Chapter 14

Question 1

If the video on your laptop is not working, what should you do to troubleshoot it? (Choose two.)

Toggle the video function key.
Try using an external monitor.
Remove the display unit and reattach it.
Power the system off and back on.

Answer 1

A, B. Two helpful things to try are toggling the video output function key (usually something like Fn+F8) and plugging an external monitor into the laptop. Removing the display is possible but not necessary yet. Powering the system off and back on isn’t likely to correct the problem.

Question 2

You boot up a Windows 10 desktop computer. The Windows splash screen flashes briefly, and then there is no display. What is the best next step to take to troubleshoot the issue?

Replace the failed monitor.
Replace the failed video card.
Reboot and enable low-resolution video mode.
Try a second monitor.

Answer 2

C. If the system will not boot past the Windows splash screen, odds are that there is an issue with the video resolution, video driver, or video card. Enable low-resolution video mode and begin troubleshooting from there. A second monitor won’t help, and it’s not yet time to replace any components.

Question 3

A user tells you that his Android phone case is bulging, and the device has been hot to the touch lately. You suspect a swollen battery. Which of the following is a good next step?

Replace the device.
Leave the device on to drain the battery, and then recharge the device.
Turn the device off, let it cool to room temperature, and then recharge the device.
Use the battery calibration utility.
Freeze the system.

Answer 3

A. With a swollen battery, the best solution is to replace the device. If you are experienced with mobile device batteries, you may be able to replace the battery, but be careful! You should not charge a swollen battery or freeze the system. A battery calibration utility will do no good.

Question 4

A laptop user with an 802.11ac wireless network card just switched desk locations. In the new location, she says that her wireless drops connectivity intermittently and seems to have slow transfer speeds. Which of the following is most likely to resolve these issues?

Replace the network card.
Run ipconfig to ensure that she is receiving the right IP address from the DHCP server.
Install a new WAP closer to her new desk.
Use a network monitor to ensure that there are no IP address conflicts.

Answer 4

C. Distance matters in wireless networks. Being too far away from an access point will result in a weaker signal, which can cause intermittent signal drops and poor performance. Moving closer to the wireless access point (WAP) or wireless router can help, as can installing additional WAPs or wireless routers. The IP address from the DHCP server won’t matter, and since she reported no error message, there is not likely to be an IP address conflict. Unless there are other issues, replacing the NIC seems to be overkill.

Question 5

While troubleshooting a client computer, you decide to obtain a new IP address from the DHCP server. After releasing the existing address, which command do you use to get new IP information from the DHCP server?

ipconfig /refresh
ipconfig /renew
ifconfig /release
ifconfig /start

Answer 5

B. The ipconfig command is perhaps the most-used utility in troubleshooting and network configuration. The ipconfig /renew command will send a query to the DHCP server asking it to resend and renew all DHCP information. For a more detailed look at the ipconfig command, type ipconfig /? at the command prompt. The ifconfig command is used with Linux and macOS clients. There are no /refresh or /start switches for these commands.

Question 6

Users are complaining that their print jobs are not printing. You open the print queue and see 50 jobs lined up. The printer is connected properly and online. What should you do?

Open Printer Troubleshooting and have it diagnose the problem.
Stop and restart the print spooler.
Delete and reinstall the printer.
Delete and reinstall Windows.

Answer 6

B. If print jobs are seemingly getting “stuck” in the printer queue, you should stop and restart the print spooler service. There is no Printer Troubleshooting utility. Deleting and reinstalling the printer and/or Windows is not necessary.

Question 7

The display on a laptop computer is continuously flickering. Which of the following are most likely to cause this problem? (Choose two.)

A failing display
Interference from a nearby fan
A failing backlight
A failing inverter
Incorrect video driver

Answer 7

C, D. Perpetually dim or flickering screens are most likely caused by a failing backlight or inverter, which supplies power to the backlight. LCD devices are not subject to interference from fans. An incorrect video driver will not cause a flickering image.

Question 8

You are having problems with the video card in one of your computers. Where could you check for troubleshooting information?

Another computer with the same video card
The video card manufacturer’s website
The manual that came with the card
The server log

Answer 8

B. The manufacturer’s website is the first place you should go for information on your products, including troubleshooting information. Many years ago, manufacturers would provide paper manuals with their products, but that’s almost unheard of today, unless you download a PDF version from the website. Server logs can show error codes, but they won’t tell you how to fix anything.

Question 9

Your laser printer keeps printing vertical black lines on its output pages. What is the most likely cause of the problem?

There is a groove or scratch in the EP drum.
The EP drum-cleaning blade is broken.
The printer is low on toner.
The transfer corona wire is not working properly.

Answer 9

A. The most likely cause is a groove or a scratch in the EP drum. Toner is collecting in that groove or scratch, and then it is being deposited onto the page. A broken drum-cleaning blade would result in unreadable images (too much toner). Low toner would cause faded images, and a bad transfer corona wire would cause blank images.

Question 10

The display on your laptop appears warped and fuzzy. You plug in an external monitor, and the image on it is fine. What is the most likely cause of the problem?

The video card
The LCD display
The motherboard
The video driver

Answer 10

B. It has to be a problem with the LCD display. If it were the video card, the display would appear warped and fuzzy on the external monitor as well. While many motherboards contain video circuitry, this answer is not specific enough. If the video driver were corrupted, you would have the same problem on all displays.

