January 5, 2026 • 26 mins
Preparing for the CompTIA A+ Core 2 exam requires more than just chasing icons—it demands a deep understanding of how Windows truly works. In this episode, we explore the technician mindset that transforms scattered Windows settings into a navigable system you can confidently manage under exam pressure. Whether you're part of a study group or preparing solo, this guide offers essential tech exam prep strategies and IT skills development tips to help you tackle the root causes of issues, not just the symptoms. Get ready to elevate your technology education and pass your CompTIA exam with confidence.
We start with user-controlled fundamentals: accounts and permissions, privacy toggles for microphones and cameras, and the hidden power of time and region settings that keep authentication, certificates, and cloud sync from falling apart. Accessibility gets a full treatment as a must-have in schools, healthcare, and government, and we show how File Explorer—extensions and hidden items enabled—becomes your lens for real troubleshooting. From there we shift into system behavior: Advanced System Settings for performance and recovery, why Windows Update is a security boundary, and how Plug and Play, Device Manager, and driver hygiene keep hardware predictable.
Then we connect local Windows to the cloud. You’ll get a practical map for choosing between local installs and SaaS, verifying digital signatures and hashes, honoring licensing and compliance, and diagnosing sync problems through identity, permissions, and bandwidth. We explain how single sign-on and identity synchronization cut help desk load while raising the bar for accurate time and policy alignment. Along the way, we use clear A+ exam strategies—watch for words like first and most likely—to select the smallest, safest change that explains the symptoms.
If you’re preparing for CompTIA A+ Core 2 or sharpening your day-to-day support skills, this walkthrough helps you think like a technician: start simple, map issues to the right layer, verify the fix, and document. Subscribe, share with a fellow test taker, and leave a review telling us your favorite Windows fix that saves the day.
Art By Sarah/Desmond
Music by Joakim Karud
Little chacha Productions
Juan Rodriguez can be reached at
TikTok @ProfessorJrod
ProfessorJRod@gmail.com
@Prof_JRod
Instagram ProfessorJRod
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:26):
And welcome to Technology Tap.
I'm Professor J.
Rod.
In this episode, ConfiguringWindows, let's tap in the
(00:52):
hospital.
All right, welcome back.
For those of you who don't knowme, my name is Professor J.
Rod, and this podcast is abouthelping students pass their A
(01:13):
Plus, Network Plus, and SecurityPlus exams.
And also, you know, we do alittle history of IT or the
history of technology.
We're on three times a day, soand we're on Apple, Spotify, and
YouTube.
Alright, in this episode, we'rediving deep into one of the most
heavily tested and mostunderestimated domains on the
(01:36):
Comptea A Plus Core Exam 2 isconfiguring Windows.
This is not just about knowingwhat the buttons are, this is
about understanding howtechnicians actually interact
with Windows in the real worldunder pressure, with users
watching you, and with systemsthat never behave exactly the
way the textbooks say theyshould.
(01:57):
By the end of this episode, youwill understand how Camtia
expects you to navigate theWindows user settings, how to
think through system settingsand administration tools, how
application installation choicesaffect security licensing and
performance, and why cloud-basedapplications are tested
differently than local installs.
And most importantly, you learnhow Camptia frames scenarios.
(02:20):
So you stop memorizing menus andstart thinking like a
technician.
Take a breath and let's begin.
When Camptia talks about Windowsuser settings, they're really
talking about control, controlover what a user can access, how
the system behaves, whatinformation Windows is allowed
to collect, and how accessiblethe system is for different
(02:42):
users.
Windows interface interfaces,thinking like the user.
Windows built is built on threevisible pillars: the desktop,
the taskbar, and the start menu.
In Windows 10, the start menu ishybrid, tiles plus list.
In Windows 11, it's cleaner,centered, and more simplified.
Compte will not ask you whichlooks better.
(03:04):
They ask, where would atechnician go to change this?
That mindset matters.
Here's a classic Comptea trick.
Windows has two configurationinterfaces, Windows Settings and
Control Panels.
Real technicians use both.
If a question says configurebasic system preferences, you
want to go to settings.
(03:26):
If you want to access legacyapplets or advanced controls,
you go to control panel.
Knowing why both exists mattersmore than memorizing icons.
User accounts define what a useris allowed to do.
Administrator accounts caninstall software, change system
settings, manage other users.
Standard users accounts can useapplications, change personal
(03:47):
settings, but not affect thesystem.
Comtia loves scenarios like auser needs to install software
but should not modify systemfiles.
This is not a trick question.
This is a permission problem.
Privacy settings.
Privacy settings controlmicrophone access, camera
access, location services, apppermissions.
(04:10):
A real-world example.
A user says Zoom can't access mymicrophone.
A bad technician just reinstallsZoom.
A good technician checks privacysettings and then the
microphone.
Compte rewards the secondtechnician.
Time settings matter more thanpeople realize.
Incorrect time zones, break,authentication, certificates,
(04:33):
logs, and cloud synchronization.
CompteMy phase it as securitylogs are out of sync.
The fix is not antivirus, it'stime configuration.
Ease of access Ease of Accessexists for vision, hearing,
motor control, and speech.
