and Procedures
- Topic 14C: Reuse and Dispose of Materials
