CompTIA A+ 220-1101 Domain 5: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting

Which of the following is a benefit of good documentation?

It saves time and money in troubleshooting problems.

A company executive has just bought a new Android mobile device. She wants you to help her make sure that it is protected from malware threats. Which of the following statements are true in regards to protecting Android devices? (Select two.)

- Antivirus apps are available for purchase from Android app stores. - App reviews and ratings help you choose an effective antivirus app.

Vera has brought her laptop computer to you for repair. After listening to her describe its symptoms, you decide that the laptop may have a malfunctioning keyboard. Which of the following steps can you take to BEST determine whether the keyboard needs to be replaced? (Select two.)

- Check for special keyboard features that could be enabled that may cause some keys to perform alternate tasks. - Connect an external keyboard.

A customer who uses a Windows computer purchased an Inkjet printer from your store. He recently called to complain that the colors in the photos he prints on his new printer do not match the colors in the original photos. Which of the following actions will MOST likely resolve the issue? (Select two.)

- Download and install the latest printer drivers. - Use the Color Management tab of the printer driver to calibrate the driver's color settings.

When you print from your laser printer, the paper contains faint images from previous printouts. Which of the following components is MOST likely the cause? (Select two.)

- Fluorescent lamp - Rubber scraper

Which type of software-generated problems can indicate that a software bug is causing a memory error? (Select three.)

- General-protection fault - Exception error - Page fault

You are planning on taking your laptop with you on a business trip. You currently have an ExpressCard card installed in the laptop. Which of the following are precautions you should take when transporting your laptop? (Select two.)

- Remove the ExpressCard from the laptop slot. - Place the laptop in a properly padded case.

Joe, a frequent visitor to a branch office, attempts to connect his tablet to the office wireless network, but is unable to connect to the internet, even though he has verified that the SSID and password are correct. Joe attempts to connect to a coworker's hotspot, but is still unable to connect to the internet. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Airplane Mode has been set on his tablet.

A technician suspects that data is being leaked from a tablet. Which of the following is the BEST tool to troubleshoot this issue?

App scanner

One of your users suspects that the battery in their laptop computer is failing. You test it by using a known good power adapter long enough to receive a full charge. The battery reads that it is fully charged in Windows. You then disconnect the laptop from its power source and wait to see how long the battery lasts. The battery dies after only about 15 minutes. Which of the following actions will MOST likely fix this problem?

Assume that the battery is failing and replace it.

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.

You have just received a frantic call from a customer. She informs you that after turning her computer on, she received the following error: "The SMART hard disk check has detected an imminent failure." Which of the following is the best FIRST step to take?

Back up all important data and files.

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?

Calibrate the battery.

The stapler cartridge in your printer is jammed. After removing the cartridge, what is the NEXT step to resolve the issue?

Carefully remove any staples lodged in the opening.

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?

Change the screen resolution to the native resolution of the monitor.

Lately, your laptop shuts down before it reaches the 5% set in your Windows Power Scheme. You suspect that the power meter is incorrectly reporting the battery power level. You want to calibrate the battery to synchronize the power meter to the actual battery charge capacity. However, the laptop system does not include a calibration tool. You decide to perform a manual calibration. Which of the following is the first step you need to take when manually calibrating the battery?

Charge the battery to 100%.

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?

Check the brightness and contrast settings using the monitor's controls.

Sarah, a tech support specialist, receives a call from a client complaining about "ghosting" on their laser printer. The client explains that faint, double, echo-images from previous printouts are showing up on subsequent pages. What should Sarah suggest as the MOST likely solution?

Check the fluorescent lamp and rubber scraper.

One of your customers is still using an old dot matrix printer. While printing, the customer notices that the text is light or faint. You installed a new printhead, but the document printing is still faint. Which of the following should you do to troubleshoot the cause?

Check the gap between the printhead and paper.

You've just installed a new USB card reader on your Windows computer. Every time you perform a certain action using the card reader, you get an error message that you've never seen before. Which of the following actions should you perform FIRST?

Check the manufacturer's website for information about the error.

When booting your workstation, you hear a series of audible beeps, and the system locks up. What is the FIRST step you should take when troubleshooting this issue?

Check the motherboard documentation for POST errors.

Joe has been issued a company-owned tablet. He finds that the performance decreases after a few hours of use. After he power-cycles the tablet, performance returns, but the tablet begins to slow again after an hour of use. Which of the following is the BEST action to troubleshoot the problem?

Check the number of apps that are running.

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 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 a screen saver on each computer.