Examples include high contrastmode, magnifier, narrator, and
(04:57):
on-screen keyboards.
These are not niche features.
They are critical in education,healthcare, and government
environments.
File Explorer.
File Explorer does more thanopen files.
It allows technicians to viewhidden files, show file
extensions, and access systemdirectories.
(05:17):
Comtia loves this scenario.
A system file is missing.
You can't fix what you can'tsee.
Though I don't like the way thefile explorer is nowadays in
Windows 11, very tough to searchfor for anything.
(05:40):
Had a great way of finding it,had that fire find files and
folders, which was very, verygood in finding stuff.
The way they do it now isterrible.
Alright, system settings to findhow Windows run, but not how not
how it looks.
System information and advancedsettings.
The system page tells you the OSversion, the CPU, the RAM, and
(06:04):
the activation status.
Advanced system settings controlperformance, virtual memory, and
startup and recovery.
This is where technicians gowhen system feels slow but
nothing is broken.
Windows Update.
Windows update handles securitypatches, feature updates, and
driver updates.
Default behavior is automaticand Camtia expects you to know
(06:27):
that.
If a question asks, what happensif updates are disabled?
Think security risk, compliancerisk, stability risk.
Plug and play.
Plug and play means Windowsdetects hardware, install
drivers, and configure devicesautomatically.
Which you are so lucky that itdoes that because back in the
(06:48):
old days, we had to do this onour own.
And for the the older listeners,you remember the RQ settings,
right?
Those were terrible.
Anyway, but when it fails, thedevice manager becomes your best
friend, and manual driverupdates are required.
Display settings.
Display settings includeresolution, scaling, refresh
(07:12):
rate, and multiple monitors.
Sound settings include inputdevices, output devices, volume
levels.
Camtia's question oftendescribes the user hears no
audio.
The fix is often wrong, outputdevice, not broken hardware.
They want you to think, how willyou fix it?
Not just switching the hardware.
Should not be your first option.
(07:32):
Speaking of option, poweroptions.
Power options bold includesleep, hibernate, hybrid sleep,
and modern standby.
A laptop that drains batteryovernight, that's a power state
issue, not malware.
Administrative tools.
These tools separate users fromtechnicians.
Event viewer, services, taskscheduler, registry editor,
(07:56):
computer management.
Comtia does not expect you tomaster them.
They expect you to recognizewhen to use them.
Instantly installing software isnever just clicking next.
First, you gotta look at whatare the requirements, right?
Application requirements.
CPU compatibility, RAM, storage,correct OS versions.
(08:21):
32-bit apps can run on a 64-bitsystem.
64-bit apps cannot run on a32-bit system.
You need to know that extinctionin the exam.
Distribution mode.
Applications may come from appstores, downloadable installers,
physical media, and ISO files.
(08:43):
Verification matters via digitalsignatures or hash values.
Security questions love this.
Licensing violation, right?
Because everything needs to belicensed, could lead to legal
risks, compliance fines, andaudits.
Technician must think beyonddoes it install, right?
(09:05):
No, no, nowadays you cannotinstall like free stuff on
company's computer.
Very rare.
It's a compliance issue.
That's all it is, it's acompliance issue.
So, you know, if you listen tothe Netscape episode that I did,
you know, we would installNetscape on everybody's computer
and not pay the$40, right?
(09:26):
That we were supposed to pay.
But, you know, when things movedto you know being more security
conscious and security focusedand being audited and having to
do with compliance, can't havethat anymore.
Gotta go with Internet Explorer.
Alright, next, cloud-based, cutcloud-based applications.
(09:47):
Cloud applications changeeverything.
Cloud versus local application.
They can sync synchronize accessacross devices.
It requires the internet andreduces local maintenance.
Examples, right?
We know them.
Microsoft 365, Google Workspace,OneDrive, Zoom.
(10:08):
Storage, collaboration, andsync.
Cloud storage allows filesharing, version history, and
remote access.
But sync failures often comedown to permission, bandwidth,
and authentication.
Single sign on.
Single sign-on reduces passwordfatigue, help desk tickets, and
(10:28):
access error.
This is why cloud identity isheavily tested.
So configuring Windows is notabout memorization, it's about
understanding where techniciansgo, knowing why settings exist,
and choosing the simplestcorrect fix.
This is how Camtia thinks.
This is how you, as a technicianor a future technician, should
(10:52):
think.
Right?
You gotta think that way.
Alright, let's do the multiplechoice questions.
So how we do it is I read thequestion, I give you the four
choices, then I read it again,I'll give you five seconds, and
then I'll give you the answer.
Alright, question one.
A user reports that anapplication cannot access the
microphone, even though it isinstalled correctly.
(11:15):
What should be checked first?
A reinstall the app B WindowsPrivacy Settings, C device
Manager, or D Windows Update.
I read it again.
A user reports that anapplication cannot access the
microphone, even though it isinstalled correctly.
What should be checked first?
A reinstall the application, BWindows privacy settings, C
(11:37):
device manager, or D Windowsupdate.
And remember the keyword here iswhat?
It's first, right?
And we've talked about this inmany, many times.
About if you know when Windowsasks for first, it's usually the
simplest thing they want you totry first, right?
