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A+ Resources

Welcome to my CompTIA A+ Resources page. Here you will find articles, videos, links, and suggestions to help you on your CompTIA A+ journey.
Join my Discord server or email me (support@prowse.tech) if you would like to communicate with me!

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Note: This page is a work in progress!
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If you haven't already, I highly suggest you download the CompTIA A+ objectives. Print them out, and start marking them up!
(By the way, the 1200 series is now known as V15.)
CompTIA A+ Core 1 Objectives link.
CompTIA A+ Core 2 Objectives link.

đź“ą A+ Video Playlist

A+ Video Courses

Check out my Complete A+ Video Courses.

  • Core 1: Link - over 30 hours of training!
  • Core 2: Link - over 35 hours of training!

đź““ A+ Articles

A+ Certification - Prowse Tech
Prowse Tech - learn Systems Administration and DevOps engineering with tools such as Linux, Terraform, Vault, Bash, Ansible, and more.
Prowse TechDave Prowse

Click the logo to see my articles!

🏆 Exam-Taking Techniques

12 lessons to help you get a better score on the exam.

Here it is in video format on O-Reilly:

IT Certification Success: Exam Taking Techniques
Your guide to certification success on the first attempt! Learn proven strategies and test-taking techniques that can help you obtain a higher exam score. Get practical tips to help... - Selection from IT Certification Success: Exam Taking Techniques [Video]
O’Reilly Online Learning

And here are the first 7 lessons in written format:

Exam-Taking Techniques
Pass ANY exam with the right techniques! 📝As a techie, teacher, and fellow test-taker, I felt it was important to create this collection of posts about how to pass exams. Enjoy! Exam-Taking Techniques #1 - Pick a Good Time for the ExamImagine yourself sitting an exam, clicking on the “End
Prowse TechDave Prowse

Exam Objective Comparisons
(additions and removals from 1100 to 1200 series)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows - Link
macOS - Link
Linux (GNOME) - Link
VS Code - Link

Typing Resources

Cheat Sheets

Windows Commands - Link
Red Hat - Link
Ubuntu CLI - Link

Help & Support

Windows Tweaks and Fun

  • Make Windows more with Microsoft PowerToys - Get program suggestions (via wingets), use the color picker, keyboard manager, screen ruler, and more.
  • And for real sysadmins: Sysinternals - Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan), PsPing, TCPView, CoreInfo, and a ton more tools.
  • Consider the Chocolatey package manager for Windows.
  • Do you like top, htop, or btop in Linux and Mac? Try ntop in Windows.
  • Want to de-bloat Windows? Take more control of updates? Make Windows more efficient? Eliminate telemetry? Check out the Windows Utility. It does all these things and more! (But use with caution!)

Building Your Own Computer?

  • Track prices at: PCPartPicker (PCPP): Link
  • Buy from NewEgg, MicroCenter, wherever it is cheapest!
  • Calculate your power needs: Link
  • Check out my 2025 build here.
  • American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - Link
  • Cloud Native Computing Foundation - Link
  • CVEs at MITRE - Link
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - Link
  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standards - Link
  • International Telecommunications Union (ITU) - Link
  • Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) - Link
  • Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) - Link
  • Linux Foundation - Link
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology - Link
  • Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) - Link
  • Request For Comments (RFC) - Link
  • Telecommuncations Industry Association (TIA) - Link
  • Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) - Link
  • Wi-Fi Alliance - Link
More technology standards organizations: - Link

Remote Control Options

In my videos I show how to use Remote Desktop and the Remote Desktop Connection Manager to control remote Windows systems, but there are plenty of other tools that you might be interested including:

  • NoMachine - link - This is my go-to tool for remotely controlling all of the systems in my lab. It allows me to connect to Windows, macOS, Linux, virtual machines, you name it. It works especially well on Linux systems—so of course, I use it a ton.
  • Remmina - link - Great tool, open source, and can utilize VNC, RDP, SSH, and more.
  • There are plenty more: the aforementioned VNC (in all its forms including RealVNC), Rustdesk, Sunshine & Moonlight, X2go, AnyDesk, Kasm Workspaces, X260-Linux, Guacamole, Parsec, Twingate, and the big Internet-based players: TeamViewer, RemotePC, Splashtop, and Zoho Assist. Enough options to keep you remoting for weeks on end!

