CompTIA A+ Core 2 Study Library
220-1202
33 free articles on the concepts the 220-1202 exam tests, grouped by exam domain. Each one backs real questions in our practice exam.
Operating Systems
- 32-bit vs 64-bit Windows: Clean Installs, Upgrades, and Edition Changes Why moving from 32-bit to 64-bit Windows requires a clean install, how in-place upgrades differ, plus edition-change and app compatibility rules.
- Cloud Storage Sync and Collaboration: Selective Sync, Version History, and Why Sync Is Not Backup How OneDrive/Google Drive sync clients really work: selective sync, red X fixes, version history vs track changes, and the sync-vs-backup trap.
- CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) Study Guide: Format, Domains, Cost, and How to Pass Everything the CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) exam covers — question format, 700/900 passing score, $274 voucher, all four domains, and a 6-week plan.
- Control Panel Applets Every Technician Should Know Learn the Control Panel applets the 220-1202 exam expects you to know: Internet Options, Devices and Printers, System, Mail, Sound, and Indexing Options.
- Desktop and Mobile Operating Systems: Types, Purposes, and File Compatibility Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, and iOS compared the way the A+ Core 2 exam frames them — plus the file compatibility issues techs actually see.
- File Explorer Options: Hidden Files, File Extensions, and View Settings How to show hidden files and file extensions in Windows, why hidden extensions enable malware tricks, and the File Explorer Options tabs A+ tests.
- IMAP vs POP3: Email Protocols, Ports, and Multi-Device Sync IMAP keeps mail on the server and syncs every device; POP3 downloads and forgets. Learn the ports (110, 995, 143, 993) the 220-1202 exam expects.
- msconfig, Clean Boot, and Safe Mode: Isolating Windows Software Conflicts Use msconfig to boot into Safe Mode on the next restart, run a clean boot that disables third-party services, and isolate software conflicts.
- The Windows Settings App: Accessibility, Privacy, Accounts, and More Tour the Windows 11 Settings app the way the 220-1202 exam tests it: Accessibility, regional formats, sign-in options, app permissions, and Game Mode.
- Windows Home vs Pro vs Enterprise: Edition Features That Matter Compare Windows Home, Pro, and Enterprise: domain join, gpedit.msc, Remote Desktop hosting, BitLocker, and what N editions leave out.
- Windows Network Profiles and Client Connections: Public vs Private, Static IPs, Enterprise Wi-Fi Public vs Private network profiles, fixing duplicate static IP conflicts, WPA2-Enterprise logins, and isolating Wi-Fi problems — the A+ Core 2 way.
- Windows Power Options: Sleep, Hibernate, Fast Startup, and USB Suspend Sleep vs hibernate explained, plus power plans, lid-close actions, Fast Startup quirks, and USB selective suspend fixes for the A+ Core 2 exam.
- Windows Task Manager: Processes, Services, Users, and Details Tabs Explained What every Task Manager tab actually does: managing services, disconnecting user sessions, ending one child process, and setting CPU affinity.
Operational Procedures
- AI Basics for Technicians: Use Cases, Training Data, Bias, and Limitations What A+ Core 2 expects you to know about AI: help desk automation, pattern-based detection, training data quality, bias, and oversight.
- Customer Communication for Technicians: Active Listening, Plain Language, and Setting Expectations How A+ techs talk to end users: active listening, jargon-free explanations, open vs. closed questions, timelines, and follow-up done right.
- De-escalating Difficult Customer Situations in IT Support Techniques A+ techs use with angry or stressed users: stay calm, don't argue, listen fully, avoid blame, and fix the problem first.
- On-Site Professionalism: Appearance, Punctuality, Distractions, and Policy What A+ Core 2 expects on site: proper attire, arriving on time, handling delays, ignoring your phone, and following client policies.
- Remote Support Tools: VNC, SSH Tunneling, and Ad Hoc Screen Sharing VNC on TCP 5900, why its traffic needs an SSH tunnel, and when an ad hoc screen-share beats an installed agent — remote access for A+ Core 2.
- RMM and Third-Party Remote Access: Monitoring, Security, and Audited Sessions What RMM is, why MSPs run fleets from one console, the security controls that keep agents safe, and how audited third-party access sessions work.
Security
- Clearing Browser Cache, Cookies, and Site Data: When and Why When clearing the browser cache fixes stale pages, why cookies and site data matter after malware cleanup, and what each deletion really does.
- Guest Wi-Fi Networks: Isolation, Public Hotspot Risks, and Evil Twins Why a SOHO guest network exists, how client isolation protects the main LAN, and how to spot an evil twin hotspot — explained for A+ Core 2.
- Software Firewalls and Malware Defense on the Workstation What a host-based software firewall does, why new apps get blocked, keyloggers, and taming adware notifications — A+ Core 2 essentials.
- SOHO Router Hardening: Admin Access, UPnP, and Remote Management Change default credentials, require HTTPS admin access, disable WAN remote management and UPnP — the SOHO router hardening steps A+ techs must know.
- SSID Hiding and MAC Filtering: What They Do and Don't Protect Hiding your SSID and filtering MAC addresses look like security but stop no determined attacker. What each setting really does and where both fall short.
- WEP, WPA/TKIP, and WPS: Why Legacy Wireless Security Fails WEP's broken RC4 encryption, WPA/TKIP's deprecated cipher, and the brute-forceable WPS PIN — why each legacy wireless option fails on a modern network.
- WPA2 vs WPA3: AES, SAE, and What Actually Changed WPA2 uses AES-CCMP with a pre-shared key handshake; WPA3 adds SAE, forward secrecy, and protected management frames. See what changed and why.
Software Troubleshooting
- iPhone App and OS Update Issues: Force-Closing, Compatibility, and Failed Updates How to force-close iPhone apps, find pending App Store updates, decode app compatibility errors, and fix iOS updates that fail to install.
- Malware Removal and System Restore: The Right Order of Operations The CompTIA 7-step malware removal process and System Restore's two roles — disable during cleanup, re-enable with a fresh restore point after.
- Mobile Data Usage Limits and Warnings: Reading Per-App Data and Finding Overages What mobile data limit notifications mean, how data warnings differ from hard limits, and how per-app usage screens reveal what ate the data.
- Phone Battery Draining Fast: Causes and Fixes Technicians Check Why a phone battery drains fast and how technicians diagnose it: per-app battery stats, weak-signal drain, battery health, and OS update bugs.
- Phone Connectivity Troubleshooting: Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet, No SIM, and More Fix a phone that says Connected, no internet, reports No SIM, or loses data everywhere. A+ Core 2 troubleshooting steps in the order techs use them.
- Troubleshooting Windows Update Failures: Cache, Services, and Post-Malware Repair Fix Windows Update failures step by step: run the built-in troubleshooter, reset the SoftwareDistribution cache, and repair services after malware.
- Unexplained Mobile Network Traffic: Update or Malware? How to tell whether a phone's traffic spike was a scheduled update or malware: per-app data logs, update history, idle-device red flags, and remediation.
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