Which of the following is the surest way to prevent the loss of important information on your mobile device if it is lost, stolen, destroyed, or there is a natural disaster?

Configure your device to remotely back up important data to the cloud.

You have just connected a new computer to your local network. The network uses static IP addressing. You find that the computer can communicate with hosts on the same subnet, but not with hosts on a different subnet. No other computers are having problems. Which of the configuration values would you most likely need to change?

Default gateway

After several new computers are connected to a network device, every computer connected to the device begins to experience slow transfer speeds. Which of the following is the FIRST step to troubleshoot this problem?

Determine whether the network device is a hub or a switch.

A user reports that the projector in the conference room has display issues when it is connected to his laptop. After identifying the cause and completely resolving the issue, the projector displays the images perfectly both on his laptop and on the projector. Which of the following troubleshooting strategies should you perform next?

Document the solution.

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.

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?

Either no memory is installed or the memory was not detected.

Since it has no moving parts, a CPU will usually work properly for several years. Which of the following is a common factor that might cause a CPU to fail prematurely

Electrostatic discharge (ESD)

After removing the printed paper from your laser printer, the toner smudges and can be wiped off in places. Which of the following printer components is MOST likely causing the problem?

Fuser rollers

One of the employees in your company calls and complains that text printed on the laser printer smudges easily and is staining hands and cloths. Which of the following printer components (if adjusted or replaced) would BEST fix the printer?

Fuser unit

After arriving in a new city, a sales team member calls you, stating that his wireless connection no longer works. He has checked the wireless configuration, and he knows it to be correct because it was working yesterday. Which of the following is the FIRST step you should tell the employee to take to resolve the issue?

Have the use verify that the wireless card's hardware switch is in the On position.

You are assisting an employee with rebooting a frozen laptop that does not respond to keystrokes or mouse clicks. Which of the following is the SIMPLEST way to power down the laptop?

Hold down the power button for several seconds.

You manage a network that has multiple internal subnets. You connect a workstation to the 192.168.1.0 subnet using the default subnet mask. This workstation can communicate with some hosts on the private network, but not with other hosts. You run ipconfig /all and see the following: Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : mydomain.local Description . . . . . . . : Broadcom network adapter Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-AA-BB-CC-74-EF DHCP Enabled . . . . . . . : No Autoconfiguration Enabled. . . : Yes IPv4 Address . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102(Preferred) Subnet Mask . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1 DNS Servers. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.20 Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

Incorrect default gateway

You manage a network that has multiple internal subnets. You connect a workstation to the 192.168.1.0 subnet, which uses the default subnet mask. This workstation can communicate with some hosts on the private network, but not with other hosts. You run ipconfig /all and see the following: Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : mydomain.local Description . . . . . . . : Broadcom network adapter Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-AA-BB-CC-74-EF DHCP Enabled . . . . . . . : No Autoconfiguration Enabled. . . : Yes IPv4 Address . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102(Preferred) Subnet Mask. . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1 DNS Servers . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.20 192.168.1.27 Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

Incorrect subnet mask

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?

Install a 64-bit version of the operating system.

A user has created a complex spreadsheet on her workstation containing many graphs and charts. She sent the document to an older network laser printer that is shared by everyone in her department. When she picks up the print job, only the top half of each page is printed, and the bottom half is blank. Which of the following will MOST likely rectify this issue?

Install additional memory in the printer.

Which of the following projector issues would MOST likely be caused by poor air flow through dirty vents in the projector?

Intermittent shutdowns

Which of the following is the MOST likely symptom of a dirty drum or roller in a laser printer?

Lines or speckles repeated at regular intervals on the print job.

You have recently purchased a 3D resin printer. After printing out a few 3D objects, the printer begins producing grinding noises. What is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Loose printer screws

You are a system administrator for a financial institution. Most of your employees work at home and have various work environments. One of your account managers is complaining that customer data is disappearing from her account management application. She insists that she saves data regularly and has not had a problem until recently. Her workstation has both a solid-state drive (SSD) and a traditional hard drive. She runs the application from the SSD drive, but stores the customer data on the hard drive. She has recently moved her desk to a room in her house that is used for entertainment. The room has a sound system with several installed speakers for surround sound. Which of the following types of interference might be causing the issue with disappearing customer data?

Magnetic fields

After installing two memory modules, you power on the system to check for errors. You find that the BIOS program recognizes only one of the memory modules. Which of the following is BEST to try first when troubleshooting this issue?

Make sure that both modules are seated properly in their slots.

