RANGER CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) · chapter 6 of 17
Week 6: Apps and the cloud office
In this chapter Objectives 1.10, 1.11
Objective 1.10
System requirements for applications
Read the requirements first
Every app lists minimum and recommended requirements. Check them against the PC before installing.
- CPU requirements: speed, cores, sometimes a specific instruction set
- RAM requirements: minimum memory; recommended is what actually feels usable
- Storage requirements: install size plus room for data, caches and updates
- Application to OS compatibility: supported OS versions and editions (e.g. 'Windows 11 64-bit only')
32-bit vs. 64-bit
A 64-bit OS runs 64-bit apps and most 32-bit apps (Windows puts 32-bit apps in C:\Program Files (x86)). A 32-bit OS can't run 64-bit apps at all, and it can only use about 4 GB of RAM.
Exam tip 'This app can't run on your PC' on an old 32-bit Windows install = the app is 64-bit. Windows 11 is 64-bit only.
Graphics, VRAM and hardware tokens
Integrated graphics are built into the CPU and borrow system RAM. A dedicated graphics card (discrete GPU) has its own VRAM (video RAM). 3D, CAD, video editing and games often require a dedicated GPU and a minimum amount of VRAM. Some licensed apps also need an external hardware token (a USB license dongle) plugged in to run.
Exam tip 'Needs 4 GB VRAM' isn't met by a laptop with integrated graphics and 16 GB of system RAM.
Objective 1.10
Distribution and impact
Distribution methods
How the app reaches the PC:
- Physical media vs. mountable ISO file: a disc or USB, or an ISO image you mount as a virtual drive (double-click in Windows 11)
- Downloadable package: an installer (.exe, .msi, .msix) from the vendor or a company software portal
- Image deployment: the app is baked into the standard OS image, so every new PC has it
Exam tip Download installers only from the vendor or a trusted source, and check the hash if one is published.
Impact considerations for new applications
Before rolling out an app, think beyond 'does it install?':
- Device: will it slow the PC, need more storage, or conflict with other software or drivers?
- Network: big downloads, heavy cloud traffic, new firewall ports
- Operation: training, support load, changes to how people work
- Business: licensing cost, compliance, vendor support and what happens if it fails
Exam tip Pushing a 3 GB installer to 50 PCs at 9 AM is a network impact. Schedule it after hours.
Check yourself 1A 3D design app needs 'a dedicated GPU with 4 GB VRAM'. The laptop has integrated graphics and 32 GB of RAM. What should you tell marketing?
- It meets it; system RAM counts as VRAM
- It meets it if the app is 64-bit
- It doesn't meet the requirement
- It meets it after a GPU driver update
Show the answer
Answer: C. It doesn't meet the requirement
Integrated graphics share system RAM and aren't a dedicated GPU, so the requirement isn't met no matter how much RAM is installed.
Objective 1.11
Cloud productivity tools
Email systems and storage
Email systems move to a hosted service: mailboxes live in the cloud and users reach them from Outlook, a browser or a phone. Storage moves to cloud drives: users sync folders to the PC. Sync/folder settings decide which folders sync, whether files stay online-only to save disk, and backup of Desktop/Documents.
Exam tip 'Files on demand'/online-only files show in Explorer but download only when opened. Great for small SSDs.
Collaboration tools
Cloud suites bundle collaboration tools that several people use at once:
- Word processing, spreadsheets and presentation tools with real-time co-editing and version history
- Videoconferencing: meetings, screen sharing, recordings
- Instant messaging: chat, channels and file sharing
Identity synchronization
Identity synchronization copies user accounts and password hashes from on-premises Active Directory to the cloud directory (for example, with Microsoft Entra Connect). Users keep one username and password for both, and disabling the AD account also blocks cloud sign-in.
Exam tip New hire can sign in to Windows but not cloud email? Check that sync has run and that the account is in a synced OU.
Licensing assignment
Cloud suites are usually licensed per user. An admin assigns a license (and its apps) to each account, often by group. When someone leaves, remove the license so it can go to the next hire. No license, no mailbox or apps.
Exam tip Offboarding checklist: block sign-in, convert or keep the mailbox as policy says, then reclaim the license.
Practice questions
Answer in your head, then open the answer. Ranger's Help Desk has 444 questions like these for A+ Core 2, with mock exams.
Question 1A user has a 32-bit installation of Windows 10 and wants to install an application that is available only in 64-bit. What will happen?
- It installs into Program Files (x86)
- The application will not install or run
- It runs in compatibility mode
- It runs, but more slowly, through emulation
Show the answer
Answer: B. The application will not install or run
A 64-bit app requires a 64-bit OS. The reverse works: 64-bit Windows runs most 32-bit apps through WOW64.
Question 2A technician compares an engineering application's requirements with a user's laptop, as shown in the exhibit. Which requirement does the laptop fail?
- RAM: the laptop has less system memory than the app requires
- Graphics: it lacks a dedicated GPU with 6 GB of VRAM
- OS: the app does not support Windows 11
- CPU: the laptop has too few cores
Show the answer
Answer: B. Graphics: it lacks a dedicated GPU with 6 GB of VRAM
Integrated graphics share system RAM and have no dedicated VRAM, so an app requiring a dedicated card with 6 GB of VRAM will not be supported.
Question 3A licensed design application runs only when a small USB license key from the vendor is plugged in. Which application requirement does this describe?
- External hardware token
- Trusted Platform Module
- Smart card reader
- Authenticator application
Show the answer
Answer: A. External hardware token
Some software requires an external hardware token (dongle) to be present to prove the license. Losing it means the app will not run.
Question 4A vendor provides software as a downloadable .iso file, but the user's PC has no optical drive. What is the easiest way to install it on Windows?
- Copy the ISO into Program Files
- Burn the ISO to a DVD first
- Rename the file from .iso to .zip and extract it
- Mount the ISO in File Explorer and run setup
Show the answer
Answer: D. Mount the ISO in File Explorer and run setup
Windows can mount an ISO as a virtual drive (right-click > Mount), so a disc image can be used without physical media.
Question 5IT plans to push a 4 GB application to 300 PCs at a branch office that has a slow WAN link, during business hours. Which impact should the technician be MOST concerned about?
- Business: users will need new hardware tokens
- Device: the app may not support 64-bit editions of Windows
- Network: the download may saturate the WAN link
- Device: the PCs may lack a dedicated GPU
Show the answer
Answer: C. Network: the download may saturate the WAN link
Sending a large package to many devices over a slow link can saturate it and disrupt the business. Staging it locally or deploying after hours reduces the network impact.
CompTIA, A+, Network+, Security+ and Linux+ are trademarks of CompTIA, Inc. Ranger Gamez is not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA. The practice questions are written to the published exam objectives; they are not real exam questions.