CompTIA A+ Certification Exam - Hardware Troubleshooting Quiz

Which of the CPU connectors on the motherboard should be checked/reseated in order to ensure that the CPU is receiving power?

4/8-pin 12v P4 connector

Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) offers a set of tools and utilities to troubleshoot Windows startup issues. Which of the command-line commands launches a tool for manual troubleshooting of problems related to master boot record (MBR), boot sector, and Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store in Windows RE Command Prompt?

BOOTREC.EXE

A dim display on a laptop LCD screen might indicate a problem related to:

Backlight Inverter

A permanent computer display screen discoloration caused by displaying the same static image for extended periods of time is known as:

Burn-in

Which of the following answers lists a common solution for random time and date resets in Windows?

CMOS battery replacement

A type of tool used for verifying correct electrical connections of wires in a cable is known as:

Cable tester

Which step of the laser printer imaging process requires troubleshooting if a printer produces ghost images on output pages?

Cleaning

Which of the following tools would be used for attaching RJ-45 connectors to a twisted-pair Ethernet cable?

Crimper

Which of the following commands in MS Windows launches a command-line partitioning utility?

DISKPART

In laser printing, long vertical streaks on each output page indicate a problem related to:

Damage to the imaging drum

An actuator arm assembly failure manifested by loud clicking noise emitted from the inside of the computer case is a problem symptom that should prompt for:

Data backup and hard drive replacement

Which of the following could be of help in troubleshooting the "Invalid boot disk" error message?

Disconnecting USB thumb drive, Checking BIOS settings for boot order, Removing floppy disk from the Floppy Disk Drive (FDD)

For a newly added hard drive, this command allows to configure the drive with a file system so that Windows can store information on the disk.

FORMAT

Which of the symptoms listed below would indicate a depleted toner cartridge as the source of a printing problem?

Faded printouts Printing blank pages

A tiny spot on an LCD monitor display screen that permanently remains black when it should be activated and displaying color is commonly referred to as stuck pixel.

False

Which of the following could cause slow performance of a hard drive?

File fragmentation Insufficient amount of RAM

The /F switch of the CHKDSK utility:

Fixes errors on the disk

In laser printing, toner falling off of the printed copy indicates a problem with:

Fusing unit

Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) allows for monitoring system for anticipated:

HDD failures

A Linux command-line utility used for displaying and modifying network interface configuration settings is called:

IFCONFIG

Which of the Windows Command Prompt tools listed below allows to display IP addresses, subnet mask, and default gateway for all adapters?

IPCONFIG

The /R switch of the CHKDSK utility:

Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information Fixes errors on the disk

What of the POST beep code indicates RAM failure?

Long continuous beep code

While troubleshooting problems with a Network Interface Card (NIC), connector pins on the NIC's port can be tested with the use of:

Loopback plug

"Pinwheel" is an informal term used for describing stop errors in:

Mac OS

Which of the PC components listed below would be the most probable source of problems when the issue symptoms on a failing system include loud noise from the inside of the computer case?

Magnetic Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Cooling fans Power Supply Unit (PSU)

A set of printer replacement parts is commonly referred to as:

Maintenance kit

Which of the following actions would solve the problem of leaking/burst/bulged capacitors inside the computer case?

Motherboard replacement

Which of the tools listed below would be used for testing power supply voltage output?

Multimeter

Which of the following answers lists a Windows command-line utility designed to be of help in troubleshooting NetBIOS name resolution problems?

NBTSTAT

The following Windows command-line command can be used to display a list of domains, computers, or shared resources available on a specific computer.

NET VIEW

What is the name of a command-line utility in MS Windows that allows for displaying protocol statistics and current TCP/IP network connections?

NETSTAT

Which of the network administration command-line tools listed below is used for DNS queries?

NSLOOKUP

Which of the following POST beep codes indicates video adapter card failure?