Several of your employees are experiencing limited connectivity issues when trying to access some websites on the internet from their workstations. However, they can access the local company network without any problems. You have already tried using the "ip" and "ipconfig" commands to determine that the websites can be reached and that the IP information on the workstations is configured properly. You know that the connection to your internet service provider is working properly as well. What should you do next?

Make sure that the DNS server is functioning properly.

An employee complains that their LCD notebook display has started to go dim intermittently. You suspect the backlight might need to be replaced, but you want verify that the backlight is failing before you replace it. You have already checked the power adapter cord to make sure it is plugged in securely. Which of the following would be BEST to check next before replacing the backlight?

Make sure that the dimming isn't being caused by a power saving method that has been configured to conserve notebook power.

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?

Make sure that the hard disk is connected to the power supply.

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.

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.

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?

Make sure the power connectors on the SSD (Solid State Drive) 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?

Move the modules to the correct motherboard slots.

You have just installed a wireless network, but the network is experiencing slow speeds, especially when accessing the internet from your workstation. Which action should you try FIRST to resolve the issue?

Move the wireless access point.

Which tool would you use to measure electrical properties, such as voltage, amps, and resistance?

Multimeter

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?

No Media

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 8

After using your LCD monitor for about three months, you notice a small black dot in one area of the screen. Regardless of what is shown on the monitor, the dot remains the same color and in the same location. Which of the following is the BEST method for removing the black dot from the monitor?

Play a video designed to fix dead pixels.

You are troubleshooting a malfunctioning laptop computer. Nothing appears on the LED display when the system is powered on. Which of the following is the BEST step to try first?

Plug in an external monitor.

Which of the following is a common cause for high latency issues on a network?

Port flapping

Which of the following issues causes variations in the latency of VoIP packets?

Port flapping

You have connected our laptop to a large TV for a presentation, but the second screen (the TV) only shows a copy of your desktop wallpaper and nothing else. What can you do to quickly enable projecting your display to the TV?

Press the Windows key + P twice

You have recently purchased a gaming laptop and want to make sure that it is properly ventilated to avoid overheating. Which of the following is the BEST way to avoid overheating the laptop (especially when gaming for hours)?

Purchase a special laptop cooling base.

Which of the following is true about RFI (Radio-Frequency Interference)?

RFI is caused by nearby devices, such as cordless phones or microwave ovens.

You are troubleshooting a laptop system that uses a digitizer pad and stylus for user input. The user has complained that tapping the stylus on the digitizer pad taps about one inch to the right of where the taps actually occur. Which of the following actions would MOST likely fix this issue?

Recalibrate the digitizer pad.

A technician is tasked with repairing a laptop keyboard with a sticking key. Which of the following actions should the technician perform FIRST to try and fix the issue?

Remove the key and clean underneath it.

You work for a company based in Phoenix, Arizona, which is a very hot and dry area. Several people in the research department have reported that even though their files are printing to the laser printer correctly, a much lighter copy of the same text also prints within 2 to 3 cm of the original text. Which of the following would MOST likely fix this type of ghosting image?

Replace the imaging drum, as it is probably at end of life.

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.

For the past few days, your mobile phone has stopped functioning and does not respond to touchscreen input. A soft reset no longer fixes the problem. Which of the following is the BEST step you can take to fix this problem?

Reset to factory default.

As a computer technician, you are troubleshooting a client's computer that is experiencing intermittent crashes and sudden reboots. The client reports that these issues started happening after a recent memory upgrade. You have already confirmed that the new memory modules are compatible with the system and are properly installed. What would be the next BEST step to diagnose the issue?

Run a memory diagnostic tool to check for any memory errors.

After restoring the operating system on a mobile device, the touchscreen operates unpredictably. This happens in both the default orientation or when the screen is rotated. Which of the following BEST helps you correct the problem?

Screen calibration

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.

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?

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?

Set the visual effects for best performance.

After arriving at work, you turn on your computer to begin your day. Instantly, you see smoke and smell a strange odor coming from the computer. Which of the following would be the MOST important action to take first?

Shut off the system immediately.

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?

Signal drop or weak signal

After receiving several complaints from the employees in your company about a laser printer, you start the troubleshooting process. After printing out a few pages, you conclude that the most probable cause is a dirty drum. Which of the following is the MOST logical reason for this conclusion?

Speckles at regular intervals on the page

A user reports that he is unable to access data on an external hard drive. You investigate the problem and determine that the USB cable connection to the hard drive is damaged. You replace the cable. Which of the following actions should you take next?

