Practice Tests - Chapter 4: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Flashcards
You are troubleshooting a computer that will not boot. It tells you that there is no bootable device. You check the BIOS, and it does not show any installed hard drives. What should you do next?
A. Run bootrec /fixmbr.
B. Replace the hard drive with one in an external en closure.
C. Flash the BIOS.
D. Check the hard drive connections.
D. Check the hard drive connections.
Failure to boot at all likely means the drive is dead. But first, do your due diligence and reseat the connections and make sure that the BIOS recognizes the drive before replacing it. Most BIOSs today auto-detect the hard drive. If that auto-detection fails, it’s bad news for the hard drive unless there’s a cable, connection, or jumper issue. If the internal hard drive is indeed dead, you might be able to get by temporarily by plugging in one that’s in an external enclosure.
A technician just replaced a failed internal hard drive in a desktop computer with an empty hard drive. She needs to boot to the network to connect to an imaging server to restore the computer. How should she do this?
A. During boot, press the F2 key to boot to the network.
B. During boot, enter the BIOS and change the boot sequence to boot to the network.
C. Let the boot complete normally. When the BIOS does not find a bootable partition on the hard drive, it will boot from the network.
D. During boot, press the F7 key to edit the boot sequence menu.
B. During boot, enter the BIOS and change the boot sequence to boot to the network.
The system BIOS contains the boot sequence for a system. Most systems probably boot to the first hard drive, but they can also be configured to boot from a secondary hard drive, the optical drive, or the network. This setting is configured in the BIOS.
A user’s laptop computer does not display anything on the screen, although the power light and other indicator lights are on. You plug in an external monitor and it does not display either. Which component is most likely causing the problem?
A. Inverter
B. Backlight
C. Screen
D. Video card
D. Video card
If a laptop does not display any video, it could be the screen or the video card. To test it, plug in an external monitor (that you know works) and use the function keys on the laptop to switch to external video output. If that doesn’t work, it’s likely that the video card is defective.
You are troubleshooting a computer making a loud whining noise. Looking at the exhaust fan, you see a thick coating of dust. What should you do next?
A. Use compressed air to clean the fan.
B. Use a computer vacuum to clean the fan.
C. Use a damp cloth to clean the fan.
D. Replace the power supply.
A. Use compressed air to clean the fan.
Try cleaning the fan before replacing any parts. The power supply fan has a protective grid covering it, and you won’t really be able to get to it with a computer vacuum or a damp cloth. Using compressed air to blow it out is your best option.
A user reports that his laptop battery does not charge when his laptop is plugged into an AC outlet. What is the best resolution to try first?
A. Replace the battery.
B. Replace the AC adapter.
C. Remove and reinsert the battery.
D. Drain the battery completely and then recharge it.
C. Remove and reinsert the battery.
If the battery won’t charge while the laptop is plugged in, try removing the battery and reinserting it. If it still won’t charge, you might want to replace the battery.
A technician has determined that she needs to replace a motherboard in a laptop. Which of the following procedures should you follow? (Choose two.)
A. Never use a power screwdriver with a laptop.
B. Document and label screw locations.
C. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.
D. Remove the keyboard before removing the motherboard.
B. Document and label screw locations.
C. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.
When repairing laptops, you should always document and label screw and cable locations, organize parts, refer to manufacturer instructions, and use appropriate hand tools. Power screwdrivers can be used. In some cases, but not all, you might need to remove the keyboard to remove the motherboard. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.
You have just replaced faulty RAM in a desktop computer. You reboot the computer, and after a few seconds it beeps once. What does this indicate?
A. The RAM is faulty.
B. The motherboard needs to be replaced.
C. The system BIOS detected an error in the POST routine.
D. The system BIOS completed the POST routine normally.
D. The system BIOS completed the POST routine normally.
Every computer has a diagnostic program built into its basic input/output system (BIOS) called the power-on self-test (POST). When you turn on the computer, it executes this set of diagnostics. If the computer doesn’t perform the POST as it should, one way to determine the source of a problem is to listen for a beep code. This is a series of beeps from the computer’s speaker. A successful POST generally produces a single beep.
You are troubleshooting a computer that has been randomly rebooting, and now it refuses to boot properly. Upon boot, you receive one long beep and three short beeps, but no video on the screen. What tool should you use to troubleshoot the situation?
A. Multimeter
B. Power supply tester
C. Loopback plug
D. POST card
D. POST card
This computer is giving you a beep code during the POST routine. One way to troubleshoot this is to use a POST card. This is a circuit board that fits into an expansion slot (PCI or PCIe) in the motherboard and reports numeric codes as the boot process progresses. Each of those codes corresponds to a particular component being checked. If the POST card stops at a certain number, you can look up that number in the manual for the card to determine the problem.
