CompTIA A+ 220-801 1.1

B. Rarely The system BIOS generally only requires an update to address a specific problem. Some PCs will never have a firmware upgrade for the entire life of the computer.

How often would you commonly update a system BIOS? A. With the monthly security updates B. Rarely C. Approximately every three months D. Once a year

B. Disable the USB ports Enabling or disabling hardware is a common function of the BIOS, along with modifying startup passwords, viewing hardware information, and much more.

In which of these situations would you be most likely to modify the configuration of your BIOS? A. Modify the default video resolution B. Disable the USB ports C. Configure startup applications and services D. Prevent the installation of new applications

D. BIOS Security The trusted platform module (TPM) is a security feature on the motherboard that manages cryptographic functions.

In which section of the BIOS configuration would you configure the TPM? A. Boot sequence B. Clock speeds C. Virtualization support D. BIOS Security

C. POST POST stands for Power On Self-Test, and is the routine that tests system hardware on startup

What is the name for the routine that tests the motherboard, memory, disk controllers, video, keyboard and other system hardware? A. BIOS B. CMOS C. POST D. CSST

A. Saves information about system devices. The CMOS saves information about system devices.

What is the role of the CMOS in a modern computer? A. Saves information about system devices. B. Tests hardware during system startup. C. Coordinates the use of system hardware with the operating system. D. Loads the operating system into memory.

A. Backup CMOS settings. Before you flash the BIOS, you should backup your CMOS settings. You could go into the CMOS editor and write down the system settings. However, most BIOS manufacturers provide utilities that you can use to backup your CMOS settings to a file

What should you do before flashing the BIOS? A. Backup CMOS settings. B. Change the CMOS battery. C. Password protect the system. D. Connect the computer to a surge protector.

A. Connect the computer to a UPS. If possible, you should connect the computer to a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) before flashing the BIOS. Losing power while you are flashing the BIOS can cause permanent problems.

What should you do if possible before flashing the BIOS? A. Connect the computer to a UPS. B. Change the CMOS battery. C. Password protect the system. D. Upgrade the processor.

A. Whenever a BIOS update provides functionality not currently supported that is required by the operating system or hardware. In general, you need to upgrade the system BIOS whenever the current BIOS does not support a function required by the operating system or by the hardware. Use the CMOS program to change system configuration settings used by the BIOS

When do you need to upgrade the system BIOS? A. Whenever a BIOS update provides functionality not currently supported that is required by the operating system or hardware. B. Whenever installing a new hard disk drive. C. Whenever the BIOS settings need to be modified. D. Whenever upgrading a video card's on-board BIOS.

D. The CMOS battery has failed. The system Time and date are managed by the Real Time Clock (RTC) in the BIOS. If the CMOS memory battery goes dead, the RTC reverts back to a default date and time. In addition, the CMOS chip loses all of its settings.

When you boot the computer, it hangs after asking you for the current time and date. What is the most likely problem? A. The computer needs more RAM. B. The BIOS is outdated. C. Daylight Savings Time has started or ended. D. The CMOS battery has failed.

D. BIOS The basic input/output system (BIOS) is an example of firmware. The BIOS is a software program that is stored on a non-volatile, removable, or erasable semiconductor chip.

Which of the following components is an example of firmware? A. CMOS B. RAM C. Cache D. BIOS

A. Loss of power Losing power while flashing the BIOS could cause permanent problems with the computer. Some computers switch into standby mode after a certain time period. Be sure to disable standby mode before attempting a BIOS upgrade

Which of the following could be detrimental while flashing the BIOS? A. Loss of power B. Application of power C. High humidity D. Low humidity

C. Create a hash of system components A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a hardware cryptoprocessor that resides on the motherboard that stores and generates cryptographic keys. The TPM also generates hash values of system components. The hash value verifies that startup components have not been modified. Because each system will have a unique hash value, the hash can also be used as a form of identification for the system.

Which of the following functions are performed by the TPM? A. Provide authentication credentials B. Encrypt network data using IPSec C. Create a hash of system components D. Perform bulk encryption

C. You are upgrading a processor. A BIOS upgrade might be required while upgrading a processor or other core hardware.

Which of the following situations is most likely to require a system BIOS upgrade? A. You are upgrading a network card. B. You are upgrading a modem. C. You are upgrading a processor. D. You are upgrading a sound card.

B. CMOS memory CMOS memory stores important system information related to the starting of a computer. Data held in CMOS includes the hard disk type and configuration, the order of boot devices to try, and other configurable settings related to the system hardware.

