IT Essentials Midterm Review

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 a small business. She wants the added protection so the computer will not crash due to a memory error. a. ECC b. Buffered c. Registered d. Unbuffered

a. ECC

An employee informs the help desk the laptop they are using cannot update the login credentials when they plug it in to the company's wired network. Wireless connectivity is fine, but the login credentials cannot be updated using Wi-Fi. What is a possible action the help desk could take to troubleshoot the problem? a. Use a loopback plug b. Use a USB to RJ-45 dongle c. Ping the loopback address d. Replace the network card

a. Use a loopback plug

A technician is building a custom gaming computer for a customer. In what order should the technician install the main components? a. power supply, drives, motherboard, cards b. drives, motherboard, cards, power supply c. mother board, power supply, drives, and cards d. motherboard, cards, power supply, drives

a. power supply, drives, motherboard, cards

What type of processor memory is located on the processor chip (processor die)?

Level 1 cache

What connector has 4 pins, is used for older IDE drives and some SATA drives, and can provide +5 V and +12 V power outputs?

Molex connector

What two devices in a computer should be considered "black boxes," and should never be opened due to risks involving charged capacitors?

Power supply & Monitors

A network technician is on a service call at a remote residential location. He forgot to take some Ethernet cables and needs to make one.What type of connector will he need on both ends of the cable?

RJ-45

When you build a computer from parts, you usually start by deciding on which two parts listed below?

The motherboard & The processor

Which statements are true regarding motherboards? (Select two) a. Has a heat sink on the PCIe slots b. Has a CPU socket c. Has slots for DIMMs d. Also called a daughter card e. Has eSATA ports for internal SSDs

b. Has a CPU socket c. Has slots for DIMMs

You are upgrading the RAM in a home computer you bought in 2018. The motherboard supports a quad channel memory configuration. What two types of memory will help maximize performance? a. DDR2 b. DDR1 c. DDR3 d. DDR4 e. DDR5

c. DDR3 d. DDR4

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? a. CMOS RAM has become corrupt. b. CMOS battery is failing. c. RAM module has become unseated. d. System is overheating.

c. RAM module has become unseated.

What process writes sector markings to a hard drive?a. Partitioningb. High-level formattingc. Sector provisioningd. Low-level formatting

d. Low-level formatting

What two optical disc drive standards support writing discs with a total capacity of 8.5GB?

DVD-R DL & DVD+R DL

What is the most likely result of a correctly installed processor, but an incorrectly installed cooler?

If the system comes up and begins the boot process but suddenly turns off

Your customer wants to build a new computer and needs to make sure he orders the correct power supply for his machine.What should you tell him to check to make sure he orders the correct power supply? (Select all that apply.)

Video requirements Wattage requirements Number of hard drives Form factor

When is it okay to touch the inside of a computer that is turned on?

When using a multimeter to measure voltage output

At what point during the motherboard installation should you install the motherboard drivers?

You need to verify Windows will boot without errors and there are no conflicts reported

What SATA standard provides a transfer rate of 3 GB/sec?a. SATA3.2b. SATA2c. SATA3d. SATA1

b. SATA2

Motherboards may contain which three of the following ports on the I/O panel? a. PCIe ports b. USB ports c. HDMI, DVI, and/or DisplayPort d. RJ-45 LAN port e. SATAe

b. USB ports c. HDMI, DVI, and/or DisplayPort d. RJ-45 LAN port

A processor housing that contains more than one processor is referred to as what term? a. Multithreaded processor b. Multiprocessor platform c. Multihoused processor d. Multicore processor

d. Multicore processor

What type(s) of port transmits both digital audio and digital video with a single connector?

DisplayPort & HDMI

Jenny is working on a laptop computer and notices that the computer is not running very fast. She looks and realizes that the laptop supports 8GB of RAM and that the computer is running only 4GB of RAM. Jenny would like to add four more gigabits 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 DDR3 has 204 pins

Which statement best describe when you would need to use a Thunderbolt 3 port as opposed to a DisplayPort or an HDMI port?