Over time, the hard drive performance of your computer has gotten slower. You believe that many of the files stored on the drive are fragmented, slowing down disk read and write speeds. What should you do to resolve this issue?
A. Run Disk Defragmenter.
B. Format the hard drive and restore the data.
C. Delete the partition, create a new one, and restore the data.
D. Run chkdsk.
A. Run Disk Defragmenter.
When files are written to a hard drive, they’re not always written contiguously or with all of the data in a single location. As a result, file data is spread out over the disk, and the time it takes to retrieve files from the disk increases. Defragmenting a disk involves analyzing the disk and then consolidating fragmented files and folders so that they occupy a contiguous space, thus increasing performance during file retrieval.
A user’s computer has failed. When you try to boot it up, you hear a loud, rhythmic clicking sound, and the system does not boot properly. What is most likely the issue?
A. HDD failure
B. SSD failure
C. RAM failure
D. Power supply fan failure
A. HDD failure
A rhythmic clicking sound can be made only by components with mechanical parts, such as a conventional hard drive. A power supply fan failure will usually result in a whining sound or no sound at all because the fan doesn’t work, but it will not cause a system boot failure.
A laser printer you are working with consistently produces images with white streaks running down the page. What can you do to resolve this issue?
A. Clean the transfer corona wires.
B. Clean the EP drum.
C. Clean the fusing assembly.
D. Replace the toner cartridge.
A. Clean the transfer corona wires.
Vertical white lines running down all or part of the page is because of foreign matter (more than likely toner) caught on the transfer corona wire. The dirty spots keep the toner from being transmitted to the paper (at those locations, that is), with the result that streaks form as the paper progresses past the transfer corona wire. Clean the transfer corona wires.
The dot-matrix printer in your office recently started creasing papers and producing paper jams. Which of the following are likely to cause these problems? (Choose two.)
A. Bits of paper in the paper path
B. Paper tension settings
C. Using the wrong paper
D. Paper perforations
A. Bits of paper in the paper path
C. Using the wrong paper
Printer jams and creased paper happen when something prevents the paper from advancing through the printer evenly. There are generally three causes of printer jams: an obstructed paper path, stripped drive gears, and using the wrong paper.
The monitor for your desktop computer will randomly shut down after long periods of use. What is the most likely cause of this problem?
A. Video card failure
B. Monitor overheating
C. Improper video resolution
D. Backlight failure
B. Monitor overheating
The most likely explanation is that the monitor is overheating. It could possibly be a backlight issue (if it’s an LCD monitor), but backlights usually dim or flicker if they are failing.
You power on a desktop computer, and you hear the fan spinning. However, you do not see any indicator lights or get a POST beep. Which component is likely causing the problem?
A. CPU
B. RAM
C. PSU
D. HDD
C. PSU
This is most likely a problem with the power supply. Test it with a power supply tester or a multimeter.
You have just replaced a toner cartridge in an HP Laser Jet printer. It is displaying error 14 No EP Cart. What should you do to resolve the issue?
A. Turn the printer off and back on.
B. Remove the toner cartridge and press the Reset button.
C. Remove the toner cartridge and reinsert it.
D. Remove the toner cartridge and replace it with a new one.
C. Remove the toner cartridge and reinsert it.
The error message indicates that the printer does not detect the toner cartridge. That can happen if the toner cartridge isn’t seated properly. Remove it and reinsert it, and the problem should go away.
Your office uses an inkjet printer. Recently, it started having problems picking up paper. Which component is likely to cause this problem?
A. Transport rollers
B. Pickup rollers
C. Exit rollers
D. Transmission rollers
B. Pickup rollers
If your printer fails to pick up paper, it could indicate that the pickup rollers are too worn. They press up against small rubber or cork patches known as separator pads. These help to keep the rest of the paper in the tray so that only one sheet gets picked up at a time. A pickup stepper motor turns the pickup rollers.
Your office uses an old dot-matrix printer. Recently, the printer has started producing output that goes from dark to light when you look at the paper from left to right. What is causing this problem?
A. A worn-out printer ribbon
B. The ribbon-advance mechanism
C. The print head
D. The paper feed assembly
B. The ribbon-advance mechanism
If your dot-matrix printer prints lines that go from dark to light as the print head moves across the page, it’s the printer ribbon-advance gear slipping. Replace the mechanism.
Your network uses 802.11n for all client computers. Recently, several users moved from one office space to another, increasing the users in the area from 20 to about 50. Now, both new and old users are reporting very slow network transfer speeds. What is most likely the cause of the problem?
