Windows Editions & Features

CompTIA A+ 220-1201 & 220-1202

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1 Introduction & Exam Overview

About the CompTIA A+ Certification Exam Domains & Study Strategy

2 Core 1 Domain 1: Mobile Devices (13%)

Laptop Hardware & Components Laptop Features & Display Types Mobile Device Connectivity & Accessories Mobile Operating System Features Mobile Device Synchronization & Data Transfer

3 Core 1 Domain 2: Networking (23%)

TCP/IP Fundamentals & the OSI Model Common Ports & Protocols Wireless Networking Standards Network Hardware & Devices Network Configuration & Internet Connections Network Types & Topologies

4 Core 1 Domain 3: Hardware (25%)

Cables & Connectors RAM Types & Storage Devices Motherboards, CPUs & Power Supplies Printers & Multifunction Devices Peripheral Devices & Expansion Cards Network Cable Tools & Testing

5 Core 1 Domain 4: Virtualization & Cloud Computing (11%)

Virtualization Concepts Cloud Computing Models & Services Client-Side Virtualization in Practice

6 Core 1 Domain 5: Hardware & Network Troubleshooting (28%)

CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology Hardware Troubleshooting Network Troubleshooting Printer Troubleshooting Display & Mobile Device Troubleshooting

7 Core 2 Domain 1: Operating Systems (28%)

Windows Editions & Features Windows Administrative Tools & Utilities Windows Command Line & PowerShell macOS & Linux Basics Windows Networking & File Sharing Windows Installation & Upgrade Methods

8 Core 2 Domain 2: Security (28%)

Physical & Logical Security Measures Malware Types & Threat Mitigation Wireless & Network Security Encryption & Data Protection

9 Core 2 Domain 3: Software Troubleshooting (23%)

Windows OS Troubleshooting Mobile OS & Application Troubleshooting Browser & Application Troubleshooting

10 Core 2 Domain 4: Operational Procedures (21%)

Documentation & Change Management Backup & Recovery Methods Safety & Environmental Procedures Scripting & Remote Access Technologies Privacy, Licensing & Organizational Policies

Windows Editions & Features

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Windows 10 and 11 ship in Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, and Enterprise editions; the Pro tier is the dividing line that adds BitLocker, Group Policy, Remote Desktop host, Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, and domain join.

Windows 11 hardware minimums are TPM 2.0, UEFI with Secure Boot, a 64-bit dual-core CPU at 1 GHz or faster, 4 GB RAM, and 64 GB storage; these exact numbers are heavily tested on 220-1202.

BitLocker (Pro and above) encrypts the system drive using the TPM, while BitLocker To Go encrypts removable USB media; a recovery key must be escrowed before encryption.

Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) exists only in Pro and Enterprise; Home edition users cannot edit local policy and must use the Registry or settings instead.

32-bit to 64-bit migration and Pro to Home downgrade both require a clean install; only same-version edition upgrades (Home to Pro) and Windows 10 to 11 are in-place upgrade paths.

Last updated: June 2026

Windows 10 vs. Windows 11

The 220-1202 (Core 2 V15) exam expects you to recall the exact thresholds that separate Windows 11 from Windows 10. Windows 11 is 64-bit only , demands UEFI with Secure Boot , and requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 chip — the single most common reason a machine fails the upgrade check. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025 , after which it stops receiving free security patches unless enrolled in Extended Security Updates (ESU).

• Requirement Windows 10 Windows 11
• TPM None (recommended) TPM 2.0 required
• Secure Boot Optional Required
• Firmware BIOS or UEFI UEFI only
• CPU 32-bit or 64-bit 64-bit, 2+ cores, 1 GHz+, on approved list
• RAM 1 GB (32-bit) / 2 GB (64-bit) 4 GB
• Storage 16-20 GB 64 GB
• End of support Oct 14, 2025 2031+ (varies by build)

Exam trap: A PC that meets RAM, CPU, and storage minimums but reports "This PC can't run Windows 11" almost always lacks TPM 2.0 or has Secure Boot disabled in UEFI. The fix is enabling the firmware TPM (Intel PTT / AMD fTPM) and Secure Boot, not adding RAM.

