The goal of this course is to provide a thorough, step-by-step process for learning the fundamentals of supporting and troubleshooting computer hardware so that students will be prepared to pass CompTIA’s broad-based, vendor –independent A+ OS certification exam. This course covers a wide range of material about operating systems, from using the different Windows operating systems to demonstrating how the boot process works, as well as installing, supporting, and troubleshooting the different hardware and Windows operating systems. The course begins with a general overview of how hardware actually relates to software on a computer. Other topics include supporting hard drives from a software point of view, supporting and troubleshooting Windows on networks and the Internet, and an introduction to the Linux and Mac OS operating systems. The final topic addresses issues related to notebook computers. The course takes a hands-on approach to learning the steps to installing, troubleshooting and supporting the most common hardware and operating systems in use on the personal computer. In addition to explaining concepts, the course uses a multitude of real world examples of problems and issues related to operating systems, making it a practical preparation for the real world.