When you need to transmit video, audio, data, and power on the same port and cable

A few users need to connect an external monitor, external keyboard and mouse, and to a wired network cable to their laptop while visiting a remote office. The laptops are not from the same manufacturer. Which of the following devices will allow the users to connect their laptops to the external devices? a. Port replicator b. Expansion card c. USB to RJ-45 dongle d. Docking station

a. Port replicator

Lin is booting up his computer. Sometimes during the boot process, the computer will shut down, but more often than not it will reboot on its own or simply freeze. He thinks the problem could be due to an intermittent undervoltage problem with 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? a. RAM b. Processor c. Motherboard d. Hard drive

a. RAM

Kiera is building a new computer and wants to make sure she has an adequate power supply for all the new components she is purchasing. She will be installing three HDDs, with each using 25 watts. The processor she is using will need 125 watts. The motherboard will use 80 watts. RAM will require 3 watts for each of the four DDR3 DIMM modules. Her video card will need 400 watts to run at the maximum level. She wants to keep the cost as low as possible for the power supply. Which power supply would you recommend? a. 800W power supply b. 900W power supply c. 700W power supply d. 600W power supply

b. 900W power supply

For maximum efficiency and performance, a highly tuned and specialized application needs to run on a system capable of handling exactly 16 threads at the same time from the operating system. Which two of the following will best meet the specified requirement? a. A system with a 64-bit operating system installed b. A system board with two quad-core processors c. A motherboard with four dual-core processors d. A motherboard with two 8-core processors e. A system board with four quad-core processors

b. A system board with two quad-core processors c. A motherboard with four dual-core processors

You and a friend decide to watch a movie on your computer. The movie is saved on a second hard drive on your system. When you are ready to watch the movie, you can't find it on your computer. You try to locate the second hard drive, and it is no longer listed in Windows. What might be the problem with the movie and the hard drive? a. Video card has crashed. b. Hard drive has crashed. c. Video player app crashed. d. Movie has been deleted.

b. Hard drive has crashed.

Devon would like to install a new hard drive on his computer. Because he does not have a SATA port available on his motherboard, he has decided to purchase a NVME SSD hard drive. How can Devon attach a NVME device to his computer? (Select all that apply.) a. Internal USB connection b. M.2 slot on the motherboard c. PCIe expansion card d. U.2 port on the motherboard

b. M.2 slot on the motherboard c. PCIe expansion card d. U.2 port on the motherboard

You are installing a 1.5 TB hard drive in a computer. What two methods could you use to partition the hard drive? a. Standard Partition Layout (SPL) b. Master Boot Record (MBR) c. BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) d. GUID Partition Table (GPT) e. Extended Partitioning Scheme (EPS)

b. Master Boot Record (MBR) d. GUID Partition Table (GPT)

Dakota uses a power supply tester to examine the power supply on a friend's desktop computer that is exhibiting problems. The tester measured a 7 V reading from the +12 V output. Which devices are most likely to be affected by this deficiency? Select two. a. Keyboard and mouse b. SATA Drives c. USB Ports d. Graphics cards e. CPU

b. SATA Drives d. Graphics cards

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? a. Processor is not compatible. b. Thermal compound was not used. c. Processor is not seated properly. d. Computer is overclocked.

b. Thermal compound was not used.

Johan is a hard drive performance engineer working at a major storage device manufacturer. He needs to measure, record, and analyze the throughput, IOPS, and the latency of the different models of drives the company produces. What is the difference between these three parameters? Select three. a. IOPS is the amount of data flow through a point in the data path in one second. b. Throughput is the amount of data flow through a point in the data path in one second. c. Latency measures the amount of read write operations performed in one second. d. IOPS measures the number of read or write operations performed in one second. e. Latency measures the time required to process a data request or a transaction. f. Throughput measures the time required to process a data request or a transaction.

b. Throughput is the amount of data flow through a point in the data path in one second. d. IOPS measures the number of read or write operations performed in one second. e. Latency measures the time required to process a data request or a transaction.

What is the maximum throughput speed of PCI Express Version 6.0 using 16 lanes? a. 63 GB/sec b. 16 GB/sec c. 126 GB/sec d. 32 GB/sec

c. 126 GB/sec

Delonte has been using his computer at work every day for two years with no problems. The nature of his work requires him to frequently create and delete test files of different types and sizes. However, he is starting to notice that his computer is slowing down. What Windows tool can be used to verify Windows is relocating data to help with performance? a. Disk Cleanup b. Defraggler c. Defrag and Optimization tool d. Computer Management

c. Defrag and Optimization tool

What is the general name of the processor feature that AMD calls HyperTransport? a. Multicore processing b. Virtualization c. Multithreading d. Multiprocessor platform

c. Multithreading

Lucas works at a small production company that receives contracts to perform high-end video editing and rendering. He needs to buy systems with the ability to write 30 Gb/sec to a storage medium. What standard should the systems support? a. eSATA b. SATA 3.x c. NVM Express d. SATA Express