(11:58):
They don't want you to you knowstart tearing the computer apart
as the first thing.
That's not the first thing thatyou try.
Right?
So I'll give you five secondsfive, four, three, two, one, and
the answer is B Windows privacysettings.
(12:19):
Alright, question two.
A systems event log showsinconsistent timestamps after a
user travels internationally.
What is the most likely cause?
A corrupt log files, b malwareinfections, c incorrect time
zone configurations, or d BIOSbattery failure.
(12:41):
I'll read it again.
A system event logs showsinconsistent timestamps after a
user travels internationally.
What is the most likely cause?
A corrupt log files, b malwareinfections, c incorrect time
zone configurations, or D BIOSbattery failure.
Well, what is it asking you?
(13:01):
It says what is the most likelythe cause?
Doesn't necessarily mean thatthat's 100% the answer, or that
that's going to be the answerevery time.
But out of these four, what'smost likely could be the answer,
right?
And that answer is what?
I'll give you five seconds.
Five, four, three, two, one.
(13:25):
Well, it's C incorrect time zoneconfiguration.
That's the most likely.
Doesn't mean that it that thatthat is, right?
It could actually be a malwareinfection, right?
To be honest.
But most likely, most likely,it's going to be it's an
incorrect time zone.
And the hint is in the question,right?
(13:46):
The hint was the user travelsinternationally.
So that's the big clue rightthere that it gives you.
So again, and we and I've saidit over and over and over, there
are clues in in the question,either like most, first, before,
(14:06):
and right, or there's clues inthe question themselves, right?
Anything that you see, you know,if it has router in the question
and then and one of the choicesis IP address, that's probably
gonna be the answer becauserouters and IP address go hand
in hand, right?
That's that's what they do.
They they're one, you know, thesame thing with switch and MAC
(14:29):
address, right?
If one of the choices is if thequestion is switch and one of
the choices is MAC address, it'sprobably gonna be the answer.
Especially if they say mostlikely, right?
That's going to be the answer.
It's going, you know, becausethey're interrelated.
They they're they're like peanutbutter and jelly, right?
Router and IP address and switchand MAC address are like peanut
(14:50):
butter and jelly.
They go together.
So, you know, the you there'sthere's ways to tackle this
exam.
There's strategies that that youthat you can learn, at least
listening through this podcast,on how to beat the exam.
But you also still have to knowit, right?
Because they're gonna ask youthe simple questions, too.
(15:12):
What is the port number fortelnet?
And if you don't know it,there's no way that's it.
That's that's all you'regetting, right?
What is the port number fortelnet, right?
If you don't know what, if it'sport 23, then there's no way
you're gonna be able to guessit.
You're gonna have to guess it,right?
25%.
There's no way that you caneliminate your choices.
(15:34):
So you you know, you do have toknow your stuff, but you know,
there's there's ways to youknow, there's different
strategies that you can use toto pass this exam.
Alright.
Number three, a laptop enterssleep mode but continues to
drain battery overnight.
What settings should beadjusted?
(15:55):
A display brightness, b powerplan and sleep settings, see
device drivers and D Windowsactivation.
A laptop enters sleep mode butcontinues to drain the battery
overnight.
Which settings should beadjusted?
A display brightness, B powerplan and sleep settings, C
(16:15):
device drivers, or D Windowsactivation.
I give you five seconds to thinkabout it.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Of course, the answer is B.
Power Plan and Sleep Settings.
That's an easy one, right?
That's not too bad.
And some of them you get these Icall these softballs, right?
(16:36):
They kind of toss them to you,right?
Like a softball.
And you just dock your job is toknock them out of the park.
So, all right, last one.
Hopefully, you got your 444 onthis.
A company migrates tocloud-based emails and file
storage, which feature allowsusers to access both cloud and
local resources with one login.
(16:58):
A local users profiles, b NTFSpermissions, C Identity
Synchronization, and D fileindexing.
I'll read it again.
A company migrates to acloud-based email and file
storage.
Which features allow users toaccess both cloud and local
resources with one login.
A local user profiles, B NTFSpermissions, C Identity
(17:21):
Synchronization, or D fileindexing.
I'll give you five seconds.
Five, four, three, two, one.
And the answer is C.
Identity synchronization.
Again, so here's the thing.
When you when you the and theseare for people who like kind of
(17:42):
like want to get into tech.
You know, when you get intotech, it's like learning a new
language.
There's so many words that areout there.
You know, I I know some peoplemight find this silly, but you
know, it's a lot, there's a lotof big words or words that you
may never hear of likesynchronization, right?
Unless you're a police fan andyou've heard of the song
synchronization, but like youmay not know what it means.
(18:05):
So these are the things that youyou know that you need you need
to look up.
You know, this this is it's alot of stuff in in technology.
I I find it like if it's awholly, totally different
language that you're learningwhen you're learning about you
know tech, because that's how itis.
(18:26):
You know, you gotta learn allthese words, you gotta learn all
these definitions, and thesedefinitions will help you.
Learning the definitions ofcertain things will help you
kind of like try to guess whatthe answer is.
