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CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

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by the sheer number of options to consider, from ink levels to scanner

mechanics to dogged-out phone lines. Although none of these fall into the

category of installation, you can minimize the problems by practicing a more

compartmentalized installation.

Rather than focus on the multifunction aspect of MFDs, you will often

fare better for you and your customers if you think about each function as a

separate action. Pull the machine apart in essence, for example, and install a

printer, a scanner, a copy machine, and a fax machine. Share these individual

parts as needed on a network. Update drivers for each component separately.

Conceptualize each function as a separate device to simplify troubleshooting.

This way, if your print output goes south, for example, think about the printer

aspects of the MFD. You don’t have to worry about the scanner, copy, or fax

aspects of the machine.

The next sections cover installation of single-function devices, though the

bulk of information is on printers. That’s both what the CompTIA A+ exams

cover and what you’ll have to deal with as a tech for the most part.

Setting Up Printers in Windows

You need to take a moment to understand how Windows handles printing,

and then you’ll see how to install, configure, and troubleshoot printers.

EXAM TIP The CompTIA A+ exams test you on installing and

troubleshooting printers, so read these sections carefully!

To Windows, a printer is not a physical device; it is a program that

controls one or more physical printers. The physical printer is called a print

device by Windows (although I continue to use the term “printer” for most

purposes, just like almost every tech on the planet). Printer drivers and a

spooler are still present, but in Windows, they are integrated into the printer

itself (see Figure 26-29). This arrangement gives Windows amazing

flexibility. For example, one printer can support multiple print devices,

enabling a system to act as a print server. If one print device goes down, the

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