Comp Hardware/Oper Systems Midterm Review
What is GHz?
1 billion cycles per second
How many pins are in the power supply connector that is typically used on most motherboards today?
24-pin
The PCI Express Version 4.0 can provide up to what amount of throughput with 16 lanes for data?
32 GB/sec
What is a reasonable wattage capacity for a power supply to be used with a system that contains a DVD drive, three hard drives, and a high-end video card?
700 W
A friend has asked you to help him find out if his computer is capable of overclocking. How can you direct him? Select all that apply. a. Show him how to find System Summary data in the System Information utility in Windows and then do online research. b. Show him how to access BIOS/UEFI setup and browse through the screens. c. Explain to your friend that overclocking is not a recommended best practice. d. Show him how to open the computer case, read the brand and model of his motherboard, and then do online research.
A/B
Which of the following are true about DVI and HDMI technology? (Select two.) A. HDMI can transmit video in either digital or analog. B. DVI can transmit audio data. C. DVI can transmit video in either digital or analog. D. HDMI can transmit audio data.
A/B
What two technologies below are fully-implemented, 64-bit processors for use in servers and workstations? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) a. Itanium b. Centrino c. Xeon d. Core i7
A/C
What type(s) of port transmits both digital audio and digital video with a single connector? Select all that apply. a. DisplayPort b. DVI c. HDMI d. VGA e. SPDIF
A/C
What two different passwords can be set to lock down a computer from unauthorized access? (Select TWO.) a. supervisor password b. email password c. screen saver password d. user password
A/D
What is a MB?
About 1 million bytes
At what point during the motherboard installation should you install the motherboard drivers?
After Windows successfully boots without errors
All wireless technologies are turned off resulting in no transmission or reception of wireless signals...
Airplane mode
Which component may be considered a field replaceable unit (FRU)?
All of the above
Yesterday you installed a new game on your computer. When you ran the computer, you noticed that the application was running very slow. After you exited the game and restarted it, you received an error message saying, "Insufficient memory or disk space." You checked your hard drive and saw that you had more than 250GB of free space. What should you check next in Task Manager?
Amount of RAM available
You own a small computer repair company and a customer comes to you with a laptop that will not boot. After investigating, you discover the hard drive has crashed. What should you do first?
Ask the customer's advice about the size and speed of the new drive to install.
Identify internal components of a computer: S/PDIF
Audio
Identify internal components of a computer: Sound Ports
Audio
When you boot up a computer and hear a single beep, but the screen is blank, what can you assume is the source of the problem? Select TWO. a. The video card or onboard video b. The monitor c. Windows startup d. The monitor cable
B/C
When you build a computer from parts, you usually start by deciding on which two parts listed below? a. video card b. processor c. motherboard d. RAM e. case
B/C
A technician has determined that a laptop keyboard will need to be removed in order to replace the laptop's CPU cooling fan.Which of the following steps will most likely be required before the technician can remove the keyboard from the laptop? (Select TWO.) a. The keyboard backlight will need to be toggled off by using the appropriate Fn keys. b. The keyboard cable(s) will need to be disconnected from the ZIF socket(s). c. The keyboard cable will need to be disconnected from the mini-PCIe slot. d. The keyboard bezel will need to be removed. e. The technician will need to remove the display assembly and system board.
B/D
A technician needs to service a laptop computer that is experiencing an intermittent problem with the display.Which of the following will be most effective at helping the technician complete the work in a timely and efficient manner? (Select TWO). a. Provide the customer with a laptop to use while the failing unit is being repaired. b. Document and label the location of the screws and cables before removing them. c. Compare the system board display connections with a properly functioning laptop. d. Organize and place all parts and screws and in one place. e. Charge the laptop battery pack so it is ready to return to the customer with a full charge.
B/D
Henry is having a problem with the electrical system on his current laptop. The battery for the laptop will not charge. Henry took the AC adapter and battery from another laptop that is known to work, and put them in his current laptop, but still the battery will not charge.What possible actions can Henry take to make his laptop usable? (Select all that apply.) a. Henry can replace the battery again, as the second battery could also be bad. b. Henry can replace the laptop system board. c. Henry can purchase a new laptop. d. Henry can use the laptop only when it's connected to the power using the AC adapter.