Which of the following stores important system information related to the starting of a computer? A. BIOS B. CMOS memory C. Cache memory D. RAM

C. Chassis intrusion detection Chassis intrusion detection helps you identify when a system case has been opened.

Which of the following would indicate when a system case cover is removed? A. BIOS password B. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) C. Chassis intrusion detection D. DriveLock

D. Disk partitioning options The BIOS does not provide any partitioning functionality. Although a BIOS will recognize a physical storage device, the logical setup of that storage device is the responsibility of the operating system.

Which of these features would not be commonly found in a BIOS? A. Hardware diagnostics B. Date and time settings C. USB port disabling D. Disk partitioning options

D. Press the F2 key when the system starts The BIOS configuration is launched when the system first starts, prior to the operating system loading.

Which of these would be a common way to start the BIOS configuration? A. Start the computer with a diagnostic disc B. Press the F8 key when the Windows splash screen appears C. Select the BIOS configuration in the Windows Control Panel D. Press the F2 key when the system starts

B. Connect to a reliable power source If the BIOS update process is interrupted, the entire computer may not boot. To avoid any power outages during the upgrade, consider connecting to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) before starting.

Which of these would be a good best-practice before performing a BIOS upgrade? A. Perform a disk defragmentation prior to the upgrade B. Connect to a reliable power source C. Install the latest Windows security updates D. Install and enable anti-virus and anti-malware applications

C. Fan speed in RPM The BIOS hardware monitor examines hardware metrics such as CPU temperature, fan speeds, and power voltages.

Which of these would be common to see in the BIOS hardware monitoring feature? A. Video refresh rates B. File access write throughput C. Fan speed in RPM D. Hard drive rotation speed

B. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a special chip on the motherboard that generates and stores cryptographic keys to verify that the hardware has not changed. This value can be used to prevent the system from booting if the hardware has changed.

Which security measure uses a unique key that can be used for hardware system identification? A. BIOS password B. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) C. DriveLock D. Chassis intrusion detection

D. Change the boot order in the BIOS. The most likely cause is that the boot order in the BIOS needs to be changed to boot from the system disk first. When you replace the motherboard, the BIOS and CMOS chips are replaced and previous boot settings are lost.

You have a Windows 7 system with two SATA hard drives, one used for the operating system and the other used for data. You have traced recent problems to a fault in the system motherboard. You replace the motherboard and reconnect all hardware. When you start the computer, the system shows the BIOS information screen, but then returns an error that an operating system could not be found. What should you do? A. Boot into the recovery console and run the fixmbr command. B. Press F6 during startup and load the SATA drivers. C. Boot into Safe Mode and import the disks in Disk Management. D. Change the boot order in the BIOS.

C. Configure a user password in the BIOS Configuring a user password in the BIOS requires that a valid password is entered before the operating system will load.

You want to configure your computer so that a password is required before the operating system will load. What should you do? A. Configure an administrator password in the BIOS B. Configure chassis instruction detection C. Configure a user password in the BIOS D. Require complex passwords in the local security policy

B. Check the System Summary of the System Information utility The System Information utility (msinfo32) provides documentation of nearly every aspect of your computer's hardware, including the version and date of the currently installed BIOS.

You have booted your computer into Windows XP, but now you'd like to check the revision of BIOS on your computer. Which of these methods would be the best way to determine the current BIOS version? A. Use another computer to query the computer BIOS version using WMI B. Check the System Summary of the System Information utility C. Use a LiveCD utility to determine the BIOS version D. Use the "ver" command at the Windows XP Command Prompt

A. Move the motherboard jumper. To reset the BIOS password, most motherboards have a jumper. Removing the jumper or moving it to a different setting for a short period of time clears the password without affecting other CMOS settings.

You have purchased a used computer from a computer liquidator. When you boot the computer, you find that there has been a password set on the BIOS. You need to clear the password so that you can edit the CMOS settings. You want to keep all other CMOS settings. What should you do? A. Move the motherboard jumper. B. Flash the BIOS. C. Press F2 while booting the computer. D. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del while booting the computer.

D. Use the CMOS to change the disk boot order. Some computers display an error message during startup when a bootable optical disc is not in the drive. This only occurs when the optical drive is set as the primary boot device. You should use the CMOS to set the hard disk as the first boot device.

You install Windows 7 on your new computer. After installation, you install several devices, loading drivers from their installation discs. When you reboot the computer, an error message displays informing you that an operating system can't be found. What should you do? A. Reinstall the DVD driver. B. Reformat the hard disk. C. Check the connections on the DVD drive. D. Use the CMOS to change the disk boot order.