A. 802.11n can’t support that many concurrent users.
B. It’s too far from the wireless access point.
C. There are too many users for one wireless access point.
D. The new users all have 802.11b network cards.
C. There are too many users for one wireless access point.
It’s recommended that no more than 30 or so client computers use one wireless access point (WAP) or wireless router. Any more than that can cause intermittent access problems.
Your computer has been intermittently rebooting when you play an online video game. You install a hardware monitoring utility and notice in the log that the CPU temperature spikes before the system shuts down. Which action should you take first to help resolve the issue?
A. Use the system BIOS to overclock the CPU.
B. Replace the CPU and heat sink.
C. Reseat the CPU heat sink.
D. Replace the power supply.
C. Reseat the CPU heat sink.
If the CPU is overheating, it may be that the heat sink is not functioning properly or is not connected properly to the CPU. After the system cools down, try reseating the heat sink. Overclocking will only make the processor run hotter. If reseating the heat sink does not work, you might need to replace the processor.
Users in one section of your building report that wireless network service is spotty. Their workstations have slow connectivity and frequently drop the connection. Which tool should you use to test the problem?
A. Wireless locator
B. Fox and hound
C. Loopback plug
D. Packet sniffer
A. Wireless locator
Tools for locating Wi-Fi networks and analyzing their traffic are indispensable today. A wireless locator or a Wi-Fi analyzer can be either a handheld hardware device or specialized software that is installed on a laptop and whose purpose is to detect and analyze Wi-Fi signals.
A technician has just replaced a faulty hard drive and created a partition on the new drive. Which utility should she use next to ready the drive for data storage?
A. format
B. bootrec
C. chkdsk
D. diskpart
A. format
The format command is used to wipe data off disks and prepare them for new use. Before a hard disk can be formatted, it must have partitions created on it.
You are troubleshooting a computer with a RAID 0 array using four disks. One of the disks fails. What can you do to recover the array?
A. Rebuild the failed disk and restore from backup.
B. Replace the failed disk and rebuild the array.
C. Replace the failed disk and restore from backup.
D. Remove the failed disk and rebuild the array.
C. Replace the failed disk and restore from backup.
If you are using RAID 0 (disk striping), you actually have more points of failure than a single device, meaning that you’re at a greater risk of failure versus using just one hard drive. One drive failure will cause the entire set to fail. To recover it, replace the failed disk and restore from backup.
The laser printer in your office is about five years old. Recently, when you print, you will occasionally get low memory error messages. What should you do to fix the problem?
A. Stop and restart the print spooler.
B. Implement printing priorities for the most important users.
C. Upgrade the printer’s memory.
D. Upgrade the printer’s hard drive.
C. Upgrade the printer’s memory.
If print jobs are processed very slowly or if you are continually seeing “low memory” error messages, it might be a good time to upgrade the memory in the printer.
You are troubleshooting a recently installed three-disk RAID array. The original technician left notes that he was concerned about creating multiple points of potential failure in the system. Which type of RAID array creates more points of potential failure than a single hard drive?
A. RAID 10
B. RAID 1
C. RAID 0
D. RAID 5
C. RAID 0
If you are using RAID 0 (disk striping), you actually have more points of failure than a single device, meaning that you’re at a greater risk of failure versus using just one hard drive. One drive failure will cause the entire set to fail.
A technician is troubleshooting a computer that is experiencing continuous reboots. He isn’t sure where to begin diagnosing the problem, so he calls you for advice. Which tool should you tell him to use to try to identify the problem?
A. Multimeter
B. Power supply tester
C. Loopback plug
D. POST card
D. POST card
A failing motherboard or CPU may cause continuous reboots. A POST card may be helpful in narrowing down the exact component that is faulty.
Users are printing to a laser printer, but nothing is coming out. When you look at the print queue, you see several jobs backed up. The printer is online, has paper, and says Ready. What should you do to resolve the problem?
A. Turn the printer off and back on.
B. Stop and restart the print spooler.
C. Press the Reset button on the printer.
D. Use the printer’s display to clear out the oldest job, take it offline, and put it back online.
B. Stop and restart the print spooler.
If jobs aren’t printing and there’s no apparent reason why, it could be that the print spooler has stalled. To fix the problem, you need to stop and restart the print spooler. This is done through your operating system.
Your company has a plasma monitor that used to display conference room information in a common area. Recently, you repurposed the monitor in another area. Regardless of what is on the screen, you can still always see the conference room information template on the screen as well. What is this called?
