Comptia A+ Practice Exam - Troubleshooting
Your monitor is displaying images in strange colors. Which of the following is MOST likely the solution to this problem? Increase the color depth. Increase the amount of memory on the video card. Increase the resolution. Decrease the resolution.
Increase the color depth.
You have installed a new computer with a quad-core 64-bit processor, 6 GB of memory, and a PCIe video card with 512 MB of memory. After installing the operating system, you see less than 4 GB of memory showing as available in Windows. Which of the following actions would MOST likely correct this issue? Disable the AGP aperture in the BIOS. Install a 64-bit version of the operating system. Update the memory controller driver in Device Manager. Flash the BIOS.
Install a 64-bit version of the operating system.
Which of the following projector issues would MOST likely be caused by poor air flow through dirty vents in the projector? Intermittent shutdowns Fuzzy display images Audio out of sync with video A dim display
Intermittent shutdowns
While presenting a high-definition video through a projector, you find that the audio is not in sync with the video. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue? The audio file is being processed faster than the video file. A VGA cable is being used to connect the computer to the projector. The bulb is close to burning out. An LCD panel is dirty or damaged.
The audio file is being processed faster than the video file.
Which of the following is the FIRST thing you should do if your laptop battery appears swollen or feels hot? Shut off the laptop and unplug it. Make sure that the laptop vents are not blocked. Remove the battery. Purchase a special laptop cooling base.
Shut off the laptop and unplug it.
You work in the computer repair department of a large retail outlet. A customer comes in with a workstation that randomly shuts down. You suspect that the power supply is failing. What should you do first to troubleshoot the issue? Use a power supply tester on the power supply. Use a cable tester to check the power supply's connections. Use a known good spare to swap with the existing power supply. Use a multimeter to test the power supply's electrical properties.
Use a known good spare to swap with the existing power supply.
You are an IT technician for your company. One of the employees has a computer that continually reboots when it's powered on. He has asked you to fix it. You suspect that the power supply may be failing. Which of the following is the BEST initial step to determine whether the power supply is causing the reboots? Use a multimeter to test the power supply. Listen for POST code beeps to determine the error's cause. Verify that the fan on the power supply is spinning. Replace the power supply.
Use a multimeter to test the power supply.
You suspect that the power supply in your desktop PC is failing. You want to use a multimeter to test the power supply. Which multimeter setting should you use? DC volts AC volts Watts Ohms
DC volts
You are troubleshooting a company cell phone that is overheating. Which of the following is the FIRST action you should take to resolve the issue? Determine whether the user has been streaming data. Update the operating system. Determine whether the battery is warped or swollen. Close all applications.
Determine whether the battery is warped or swollen.
You have just installed a new video card in a user's Windows workstation. When the system is powered on, the screen displays in 16 colors at 640 x 480 resolution. Which of the following will BEST resolve this problem? Download and install the latest driver from the video card manufacturer's website. Upgrade the monitor to one that supports a higher sync rate. Reboot the system in Safe Mode. Verify that the system's UEFI firmware is compatible with the video card.
Download and install the latest driver from the video card manufacturer's website.
While performing data entry on your Windows 11 laptop, your screen suddenly goes black. What can you do immediately to troubleshoot the issue without losing any data that you have entered? Press Ctrl + Shift + B Press Ctrl + Alt + Del Press F5 four times Press the Windows key + P four times
Press the Windows key + P four times
Which of the following are the MOST likely signs that your computer might need more memory? (Select two.) Your hard drive light on the system case is on for long periods of time. You system boots, but the display remains blank. Your hard drive is constantly operating as you work. Your system boots, but the memory count is incorrect. You receive an exception error when running a software program.
Your hard drive light on the system case is on for long periods of time. Your hard drive is constantly operating as you work.
There are critical times when memory problems often manifest themselves. Match each critical time on the left with the corresponding cause of the memory problems on the right. Drag: Memory upgrade Software installation Hardware installation or removal First boot of a new computer Drop: 1. This event can require more memory and can cause problems if there is not enough memory when it occurs. 2. Memory is not properly seated, is missing, or the motherboard is defective. 3. Incompletely or improperly doing this can cause errors that appear to be memory-related. 4. The memory is incompatible and was not installed and configured properly.
