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CompTIA® A+ Certification Prep 2: Software > Lesson 9 - Chapter 1: Common Windows Performance Problems > Flashcards

Lesson 9 - Chapter 1: Common Windows Performance Problems Flashcards

1
Q

Sluggish performance can be as simple as ____ or as complex as ____ or _____

A

Sluggish performance can be as simple as a one-time software glitch, or as complex and difficult to find as a bad Registry edit made by an app’s setup or a malware attack

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2
Q

What’s a runaway process?

A

When a bug in an app is claiming more of the CPU and RAM resources than it should

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3
Q

For sluggish performance, what should be your first stop?

A

Task Manager

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4
Q

How do you troubleshoot an app that is taking up the most percentages of resources in Task Manager > Processes? (2)

A
  1. Close the app normally
  2. End task if you can’t close the app normally
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5
Q

What do you do if the system is so slow that Task Manager won’t open so you can troubleshoot and kill a process (2)

A
  1. Use the ‘tasklist’ command to find filenames/process IDs
  2. Use the ‘taskkill” command to end processes by filename/ID
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6
Q

What should be the very first thing you do when it comes to troubleshooting ANY problem?

A

Reboot!

Rebooting often fixes the problem

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7
Q

So you fix the sluggish performance issues by rebooting or ending the process. How do we find out what caused it in the first place? (3 steps)

A

Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application (Filter results: Critical, Warning, and Error)

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8
Q

If filtering through the Application logs under Windows Logs in Event Viewer doesn’t help, what can we do next?

A

Repeat the process for each of the other logs under Windows Logs (Security, Setup, System, Forwarded Events)

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9
Q

What is a “bad update”?

A

when a system can’t perform at its best because of it

(slowdown, hardware malfunction, crashes)

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10
Q

How does an update become bad? (3)

Might have, Might have, Might be

A
  1. Might have gotten corrupted during the download
  2. Might have a bug in its programming that pops up in certain conditions
  3. Might be a good update but incompatible with your hardware/software
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11
Q

How do you roll back to the latest Windows update? (4 steps)

A
  1. Settings
  2. Update & Security
  3. Windows Update (default tab) > View Update History
  4. Uninstall Updates
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12
Q

How do you roll back a driver update for a certain device? (3 steps)

A
  1. Device Manager
  2. Double-click the device to open the Properties box
  3. Driver tab > Roll back Driver
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13
Q

What is a swap file also known as?

A

Paging file

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14
Q

What is virtual memory?

A

Hard disk space is used by virtual memory to temporarily store paging files as it swaps it in/out of physical memory

(makes Windows believe it has more memory than it does)

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15
Q

What’s a perk to using virtual memory?

A

Windows can run more apps at once than it otherwise could (even though it’s slower access speed bc it’s the hard disk)

(and no out-of-memory errors!)

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16
Q

How do you change the paging file size/virtual memory configuration? (2 options)

A
  1. Under System Properties (from advanced settings in About)
  2. Search for Performance from the Start Menu > Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows
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17
Q

The default, automatic paging file size is…?

A

1.5x the amount of physical RAM installed

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18
Q

Why should you evaluate startup apps?

A

When too much loads at startup, there isn’t enough memory left to run apps on demand

19
Q

What does System Restore do?

A

it returns the system to earlier versions of key system files (like the Registry)

20
Q

Why is it likely not the case that a system needs more hardware resources?

A

if hardware were the problem, it would have been a problem from the beginning with the system (lack of RAM doesn’t pop up randomly)

[BUT it can depend on if they start running RAM intensive programs]

21
Q

How do you evaluate the system’s upgradeable resources? (RAM, storage)

A
  1. What’s running slow? (OS, particular app?)
  2. Look at software system requirements, are you near the minimum?

(Upgrading may help if near the minimum)

22
Q

There’s a direct connection between system temperature and….?

A

performance

23
Q

Some PCS (mainly laptops) have a feature that monitors the CPU’s temp to do what if it gets too hot?

A

slows down the CPU

(broken, dirty fans may cause system slowdowns)

24
Q

What are 7 troubleshooting steps you can take when dealing with Sluggish Performance?

A
  1. Reboot
  2. Find the cause in Event Viewer
  3. Roll Back Updates (Bad Updates)
  4. Increase Virtual Memory
  5. Evaluate Startup Apps
  6. System Restore
  7. Add Hardware Resources
25
Q

The most common service that stops running and causes a Windows malfunction is the…

A

print spooler service (but happens to others too)

26
Q

Why would a service not start automatically on bootup?

A

the file is damaged or missing

27
Q

How do you restart a service without rebooting? (3 steps)

A
  1. Computer Management
  2. Services and Applications
  3. Services
28
Q

Each user account on Windows has an associated…?

A

profile

29
Q

What settings does a profile record? (3)

A

Desktop preferences, shortcuts, other icons

30
Q

What issue can a corrupted profile cause?

A

prevent a user from logging in and getting access

31
Q

What type of software can sometimes corrupt a profile?

A

anti-malware

32
Q

What else can corrupt a profile besides software?

A

Upgrading Windows versions

33
Q

How do corrupted profiles manifest as?

A

very slow profile load times (but only that specific profile, not other accounts)

34
Q

What 2 options do you have to rebuild a profile?

A
  1. Make several direct Registry edits
  2. Create a new user account and copy old profile settings over
35
Q

What command opens the Registry Editor in an elevated command prompt?

A

regedit

36
Q

What do you do first before editing the Registry?

A

Boot into Safe Mode (then open command prompt Admin)

37
Q

Before replacing a user profile by copying it, what’s the first step?

A

Boot into Safe Mode
(then activate the hidden local admin account in Command Prompt to create and copy contents of old profile to a new one)

38
Q

Where do you go to uninstall a Windows update?

A

Settings

39
Q

Where do you go to disable an app that loads at startup?

A

Task Manager > Startup tab

40
Q

Where do you go to roll back a driver update to solve a problem with a piece of hardware?

A

Device Manager

41
Q

Where do you go to investigate which app caused a system crash?

A

Event Viewer

42
Q

Where do you go to shut down a process that is using too much system resources?

A

Task Manager > Performance tab

43
Q

Where do you go to restart a service?

A

Computer Management > Services and Applications > Services

44
Q

Where do you go to check the size of the paging file?

A

Performance Options dialog box in System Properties

CompTIA® A+ Certification Prep 2: Software (45 decks)

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