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Study Guide · A+ Core 2 · CompTIA 220-1202 V15

What each objective is asking you to know

Plain-English reference for every CompTIA A+ Core 2 V15 objective. Each entry covers what the exam tests, key facts, and how the concept connects to neighboring objectives. Pair with Quiz and Flashcards to lock it in.

Objective C2-1.2

Objective 1.2: Given a scenario, perform OS installations and upgrades in a diverse environment

Cert: CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) V15 Domain: 1.0 Operating Systems Weight: Part of the 28% Operating Systems domain Depth: Given a scenario, perform. The candidate must select the right boot method, installation type, partitioning scheme, and upgrade path for a given environment.

What this objective tests

You should be able to choose the right OS installation approach for a given environment, navigate boot methods, pick the right partitioning scheme, format drives, and plan upgrades that don't destroy user data or break critical applications.

This is the practical "I have to actually install Windows on this thing" objective. It covers everything from a single-PC USB install to fleet-wide zero-touch deployment.

Key facts

Universal Serial Bus (USB) boot:

  • Most common modern install method. Bootable USB drive created with Microsoft Media Creation Tool, Rufus, or a vendor's deployment tool.
  • Works on any PC with USB ports and a BIOS/UEFI that supports USB boot.
  • Fast: USB 3.0+ installs are dramatically faster than DVD installs ever were.

Network boot:

  • PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) lets a PC boot from an image served by a network server.
  • Used in enterprise environments with WDS (Windows Deployment Services), MDT (Microsoft Deployment Toolkit), or SCCM/Intune.
  • Requires DHCP option configuration, TFTP server, and the target PC's network adapter to support PXE.

Solid-state/flash drives:

  • SSD or USB flash drive as the install source. Same approach as USB boot; just naming based on physical form.
  • Common for technicians who carry a small pool of pre-built install drives.

Internet-based:

  • Microsoft offers cloud install / cloud download options where the installer pulls fresh image data directly from Microsoft during install.
  • Useful when a local install media is older than the latest available version (pulls the latest cumulative updates).
  • Requires working internet during install.

External/hot-swappable drive:

  • Install media on an external USB drive or hot-swap bay. Same as USB boot for most purposes.

Internal hard drive (partition):

  • Some systems have an install image stored on a separate internal partition for recovery or reinstall.
  • Vendor recovery partitions (Dell, HP, Lenovo) use this pattern to let users reinstall the factory OS without external media.

Multiboot:

  • Two or more OSs installed on the same PC, with a boot menu at startup to pick which one to load.
  • Common pattern: Windows + Linux on a developer workstation. Windows installs first, then Linux installs alongside and configures GRUB as the boot loader.
  • Each OS gets its own partition. Filesystems matter: each OS reads its own filesystem natively but may need add-ons to read the other's.

Clean install:

  • Wipes the target drive (or partition) and installs the OS fresh with no carried-over files, settings, or apps.
  • Best for performance and reliability. User data and apps must be backed up first because they're gone.
  • Standard for new hardware, malware cleanup beyond recovery, or major OS version changes (sometimes safer than upgrade).

Upgrade:

  • Installs the new OS on top of the existing OS, preserving user files, settings, and most apps.
  • Faster for the user but inherits any cruft, registry issues, or driver problems from the old install.
  • Common path for Windows 10 to Windows 11 on supported hardware.

Image deployment:

  • A reference image (sysprepped Windows install with apps and config preinstalled) is captured and deployed to many target PCs.
  • Used by IT shops onboarding 10+ machines with the same baseline.
  • Tools: MDT, SCCM, Intune Autopilot, third-party imaging software (FOG, Clonezilla, Acronis).

Remote network installation:

  • Combines PXE boot + image deployment. PC boots from network, pulls image from server, installs without a tech touching the box (beyond initial boot).
  • Standard enterprise deployment pattern.

Zero-touch deployment:

  • The user opens the box, plugs in the laptop, signs in with corporate credentials, and the device configures itself.
  • Microsoft Intune Autopilot is the canonical Windows example. Apple Business Manager + MDM does the same for Macs.
  • Requires the device to be enrolled in the vendor program before shipping, so it knows where to call home on first boot.

Recovery partition:

  • Hidden partition on the system drive containing a factory-fresh OS image.
  • Pressing a vendor-specific key sequence at boot (often F11, F12, or Esc) enters recovery mode and reinstalls from the partition.
  • Saves disk space vs keeping external media but is wiped if the drive is repartitioned.

Repair installation:

  • Reinstalls the OS without wiping user files, settings, or most apps. Replaces system files only.
  • Use case: corrupt Windows installation that won't boot reliably but the user's data is fine.
  • Windows offers this via setup.exe with the "Keep personal files and apps" option.

Third-party drivers:

  • Some hardware (RAID controllers, certain storage controllers, specialty network cards) needs drivers Windows doesn't include on the install media.
  • Provide them on a USB drive and load them when prompted during install.