B/D
What are the two different methods for partitioning hard drives? (Select TWO.) a. Extended Partitioning Scheme (EPS) b. Master Boot Record (MBR) c. Standard Partition Layout (SPL) d. GUID Partition Table (GPT)
B/D
What new parts will you need to replace a failing processor? Select all that apply. a. Power cable b. Processor c. Cooling assembly d. Thermal compound
B/D
Where must virtualization be enabled for VM (virtual machine) software to work?
BIOS/UEFI
A short-ranged wireless technology used to connect two devices in a small personal network...
Bluetooth
If you are adding a hard drive to a system that already has a drive with Windows installed on it, what should you do?
Boot Windows and use Disk Management to prepare the new drive.
Landon starts his computer and receives the error message, "Hard drive is not found." In a panic, he calls you because he did not back up his data and has numerous important files on his hard drive. During your investigation, Landon tells you he was watching a movie on his computer the previous night.What might be the problem with Landon's computer?
Boot priority is set to the DVD drive.
What is the most likely result of a correctly installed processor, but an incorrectly installed cooler?
Boot process beings, but the system suddenly turns of after a short period.
Which of the following Intel processor families use LGA1150 socket? Ivy Bridge Broadwell Skylake Haswell
Broadwell/Haswell
You are reviewing new RAM to purchase for a new gaming computer and find three different RAM modules that are the same except for their CAS latency. Option A/18 ns, Option B/20 ns, and Option C/15 ns. Which option is best?
C
What two different DIMM technologies below can be used in a quad channel configuration? (SELECT TWO.) a. DDR1 b. DDR2 c. DDR3 d. DDR4
C/D
You purchase a new desktop computer that does not have wireless capability, and then you decide that you want to use a wireless connection to the Internet. What are the two least expensive ways (choose two) to upgrade your system to wireless? a. Trade in the computer for another computer that has wireless installed. b. Purchase a second computer that has wireless capability. c. Purchase a wireless expansion card and install it in your system. d. Purchase a USB wireless adapter and connect it to the computer by way of a USB port.
C/D
Where do today's computers store almost all motherboard configuration data?
CMOS RAM
Performs most of the processing for data and instructions for the entire system...
CPU (Central Processing Unit.)
Jordan has been asked to help his company find a way to allow all the workers to log on to computers securely but without using a user name and password. The CIO wants everyone use face recognition software.What peripheral will be needed on each computer to allow the workers to log on using face recognition software?
Camera or webcam
Molly, an end user, connects an external monitor, external keyboard and mouse, and a wired network cable to her laptop while working in the office. She leaves the office frequently to meet with customers and takes the laptop with her. Disconnecting and reconnecting these external connections has become inconvenient.Which of the following devices will allow the user to disconnect and reconnect the laptop to the external connections with the least amount of effort? (Select TWO). a. USB to RJ-45 dongle b. Expansion card c. ZIF connector d. Port replicator e. Docking station
D/E
A motherboard has four DIMM slots; three slots are gray and the fourth is black. What type of memory is this board designed to use?
DDR3
The connector for memory found on a motherboard...
DIMM
Modern desktop motherboards and laptop motherboards all utilize what two types of DRAM respectively?
DIMM and SO-DIMM
What type of RAM is typically installed onto a motherboard and loses data rapidly, requiring it to be refreshed often?
DRAM
Which of these ports transmits digital video? (Select two.) DVI DisplayPort VGA S/PDIF
DVI/DisplayPort
Rebecca completed work on a computer and is verifying the functionality of the system when she finds a new problem. This problem is not urgent and can be easily fixed. The policy at Rebecca's company is that all problems need to be reported and given a priority code before they can be assigned to someone.What should Rebecca do about this new problem?
Determine whether fixing the first problem caused the second problem.
Sherri has recently been injured. She is having a problem using her left hand and would like to use a stylus to move her mouse around the screen on her laptop computer.What device can Sherri add to her system to allow a non-touch screen laptop to use a stylus to manipulate the screen?
Digitizer
Transmits digital video and audio. They are slowly replacing VGA and DVI ports on computers...
DisplayPort
DIMMs used in servers can provide additional reliability if they use what specific technology?