1. Software installation 2. First boot of a new computer 3. Hardware installation or removal 4. Memory upgrade
A clicking noise in your computer has now evolved into a grinding noise. In addition, you are beginning to see frequent error messages while running software, and your computer occasionally freezes. What is the MOST likely cause of these issues? A failing RAM card A failing internal fan A failing hard drive A failing video card
A failing hard drive
Which of the following are critical times when memory problems manifest themselves? (Select two.) After cleaning the dust from inside your computer After you remove or install hardware After installing new drivers on your computer After you reconfigure the BIOS/UEFI On the first boot of a new computer
After you remove or install hardware On the first boot of a new computer
After working without problems for a couple of years, your computer has begun to lock up. You suspect that it is a thermal issue, but you can't find any component that is not functioning correctly. You have not replaced the CPU or installed any new devices. The CPU cooling fan and the power supply fan are working properly. The lock-ups are happening with increasing frequency. Which of the following is the MOST common condition that explains these symptoms? The power supply has been switched to the wrong voltage setting. The internal temperature sensor is beginning to malfunction intermittently. The BIOS has never been flashed and has gotten more and more out of date. An accumulation of dust has gradually built up.
An accumulation of dust has gradually built up.
To improve system performance, you have configured a motherboard to run with a higher multiplier than what the CPU is specified to use. Since doing this, the system has become unstable and crashes frequently. Which of the following should you do to restore system stability? Back off on the overclocking settings until the system runs in a stable manner. Make sure the switch on the power supply is set to the correct voltage. Make sure the BIOS firmware supports the overclocking settings you're using. Replace the CMOS battery to make sure that the real-time clock has the correct time.
Back off on the overclocking settings until the system runs in a stable manner.
While trying to start your Windows 11 system, you see the following error message: Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware. Which of the following will MOST likely fix the problem? Boot into the recovery console and run the bootcfg /rebuild command. Boot into the recovery console and copy the NTLDR file to the boot volume. Boot into the recovery environment and run the bootrec /rebuildbcd command. Boot into the recovery console and run the fixmbr command on the boot volume. Boot into Safe Mode and restore to a restore point.
Boot into the recovery environment and run the bootrec /rebuildbcd command.
Six months ago, you purchased a new laptop. Since then, you have noticed that the battery life has steadily gone down. When the battery was new, a full charge lasted about 10 hours. Now you are lucky to get two hours of life before the battery charge level drops below 5 percent. Which of the following is the BEST first step when trying to correct this issue? Buy a new battery. Clean the contacts on the battery. Calibrate the battery. Replace the power meter chip on the battery.
Calibrate the battery.
You have purchased a 1600 x 1200 LCD monitor and connected it to the DVI-I port on your computer using a DVI-D cable. You configure the screen resolution at 1280 x 1024 with 24-bit color. The display output seems to be fuzzy and stretched. Which of the following BEST describes the action you should take to correct the problem? Replace the DVI-D cable with a DVI-I cable. Change the screen resolution to the native resolution of the monitor. Replace the DVI-I cable with a DVI-A cable. Increase the color depth to 32-bit.
Change the screen resolution to the native resolution of the monitor.
You have purchased an LED monitor and connected it to the DVI-I port on your computer using a DVI-D cable. You configure the screen resolution to 1440 x 900 with 32-bit color. The display on the screen seems to be pixilated. Which of the following solutions is MOST likely to fix this problem? Replace the DVI-I cable with a DVI-A cable. Replace the DVI-D cable with a DVI-I cable. Decrease the color depth to 24-bit. Change the screen resolution to 1600 X 1200. Change the screen resolution to the native resolution of the monitor.
Change the screen resolution to the native resolution of the monitor.
A customer complains that a recently purchased monitor no longer displays a picture. You verify that the monitor is powered on and that the video cable is securely fastened to the video port. Which of the following actions is the BEST to take next? Return the monitor to the manufacturer. Open the computer and switch the video card to a different slot. Unload and then reload the video card's software driver. Check the brightness and contrast settings using the monitor's controls.
Check the brightness and contrast settings using the monitor's controls.
You have just installed a new video card in a user's Windows workstation. When the system is powered on, the screen is blank. You have checked the video cable and verified that it is installed correctly. What should you do next? Check the video driver version and update it if necessary. Replace the video cable. Check to make sure that the video card is correctly installed on the system board. Install a new monitor.
Check to make sure that the video card is correctly installed on the system board.
You've just purchased 10 new notebook computers for your users. You are concerned that users will leave the notebooks on for long periods of time, which could result in display burn-in. What should you do to prevent this from happening? Configure each computer to automatically power off after five minutes of inactivity. Configure a screen saver on each computer. Increase the hardware acceleration setting on each computer. Install a software utility on each computer that is designed to fix stuck pixels.