c. NVM Express

You replace an internal drive that is only used to backup data on a computer. Before you install the case cover, you power on the computer and observe the disk drive lights are not blinking. You suspect it may not be receiving power, but cannot find the power supply tester. How can you quickly verify whether power is being supplied to the disk drive? a. Run diagnostic software once the OS loads b. Replace the power supply c. Use a POST card d. Use a multimeter

d. Use a multimeter

What command line utility can be used to repair the BCD on a Windows installation?a. chkdskb. diskpartc. dfrguid. bootrec

d. bootrec

You bought a new computer with two case fans that constantly run a little loud. However, right out of the box, you notice the system is exhibiting intermittent problems. You go into the BIOS and observe the CPU temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Which of the following best describes the thought process you should employ in your troubleshooting efforts? a. Consider removing the heat sink from the CPU and properly reapplying the thermal paste. b. Consider using a can of compressed air to blow clean the inside of the case and components. c. Consider whether the case fans are working properly, and if the system air flow is adequate. d. Consider troubleshooting issues and possibilities that are not necessarily related to cooling.

d. Consider troubleshooting issues and possibilities that are not necessarily related to cooling.

This morning when Paul turned on his computer at work, it would not boot. Instead, Paul reported that he heard a loud clicking noise coming from inside his computer.What might be the problem with Paul's computer?a. SSD hard drive failed.b. DVD drive failed.c. Video card failed.d. Magnetic hard drive failed.

d. Magnetic hard drive failed.

A company is researching motherboards for a small / compact low-end system they are designing to be used in a home theater system. Which motherboard form factor is the company most likely to use? a. mATX b. mITX c. E-ATX d. ATX

b. mITX

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 (the game), you received an error message saying, "Insufficient memory or disk space." You checked the hard drive, and it has more than 250GB of free space. What should you check next in Task Manager? a. Amount of disk space being used by the application. b. Programs that are running. c. Amount of processor being used. d. Amount of RAM available.

d. Amount of RAM available.

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 tool can help discover and report computer errors and conflicts that occur when you first turn on a computer and before the operating system is launched

Power On Self Test (POST)

Thomas came into work this morning and turned on his computer and nothing happened.He immediately called the help desk, and you were sent to fix his computer.While talking with Thomas about his computer, you find out that when he turns on the computer, he has lights and fans, but nothing else happens.He also tells you that nobody else has done anything with his computer.Nothing has been added or changed, since it worked the day before.You decide to try to re-create the problem, and when you turn on the computer, there are lights and fans, but no beeps and no video.You notice that the keyboard light does not come on. ​What can you determine about the problem with Thomas's computer? (Select all that apply.)

Processor has gone bad or is not seated properly. Motherboard has failed.

While you are working on your computer, it shuts down unexpectedly, and you detect a burning smell. When you remove the case cover, you notice a distended capacitor.What can you do to fix this problem?

Replace the motherboard

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

Terry came into work and turned on his computer. During the boot process, the computer shut down. When he tried again, the computer showed the error message, OS not found. Terry called the help desk and explained the computer issue. The help desk technician asked Terry to open the computer.As a help desk technician, what would you have Terry check on his computer with the case cover removed? a. SATA cable connection b. Properly seated RAM c. CMOS battery d. P1 Power connection

a. SATA cable connection

You decide to add three new hard drives to your computer so that you can increase the amount of storage on it. When you install the hard drives, you find enough SATA connections on the motherboard, but it is short one SATA power connector. What is the easiest way to add a SATA power connector to the system? a. Use a Molex to SATA power adapter. b. Use the Molex connector. c. Purchase a new power supply. d. You will not be able to add the SATA hard drive.

a. Use a Molex to SATA power adapter.

When handling a motherboard, cards, or drive, which statement is NOT accurate? a. You should not hold expansion cards by the edges. b. You should not touch chips on the device. c. You should not touch edge connectors. d. You should not touch any soldered components on a card.

a. You should not hold expansion cards by the edges.