ECC
You are researching RAM for a computer you are building for a friend who will be using the system as a home office server for her small business. She wants the added protection so the computer will not crash due to a memory error. What type of RAM should you consider purchasing?
ECC
When testing your theory, you discover that you are wrong. What is your next step in the troubleshooting process?
Establish a new theory of probable cause.
Identify internal components of a computer: RJ-45
Ethernet
You recently installed a new RAID controller card in a PCIe expansion slot on your computer. After setting up the controller, you transfer data from the backup you created over to the computer. When you finish the setup, you turn the computer off and return it to its normal location. When you turn the computer on, you immediately receive the error message, "RAID not found."What might be the problem?
Expansion card failed or became unseated.
Besides an FM2+ processor, what other AMD processor will often fit in an FM2+ socket?
FM2
A computer freezes at odd times. At first you suspected the power supply or overheating, but you have eliminated overheating and replaced the power supply without solving the problem. What do you do next?
Flash BIOS/UEFI
What is a possible remedy if your system hangs at odd times or during the boot?
Flash the BIOS/UEFI
Which type of boot authentication is more secure?
Full Disk Encryption
What kind of component is embedded in an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit)?
Graphics Processor Unit (GPU)
During normal Windows operations, you receive a BSOD, and your computer shuts down. You restart the computer and receive the error again. You go online to check the error and see that it is an error related to reading data from virtual memory.What hardware might cause this BSOD error?
Hard drive
A user called to inform you that the laptop she purchased yesterday is malfunctioning and will not connect to her wireless network. You personally checked to verify that the wireless connection worked properly before the user left your office. The user states she rebooted the computer several times but the problem still persists.Which of the following is the first step you should take to assist the user in resolving this issue?
Have the user press the appropriate function key combination to enable the wireless radio and then attempt to connect to the wireless network.
Henry uses a laptop and has noticed that sometimes when he is typing, the cursor will move, causing him to mistype words or even delete sentences or entire paragraphs. Henry has tried not to touch the touchpad on his laptop, but the problem still occurs.What can Henry do to remedy this problem?
He can turn off the touchpad in Windows.
Draws heat away from the CPU or other heat sensitive components so that it can be dissipated quickly...
Heat Sink
When you verify a system is functioning properly, you determine that the problem could have been prevented.What should you do to help the computer's user avoid having the same problem again?
Instruct the user on how to prevent the problem.
Identify internal components of a computer: PS/2
Keyboard/Mouse only
What type of processor memory is located on the processor chip?
Level 1 cache
Besides the motherboards size, what other characteristic determines whether the motherboard will fit well inside a particular case?
Locations of screw holes
What process writes sector markings to a hard drive?
Low-level formatting
Which of the following is a difference between memory and storage?
Memory is temporary; storage is permanent.
When populating a motherboard with DIMM modules, what configuration option will not work?
Mixing unbuffered with registered
Sharon is troubleshooting a computer and wants to test the hard drive in another computer. Sharon removes the hard drive and notices that it does not have a SATA power connection. The connector for power is white and has four pins instead.What type of connector will Sharon need to test the hard drive in the computer she is using?
Molex connector
A processor housing that contains more than one processor is referred to as what term?
Multicore Processor
Identify internal components of a computer: USB
Multipurpose
Jose calls you at the help desk because he is having a problem logging on to his laptop computer. After several unsuccessful attempts to enter his password, he asks you to reset the password because he must have forgotten it. You reset his password, and he types it, but again the computer rejects it. Jose assures you that he typed the correct user name and password. You ask him what type of computer he is using, and he tells you a laptop.What might be the problem with Jose's computer?
Num lock turned off or caps lock on
Which motherboard slot should you install a new high-end graphics card in?
PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot
The standard for computer expansion cards...
PCIe
A diagnostic program built into a computer to test the hardware components before the computer boots up...
POST
Which tool from a technicians toolkit uses a PCI slot to perform its test?
POST card
Your computer system loses power while you are working on a project for a very important client. When the computer restarts, you hear continuous beeps coming from your computer, and the monitor is showing no signal.
POST has failed, and you should research the BIOS beep codes.