One long, two short beeps

Possible causes of continuous system reboot loops include:

Overheating Hardware failure Corrupted OS installation Misconfigured OS

Excessive dust buildup inside the computer case might be the cause of:

Overheating Unexpected shutdowns Intermittent device failure Continuous reboots

Which of the following command-line utilities allows to test the reachability of a host across an IP network?

PING

Which of the following acronym refers to a series of basic hardware diagnostics test performed by the startup BIOS after the computer is powered on?

POST

Which of the tools listed below can be used to isolate a failing hardware component inside the PC case?

POST card Loopback plug PSU tester

A software that temporarily stores print jobs on the computer hard disk or in memory until the printer is ready to print them is called:

Print spooler

Garbled characters on output pages would indicate a printing problem related to:

Printer driver

Which of the following networking tools would be of help in determining the optimal placement of a WAP?

Proximity reader

Which of the networking tools listed below is used for attaching wires to a patch panel?

Punchdown tool

Microsoft Windows OS command-line command for displaying intermediary points on the packet route is called:

TRACERT

What is the name of a networking tool used for locating a cable in a cabling bundle or tracing individual wires in a cable?

Toner and probe kit

Which of the following tools would be the most appropriate to clean the inside of a laser printer?

Toner vacuum Can of compressed air

APIPA-assigned addresses are valid only for communications within a network segment that a given host is connected to. A host with APIPA-assigned address (i.e. an IP address in the range between 169.254.0.1 and 169.254.255.254) cannot connect to the Internet. The assignment of such address, which can be checked with the IPCONFIG command-line utility, typically indicates a DHCP-related problem.

True

Common fixes for PC components not getting enough power include disconnecting all extraneous peripheral devices that might be putting too much load on the Power Supply Unit (PSU), reseating the PSU cable connectors inside the computer case if necessary, and applying the PSU tester to check if the power supply is working properly.

True

Continuous reboots of a Windows host upon encountering a persistent stop error might be caused by Startup and Recovery configuration settings in the Control Panel System applet (System -> Advanced system settings -> Advanced -> Startup and Recovery -> Settings... -> System failure).

True

Disk Defragmenter is a software tool used for rearranging data on magnetic drives in order to improve system performance. Defragmentation results in faster read/write operations of the magnetic hard drive's read/write heads as they can access the data sequentially without seeking data fragments in different areas of the disk (defragmentation consolidates data into smallest contiguous regions).

True

Replacing a faulty mechanical component of a magnetic drive requires specialized environment and diagnostic tools.

True

Similarly to magnetic drives, Solid State-Drives (SSDs) require periodic defragmentation in order to improve system performance.

True

The Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) in MS Windows provides technical information that might be of help for advanced users in solving the problem that caused the stop error. The information displayed on the screen when Windows encounters this type of error typically includes error code, memory address where it occurred, and the name of the driver that caused it.

True

Unexpected system shutdowns and reboots can be caused by overheating of the PC's internal components.

True

Which of the following steps would ensure the proper re-assembly of a serviced laptop?

Usage of appropriate hand tools. Documenting and labeling cable and screw locations . Magnetic mat/separate containers used for holding disassembled parts. Manufacturer documentation used as a reference .

What is the name of a tool used for removing electrical insulation cover from electric wires?

Wire stripper

When a computer monitor is unable to display image on the screen, the most common causes (and the easiest ones to fix) for this problem include:

Wrong input selection

Which of the actions listed below should be of help while troubleshooting non-responsive touchscreen of a mobile device? A. Reseating the device's battery B. Erasing all content/settings and restoring the device to factory defaults (factory reset/hard reset) . C. Pressing a specific key combination/button to perform system restart (soft reset) . D. Removing screen protector and cleaning the screen . E. All of the above

all of the above

POST CARD

is used for troubleshooting computer startup problems.

A feature that can be found in some types of PC Power Supply Units (PSUs) that allows the PSU to automatically adapt to the AC voltage supplied from the power socket is called:

Auto-switching