A field service technician is replacing a server motherboard that supports CPUs with multithreading capabilities. The technician notices the motherboard has four processor sockets. If each socket supports a quad-core processor, how many logical processors does the system appear to have? a. 4 b. 32 c. 8 d. 16

b. 32

Tomi buys a CPU from a computer store. The retail box references the amount of L1 cache in the list of features. What is it referring to? a. The maximum amount of memory the processor can access b. The amount of memory residing directly on the processor die c. The memory between the CPU package and the DIMM slots d. The memory in the CPU package, but not on the processor die

b. The amount of memory residing directly on the processor die

What technology is used to assure that the logical block addressing on a solid-state drive does not always address the same physical blocks, in order to distribute write operations? a. SMART b. Wear leveling c. Data migration d. Trimming

b. wear leveling

You are helping a friend build a computer with a modern motherboard that is compatible with the ATX form factor. What type of power supply should you use? a. One with a 15-pin power connector b. One with an 8-pin power connector c. One with a 24-pin power connector d. One with a 20-pin power connector

c. One with a 24-pin power connector

Your manager wants you to build a custom computer for a dedicated application. Which of the following is NOT a factor that needs to be considered? a. What form factor does the motherboard use? b. What is the price of the motherboard? c. What operating system will be installed? d. How is the motherboard going to be used?

c. What operating system will be installed?

Orlando's company is upgrading their networking equipment and gave him an older enterprise grade router. He wants to configure it using an old computer he found in his garage. What type of serial cable will most likely fit his old computer? a. A cable that will plug into the 6-Pin port b. A cable that will plug into the DB15 port c. A cable that will plug into the 25-Pin port d. A cable that will plug into the DB9 port

d. A cable that will plug into the DB9 port

You install a virtual machine app such as VMware or Virtual Box. However, when you try to create a virtual machine, they system issues a message implying that virtualization is not supported. How/where could you potentially fix the problem? a. Virtualization Jumper b. Windows Control Panel c. TPM chip d. BIOS/UEFI

d. BIOS/UEFI

Which statement is NOT true regarding Coffee Lake chipsets?

is not backwards compatible with earlier generation processors.

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.)

Document and label the location of the screws and cables before removing them. Organize and place all parts and screws and in one place.

You are troubleshooting a laptop with multiple sticking keys that result in misspelled words while the user types. Other than several sticking keys, the laptop appears to be functioning properly. You have cleaned the keyboard with compressed air, but the problem persists. After removing one of the key tops, it becomes apparent that a liquid was spilled into the keyboard. Which of the following is the next step in resolving the issue of sticking keys? a. Clean the keyboard keys with a contact cleaner. b. Replace the laptop system board and reseat all connections. c. Disconnect and reseat the keyboard ribbon cable. d. Replace the keyboard with a compatible keyboard.

a. Clean the keyboard keys with a contact cleaner.

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 laptop system board. b. Henry can purchase a new laptop. c. Henry can replace the battery again, as the second battery could also be bad. d. Henry can use the laptop only when it's connected to the power using the AC adapter.

a. Henry can replace the laptop system board. b. Henry can purchase a new laptop. d. Henry can use the laptop only when it's connected to the power using the AC adapter.

Leroy buys three identical 2 TB SSDs to implement a fault tolerant RAID configuration. He configures RAID 1 using the three disks, and later discover that the total storage is only 2 TB. What alternative, if any, does Leroy have? a. Implement RAID 5 b. Implement RAID 0 c. He has no alternative d. Implement RAID 01 e. Implement RAID 10

a. Implement RAID 5

You are reviewing new RAM to purchase for a gaming computer and find three different RAM modules that are the same except for their CL rating. The memory with which rating will work best? a. CL18 b. CL15 c. They will all perform at the same speed. d. CL20

b. CL15

Your computer system loses power while you are working on a project for a very important client. When the computer restarts, you hear continuous short beeps coming from your computer, and the monitor is showing no signal. What do the beeps mean? a. Processor has failed and needs to be replaced. b. POST has failed, and you should research the BIOS beep codes. c. Motherboard needs to be replaced. d. POST has passed, and your computer is working properly; you should check the video cable. e. RAM should be reseated in the DIMM slots on the motherboard.

b. POST has failed, and you should research the BIOS beep codes.

Keion works as a freelancer creating websites and designing logos for clients. He recently had a hard drive failure and lost work for a client, and he would like to prevent the same type of problem from happening again. Keion does not want to rely on a backup but would like a way to ensure that his data is safe on his computer. You recommend that he create a RAID array that will provide fault tolerance and not suffer data loss if one drive fails. What RAID configuration should you recommend to Keion? a. RAID 10 b. RAID 1 c. RAID 0 d. RAID 5