Your computer system loses power while you are working on a project for a very important client. When the computer restarts, you hear continuous beeps coming from your computer, and the monitor is showing no signal.What do the beeps mean?
POST has failed, and you should research the BIOS beep codes.
What can a DIMM use to hold data and amplify a signal just before the data is written to the module?
Parity
Brandon has purchased a new processor online as an upgrade. When he purchased the processor he made sure that it used the same socket his motherboard is using. But he did not check to see if the motherboard chipset is compatible. What will happen if you install a processor on a motherboard that can fit the socket but is the wrong chipset?
Possible damage to both the processor and the motherboard.
You disassemble and reassemble a desktop computer. When you first turn it on, you see no lights and hear no sounds. Nothing appears on the monitor screen. What is the most likely cause of the problem?
Power cords to the motherboard are not connected.
When Amy turns on her computer, she notices a burning smell. Smoke comes out of the case, and Amy immediately turns off her computer. What might be causing Amy's computer to emit smoke and a burning smell?
Power problem
Lin is booting up his computer, and during the boot process, the computer powers down. After several unsuccessful attempts to boot his computer, he decides that he needs to start the troubleshooting process. Lin thinks that the problem could be in the power supply, so he uses a power supply tester. The test shows that the power supply is functioning properly.What should Lin check next in the troubleshooting process?
RAM
You notice that your computer is running slow and decide to reboot the computer to see if that will fix the problem. During the reboot, you notice that the amount of RAM shown during the RAM count is not the same as it was the day before. What might cause this problem?
RAM module has become unseated
What is the connector called on a network cable that connects to an Ethernet port
RJ-45
What is a W a measure of?
Rate of energy transfer
Sara is having a tough time finding the cause of a problem on a computer she is troubleshooting. She found a possible problem but is not sure if she is correct. In case she is wrong, Sara does not want to test her theory, because doing so might worsen the problem.What would you advise Sara to do?
Research the problem on the internet
Smaller connectors for memory on laptops...
SO-DIMM
Jenny is working on a laptop computer and has noticed that the computer is not running very fast. She looks and realizes that the laptop supports 8 GB of RAM and that the computer is only running 4 GB of RAM. Jenny would like to add 4 more GB of RAM. She opens the computer and finds that there is an open slot for RAM. She checks the other module and determines that the module has 204 pins. What module should Jenny order?
SO-DIMM DDR 3
Danelle wants to use a stylus on her laptop but does not have a touch screen. She needs the stylus to help her create designs for her landscape business. She does not want to purchase a new laptop.Is there any way for Danelle to use her current laptop with a stylus?
She can add a digitizer over the screen on her laptop.
What kind of component might be attached to an M.2 Socket?
Solid-state drive (SSD)
What should you do if you want to be able to locate your laptop in the event of loss or theft and give it a command through the internet to lock it or delete data?
Subscribe to LoJack for laptops.
You are troubleshooting a computer that your client said turns off during normal operation. While you are trying to identify the problem, the client also informs you that if he waits a while, the computer will turn back on and run normally for a bit. You open the system and immediately notice a large dust buildup around the processor fan and heat sink.What problem can you detect on the computer and confidently report to your client?
System is overheating
What must your motherboard have to use BitLocker Encryption in Windows 7/8/10 which will ensure that your hard drive cannot be used in another computer?
TPM Chip
Sara works in the IT department for a large retail store. She has been testing a theory about why an error message keeps popping up on a coworker's computer when he tries to start Windows. She has hit a wall and doesn't know where to look next. Sara feels very frustrated with the problem.What should Sara do to help work out the solution?
Take a break and come back later
Your supervisor has asked you to set up a RAID hard drive array in a tower system, which has a motherboard that uses the B360 chipset. You have installed the required three matching hard drives to hold the array. When you enter BIOS/UEFI to configure the RAID, you cannot find the menus for the RAID configuration. What is most likely the problem?
The B360 chipset does not support RAID.
Over the past week, every time Larry has started his computer, he has noticed that the time is not correct. Larry didn't consider this a problem because his computer was working properly. However, now Larry has decided that he should investigate why the time is not accurate.What can you tell Larry to check to find out why the clock does not keep the right time?