Test the solution.

A user reports that her monitor has stopped working. While troubleshooting the issue, you discover a bad video card in the system. You replace the card and connect the monitor cable to the card. Which of the following actions should you perform NEXT in your troubleshooting strategy?

Test the solution.

A laptop has a wired connection to a network and is configured with a static IP address. The link light on the NIC is lit, but the laptop cannot communicate with any hosts on the local network. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

The IP address conflicts with another host on the local network.

Sound is not coming from the internal speaker on a tablet device, even after a user checks the volume settings and makes sure that the tablet is not muted. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason?

The audio output is being directed to a Bluetooth speaker.

Your laser printer prints a vertical black line on every page. You change the toner cartridge, but the problem does not go away. What is the MOST likely problem?

The corona wire is dirty.

An employee is trying to log in to Windows on their notebook computer. The employee enters the correct password for the user account, but the system won't let the employee authenticate, claiming the wrong password has been entered. Which of the following is MOST likely causing this problem?

The employee has turned Num Lock on, causing the keyboard to register numbers instead of letters.

You are a network administrator troubleshooting a network printer that is frequently experiencing paper jams. You have checked the paper tray and confirmed that the paper is not curled, wrinkled, dusty, wet, torn, or folded. The paper stack does not exceed the limit nor is above the arrow on the edge guide. However, the printer still jams when multiple pages are being fed. What should you check next?

The feed rollers and the tray alignment guide

When you try to boot your computer, it hangs after POST. When you access the UEFI setup program, you see that the date is several years behind, and the time is set to 12:01 a.m. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this behavior?

The motherboard battery has failed.

You are updating the operating system on your iPad. Your iPad is connected to your computer, and you are using iTunes to install the update. Which of the following BEST describes what would happen to your iPad if you disconnect it before the operating system update is complete?

The operating system could become corrupted.

One of your employees has called to complain about their laptop computer. The employee reports that their laptop keeps turning off automatically before the level reaches 5%. Which of the following is MOST likely causing this issue?

The power meter is incorrectly reporting the available battery power.

Oliver, a user in your company, is using an Inkjet printer. After using this printer for several months, he notices that streaks are beginning to appear on his printed pages. Oliver has asked you to fix this issue. Which of the following is MOST likely causing Oliver's printer to malfunction?

The printer's heads are out of position and need to be aligned.

A laptop has a wired connection to a network and is configured with a static IP address. The link light on the NIC is lit, but the laptop cannot communicate with any hosts on the local network. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

The static IP address and subnet mask are configured with the wrong network address.

A user generates printouts consisting of several pages of seemingly random characters every time he prints to a network printer. The printer seems to work fine for all other users. What is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

The user is using an incorrect printer driver.

Hannah has been working for your company for several years. Recently, she moved to a new department, which is located on a different floor. After the move, Hannah informs you that when she tries to print a Microsoft Word document (the same program she has always used), the printer on her new floor prints page after page of seemingly random characters. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of Hannah's print problems?

The wrong printer driver has been selected.

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

This event can require more memory and can cause problems if there is not enough memory when it occurs: - Software installation Memory is not properly seated, is missing, or the motherboard is defective: - First boot of a new computer Incompletely or improperly doing this can cause errors that appear to be memory-related: - Hardware installation or removal The memory is incompatible and was not installed and configured properly: - Memory upgrade

An employee calls the help desk, stating that the touchpad on their laptop does not work. Which of the following actions would BEST help you diagnose the problem

Toggle the touchpad function key.

After starting your Apple iMAC computer, you immediately experience the Spinning Pinwheel of Death (SPoD) crash screen. Which of the following should you do FIRST to try to resolve the problem?

Try to reboot the computer.

In preparation to use your laptop on an airplane as you travel to a conference, you disconnected the external USB mouse. However, you notice that the cursor drifts consistently to the left side of the screen while using the built-in trackpad and mouse buttons on the notebook. Which of the following actions will MOST likely stop the mouse from drifting?

Update the trackpad drivers.

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 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.

While changing the toner cartridge in your laser printer, you accidently spill toner in and around the printer. Which of the following is the BEST method for cleaning up the spilled toner?

Use an anti-static micro-filtering vacuum.

For the past several days, print jobs from your Inkjet printer have been missing colors and leaving gaps. Which of the following will MOST likely resolve the problem?

Use an automatic printhead cleaning feature.

An employee in the sales department cannot get his laptop to display through a projector. He sees the screen output on the built-in laptop display, but the video is not being displayed through the projector. Which of the following steps would be BEST to try first?