You know, if if if you're havinga difficulty not knowing what
the answer is, but if you don'tknow what it means, that's the
whole thing, right?
If you don't know what it means,it's hard to take a proper
(18:48):
educated guess.
So you have to you have to knowwhat it means.
You you need to keep a glossarytogether.
And I know in the Camtiaobjectives that you can download
from Camtia.org, that they havethe objectives, but in there
they have a glossary with awhole bunch of different terms,
I think, and what thedefinitions are if I remember
correctly.
(19:08):
Uh if not, then use it as ahomework assignment, right?
Start putting in the definitionsof all the words that are there,
because that's that's going tohelp you.
That is, you know, that's againanother you know, something that
you could use in your armor sothat it it will help you pass
this exam, right?
(19:29):
Because you want to know whatthese things mean, right?
You want to know what cloudmeans, you want to know what
synchronization means, right?
You want to know what userprofile means.
These are things that you haveto know not only what they are,
but the definitions of them thatthat would help you a long way.
Like people think I'm kiddingwhen I say that.
(19:50):
I'm not like like I'm deadserious.
Knowing these definitions willhelp you in the long run.
You know, some some people justdon't, you know.
Especially, you know, if ifEnglish English is your second
language, right?
And then you don't know whatthese you know, you're gonna be
like, Well what's compliance?
Well, like what does compliancemean?
Right?
Or, you know, so like stuff likethat, it it it becomes, you
(20:14):
know, it becomes daunting, butif you r have the ability to sit
down and and get a glossary orcreate your own glossary, right?
Or use the computer one and justmake out a list, right?
Your own list of words that youdon't understand and try to get
the definitions of it.
Authentication, right?
That's another one, right?
You may not know whatauthentication means.
(20:34):
Yes, it sounds silly that when Isay, yes, it it does sound, oh
well, who doesn't know whatauthentication means or what
synchronization means?
It's people out there that don'tthey don't know what it means.
And it's not, you know, it's notnothing against them, it's just,
you know, that's just how it is.
So, you know, if you learn thesedefinitions of these computer
(20:55):
terms, it would it would helpit's a lot better when you come
and taking the exam.
Because you may not know thethe, you know, you need to take
an educated guess, and you knowthey're talking about, you know,
single sign-on, and then you seesynchronization, you know, like
you can put the two and twotogether.
But if you don't know whatsynchronization means, then
you're never gonna get it.
(21:16):
You're gonna get it wrong.
So, again, another piece ofadvice that I'm giving you,
right, is there's plenty, plentyof ways, so many different
strategies that you can use topass this exam.
Again, but no matter how muchstrategy I I give you, no matter
(21:37):
how many hints that I can say,hey, try this, try this, try
this, at the end of the day, youhave to study for it.
Right?
You have to take some kind ofclass, some boot camp.
Like I took a boot camp, right?
So many years ago, and that wasthat was what helped me pass
this exam.
(21:58):
So I don't know if you guysknow, there's a guy on on
YouTube, he's on YouTube, he'son LinkedIn, his name is Andrew.
Right?
He he's a big PMP guy.
That certification PMP projectmanagement, he's well known for
that.
I actually took my class withhim.
He and I I took it in personlike 12 years ago.
(22:19):
So and I actually worked for himafterwards, a couple of years
after that.
So yeah, so there's you know,you can you can do it, and and
his boot camp was four days,four days.
His A plus boot camp was fourdays, and by the end of the
week, I had both, you know, thethe core one and the core two
(22:43):
already in my pocket at the endof the week.
So yeah, you can do it.
You just you know, gotta study,gotta dedicate, you know, you
gotta it's a whole there's awhole thing that you gotta do.
You just gotta be committed,right?
Once you get committed, youshould be fine.
But take these all these clues,all these hints, all these
strategies that I'm giving you,keep it, write it down, right?
And and just let that be yourguide when you finally decide,
(23:08):
like, oh, this is what I want todo.
I want to pass the comp tier Aplus.
Do all these things, look at allthese strategies that I'm giving
you, and hopefully, you know,you can write me an email and
say, hey, I passed.
And speaking of email, you canalways email me, professorjrod
at gmail.com.
You can follow me on TikTok atProfessor Jrod.
Follow me Instagram atprofessorjrod.
(23:33):
Yeah, what else?
YouTube.
Um I'm on YouTube technology tapon YouTube, and of course, if
you're listening to this, eitherthe Apple, Spotify, YouTube, you
know, whatever it is that you'relistening to on.
All right, this is where we landthe plane, right?
Configuring Windows is not aboutmemorizing where Microsoft hides
(23:54):
buttons this year, it's allabout understanding control who
has it and where it lives andhow it affects the system, the
user, and the organization.
On the Camtia A Plus exam,Windows is the environment.
But in the real world, Windowsis the workspace.
This is where users succeed,where mistakes happen, and where
technicians earn theirreputation.
Every setting we talked abouttoday privacy control,
(24:17):
accessibility options, powermanagement, application
installs, cloud sync, they existfor one reason.
To balance usability, security,and stalability.
And Contear gives you a questionand gives you a scenario.
They're not asking you, do youremember this menu?
They're asking you, do you thinklike a technician?