Question 11

You have an inkjet printer. Recently, papers are being printed with excessive amounts of ink, and the ink is smearing. What is the most likely cause of the problem?

A faulty ink cartridge
A corrupt print driver
A faulty fuser
Too much humidity in the air

Answer 11

A. If an ink cartridge is faulty or develops a hole, it can release excessive amounts of ink, which will lead to smearing. A corrupt print driver would result in printing garbage. Inkjet printers do not have a fuser. Excessive humidity may cause smearing, but it wouldn’t cause the disbursement of too much ink.

Question 12

You believe that a network card is beginning to fail. Which of the following tools should you use to see if the network card is capable of sending and receiving data from an RJ-45 port?

Tone generator and probe
Loopback plug
Multimeter
Cable tester

Answer 12

B. A loopback plug is used to test the ability of a network adapter to send and receive. The plug gets plugged into the NIC, and then a loopback test is performed using troubleshooting software. A tone generator and probe is used to trace a cable. Multimeters test for electrical issues. Cable testers are for verifying that a cable works properly.

Question 13

When you print documents on your laser printer, you see residue from previous images on the output. Which two things are the most likely causes of this problem? (Choose two.)

A faulty transfer corona wire
An overheating printer
A bad erasure lamp
A broken cleaning blade

Answer 13

C, D. Seeing images from previous print jobs is a phenomenon called ghosting (or ghost images). It’s most likely due to a bad erasure lamp or a broken cleaning blade. If the transfer corona wire were faulty, there would likely be blank pages. An overheating printer will not necessarily leave residue behind.

Question 14

Troubleshooting a network connectivity issue takes you into the wiring closet, where you realize that none of the cables are properly labeled. Several are disconnected. Which tool should you use to determine where the cables run to?

Loopback plug
Punch-down tool
Cable tester
Tone generator and probe

Answer 14

D. A tone generator and probe is used to trace a cable from one location to another. A loopback plug is for testing the ability of a network adapter to send and receive. Punch-down tools are used to connect the wires of a cable to a wiring rack, such as a 110-block. Cable testers are for verifying that a cable works properly.

Question 15

You turn on a laptop computer and the hard drive is not recognized. Where should you go to troubleshoot the issue?

S.M.A.R.T. diagnostics
BIOS/UEFI
Windows Device Manager
Boot sector manager

Answer 15

B. If the hard drive is not recognized, the BIOS/UEFI is the place to check. Most systems do not come with built-in S.M.A.R.T. diagnostics software, even if the hard drive is capable of gathering S.M.A.R.T. data. And if there were one, it would give you potential errors on a working drive. Windows Device Manager is inaccessible without the drive being recognized. There is no boot sector manager, although this issue could be related to the boot sector.

Question 16

You turn a computer on and it doesn’t boot up properly. You hear a rhythmic ticking sound coming from inside the case. What is most likely the problem?

The motherboard
The power supply fan
The HDD
The video card

Answer 16

C. The only components that make noise are the ones that have moving parts, such as fans and conventional hard disk drives. In most cases, a rhythmic ticking sound will be something that’s generated by a conventional hard disk drive (HDD).

Question 17

You support an old impact printer at work. When the printer prints, there is always a blank horizontal line in the middle of each line of output. What is the most likely cause of the problem?

The print ribbon is old and needs to be replaced.
The print ribbon is not advancing properly.
The print head needs to be replaced.
The wrong print driver is installed.

Answer 17

C. If there is a consistent blank space, it likely means that a pin is not firing properly and the print head needs to be replaced. If the print ribbon were old, you would have consistently faded printing. If the ribbon were not advancing properly, you would get light and dark printing. If the wrong driver were installed, you would get garbage.

Question 18

A network cable for a crucial server has failed. There are no pre-made Ethernet cables available, but there is bulk cable and connectors. Which tool do you need to use to make a new cable?

Crimper
Punch-down tool
Cable tester
Loopback plug

Answer 18

A. A crimper is used to make network cables. Punch-down tools are used to connect the wires of a cable to a wiring rack, such as a 110-block. Cable testers are for verifying that a cable works properly (and may be handy after you complete the cable). A loopback plug is for testing the ability of a network adapter to send and receive.

Question 19

A user brings in an iPhone and the touch screen is not responding. What should you do to try first to get the device functioning again?

Hold the power button and the sleep/wake button for 10 seconds to reset the device.
Restore the device to factory settings.
Replace the battery in the device.
Hold the power button for 10 seconds to force the device to power off.

Answer 19

D. The first step should be to try to reboot the device. In most cases with a frozen smartphone, holding the power button down for about 10 seconds will force it to power off. If that doesn’t work, then you can move to trying to reset the phone by holding down the power button and the sleep/wake button for 10 seconds. There is no need to restore the device to factory settings (yet) or replace the battery.

Question 20

You are troubleshooting a server and discover that one of the hard drives in the RAID 0 array has failed. Which statement is true?

You need to replace the failed drive, but the data is okay because the drive is configured as a mirror.
You need to replace the failed drive, but the data is okay because the drive is configured as a disk stripe with parity.
You need to replace the failed drive, and the data on the array is lost.
You do not need to replace the failed drive; the system will function normally.

Answer 20

C. A RAID 0 array is also known as disk striping. RAID 0 actually decreases your fault tolerance versus one hard drive because there are more points of failure. You need to replace the drive, and hopefully you had it backed up so that you can restore the data.