Use the fn key to redirect display to the external video port.

Which of the following paper types should you not use in Inkjet printers?

Very glossy paper not specifically marked "For inkjet printers."

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?

View the temperature from within the BIOS.

You are testing a printer that you just installed by using the operator panel on the printer to print a test page. Later, you use the printer properties on your computer to print a test page. Instead of a normal test page, you receive several pages with garbled characters on them. What is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

Wrong printer driver

You have purchased a refurbished Windows laptop and have just plugged the power adapter into the wall socket to begin charging the battery. However, after several hours of charging, the laptop does not turn on. What is the MOST likely cause of the power issue?

You have been given the incorrect adapter.

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.

An employee claims that they are unable to connect to the internet and has called the company's help desk for a solution. Having been assigned to this issue, you decide to first test whether or not TCP/IP is working correctly on the local computer. Which of the following is the BEST command to use for this test?

ping 127.0.0.1

You have had several employees call the help desk where you work, complaining that they are not able to reach the www.widgets.com server. To help troubleshoot this issue, you decide to run a variety of commands. Which of the following commands is MOST likely to return the IP address of the desired server?

ping www.widgets.com

You have just finished upgrading your desktop system's CPU. After running for about 15 minutes, the system spontaneously shuts down. Which steps should you take FIRST to begin troubleshooting the issue? (Select two.)

- Check the CPU fan power. - Make sure that you used thermal paste for the CPU.

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 display device. - Toggle the dual display function key.

When you turn on your workstation, you immediately hear a grinding or clicking noise coming from inside the computer case. Which of the following are the MOST likely causes of this noise?

- Dust buildup that needs to be cleaned. - A wire hanging over a fan with the blades tapping on it.

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 CPU is bad.

Which of the following are the MOST likely signs that your computer might need more memory? (Select two.)

- Your hard drive is constantly operating as you work. - Your hard drive light on the system case is on for long periods of time.

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 may mean different things. They need to reference the motherboard documentation.

Lately, you hear a clicking noise when reading or writing data from the hard disk. What is the MOST likely cause of the clicking?

Failing hard drive

You have just upgraded your computer's CPU. You consulted the motherboard documentation to make sure that the CPU was compatible with the motherboard. However, when you turn the system on, it locks up shortly after startup. Which of the following are the BEST steps to try first while troubleshooting this issue? (Select two.)

- Make sure that the CPU is seated properly, oriented correctly, and locked in to the socket. - Look for something that could be causing the new CPU to overheat.

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.

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 more physical RAM.

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.

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 surge protector is turned on. - Make sure that the power cord is plugged in to the wall.

You are troubleshooting a malfunctioning laptop computer. Nothing appears on the LCD display when the system is powered on. When you connect an external monitor to the system, the Windows desktop is displayed on the monitor properly. Which of the following is MOST likely causing this problem? (Select two.)

- The LCD assembly is malfunctioning. - The display output has been redirected to the external monitor port using an fn key.

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 power adapter was accidentally unplugged. - The monitor's inverter has gone bad.

Lately, your computer has been spontaneously shutting down after only a few minutes of use. What is the likely cause? (Select two.)

- The power connector for the fan was not connected to the motherboard. - The heat sink and fan were not installed correctly.

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?

Change the screen resolution to the native resolution of the monitor.

You are currently running a video editing application on your Windows 11 laptop. The laptop includes both an SSD drive and a traditional hard drive. You run the video application on the hard drive, but you would like to install and run the app from the SSD drive to enhance performance speed. Which of the following should you do to protect the video application and associated data files from drive failure when you move them to the SSD drive?

Configure an automatic backup to the hard disk drive.

A user sends a print job to a network printer, and it prints page after page of random characters. He calls the help desk, and a technician discovers that the wrong printer driver had been loaded on the user's workstation. The technician loads the correct driver, verifies that the system works correctly, and documents the resolution. Which of the following actions should the technician perform next?

Educate the user as to how the problem was resolved and verify that they are satisfied with the results.

Your system crashes at various times. It happens sometimes on startup, sometimes when running a software application, and sometimes when a certain group of applications is running. You suspect a malfunctioning CPU, but none of the common issues seem to be present. You have not configured overclocking. There is no overheating. The CPU is seated correctly and locked into its socket. What is the BEST step you can take to determine if the CPU is causing the system crashes?

Replace the suspect CPU with a known good CPU of the same make and model.