(24:38):
Do you start with the simplestfix?
Do you know when a problem is auser level versus a system
level?
Do you understand when thesystem mat says system settings
matter more than the software?
That mindset is what separatestest takers from professionals.
So as you study, don't just askyourself what the setting does.
(24:58):
Ask why it exists, who itaffects, and what breaks it when
it's wrong.
Because passing the A exam isn'tabout perfect answers, it's
about making the best decisionswith the information that you
have.
If this episode helped you seeWindows a little bit different
as a system to manage, not justan OS to use, then you're
(25:19):
already on the right path.
So keep studying, keep building,keep thinking like a technician,
and as always, keep tapping intotechnology.
This is Professor J.
Rod, and you've been listeningto Technology Tap.
(25:54):
This has been a presentation ofLittle Chacha Productions, art
by Sarah, music by Joe Kim.
We're now part of the Pod MatchNetwork.
You can follow me at TikTok atProfessor J Rod at J R O D, or
you can email me at Professor JRod J R O D at Gmail dot com.
And welcome to Technology Tap.
I'm Professor J.
Rod.
In this episode, ConfiguringWindows, let's tap in the
(00:52):
hospital.
All right, welcome back.
For those of you who don't knowme, my name is Professor J.
Rod, and this podcast is abouthelping students pass their A
(01:13):
Plus, Network Plus, and SecurityPlus exams.
And also, you know, we do alittle history of IT or the
history of technology.
We're on three times a day, soand we're on Apple, Spotify, and
YouTube.
Alright, in this episode, we'rediving deep into one of the most
heavily tested and mostunderestimated domains on the
(01:36):
Comptea A Plus Core Exam 2 isconfiguring Windows.
This is not just about knowingwhat the buttons are, this is
about understanding howtechnicians actually interact
with Windows in the real worldunder pressure, with users
watching you, and with systemsthat never behave exactly the
way the textbooks say theyshould.
(01:57):
By the end of this episode, youwill understand how Camtia
expects you to navigate theWindows user settings, how to
think through system settingsand administration tools, how
application installation choicesaffect security licensing and
performance, and why cloud-basedapplications are tested
differently than local installs.
And most importantly, you learnhow Camptia frames scenarios.
(02:20):
So you stop memorizing menus andstart thinking like a
technician.
Take a breath and let's begin.
When Camptia talks about Windowsuser settings, they're really
talking about control, controlover what a user can access, how
the system behaves, whatinformation Windows is allowed
to collect, and how accessiblethe system is for different
(02:42):
users.
Windows interface interfaces,thinking like the user.
Windows built is built on threevisible pillars: the desktop,
the taskbar, and the start menu.
In Windows 10, the start menu ishybrid, tiles plus list.
In Windows 11, it's cleaner,centered, and more simplified.
Compte will not ask you whichlooks better.
(03:04):
They ask, where would atechnician go to change this?
That mindset matters.
Here's a classic Comptea trick.
Windows has two configurationinterfaces, Windows Settings and
Control Panels.
Real technicians use both.
If a question says configurebasic system preferences, you
want to go to settings.
(03:26):
If you want to access legacyapplets or advanced controls,
you go to control panel.
Knowing why both exists mattersmore than memorizing icons.
User accounts define what a useris allowed to do.
Administrator accounts caninstall software, change system
settings, manage other users.
Standard users accounts can useapplications, change personal
(03:47):
settings, but not affect thesystem.
Comtia loves scenarios like auser needs to install software
but should not modify systemfiles.
This is not a trick question.
This is a permission problem.
Privacy settings.
Privacy settings controlmicrophone access, camera
access, location services, apppermissions.
(04:10):
A real-world example.
A user says Zoom can't access mymicrophone.
A bad technician just reinstallsZoom.
A good technician checks privacysettings and then the
microphone.
Compte rewards the secondtechnician.
Time settings matter more thanpeople realize.
Incorrect time zones, break,authentication, certificates,
(04:33):
logs, and cloud synchronization.
CompteMy phase it as securitylogs are out of sync.
The fix is not antivirus, it'stime configuration.
Ease of access Ease of Accessexists for vision, hearing,
motor control, and speech.
Examples include high contrastmode, magnifier, narrator, and
(04:57):
on-screen keyboards.
These are not niche features.
They are critical in education,healthcare, and government
environments.
File Explorer.
File Explorer does more thanopen files.
It allows technicians to viewhidden files, show file
extensions, and access systemdirectories.
(05:17):
Comtia loves this scenario.
A system file is missing.
You can't fix what you can'tsee.
Though I don't like the way thefile explorer is nowadays in
Windows 11, very tough to searchfor for anything.
(05:40):
Had a great way of finding it,had that fire find files and
folders, which was very, verygood in finding stuff.
The way they do it now isterrible.
Alright, system settings to findhow Windows run, but not how not
how it looks.
System information and advancedsettings.
The system page tells you the OSversion, the CPU, the RAM, and
(06:04):
the activation status.
Advanced system settings controlperformance, virtual memory, and
startup and recovery.
This is where technicians gowhen system feels slow but
nothing is broken.
Windows Update.
Windows update handles securitypatches, feature updates, and
driver updates.
