CIT 150 - PC Components and Operating Systems

 
Description
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills involved with managing and maintaining a personal computer environment. Topics include: system architecture, boot process, command line interface, motherboards, memory, installing & optimizing storage devices, input/output devices, multimedia devices, managing & supporting a Windows operating system environment, networked computers, printers and troubleshooting & maintenance fundamentals.

1. Describe motherboard components, characteristics of CPUs, memory types, types of adapter cards, storage devices, power supplies and cooling methods.
2. Install, configure, and maintain personal computer components and peripherals.
3. Detect problems, troubleshoot and repair/replace personal computer components.
4. Explain and interpret common hardware and operating system symptoms and their causes.
5. Implement common preventative maintenance techniques.
6. Explain the process and steps to install and configure the Windows operating system, the boot sequence and startup utilities.
7. Select the appropriate Windows commands, utilities and tools to evaluate and resolve common operating system issues.
8. Install and configure a small office/home office network.
9. Describe the basic principles of security concepts and technologies involved with wireless protection, BIOS security, password management and biometrics.
10. Prevent, troubleshoot and remove viruses and malware.

1. Storage devices and backup media (solid state, magnetic, optical, removable)
2. Motherboard components (form factor, I/O interfaces, memory slots, processor sockets, bus slots & architecture, ATA and SATA interfaces, BIOS/CMOS)
3. Power supplies and cooling methods (AC, ATX, voltage, wattage, heat sinks, case fans)
4. CPU characteristics (AMD/Intel, multi-core, on-chip cache, speed, word width)
5. Memory types and characteristics (DRAM, SRAM/SDRAM, DDR, RAMBUS, parity, ECC, channel, speed)
6. Display device characteristics (LCD, connector types, settings)
7. Peripheral and input devices (mouse, keyboard, bar code reader, touch screen)
8. Adapter cards (video, multimedia, I/O, communications)
9. Laptop components (expansion devices, communication connections, power, input devices)
10. Printers (types, local versus network, consumables)
11. Windows user interfaces (My Computer, Control Panel, command prompt utilities, administrative tools, Task Manager)
12. Windows installation (file systems, files, installation methods, options, Device Manager)
13. Boot sequence (POST, disk boot order, boot options)
14. Security features (wireless encryption, malicious software protection, BIOS security, password management)
15. Troubleshooting (diagnostic tools, strategies and techniques, systems troubleshooting, peripherals troubleshooting, network troubleshooting)

When taught in a classroom environment, a work area containing a PC with the proper
hardware and operating system environment is required for performing labs (typically 1
to 2 students for each PC) that involve operating system settings and replacing hardware
components. When taught in an online environment, software-based simulators can
alternatively be used for performing labs related to hardware components and operating
systems.

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