Configure a screen saver on each computer.
You are the manager in charge of maintaining desktop computers. A user reports that she can't turn her computer on. After some investigation, you find that the power supply is malfunctioning. Which of the following actions should you perform next? Fix the problem. Document the problem. Create an action plan. Determine whether escalation is required.
Create an action plan.
You are a first-line desktop support technician. A user reports that he cannot access several network files. After some investigation, you determine that the problem is with a network server. Which of the following actions should you perform next? Determine if escalation is needed. Fix the problem. Document the problem. Create an action plan.
Determine if escalation is needed.
You notice that your applications are loading and running slowly when you switch between them. You also notice that your hard disk drive light is constantly lit. Which of the following is MOST likely the cause of these issues? Lack of application compatibility with new operating system Disk thrashing Application resolution non-compatibility Application system requirement issues
Disk thrashing
You are attempting to boot a new system. The boot fails, and the system sounds a beep code. Which of the following describes the MOST likely cause of this error? The new memory is not compatible and was not installed and configured properly. Either no memory is installed or the memory was not detected. The POST failed to recognize all of the memory. Either a card/memory module is not seated properly or the system includes unsupported memory.
Either no memory is installed or the memory was not detected.
While you are answering help desk calls, a field customer calls and complains that he cannot print to a workgroup laser printer. Which of the following should be the first question you ask? Have you rebooted and chosen safe mode? Have you checked the cables? Have you ever successfully printed to that printer? Have you rebooted the printer?
Have you ever successfully printed to that printer?
You notice that your applications are loading and running slowly when you switch between them. You also notice that your hard disk drive light is constantly lit. Which of the following is the BEST option to stop this problem from happening frequently on your system? Install a larger CPU. Configure a larger paging file on the HHD. Reboot the system at the first indication of the problem. Install more physical RAM.
Install more physical RAM.
A technician is troubleshooting a computer that doesn't start up correctly. Which of the following could the technician use to troubleshoot the computer? Tone generator and probe Loopback plug Known good spares 3-prong parts retriever
Known good spares
You have just finished installing a new SATA hard disk in your computer. Now your SATA DVD drive does not work. Which of the following troubleshooting steps are BEST to try first? (Select two.) Make sure that the DVD power cable is connected. Make sure that the DVD SATA cable is connected. Remove the hard disk. Set the DVD drive to Slave and the hard disk to Master. Try the DVD drive in another system. Replace the DVD drive.
Make sure that the DVD power cable is connected. Make sure that the DVD SATA cable is connected.
You have just finished upgrading the 250-watt power supply in your desktop computer to a 450-watt power supply. Now the BIOS does not recognize one of the hard disk drives in the system during POST. Which of the following troubleshooting steps is the BEST to try first? Use the voltage switch on the power supply to go from 110 volts to 220 volts. Replace the power supply. Make sure that the hard disk is connected to the power supply. Manually enter the hard disk geometry parameters in the BIOS. Reconfigure the hard disk to utilize the higher-wattage power supply with drive jumpers.
Make sure that the hard disk is connected to the power supply.
An employee submits a support ticket stating that their computer will not turn on. Which of the following troubleshooting steps should you take first? (Select two.) Make sure that the power cord is plugged in to the wall. Make sure that the keyboard and mouse are plugged in. Make sure that the surge protector is turned on. Use a multimeter to test the power supply. Open the computer and replace the power supply.
Make sure that the power cord is plugged in to the wall. Make sure that the surge protector is turned on.
You're trying to connect a new USB device to your computer. You install the driver and then connect the device to an open USB port. The device does not work. Which of the following troubleshooting steps is the BEST to try first? Make sure the USB device is plugged in properly. Replace the USB device. Install a new USB controller card. Try a different USB cable.
Make sure the USB device is plugged in properly.
Jared has just installed an additional HDD on his Windows computer for storing multimedia files. He inserts a DVD disc to watch a movie with his usual movie player software, but the movie fails to play. In fact, the player indicates that there is no DVD drive available. What is the BEST first step that Jared should take to resolve the issue? Make sure the movie player is pointing to the correct drive letter for the DVD drive. Use Device Manager to make sure the DVD drive is being recognized by the system. Open the case and make sure that the DVD drive is connected to the power supply. Eject the DVD disc and re-insert it to make sure the drive is reading the disc properly.