Default behavior is automaticand Camtia expects you to know
(06:27):
that.
If a question asks, what happensif updates are disabled?
Think security risk, compliancerisk, stability risk.
Plug and play.
Plug and play means Windowsdetects hardware, install
drivers, and configure devicesautomatically.
Which you are so lucky that itdoes that because back in the
(06:48):
old days, we had to do this onour own.
And for the the older listeners,you remember the RQ settings,
right?
Those were terrible.
Anyway, but when it fails, thedevice manager becomes your best
friend, and manual driverupdates are required.
Display settings.
Display settings includeresolution, scaling, refresh
(07:12):
rate, and multiple monitors.
Sound settings include inputdevices, output devices, volume
levels.
Camtia's question oftendescribes the user hears no
audio.
The fix is often wrong, outputdevice, not broken hardware.
They want you to think, how willyou fix it?
Not just switching the hardware.
Should not be your first option.
(07:32):
Speaking of option, poweroptions.
Power options bold includesleep, hibernate, hybrid sleep,
and modern standby.
A laptop that drains batteryovernight, that's a power state
issue, not malware.
Administrative tools.
These tools separate users fromtechnicians.
Event viewer, services, taskscheduler, registry editor,
(07:56):
computer management.
Comtia does not expect you tomaster them.
They expect you to recognizewhen to use them.
Instantly installing software isnever just clicking next.
First, you gotta look at whatare the requirements, right?
Application requirements.
CPU compatibility, RAM, storage,correct OS versions.
(08:21):
32-bit apps can run on a 64-bitsystem.
64-bit apps cannot run on a32-bit system.
You need to know that extinctionin the exam.
Distribution mode.
Applications may come from appstores, downloadable installers,
physical media, and ISO files.
(08:43):
Verification matters via digitalsignatures or hash values.
Security questions love this.
Licensing violation, right?
Because everything needs to belicensed, could lead to legal
risks, compliance fines, andaudits.
Technician must think beyonddoes it install, right?
(09:05):
No, no, nowadays you cannotinstall like free stuff on
company's computer.
Very rare.
It's a compliance issue.
That's all it is, it's acompliance issue.
So, you know, if you listen tothe Netscape episode that I did,
you know, we would installNetscape on everybody's computer
and not pay the$40, right?
(09:26):
That we were supposed to pay.
But, you know, when things movedto you know being more security
conscious and security focusedand being audited and having to
do with compliance, can't havethat anymore.
Gotta go with Internet Explorer.
Alright, next, cloud-based, cutcloud-based applications.
(09:47):
Cloud applications changeeverything.
Cloud versus local application.
They can sync synchronize accessacross devices.
It requires the internet andreduces local maintenance.
Examples, right?
We know them.
Microsoft 365, Google Workspace,OneDrive, Zoom.
(10:08):
Storage, collaboration, andsync.
Cloud storage allows filesharing, version history, and
remote access.
But sync failures often comedown to permission, bandwidth,
and authentication.
Single sign on.
Single sign-on reduces passwordfatigue, help desk tickets, and
(10:28):
access error.
This is why cloud identity isheavily tested.
So configuring Windows is notabout memorization, it's about
understanding where techniciansgo, knowing why settings exist,
and choosing the simplestcorrect fix.
This is how Camtia thinks.
This is how you, as a technicianor a future technician, should
(10:52):
think.
Right?
You gotta think that way.
Alright, let's do the multiplechoice questions.
So how we do it is I read thequestion, I give you the four
choices, then I read it again,I'll give you five seconds, and
then I'll give you the answer.
Alright, question one.
A user reports that anapplication cannot access the
microphone, even though it isinstalled correctly.
(11:15):
What should be checked first?
A reinstall the app B WindowsPrivacy Settings, C device
Manager, or D Windows Update.
I read it again.
A user reports that anapplication cannot access the
microphone, even though it isinstalled correctly.
What should be checked first?
A reinstall the application, BWindows privacy settings, C
(11:37):
device manager, or D Windowsupdate.
And remember the keyword here iswhat?
It's first, right?
And we've talked about this inmany, many times.
About if you know when Windowsasks for first, it's usually the
simplest thing they want you totry first, right?
(11:58):
They don't want you to you knowstart tearing the computer apart
as the first thing.
That's not the first thing thatyou try.
Right?
So I'll give you five secondsfive, four, three, two, one, and
the answer is B Windows privacysettings.
(12:19):
Alright, question two.
A systems event log showsinconsistent timestamps after a
user travels internationally.
What is the most likely cause?
A corrupt log files, b malwareinfections, c incorrect time
zone configurations, or d BIOSbattery failure.
(12:41):
I'll read it again.
A system event logs showsinconsistent timestamps after a
user travels internationally.
What is the most likely cause?
A corrupt log files, b malwareinfections, c incorrect time
zone configurations, or D BIOSbattery failure.
Well, what is it asking you?
(13:01):
It says what is the most likelythe cause?
Doesn't necessarily mean thatthat's 100% the answer, or that
that's going to be the answerevery time.
But out of these four, what'smost likely could be the answer,
right?
And that answer is what?
I'll give you five seconds.