Edition Feature Comparison

The practical exam question is "which edition do I need?" Everything below the Home/Pro line is what you upgrade for .

• Feature Home Pro Enterprise
• BitLocker / BitLocker To Go No Yes Yes
• Group Policy (gpedit.msc) No Yes Yes
• Remote Desktop HOST No Yes Yes
• Remote Desktop CLIENT Yes Yes Yes
• Hyper-V No Yes Yes
• Domain / Azure AD Join No Yes Yes
• Windows Sandbox No Yes Yes
• Assigned Access (kiosk) No Yes Yes
• Max RAM (64-bit) 128 GB 2 TB 6 TB
• Licensing channel Retail/OEM Retail/volume Volume only

The five features the exam returns to repeatedly are BitLocker, Group Policy, Remote Desktop host, Hyper-V, and Domain Join — all absent from Home. If a scenario says a Home user cannot do one of these, the answer is "upgrade to Pro."

Key Pro features explained

BitLocker Drive Encryption seals the OS volume to the TPM so the disk is unreadable if removed. BitLocker To Go covers USB flash drives. The 48-digit recovery key must be stored (Microsoft account, file, USB, or printout) before encryption completes — losing it can mean total data loss.

Remote Desktop uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) on TCP port 3389 . Only the host side is Pro-restricted; any edition can be the connecting client .

Hyper-V is Microsoft's built-in Type 1 hypervisor. It requires a 64-bit CPU with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) and hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x / AMD-V) enabled in UEFI, and is turned on under Windows Features , not installed from media.

Windows Sandbox spins up a disposable VM that is wiped on close — ideal for testing suspicious downloads without infecting the host.

Upgrade & Update Model

In-place upgrade keeps files, apps, and settings; a clean install wipes the drive. The valid in-place paths are Home to Pro (same version) and Windows 10 to Windows 11 when hardware qualifies. 32-bit to 64-bit and Pro to Home both demand a clean install — no in-place route exists.

• Update type Cadence Contents
• Feature update Annual (Win 11) New features, UI, multi-GB
• Quality update Monthly (Patch Tuesday, 2nd Tuesday) Security + bug fixes
• Driver update As needed Hardware drivers

Always back up data before any upgrade, confirm activation afterward, and re-run Windows Update until no patches remain.

How Editions Map to Real Scenarios

The exam rarely asks you to recite a feature list in the abstract; instead it drops you into a help-desk scenario and expects you to pick the edition or action. A small accounting firm that buys ten consumer laptops preloaded with Windows 11 Home and then tries to join them to a new Active Directory domain will fail, because domain join is a Pro feature . The correct, lowest-cost remediation is an in-place edition upgrade from Home to Pro using a Pro product key — no reinstall, no data loss.

Contrast that with a request to move a single workstation from Pro back to Home , which has no in-place path and forces a clean install; in practice you would simply leave it on Pro.

A second recurring theme is the activation and licensing channel . Retail licenses are transferable between machines, OEM licenses are tied to the motherboard they shipped on, and volume licenses (the only way to obtain Enterprise) are managed centrally through a Key Management Service (KMS) or Multiple Activation Key (MAK). If a refurbished PC shows "Windows is not activated" after a motherboard swap, an OEM key is the likely reason, and the fix is a new license rather than troubleshooting hardware. Knowing that Enterprise is volume-only also lets you eliminate it as an answer in any single-PC retail scenario.

Finally, remember the upgrade-readiness gating that pairs with the requirements table. The free PC Health Check tool reports the exact failed item, and the two failures you will see most often are TPM and Secure Boot — both firmware toggles, not hardware purchases. Modern Intel platforms expose the TPM as Platform Trust Technology (PTT) and AMD exposes it as fTPM ; enabling either, plus Secure Boot, typically converts an "unsupported" verdict into a clean upgrade.

A genuinely unsupported CPU (one not on Microsoft's approved list) is the one failure a firmware change cannot fix, and the supported answer there is to stay on Windows 10 (with Extended Security Updates if needed) or replace the hardware.