1.1 – Given a scenario, install and configure laptop hardware and components Flashcards
Answer these questions. The answers follow the last question. If you cannot answer
these questions correctly, consider reading this chapter again until you can.
1. What kinds of hard drives are used by laptops? (Select all that apply.)
❍ A. SSD
❍ B. M.2
❍ C. Magnetic disk
❍ D. DVD-ROM
A, B, and C. Solid-state drives (SSDs), M.2 drives, and magnetic disk drives
are all found on laptops. Which drive the laptop uses will depend on its age and
whether or not it has been upgraded. DVD-ROM drives are not hard drives, they
are optical drives, and as of 2015 or so, are not commonly found on laptops.
What is the module format for a stick of SODIMM DDR4 RAM? ❍ A. 200-pin ❍ B. 204-pin ❍ C. 260-pin ❍ D. 1.8-inch
C. DDR4 SODIMM modules have 260 pins. DDR (known as DDR1) and DDR2 are
200-pin. DDR3 is 204-pin. 1.8-inch is the size associated with smaller hard drives
used in some laptops.
You just added a second memory module to a laptop. However, after rebooting the system, the OS reports the same amount of memory as before. What should you do next?
❍ A. Replace both memory modules.
❍ B. Run Windows Update.
❍ C. Replace the motherboard.
❍ D. Reseat the laptop memory
D. The next step you should take is to reseat the memory. SODIMMs can be a bit
tricky to install. They must be firmly installed, but you don’t want to press too hard
and damage any components. If the laptop worked fine before the upgrade, you
shouldn’t have to replace the modules or the motherboard. Windows Update will
not find additional RAM.
Which of the following are ways that a laptop can communicate with other computers? (Select all that apply.) ❍ A. Bluetooth ❍ B. WLAN ❍ C. DC jack ❍ D. Cellular WAN
A, B, and D. Some of the methods that laptops use to communicate with other
computers include: Bluetooth, WLAN, and cellular WAN wireless connections,
plus wired connections like Ethernet (RJ45) and, for older laptops, dial-up (RJ11).
The DC jack is the input on the laptop that accepts power from the AC adapter
Which of the following are possible reasons that a laptop’s keyboard might fail
completely? (Select the two best answers.)
❍ A. A key is stuck.
❍ B. A ribbon cable is disconnected.
❍ C. The user spilled coffee on the laptop.
❍ D. The keyboard was disabled in the Device Manager.
B and C. A laptop’s keyboard could fail due to a disconnected or loose keyboard
ribbon cable. It could also fail if a user spilled coffee on the laptop, by being
dropped on the ground, and so on. One stuck key will not cause the entire keyboard to fail, and on most laptops, the keyboard cannot be disabled in the Device
Manager. It can be uninstalled, but not disabled.
A user doesn’t see anything on his laptop’s screen. He tries to use AC power and
thinks that the laptop is not receiving any. Which of the following are two possible
reasons for this? (Select the two best answers.)
❍ A. He is using an incorrect AC adapter.
❍ B. The AC adapter is not connected to the laptop.
❍ C. Windows won’t boot.
❍ D. The battery is dead.
A and B. An incorrect adapter will usually not power a laptop. The adapter used
must be exact. And of course, if the laptop is not plugged in properly to the
adapter, it won’t get power. Windows doesn’t play into this scenario. And if the
battery was dead, it could cause the laptop to not power up, but only if the AC
adapter was also disconnected; the scenario states that the user is trying to use
AC power.
One of your customers reports that she walked away from her laptop for
30 minutes. When she returned, the display was very dim. She increased the
brightness setting and moved the mouse but to no effect. What should you do
first?
❍ A. Replace the LCD screen.
❍ B. Check the operating system for corruption.
❍ C. Connect an external monitor to verify that the video card works.
❍ D. Check whether the laptop is now on battery power.
D. It could be that the laptop is now on battery power, which is usually set to a
dimmer display and shorter sleep configuration. This indicates that the laptop
is not getting AC power from the AC outlet for some reason. The battery power
setting is the first thing you should check; afterward, start troubleshooting the
AC adapter, cable, AC outlet, and so on. It’s too early to try replacing the display;
try not to replace something until you have ruled out all other possibilities. A dim
screen is not caused by OS corruption. There’s no need to plug in an external
monitor; you know the video adapter is working, it’s just dim.
Which are the most common laptop hard drive form factors? (Select two.) ❍ A. 5.1 ❍ B. 2.5 ❍ C. 7.1 ❍ D. 1.8
B and D. The bulk of the hard drives in laptops are 2.5 inches wide, though ultrasmall laptops and other small portable devices might use a hard drive as small as
1.8 inches. 5.1 and 7.1 refer to speaker surround sound systems, not hard drive
form factors.
You are helping a customer with a laptop issue. The customer said that two days
ago the laptop was accidentally dropped while it was charging. You observe that
the laptop will not turn on and that it is connected to the correct power adapter.
Which of the following is the most likely cause?
❍ A. The battery
❍ B. The power adapter
❍ C. The hard drive
❍ D. The DC jack
❍ E. The BIOS/UEFI
D. The DC jack was probably damaged when the laptop was dropped. That’s
because it was plugged in (charging) and it probably fell on the plug that connects
to the DC jack (which is easily damaged on many laptops, by the way). The customer probably used the laptop until the battery became discharged before noticing that the laptop wouldn’t take a charge anymore—that’s why it won’t turn on
at all. So the battery is probably not the issue. A power adapter can be damaged,
but the DC-in jack is more easily damaged. The hard drive and the BIOS normally
will not affect whether the laptop will turn on.