For Android systems, check out Screen Copy, adb, and AVNC. For iOS, if you have version 18 you can use internal remote control tools. Otherwise, TeamViewer or AirServer are some options.

Run Commands in Windows

Here’s a partial list of Run commands used to execute programs in Windows. Once you memorize them, it can be easier to type the executable then to navigate Windows. Note that you can run most of these in the Run prompt or the Command Prompt or PowerShell.

To open Run, press the Windows + R keys on the keyboard or right-click Start and select Run. Don’t forget, the Search option works pretty well too!

Run Commands

Program Command
About Windows winver
Administrative Tools control admintools
Calculator calc
Certificate Manager Certmgr.msc
Character Map Charmap
Command Prompt cmd
Computer Management compmgmt.msc
Credential Manager Control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager
Date and Time Timedate.cpl
Device Manager devmgmt.msc
DirectX Diagnostic Tool dxdiag
Disk Cleanup cleanmgr
Disk Management diskmgmt.msc
Event Viewer eventvwr
File Explorer/Windows Explorer Explorer

(Windows + E)
Folder Options (also known as File Explorer Options) Control folders
Internet Properties Inetcpl.cpl
Local Group Policy Editor gpedit.msc
Local Security Policy secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups lusrmgr.msc
Magnifier Magnify
Microsoft Management Console mmc
Network Connections Ncpa.cpl
Optimize Drives/Disk Defragmenter dfrgui
Performance Monitor perfmon
PowerShell Powershell
PowerShell ISE 5.1 Powershell_ise

Or type “ise” from the PowerShell!
PowerShell Core 6 and higher (if installed) pwsh
Print Management printmanagement.msc
Programs and Features Appwiz.cpl
Registry Editor regedit
Remote Desktop Connection mstsc
Resource Monitor resmon
Services console window services.msc
Sound (dialog box) Mmsys.cpl
System Configuration (msconfig) msconfig
System Information msinfo32

(Ctrl + Alt + F1)
System Properties dialog box sysdm.cpl

 
System Restore properties systempropertiesprotection
System window control system

(Windows + Break)
Task Manager taskmgr

(Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
Task Scheduler taskschd.msc
Windows Defender Firewall firewall.cpl
Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security wf.msc
Windows Features optionalFeatures
Windows Memory Diagnostics Mdsched

A+ Video Courses

A+ Core 1 V15 - Pearson Cert Prep (Video)
Fully updated edition covering all topics on the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam. Overview 30+ hours of video training Gain a solid understanding of A+ skills and prepare for the... - Selection from A+ Core 1 V15 - Pearson Cert Prep (Video) [Video]
O’Reilly Online Learning
A+ Core 2 V15 - Pearson Cert Prep (Video)
Fully updated edition covering all topics on the CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) exam. Overview 35+ hours of video training Understand A+ skills and prepare for the CompTIA A+ Core 2... - Selection from A+ Core 2 V15 - Pearson Cert Prep (Video) [Video]
O’Reilly Online Learning

Installing Windows 11 with a Local Account

Local Account
1. Follow the Windows 11 install process until you get to the "choose a country" screen.
Now's the time to cut off the Internet. However, before you do, you need to issue a command that prevents Windows 11 from forcing you to have an Internet connection.
2. Hit Shift + F10. A command prompt appears.
3. Type OOBE\BYPASSNRO to disable the Internet connection requirement.
This will disconnect all network connections
The computer will reboot and return you to this screen.
4. Hit Shift + F10 again and this time Type ipconfig /release. Then hit Enter to disable the Internet.
This might be necessary, (as a check) but will most likely return an error saying that no network connections are connected right now
5. Close the command prompt.
6. Continue with the installation, choosing the region. keyboard and second keyboard option.
A screen saying "Let's connect you to a network" appears, warning you that you need Internet.
7. Click "I don't have Internet" to continue.
Another screen and message will attempt to connect you again. Select "Continue with Limited setup". Whatever they ask, do not connect to the Internet!
A new login screen appears asking "Who's going to use this device?"
8. Enter a username you want to use for your local account and click Next.
9. Enter a password you would like to use and click Next. You can also leave this field blank and have no password, but that's not recommended.
10. Complete the rest of the install process as you normally would. I highly recommend saying "NO" to all questions, such as location, find my device, diagnostic data, etc. Disable the sliders!

That's it. You should now be able to use Windows 11 without a Microsoft account. Enjoy!

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