b. RAID 1

During routine maintenance on your server, you discover that one of the hard drives on your RAID array is starting to go bad. After you replace the drive and rebuild the data, you run diagnostics on the RAID controller card with no problems, so you believe you fixed the problem. The next morning you arrive at work and discover that the RAID has completely failed. None of the disks are working. Your server is still running because you installed the OS on a non-RAID disk, but all the data is missing, and the server shows that none of your RAID disks are found. What might be the problem with your server? (Select all that apply.) a. RAM b. RAID controller c. CPU d. Power supply e. Motherboard

b. RAID controller e. Motherboard

What must your motherboard have to use BitLocker Encryption in Windows 8/10/11 which will ensure that your hard drive cannot be used in another computer? a. BIOS/UEFI password b. TPM chip c. LoJack d. Encrypted USB

b. 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 they try 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? a. Write down everything. b. Take a break and come back later. c. Divide and conquer. d. Don't assume the worst.

b. Take a break and come back later.

Abdel, an electrician, does not know much about computers so he orders a custom computer with a 1000 W power supply. However, the maximum wattage the system needs is 500 W. Which of the following statements are true? Select two a. The computer will run hotter than if using, for example, a 750 W power supply. b. The power supply will run hotter than if using, for example, a 750 W power supply. c. The 1000 W power supply will last longer than, for example, a 750 W power supply. d. The power supply will only deliver up to 500 W of power and operate very efficiently. e. Too much extra power will be drawn potentially creating an electrical hazard.

c. The 1000 W power supply will last longer than, for example, a 750 W power supply. d. The power supply will only deliver up to 500 W of power and operate very efficiently.

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 cable will need to be disconnected from the mini-PCIe slot. b. The keyboard backlight will need to be toggled off by using the appropriate Fn keys. c. The keyboard cable(s) will need to be disconnected from the ZIF socket(s). d. The keyboard bezel will need to be removed. e. The technician will need to remove the display assembly and system board.

c. The keyboard cable(s) will need to be disconnected from the ZIF socket(s). d. The keyboard bezel will need to be removed.

The original P1 connector had 20 pins, why did the development of PCIe induce the adoption of a 24-pin P1 connector? a. To provide an additional 12 volts to the PCIe slots required by graphics cards b. ATX specification 1.1 supports PCIe and calls for additional power requirements c. The four new PCIe slots each require one extra pin on the P1 connector d. PCIe slots are faster than the previous generation and requires more power

d. PCIe slots are faster than the previous generation and requires more power

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? a. Tell her customer she can't fix the problem. b. Test her theory. c. Take a guess about what the problem might be. d. Research the problem on the Internet.

d. Research the problem on the Internet.

Larry got a new job and moved from New York to Hawaii. After a couple of weeks, he notices that occasionally, the time, date, and time zone are all wrong. He has no idea what is happening and believes it is because he moved to a different time zone. What is likely to be causing the problem? a. BIOS is corrupt and needs to be flashed. b. The motherboard is degraded and about to fail. c. The internal clock rate is unstable and drifting. d. Larry didn't set the time on his computer after he moved. e. The CMOS battery is failing and needs to be replaced.

e. The CMOS battery is failing and needs to be replaced.

Jessica wants to purchase a new hard drive. She wants a drive that has fast access because she will use it to edit videos on her PC. She also needs a lot of storage and wants to have at least 4 TB available to save her videos. Jessica wants to keep the cost down as much as possible. What type of hard drive should Jessica purchase? a. SSD HDD b. 7200 RPM magnetic HDD c. USB HDD d. 5400 RPM magnetic HDD

b. 7200 RPM magnetic HDD

Your company sells hundreds of large storage disk arrays every year that can be configured locally using a dedicated laptop. You travel between many customer sites providing maintenance and support to these laptops. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the necessary FRUs as you travel from site to site. At the very least, what type of FRUs will you keep on-hand? a. P1 connectors, SATA cables, video card, and a multimeter b. Memory modules, hard drives, keyboards, and wireless card c. DIMMs, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and wireless card d. Port replicator, webcam, headphones, network cable

b. Memory modules, hard drives, keyboards, and wireless card

Maria has a laptop with a motherboard that is beyond repair. She comes to your computer repair shop and requests that you replace the motherboard. What are two of the most likely responses you will give her?

Buy a new laptop because replacing it will be more cost-effective than repairing it.Your shop has made a conscious decision not to replace motherboards on laptops.

Which two statements are true about 4-pin 12 V, 8-pin 12 V, 6-pin PCIe, and 8-pin PCIe connectors?

The 6-pin and 8-pin PCIe connectors provide auxiliary power to video cards. The 4-pin 12 V and 8-pin 12 V connectors provide auxiliary power to the CPU.