You are assisting Ann, who reports that the display on her company-issued smartphone is too dim to read in a dark room, even after she adjusts the brightness setting. Which of the following actions should you perform FIRST? (Select two.)

- Adjust the adaptive or automatic brightness control. - Adjust the battery saver setting.

Which of the following are critical times when memory problems manifest themselves? (Select two.)

- After you remove or install hardware - On the first boot of a new computer

The contrast on your projector's output is not displaying properly. In addition, the images continually flicker. What is the MOST likely cause of the projector's display problems?

A bulb is close to burning out.

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 hard drive

While trying to use a projector for a presentation, you receive an error that states, "No signal detected." What is the MOST likely cause of this error?

A loose HDMI cable

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?

An accumulation of dust has gradually built up.

While running a graphics editing program on your Windows workstation, a screen suddenly pops up with an error message warning. You note the error message, but the only way to continue working is to reboot your system. What is this type of error screen called?

BSoD (Blue Screen of Death)

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 environment and run the "bootrec /rebuildbcd" command.

As an IT technician for your company, you have been notified that the Windows domain does not seem to be functioning properly. Being familiar with domains, you are fairly confident you know what the issue is. But just to be safe, you take the applicable time to gather additional information and to identify what, if anything, has changed. Which of the following is the BEST next step?

Create a hypothesis.

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?

Create an action plan.

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 (Direct Current) volts

A user reports that she can't send print jobs to a specific printer. You are able to reproduce the problem on the user's computer. Which of the following actions should you perform next?

Determine whether anything has changed.

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 battery is warped or swollen.

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?

Disk thrashing

You are troubleshooting a malfunctioning LED display on a notebook computer system. As part of your troubleshooting, you attach an external monitor and find that it displays the output from the notebook. Which of the following is MOST likely causing your LED display to malfunction?

Failed backlight

You are troubleshooting a malfunctioning LCD display on a notebook computer system. After confirming that the notebook is receiving AC power, you plug in an external monitor. The external monitor does not display the output from the notebook after you press the fn key to toggle the display. Which of the following is MOST likely causing this issue?

Failed video adapter

As an IT technician for your company, you are in the process of setting up several servers in your network. During the process, one of the servers was misconfigured and is having trouble synchronizing information with the other servers. Which of the following is the BEST next step?

Gather information.

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 ever successfully printed to that printer?

You are responsible for managing client workstations for your company. A frantic user calls you one morning exclaiming, "Nothing is working!" Which of the following actions should you perform FIRST?

Identify the problem.

Why is it important to have your mobile device charger plugged in while it is receiving an operating system update?

If the battery dies during the update, the operating system could become corrupted.

Your monitor is displaying images in strange colors. Which of the following is MOST likely the solution to this problem?

Increase the color depth.

A technician is troubleshooting a computer that doesn't start up correctly. Which of the following could the technician use to troubleshoot the computer?

Known good spares

Zoey has brought her computer in for servicing. When she dropped off her computer, she mentioned that it spontaneously reboots and freezes occasionally. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of these problems?

Overheated CPU

Steve, a computer technician, receives a help desk ticket for a computer that will not start. When Steve powered the computer on, there was one long and two short beeps. Which of the following programs is reporting this error condition?

POST (Power On Self Test)

A user reports that her system is running slowly when saving files. You determine that you'll need to upgrade her hard disk. You identify the components that are required and schedule the repair for later that afternoon. Which of the following steps have you forgotten in your troubleshooting process?

Perform a backup.

Which of the following tools is specifically designed to test the DC voltage on a hard disk drive power connector?

Power supply tester

You are servicing a laptop that works properly when the power adapter is plugged in. Even though the battery icon shows that the battery is fully charged, when the laptop is unplugged, it immediately shuts down. Which of the following actions MOST likely resolves the issue?

Replace the laptop battery.

When playing videos games or watching movies on your workstation, Windows often freezes and requires that you reboot the system in order to continue. What is the BEST solution to resolve your display issues?

Replace the video card.

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.

You are troubleshooting a malfunctioning laptop computer system. The customer has indicated that the screen is always dark and difficult to read, even while the system is plugged into a wall outlet. You checked the system and determine that the backlight isn't working. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

The LCD cutoff switch is stuck in the Off position.

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.

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.

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.

Your projector is displaying the colors on the screen incorrectly. What is the MOST likely reason for this problem?

The source computer's resolution settings do not match the projector's resolution settings.

Your Windows 11 system powers on, but there is no image on your display. You have not installed a new video card, and 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.