Five, four, three, two, one.
(13:25):
Well, it's C incorrect time zoneconfiguration.
That's the most likely.
Doesn't mean that it that thatthat is, right?
It could actually be a malwareinfection, right?
To be honest.
But most likely, most likely,it's going to be it's an
incorrect time zone.
And the hint is in the question,right?
(13:46):
The hint was the user travelsinternationally.
So that's the big clue rightthere that it gives you.
So again, and we and I've saidit over and over and over, there
are clues in in the question,either like most, first, before,
(14:06):
and right, or there's clues inthe question themselves, right?
Anything that you see, you know,if it has router in the question
and then and one of the choicesis IP address, that's probably
gonna be the answer becauserouters and IP address go hand
in hand, right?
That's that's what they do.
They they're one, you know, thesame thing with switch and MAC
(14:29):
address, right?
If one of the choices is if thequestion is switch and one of
the choices is MAC address, it'sprobably gonna be the answer.
Especially if they say mostlikely, right?
That's going to be the answer.
It's going, you know, becausethey're interrelated.
They they're they're like peanutbutter and jelly, right?
Router and IP address and switchand MAC address are like peanut
(14:50):
butter and jelly.
They go together.
So, you know, the you there'sthere's ways to tackle this
exam.
There's strategies that that youthat you can learn, at least
listening through this podcast,on how to beat the exam.
But you also still have to knowit, right?
Because they're gonna ask youthe simple questions, too.
(15:12):
What is the port number fortelnet?
And if you don't know it,there's no way that's it.
That's that's all you'regetting, right?
What is the port number fortelnet, right?
If you don't know what, if it'sport 23, then there's no way
you're gonna be able to guessit.
You're gonna have to guess it,right?
25%.
There's no way that you caneliminate your choices.
(15:34):
So you you know, you do have toknow your stuff, but you know,
there's there's ways to youknow, there's different
strategies that you can use toto pass this exam.
Alright.
Number three, a laptop enterssleep mode but continues to
drain battery overnight.
What settings should beadjusted?
(15:55):
A display brightness, b powerplan and sleep settings, see
device drivers and D Windowsactivation.
A laptop enters sleep mode butcontinues to drain the battery
overnight.
Which settings should beadjusted?
A display brightness, B powerplan and sleep settings, C
(16:15):
device drivers, or D Windowsactivation.
I give you five seconds to thinkabout it.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Of course, the answer is B.
Power Plan and Sleep Settings.
That's an easy one, right?
That's not too bad.
And some of them you get these Icall these softballs, right?
(16:36):
They kind of toss them to you,right?
Like a softball.
And you just dock your job is toknock them out of the park.
So, all right, last one.
Hopefully, you got your 444 onthis.
A company migrates tocloud-based emails and file
storage, which feature allowsusers to access both cloud and
local resources with one login.
(16:58):
A local users profiles, b NTFSpermissions, C Identity
Synchronization, and D fileindexing.
I'll read it again.
A company migrates to acloud-based email and file
storage.
Which features allow users toaccess both cloud and local
resources with one login.
A local user profiles, B NTFSpermissions, C Identity
(17:21):
Synchronization, or D fileindexing.
I'll give you five seconds.
Five, four, three, two, one.
And the answer is C.
Identity synchronization.
Again, so here's the thing.
When you when you the and theseare for people who like kind of
(17:42):
like want to get into tech.
You know, when you get intotech, it's like learning a new
language.
There's so many words that areout there.
You know, I I know some peoplemight find this silly, but you
know, it's a lot, there's a lotof big words or words that you
may never hear of likesynchronization, right?
Unless you're a police fan andyou've heard of the song
synchronization, but like youmay not know what it means.
(18:05):
So these are the things that youyou know that you need you need
to look up.
You know, this this is it's alot of stuff in in technology.
I I find it like if it's awholly, totally different
language that you're learningwhen you're learning about you
know tech, because that's how itis.
(18:26):
You know, you gotta learn allthese words, you gotta learn all
these definitions, and thesedefinitions will help you.
Learning the definitions ofcertain things will help you
kind of like try to guess whatthe answer is.
You know, if if if you're havinga difficulty not knowing what
the answer is, but if you don'tknow what it means, that's the
whole thing, right?
If you don't know what it means,it's hard to take a proper
(18:48):
educated guess.
So you have to you have to knowwhat it means.
You you need to keep a glossarytogether.
And I know in the Camtiaobjectives that you can download
from Camtia.org, that they havethe objectives, but in there
they have a glossary with awhole bunch of different terms,
I think, and what thedefinitions are if I remember
correctly.
(19:08):
Uh if not, then use it as ahomework assignment, right?
Start putting in the definitionsof all the words that are there,
because that's that's going tohelp you.
That is, you know, that's againanother you know, something that
you could use in your armor sothat it it will help you pass
this exam, right?
(19:29):
Because you want to know whatthese things mean, right?
You want to know what cloudmeans, you want to know what
synchronization means, right?
You want to know what userprofile means.
These are things that you haveto know not only what they are,
but the definitions of them thatthat would help you a long way.
Like people think I'm kiddingwhen I say that.
