Closing Blog

Closing Statements

Overall I enjoyed the blog assignment because it allowed me to research topics within the week that I may have never heard of or may have questions about. Even though I found the assignment helpful overall, I can't see myself blogging outside of school requirements. I do believe that blogging was helpful to me in my current job because it allowed me to learn more about commands and techniques that I was not aware of before. I do not believe that a blog would be a tool for obtaining a new position, but I do feel like some of the things I have learned will come in handy when interviewing in the future.

Week Twelve

The troubleshooting theory is a set of mental steps that you can use to diagnose and fix a computer. The troubleshooting theory includes talking to the users to determine how/when the problem took place, determining a cause, testing, verification, and documentation.

The following are the steps of the troubleshooting theory:

·         Identify the problem

o   Question the user and identify user changes to computer. Perform backups before making any changes.

·         Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious)

o   Localize the issue based on the symptoms

o   Look for clues outside of the computer case before opening it

·         Test the theory to determine the cause

o   Once theory is confirmed, determine the steps required to resolve the problem

o   If the theory is not confirmed, re-establish new theory or escalate if necessary.

·         Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution

·         Verify full functionality and if applicable implement preventative measures

o   Ensure the user is happy

·         Document all findings, actions, and outcomes

Source:

Meyers, M. (2012). All-in-one CompTIA A certification exam guide: (exams 220-801 & 220-802). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Week Eleven

Spam

Spam is unsolicited email that comes into your Inbox from a source that is not a friend, family member, or colleague, and that you did not ask for, flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message. Spam can be from a legitimate business trying to sell products or scammers who are trying to make a profit. Hoaxes, pornography, and get-rich-quick schemes all are classified as spam. They waste time and can easily offend users.

There are many different ways to deal with spam. The first is to avoid posting your email address on the Internet. One study found that over 97% of spam messages were sent to users that had posted their email address online. Filters and filtering software can also help block spam at the mail server. Google Mail, for example, has blocking schemes that can drop the number of spam messages received by users by 90%.

A lot of spam messages will contain malware or point to dangerous websites. It is important that if you receive a spam message that you never click any links or open a message from someone that you do not recognize. Spam can also be in the form of phishing, sending an email that looks legitimate, hoping that you will enter personal information. If you receive an email asking for personal information, it is important to verify the sender before proceeding.

The best things you can do to combat spam include: never responding to it, filtering it out of your e-mail, and complaining to providers about it.

Source:
Hazen Mueller, S. (n.d.). How can I help make a difference? Retrieved May 23, 2016, from http://spam.abuse.net/bits/makeadifference.shtml

Meyers, M. (2012). All-in-one CompTIA A certification exam guide: (exams 220-801 & 220-802). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Week Ten

Components of a Laser Printer

• Toner Cartridge - Supplies the toner that creates the image on the page. 
• Photosensitive Drum - An aluminum cylinder coated with particles of photosensitive compounds.
• Erase Lamp - Exposes the entire service of the photosensitive drum to light, making the photosensitive coating conductive.
• Primary Corona/Charge Roller - Charged with an extremely high voltage, causing an electric field enabling voltage to pass to the drum and charge the photosensitive particles on the service. 
• Laser - The writing mechanism of the printer. Any particle on the drum struck by the laser becomes conductive and its charge is drained away in o the grounded core of the drum.
• Toner - A fine powder made up of plastic particles bonded to iron particles. Particles of toner are attracted to the areas of the photosensitive drum that have been hit b the laser.
• Transfer Corona/Transfer Roller - To transfer the image from the photosensitive drum to the paper, the paper must be given a charge that will attract the toner particles off of the drum and on to the paper. Newer printers use a transfer roller that draws the toner onto the paper.
• Fuser Assembly - Two rollers, a pressure roller and a heated roller, are used to fuse the toner to the paper. The pressure roller presses against the bottom of a page, while the heated roller presses on the top to melt the toner into the paper.
• Power Supplies - All laser printers have at least two power supplies. One provides power to the motors that move the paper, the laser, and the transfer corona/roller. The high voltage supply provides power only to the primary corona/roller.
• Turning Gears - Used to pick up the paper, turn the photosensitive roller, evenly distribute the toner, and activate the fuser assembly. In most laser printers gear systems are packed together in units called gear packs. Most laser printers have two or three gear packs. 
• System Board - On each electronic board is a processor, the printer's ROM, and the RAM used to store the image before it is printed. Many printers divide these components among two or three boards.
• Ozone Filter - Special filter to catch ozone. Needs to be vacuumed or replaced periodically.
• Sensors and Switches - Spread throughout the printer. The sensors detect issues such as paper jams or low toner levels.