GUID Partition Table (GPT):

  • Modern partitioning scheme. Required for UEFI boot, drives larger than 2 TB, and more than 4 primary partitions.
  • Default for Windows 10/11 installs on modern hardware.

Master Boot Record (MBR):

  • Older partitioning scheme. Required for legacy BIOS boot, supports up to 2 TB drives and up to 4 primary partitions (or 3 + extended partition with logical partitions inside).
  • Still used for some embedded systems and legacy hardware.

Drive format:

  • After partitioning, the drive needs a filesystem. NTFS for Windows system drives, FAT32/exFAT for removable media (see 1.1).
  • Quick format vs full format: full format checks for bad sectors, quick format just creates the filesystem structure. Quick is fine for new drives; full for drives you suspect may be failing.

Backup files and user preferences:

  • Before any clean install or major upgrade, back up: documents, desktop files, browser bookmarks, email accounts, app license keys, network settings.
  • Windows offers OneDrive sync, File History, and Windows Backup. macOS offers Time Machine. Linux varies by distribution.
  • "Upgrade" preserves most of this; "clean install" doesn't.

Application and driver support / backward compatibility:

  • Before upgrading, verify critical apps work on the target OS version.
  • Some legacy line-of-business apps don't run on Windows 11 without compatibility shims or virtualization.
  • Drivers: check vendor websites for Windows 11 driver availability before upgrading older hardware.

Hardware compatibility:

  • Windows 11 minimum requirements: 64-bit CPU on the approved list, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, TPM 2.0, UEFI Secure Boot, DirectX 12 GPU.
  • Microsoft's PC Health Check app validates a specific PC against requirements.

Feature updates:

  • Microsoft releases major Windows feature updates (e.g., Windows 11 24H2). Each is essentially a small OS upgrade and may require reinstall-grade troubleshooting if it fails.
  • Enterprise tools (WSUS, Intune) let IT defer or pilot feature updates before broad rollout.

Product life cycle:

  • Each Windows version has a defined support window (e.g., Windows 10 EOL October 2025).
  • Plan migrations to stay on supported versions. EOL OSs don't get security patches.

Common gotchas

  • Forgot to back up before clean install. User's bookmarks, license keys, and documents on the desktop are gone. Always confirm backup before formatting.
  • MBR on a 4 TB drive. Partition tool reports the drive as 2 TB; the rest is unusable until converted to GPT.
  • PXE boot doesn't pull the image. Usually DHCP options 66 (TFTP server) and 67 (boot file) aren't set correctly, or the PXE-enabled NIC isn't first in boot order.
  • Autopilot device not enrolled. The device boots, asks the user to sign in, but doesn't recognize their corporate identity. Device wasn't registered in Intune before shipping.
  • Upgrade brings forward malware or driver problems. A clean install is sometimes the right call even when an upgrade would technically work.
  • Recovery partition wiped during drive resize. User shrinks the C: partition to add a data partition; the recovery partition that lived after C: is now gone.
  • Third-party driver needed during install. Setup doesn't see the system drive. Provide the storage controller driver on USB.

Real-world context

For an MSP fielding deployment requests:

  • Single PC fresh install: USB media + clean install + restore data from backup. 1-2 hours.
  • 5-50 PC office deployment: Image deployment + USB or PXE. Build the image once, deploy many times. 30 minutes per machine after image is built.
  • 50+ PC enterprise deployment: Zero-touch with Intune Autopilot. User opens the box, signs in, walks away while the machine self-configures. Right answer at scale.
  • Single OS upgrade (Windows 10 → 11): In-place upgrade via Windows Update or Installation Assistant. Verify hardware compatibility first. Allow 1-2 hours.
  • Recovering a corrupt Windows install: Try Repair Install first (preserves user data). Fall back to clean install with restore from backup if that fails.

Always confirm: backup ran today, target OS version is supported on the hardware, critical apps work on the target version, license keys are recorded.

Sources

  • [CompTIA A+ 220-1202 Exam Objectives Version 4.0, Section 1.2](../../../../../../30-RevyTechJourney/CompTIA%20A%2B%20220-1202%20Exam%20Objectives%20%284.0%29.pdf)
  • [Microsoft: Install Windows 11](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11)
  • [Microsoft: Windows Autopilot overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/autopilot/overview)
  • [Microsoft: PC Health Check app](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-the-pc-health-check-app-9c8abd9b-03ba-4e67-81ef-36f37caa7844)
  • [Wikipedia: GUID Partition Table](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table)
  • [Wikipedia: Master boot record](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record)
  • [Wikipedia: Preboot Execution Environment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Execution_Environment)
Previous · C2-1.1
Explain common operating system (OS) types and their purposes
Next · C2-1.3
Compare and contrast basic features of Microsoft Windows editions
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