1.1 - Windows installation and deployment methods
CompTIA A+ Core 2 objective 1.1 covers how Windows is installed and rolled out at scale. For many identical machines you use image deployment (cloning a prepared system image) or zero-touch deployment such as Windows Autopilot, where devices configure themselves with no technician. To move users to Windows 11 while keeping their apps and files, choose an in-place upgrade rather than a clean install. You must also know the Windows 11 hardware requirements: UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0. Finally, recognise an embedded or IoT OS - the minimal fixed operating system that runs specialised devices like routers, smart TVs and kiosks. Expect scenario questions that state a goal (mass rollout, keep files, meet requirements) and ask for the correct installation method.
Mass identical PCs = image deployment; hands-off = zero-touch (Autopilot). Keep apps + files = in-place upgrade. Windows 11 needs UEFI Secure Boot + TPM 2.0. Fixed OS in routers/TVs/kiosks = embedded/IoT.
Practice questions
1. An admin must deploy Windows 11 to 200 new identical laptops with no technician touching each device after power-on. Which deployment method BEST meets this requirement?
- Zero-touch deployment (e.g., Windows Autopilot) (correct answer)
- Manual USB installation on each laptop
- An in-place upgrade from Windows 10
- A clean install from the recovery partition
Zero-touch deployment (such as Windows Autopilot) provisions devices automatically over the network with no per-device technician interaction — ideal at scale.
2. Which firmware/security requirements must a PC meet to officially run Windows 11?
- Legacy BIOS and a TPM 1.2 chip
- UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (correct answer)
- A 32-bit CPU only
- No firmware requirements
Windows 11 requires UEFI with Secure Boot and a TPM 2.0 module, plus a supported 64-bit CPU.
3. You must upgrade 150 PCs to Windows 11 while keeping installed apps and user files. Which method fits?
- Clean install
- Factory reset
- In-place upgrade (correct answer)
- Format and reinstall
An in-place upgrade installs the new OS while preserving apps, settings and data. A clean install wipes them.
4. Which approach reimages many identical PCs by deploying a prepared system image?
- A manual install on each PC
- Image deployment / cloning (correct answer)
- Application compatibility mode
- Running Disk Cleanup
Image deployment clones a standardized image to many machines, often via PXE/MDT/Autopilot — fast and consistent.
5. A specialized device (router, smart TV, kiosk) runs a minimal fixed OS. This OS type is:
- A desktop OS
- An embedded / IoT OS (correct answer)
- A server OS
- A bare-metal hypervisor
Embedded OSes run on dedicated/IoT hardware with a fixed function and limited resources; keep firmware updated for security.
6. Which Windows licensing method is typical for large organizations to activate many PCs?
- One retail key per single PC
- Volume licensing (e.g., KMS) (correct answer)
- A trial evaluation mode
- No product license at all
Volume licensing (KMS/MAK) activates many corporate machines centrally — simpler than per-PC retail keys.