A. Dead pixels
B. Overheating
C. Burn-in
D. Backlight failure
C. Burn-in
With artifacts, no matter what you have on your screen, you can still see the outlines of a different image. That image has been “burned” into the monitor (sometimes simply referred to as burn-in) and isn’t going away. The only solution is to replace the monitor.
A user reports that his tablet computer will work on battery power for only about 20 minutes, even after the battery icon says it’s full. He claims that it used to work on battery power for several hours. What is the most likely cause of the problem?
A. The user is running too many apps.
B. The user is constantly using the Wi-Fi connection.
C. The battery needs to be charged longer.
D. The battery is failing.
D. The battery is failing.
As batteries get older, they are not able to hold as much of a charge, and in some cases, they are not able to hold a charge at all. It might be time for a new tablet.
While troubleshooting a computer, you notice that the hard drive indicator light is constantly on. The system seems unresponsive. You reboot the computer, and a few minutes later the same problem happens. What should you do?
A. Replace the hard drive.
B. Replace the motherboard.
C. Reinstall the operating system.
D. Test the hard drive with a multimeter.
A. Replace the hard drive.
A hard drive indicator that is constantly on is generally not a good sign; it could indicate that the hard drive is constantly busy or that the system is frozen, either of which is bad. If the problem persists, it’s likely a problem with the hard drive, and the drive should be replaced.
Your director’s network cable has failed, and he needs network connectivity immediately. You are unable to find a spare patch cable, but you have a spool of CAT5e cable and some RJ-45 connectors. Which tool do you need to create a new cable?
A. Crimper
B. Wire strippers
C. Punchdown tool
D. Cable tester
A. Crimper
A crimper is a handy tool for helping you put connectors on the end of a cable. Most crimpers will be a combination tool that strips and snips wires as well as crimps the connector onto the end.
You have just installed a second hard drive in your computer. When you boot up the computer, you get an error message that the operating system is not found. What should you try first?
A. Check jumper settings on the hard drives.
B. Run bootrec /fixmbr.
C. Run dispart.
D. Replace the new hard drive.
A. Check jumper settings on the hard drives.
When you have multiple hard drives on the same controller, one needs to be set to master and the other to slave. Most drives today will do this automatically, but they have jumpers on them to configure this as well.
You are troubleshooting a computer that will not boot properly. When you power it on, it produces a series of long and short beeps. Which components are most likely to be causing this to happen? (Choose two.)
A. BIOS
B. Hard drive
C. Network card
D. RAM
A. BIOS
D. RAM
Every computer has a diagnostic program built into its basic input/output system (BIOS) called the power-on self-test (POST). When you turn on the computer, it executes this set of diagnostics. The steps include checking the CPU, checking the RAM, checking for the presence of a video card, and verifying basic hardware functionality. An error in the BIOS or one of the checked components can cause a beep code.
You are working on a laptop that appears to be frozen. You press the Num Lock key several times, but the indicator light remains on. What can you do to try to resolve this issue?
A. Push and hold the power button until the laptop turns off, and reboot.
B. Remove the battery and disconnect the laptop from an AC power source, and reboot.
C. Press and hold the Num Lock key until the light turns off.
D. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to reboot the laptop.
A. Push and hold the power button until the laptop turns off, and reboot.
If the laptop is locked up, the only way to reboot it is with a hard boot. Although removing all the power sources would work, it’s not necessary to do so. Simply hold down the power button for about five seconds, and the laptop will power off. If that does not work, then you might need to remove power sources.
A user complains that when he turns his desktop computer on, nothing appears on the screen. It sounds like the computer’s fan is running, and the user reported hearing one beep when the computer powered on. What is the first thing you should check?
A. Is the monitor is plugged into the video card?
B. Did the computer completed the POST properly?
C. Is the monitor turned on?
D. Does another monitor work on this computer?
C. Is the monitor turned on?
Check the easy stuff first. It might seem silly, but be sure that the monitor is plugged in and powered on. Check to see if its power light is on.
A user reports that his mobile phone is extremely hot and appears to be locked up. What should you instruct him to do?
A. Plug the phone into a wall outlet or USB port to charge it.
B. Turn the phone off and let it cool down.
C. Perform a factory reset of the phone.
D. Open the Power app and set the phone to operate on the low voltage setting.
B. Turn the phone off and let it cool down.
If a mobile device is overheating, turn it off to let it cool down. It could be from overuse, or perhaps it was left in a hot environment or did not have proper ventilation.
The desktop computer you are troubleshooting will not retain the proper time and date. You set the time and date, power the system down, and power it back on. Again, the settings are incorrect. Which component is likely causing the issue?