Make sure the movie player is pointing to the correct drive letter for the DVD drive.
You have just installed an SSD drive in your older Windows workstation. However, after you start Windows, you do not see the SSD drive listed in Windows Explorer. What should you do FIRST? Configure the jumpers on the SSD drive. Make sure the power connectors on the SSD drive are plugged in all the way. Replace the power supply. Use the voltage switch on the power supply to switch from 110 to 220 volts.
Make sure the power connectors on the SSD drive are plugged in all the way.
You are in the process of configuring a new computer. The motherboard has four memory slots and supports dual-channel memory. You install two memory modules. When you boot the computer, the BIOS recognizes both modules, but the memory is not configured to run in dual-channel mode. What should you do to resolve the issue? Replace the memory with dual-channel capable memory. Add continuity modules to unused memory slots. Change the CAS latency to a higher setting. Move the modules to the correct motherboard slots.
Move the modules to the correct motherboard slots.
You have a DVD-ROM disc with no label, and you want to know if it has any important files on it. You insert the DVD-ROM into your optical media drive, and you double-click the drive letter to see the disc's contents. Which error message will you see if the DVD-ROM is not a valid disc? Foreign Missing No Media Unreadable
No Media
Which type of software-generated problems can indicate that a software bug is causing a memory error? (Select three.) Incorrect memory count Page fault Parity interrupt General-protection fault Registry error Exception error
Page fault General-protection fault Exception error
Which pin on the power supply connector connects to the power good wire on the motherboard in order to indicate an appropriate action for the motherboard if the power disappears, quickly reappears, or does not appear at all? Pin 6 Pin 2 Pin 5 Pin 8
Pin 8
Which of the following tools is specifically designed to test the DC voltage on a hard disk drive power connector? Loopback plug Cable tester Power supply tester Toner probe
Power supply tester
An employee calls to complain that their computer is behaving erratically. Some days, it functions correctly, and other days, it crashes frequently. Sometimes, the system won't boot at all. You open the system case and notice the following: Two of the mounting screws are missing from the system hard disk drive. The system uses memory modules from several different manufacturers with mismatched capacities. Several capacitors on the motherboard are bulging and have a brown liquid oozing from them. The chassis fan on the front of the case is oriented to blow air into the system. What should you do? Replace the motherboard. Replace the leaky capacitors on the motherboard. Replace the existing memory modules with matching modules. Reorient the chassis fan to draw air out of the system case. Use additional screws to mount the hard disk drive to the system case.
Replace the motherboard.
When playing videos games or watching movies on your workstation, the screen sometimes freezes and displays strange colors. You suspect that your video card is causing the issues. What is the BEST solution to resolve your display issues? Check the video card fan. Check the video card connectors. Replace the video card. Update the video card driver.
Replace the video card.
You have purchased an LED monitor and connected it to the HDMI port on your computer using an HDMI cable. You configure the screen resolution to 1280 x 1024 with 32-bit color. The geometry of the images displayed on the screen appear to be distorted. What should you do to correct the problem? Set the display resolution to the native resolution of the monitor. Use a DVI cable to connect the monitor instead of an HDMI cable. Change the screen resolution to 1400 X 1050. Increase the hardware acceleration setting on the video driver. Update the video driver to the latest version.
Set the display resolution to the native resolution of the monitor.
You have purchased an LED monitor and connected it to the HDMI port on your computer using an HDMI cable. You configure the screen resolution to 1280 x 768 with 32-bit color. The images displayed on the screen appear to be overly large. What should you do to correct the problem? Change the screen resolution to 1280 X 720. Set the display resolution to the native resolution of the monitor. Use a VGA cable to connect the monitor instead of an HDMI cable. Decrease the color depth of the video driver to 24-bit color. Increase the hardware acceleration setting on the video driver.
Set the display resolution to the native resolution of the monitor.
You recently upgraded a client's older workstation to Windows 11. The client has called to complain that the interface is very slow. For example, after clicking on the Start button, the Start menu slowly appears on the screen. Which of the following will MOST likely fix this problem without requiring a hardware upgrade? Increase the hardware acceleration settings. Increase the display's color depth. Set the visual effects for best performance. Increase the display resolution.
Set the visual effects for best performance.