(19:50):
I'm not like like I'm deadserious.
Knowing these definitions willhelp you in the long run.
You know, some some people justdon't, you know.
Especially, you know, if ifEnglish English is your second
language, right?
And then you don't know whatthese you know, you're gonna be
like, Well what's compliance?
Well, like what does compliancemean?
Right?
Or, you know, so like stuff likethat, it it it becomes, you
(20:14):
know, it becomes daunting, butif you r have the ability to sit
down and and get a glossary orcreate your own glossary, right?
Or use the computer one and justmake out a list, right?
Your own list of words that youdon't understand and try to get
the definitions of it.
Authentication, right?
That's another one, right?
You may not know whatauthentication means.
(20:34):
Yes, it sounds silly that when Isay, yes, it it does sound, oh
well, who doesn't know whatauthentication means or what
synchronization means?
It's people out there that don'tthey don't know what it means.
And it's not, you know, it's notnothing against them, it's just,
you know, that's just how it is.
So, you know, if you learn thesedefinitions of these computer
(20:55):
terms, it would it would helpit's a lot better when you come
and taking the exam.
Because you may not know thethe, you know, you need to take
an educated guess, and you knowthey're talking about, you know,
single sign-on, and then you seesynchronization, you know, like
you can put the two and twotogether.
But if you don't know whatsynchronization means, then
you're never gonna get it.
(21:16):
You're gonna get it wrong.
So, again, another piece ofadvice that I'm giving you,
right, is there's plenty, plentyof ways, so many different
strategies that you can use topass this exam.
Again, but no matter how muchstrategy I I give you, no matter
(21:37):
how many hints that I can say,hey, try this, try this, try
this, at the end of the day, youhave to study for it.
Right?
You have to take some kind ofclass, some boot camp.
Like I took a boot camp, right?
So many years ago, and that wasthat was what helped me pass
this exam.
(21:58):
So I don't know if you guysknow, there's a guy on on
YouTube, he's on YouTube, he'son LinkedIn, his name is Andrew.
Right?
He he's a big PMP guy.
That certification PMP projectmanagement, he's well known for
that.
I actually took my class withhim.
He and I I took it in personlike 12 years ago.
(22:19):
So and I actually worked for himafterwards, a couple of years
after that.
So yeah, so there's you know,you can you can do it, and and
his boot camp was four days,four days.
His A plus boot camp was fourdays, and by the end of the
week, I had both, you know, thethe core one and the core two
(22:43):
already in my pocket at the endof the week.
So yeah, you can do it.
You just you know, gotta study,gotta dedicate, you know, you
gotta it's a whole there's awhole thing that you gotta do.
You just gotta be committed,right?
Once you get committed, youshould be fine.
But take these all these clues,all these hints, all these
strategies that I'm giving you,keep it, write it down, right?
And and just let that be yourguide when you finally decide,
(23:08):
like, oh, this is what I want todo.
I want to pass the comp tier Aplus.
Do all these things, look at allthese strategies that I'm giving
you, and hopefully, you know,you can write me an email and
say, hey, I passed.
And speaking of email, you canalways email me, professorjrod
at gmail.com.
You can follow me on TikTok atProfessor Jrod.
Follow me Instagram atprofessorjrod.
(23:33):
Yeah, what else?
YouTube.
Um I'm on YouTube technology tapon YouTube, and of course, if
you're listening to this, eitherthe Apple, Spotify, YouTube, you
know, whatever it is that you'relistening to on.
All right, this is where we landthe plane, right?
Configuring Windows is not aboutmemorizing where Microsoft hides
(23:54):
buttons this year, it's allabout understanding control who
has it and where it lives andhow it affects the system, the
user, and the organization.
On the Camtia A Plus exam,Windows is the environment.
But in the real world, Windowsis the workspace.
This is where users succeed,where mistakes happen, and where
technicians earn theirreputation.
Every setting we talked abouttoday privacy control,
(24:17):
accessibility options, powermanagement, application
installs, cloud sync, they existfor one reason.
To balance usability, security,and stalability.
And Contear gives you a questionand gives you a scenario.
They're not asking you, do youremember this menu?
They're asking you, do you thinklike a technician?
(24:38):
Do you start with the simplestfix?
Do you know when a problem is auser level versus a system
level?
Do you understand when thesystem mat says system settings
matter more than the software?
That mindset is what separatestest takers from professionals.
So as you study, don't just askyourself what the setting does.
(24:58):
Ask why it exists, who itaffects, and what breaks it when
it's wrong.
Because passing the A exam isn'tabout perfect answers, it's
about making the best decisionswith the information that you
have.
If this episode helped you seeWindows a little bit different
as a system to manage, not justan OS to use, then you're
(25:19):
already on the right path.
So keep studying, keep building,keep thinking like a technician,
and as always, keep tapping intotechnology.
This is Professor J.
Rod, and you've been listeningto Technology Tap.
(25:54):
This has been a presentation ofLittle Chacha Productions, art
by Sarah, music by Joe Kim.
We're now part of the Pod MatchNetwork.
You can follow me at TikTok atProfessor J Rod at J R O D, or
you can email me at Professor JRod J R O D at Gmail dot com.
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