Source:

Meyers, M. (2012). All-in-one CompTIA A certification exam guide: (exams 220-801 & 220-802). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Week Nine

Troubleshooting Sound

Having sound problems in Windows can be a frustrating experience. Either it is simple to fix, or seemingly impossible. Sound problems tend to fall within three groups: hardware, configuration, and application problems.

1. Hardware - Many sound problems are caused by hardware that isn't set up properly.

• The first thing to check when sound dies is the volume controls. Volume can typically be set in two areas: in software, and on the speakers.
• The second thing to check is the speakers. Make sure they are turned on and are getting power. Also check if they are plugged in to the sound card.

2. Configuration Problems - Configuration errors can occur when the sound card is physically good but a setting has not been properly configured. These errors typically occur at installation but can also appear on a working system.

• First place to check is the device manager. If the driver has a problem it will be displayed. 
• Second place to check is the Sound applet for configuration errors. 

3. Application Problems - Application problems are the hardest to fix and tend to occur when it was previously playing sounds without trouble.

• First, look for an error message. If an error code occurs, this can be researched online.
• Second - Try playing the sound file with a different application.
• Third - Try reinstalling the application.

Source:
Meyers, M. (2012). All-in-one CompTIA A certification exam guide: (exams 220-801 & 220-802). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Week Eight

Configuring Internet Explorer

On most web browsers you can set the default font size, choose whether to display graphics, and adjust many other settings. Using Internet Explorer (IE) you will find configuration tools under Internet Options in the Control Panel or under the Tools menu on Internet Explorer. When the Internet Options applet is launched there are seven tabs along the top: General, Security, Privacy, Content, Connections, Programs, and Advanced.

The General tab controls the most basic features of Internet Explorer: the home page, browsing history, and tab settings. The Security tab enables you to set how severely IE safeguards your Web browsing. Each setting can be adjusted for a particular zone: Internet, Local intranet, Trusted sites, and Restricted zones. Once you have picked a zone to control, you can set IE's security level.

The Privacy tab controls privacy matters such as cookies and pop-ups. You can choose to block everything on the highest setting, or block nothing on the lowest setting.

The Content tab controls what your browser will and will not display. It uses a Content Advisor which uses ratings that consider language, gambling, and more. You can also adjust the AutoComplete feature which fills in web addresses under this tab.

The Connections tab allows you to set up your connection to the internet, connect to a VPN, configure a proxy server, or adjust LAN settings.

The Programs tab contains settings for your default web browser, any add-ons you may use, and how other programs deal with HTML files and email messages.

The Advanced tab contains a lot of different options that you can check or uncheck with a box, including: accessibility, browsing, international, and security settings.

Source:
Meyers, M. (2012). All-in-one CompTIA A certification exam guide: (exams 220-801 & 220-802). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Week Seven

Biometric Devices

Biometric devices scan and remember unique aspects of various body parts. This can include your iris, head image, or fingerprint. This information is used as a key to prevent unauthorized users from accessing whatever the biometric device is securing. There are many different types of biometric devices, such as:

• Fingerprint USB thumb drive: has a tiny fingerprint scanner. You slide your finger over the drive to unlock the contents of the thumb drive.
• Microsoft fingerprint scanner: replaces the standard username and password authentication. When a web site asks for a username and password you simply press your finger against the fingerprint scanner. It will then confirm your identity with special software.
• Fingerprint scanners: Used to gain access to a specific area, such as a data center. Can be troublesome if a user's fingerprint is damaged or altered.
• Iris and retinal scans: considered to be more secure form of biometric authentication.

Implementation of biometric systems can be tricky and sometimes expensive. Because of this, biometrics should only be considered for extremely sensitive data.

Sources:

Biometric authentication know-how: Devices, systems and implementation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2016, from http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/tip/Biometric-authentication-know-how-Devices-systems-and-implementation

Meyers, M. (2012). All-in-one CompTIA A certification exam guide: (exams 220-801 & 220-802). New York: McGraw-Hill.