Travis, a long-haul truck driver, reports that when driving on remote highways, his smartphone battery drains faster than normal, and his phone calls often cut out. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason for the fast battery drain? A defective SIM card Signal drop or weak signal Limited data plan Multiple Bluetooth connections
Signal drop or weak signal
You work at a computer repair store. You have just upgraded the processor (CPU) in a customer's Windows-based computer. The customer purchased the latest AMD Ryzen processor, and you installed it in the computer. But when you power the computer on, you only see a blank screen. Which of the following is MOST likely causing the computer to display the blank screen? (Select two.) The CPU is not supported by the BIOS. The power connector for the fan was not connected to the motherboard. Someone unplugged the computer without performing a proper shutdown first. The heat sink and fan were not installed correctly. The CPU is bad.
The CPU is not supported by the BIOS. The CPU is bad.
Your laptop's LCD screen is beginning to flicker and dim. You have checked the brightness setting to make sure that it is configured correctly. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of your screen issue? The LCD screen inverter is failing. The video ribbon cable to the screen is disconnected. The LCD screen is failing. The system is configured to use an external display port.
The LCD screen inverter is failing.
Your company's graphic designers were given laptop computers several months ago. The laptops have a 500-GB SSD drive for the operating system and applications and a 1-TB hard drive for storing media files. Now, a few of the graphic designers are complaining about slow performance on their SSD drives. What is the MOST likely cause of the slow performance? The designers are storing media files on the SSD drive. The file system is not optimized for SSD. The SATA connection is older and has a slower transfer speed. The SSD's firmware needs to be updated.
The designers are storing media files on the SSD drive.
Lately, your computer has been spontaneously shutting down after only a few minutes of use. What is the likely cause? (Select two.) The heat sink and fan were not installed correctly. The power connector for the fan was not connected to the motherboard. Someone unplugged the computer without performing a proper shutdown first. The CPU is bad. The CPU is not supported by the BIOS.
The heat sink and fan were not installed correctly. The power connector for the fan was not connected to the motherboard.
For several years, your laptop's monitor has worked perfectly. However, shortly after turning on your laptop today, you notice that the dimness has increased on the screen. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause? (Select two.) The monitor's inverter has gone bad. The monitor's resolution was automatically reset to the default settings. The brightness level was automatically reset to the default settings. The power adapter was accidently unplugged. The monitor's hertz rate is set too high.
The monitor's inverter has gone bad. The power adapter was accidently unplugged.
You are an IT technician for your company. One of your employees calls and tells you that every time they turn their computer on, they hear three beeps. Which of the following BEST describes the information you should relay to this employee about the beeping? Three repeated beeps indicate that the keyboard has failed and needs to be replaced. Three repeated beeps is a general error. There is no specific information available about what this code means. Three repeated beeps may mean different things. They need to reference the motherboard documentation. Three repeated beeps indicate that there is something wrong with the computer's memory.
Three repeated beeps may mean different things. They need to reference the motherboard documentation.
A user hibernates a laptop after giving a video presentation. Now, when the system resumes, the display flickers for a moment, but remains blank. You suspect a bad graphics processing unit (GPU). Which of the following troubleshooting steps should you completed? (Select two.) Connect an external USB hard drive. Replace the battery. Connect an external keyboard and mouse. Toggle the dual display function key. Connect an external display device.
Toggle the dual display function key. Connect an external display device.
Your Windows 11 system powers on, but there is no image on your display. You have already checked to make sure that the monitor is connected properly to the computer, is plugged in, and is turned on. Which of the following is the BEST next step you should take to try to resolve the issue? Verify that the BIOS/UEFI is configured to use the correct video adapter. Use System Restore from Safe Mode to select a working restore point. Boot the system from the installation disc and repair the system. Check the motherboard documentation for information on beeps.
Verify that the BIOS/UEFI is configured to use the correct video adapter.
A few of your employees have complained that their computers sometimes shut down spontaneously. You have noticed that these employees all work in a part of the building where the air conditioning does not adequately cool the room. These employees also use CPU-intensive programs. You suspect that the spontaneous shutdowns are caused by overheating. Which of the following is the simplest way to monitor the temperature of these computers' CPUs? Place thermostats on the CPUs. Touch the PCs with your hand or fingers. View the temperature from within the BIOS. Place thermostats on the PCs at the warmest locations.
View the temperature from within the BIOS.
After installing a new RAM module, you boot your 64-bit system, but the display remains blank. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue? You have installed a non-parity RAM on an ECC system. You have installed a 32-bit memory module. The POST failed to recognize the new memory. The Registry is configured to write to faulty sections of RAM.
You have installed a non-parity RAM on an ECC system.