The CMOS battery is bad and needs to be replaced
If a computer system does not hvae a graphics card installed in a motherboard's PCIe slot, which component handles video calculations?
The CPU or a chip on the motherboard
You upgrade a faulty PCIe video card to a recently released higher-performing card. Now the user complains that Windows 10 hangs a lot and gives errors. Which is the most likely source of the problem?
The drivers for the card need updating.
After trying multiple times, a coworker is not able to fit a motherboard in a computer case, and is having difficulty aligning screw holes in the motherboard to standoffs on the bottom of the case. Which is most likely the source of the problem?
The form factors of the case and motherboard don't match.
You have just upgraded memory on a computer from 4 GB to 8 GB by adding one DIMM. When you first turn on the PC, the memory count shows only 4 GB. Which of the following is most likely the source of the problem? What can you do to fix it?
The new DIMM is not properly seated.
A customer has a system with a Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro motherboard. He wants to upgrade the processor from the AMD Athlon X4 950 to the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X. Which of the following accurately describes this upgrade?
The upgrade is possible and will yield a significant increase in performance.
Gina is upgrading your computer with a new processor. She installs the processor into your motherboard and adds the cooling system. She powers up the computer, and it begins to boot but then shuts down. What could be the cause of this problem?
Thermal paste was not used
In comparing USB 2.0 with USB 3.0, which one of the following statements is true?
USB 3.0 is faster than USB 2.0
What should you immediately do if you turn on a computer and smell smoke or a burning odor?
Unplug the computer.
When troubleshooting a desktop motherboard, you discover the network port no longer works. What is the best and least expensive solution to this problem?
Update the motherboard drivers
A customer asks you over the phone how much it will cost to upgrade memory on her desktop system to 16 GB. She is a capable Windows user and able to access BIOS/UEFI setup using the user power-on password you set up for her. Which actions can you ask the customer to perform as you direct her over the phone to get the information you need and develop an estimate of the upgrade's cost?
Use BIOS/UEFI to show which memory slots are used and how much memory is installed in each slot.
Your boss has purchased a new laptop for business use and has asked you to make sure the data he plans to store on the laptop is secure. Which of the following security measures is the most important to implement to keep the data secure?
Use BitLocker Encryption with the TPM chip.
While building a high-end gaming system, you are attempting to install the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card and discover there is not enough clearance above the motherboard for the card. What is your best solution?
Use a different case that allows for the height of the expansion card.
Identify internal components of a computer: DVI
Video
Identify internal components of a computer: VGA
Video
Identify internal components of a computer: HDMI
Video and Audio
Identify internal components of a computer: DisplayPort
Video/Audio
An experienced user has installed Oracle VM VirtualBox on her workstation and is attempting to use it to create a virtual machine (VM). The software is causing error messages while attempting to create the VM. What is the most likely problem?
Virtualization is not enabled in BIOS/UEFI.
Someone asks you for help with a computer that hangs at odd times. You turn it on and work for about 15 minutes, and then the computer freezes and powers down. What do you do first?
Wait about 30 minutes for the system to cool down and try again.
James added a new video card and needs to get a power supply that will have enough power to run the new card.When researching the new power supply, what feature does James need to look for to make sure he has enough power to run his computer with the new video card?
Wattage
The GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card requires 120 W of power. You plan to install it in a PCIe 3.0 ×16 slot. Will you need to also install extra power to the card? If so, how can you do that?
Yes. The PCIe 3.0 ×16 slot provides 75 W, and you need to connect the card using a PCIe 6-pin connector to gain additional power.
Which of the following might cause you to flash BIOS/UEFI?
You are installing an upgraded processor
Windows is displaying an error about incompatible hardware. You enter BIOS/UEFI setup to change the boot priority order so that you can boot from the Windows setup DVD to troubleshoot the system. However, when you get to the Boot screen, you find that the options to change the boot priority order are grayed out and not available. What is most likely the problem?
You signed in to BIOS/UEFI with the user power-on password rather than the supervisor power-on password.
What type of socket ensures that even force is applied to the processor when it is being installed in the socket?
ZIF
The smaller form factor of ATX. Its smaller size and reduced expansion ports helps reduce costs and power consumption...
microATX
What configuration can you find for PCIe slots?
x1, x4, x8, x16