A. CMOS battery
B. BIOS
C. Hard drive
D. RAM
A. CMOS battery
A fairly common issue with the BIOS is when it fails to retain your computer’s settings, such as time and date and hard drive configuration. The BIOS uses a small battery (much like a watch battery) on the motherboard to help it retain settings when the system power is off. If this battery fails, the BIOS won’t retain its settings. Simply replace the battery to solve the problem.
You have an Android phone and it’s running slowly. It seems to be isolated to one app in particular. You check and you have plenty of free memory. You have rebooted the phone several times and the app is still slow. What should you try next?
A. Hold the power button and the Home button simultaneously for 10 seconds, and the phone will reset.
B. Reset the phone to factory specifications.
C. Uninstall and reinstall the app.
D. Get a new phone.
C. Uninstall and reinstall the app.
If the phone is really slow but isn’t completely locked up, isolate the issue. Is it one app or overall performance? It could be that apps are running in the background and need to be closed. Shutting down those apps or powering the device off and then back on is a good step. You can also check to see how much memory is available. If it’s one app giving you problems instead of the entire device, look for updates to the app, or delete and reinstall the app. Finally, if none of these steps works, perform a restore to factory settings. If the problems persist, it’s time for a new device.
A laser printer you are servicing has been producing ghosted images. That is, regardless of whatever prints, you can always see a faint copy of a previous image that was printed. What can be causing this? (Choose two.)
A. Dirty charging corona wire
B. Broken cleaning blade
C. Broken fusing assembly
D. Bad erasure lamps
B. Broken cleaning blade
D. Bad erasure lamps
Ghosting is caused by one of two things: a broken cleaning blade or bad erasure lamps. A broken cleaning blade causes old toner to build up on the EP drum and consequently present itself in the next printed image. If the erasure lamps are bad, then the previous electrostatic discharges aren’t completely wiped away. When the EP drum rotates toward the developing roller, some toner sticks to the slightly discharged areas.
You charged your laptop overnight, but in the morning, it will not power on. You remove and reinsert the battery, but still it will not power on. The system will power on when you use the wall adapter, and the battery icon indicates that it’s full. What is the most likely problem?
A. The battery is defective.
B. The AC adapter is not properly charging the battery.
C. The battery charging icon is not properly reading the battery life.
D. The DC converter between the battery and the motherboard is defective.
A. The battery is defective.
If the laptop works while it’s plugged in but not while it’s on battery power, the battery itself may be the culprit. As batteries get older, they are not able to hold as much of a charge, and in some cases, they are not able to hold a charge at all.
A user reports that regardless of what is showing on his LCD desktop monitor, he can always see an outline of another image that never changes. What is the solution to this problem?
A. Replace the video card.
B. Degauss the monitor.
C. Replace the monitor.
D. Clean the screen.
C. Replace the monitor.
With artifacts, no matter what you have on your screen, you can still see the outlines of a different image. That image has been “burned” into the monitor (sometimes simply referred to as burn-in) and isn’t going away. The only solution is to replace the monitor.
A user claims that on his laptop, the mouse cursor will occasionally jump to different areas of the screen when he is typing. It is causing problems with his work because he ends up typing in different fields than he needs to. What can you suggest to help this issue?
A. Disable the point stick.
B. Replace the keyboard.
C. Replace the motherboard.
D. Disable the touchpad.
D. Disable the touchpad.
When users are typing, their palm might rest on the touchpad, causing erratic pointer behavior. This is referred to as a ghost cursor because it seems like the cursor just randomly jumps all over the screen. The touchpad can be turned off through Control Panel.
A user complains of a burning smell coming from her desktop computer. You instruct her to immediately shut the system down. What should be your next step?
A. Replace the power supply.
B. Replace the motherboard.
C. Test the power supply with a multimeter.
D. Inspect the inside of the computer for visible signs of damage.
D. Inspect the inside of the computer for visible signs of damage.
If you smell an odd odor or see smoke coming from a computer, shut it down immediately. Open the case and start looking for visible signs of damage. Things to look for include melted plastic components and burn marks on circuit boards. If components appear to be damaged, it’s best to replace them before returning the computer to service.
The desktop computer in your office’s lobby plays a welcome video for guests. Recently, the audio started intermittently failing. You replaced the speakers, and it still happens. What is the next step you should take in troubleshooting the issue?
A. Replace the motherboard.
B. Reseat the speakers.
C. Replace the sound card.
D. Reseat the sound card.
D. Reseat the sound card.
One potential cause of intermittent device failures is chip creep, which happens when components such as expansion cards start to creep out of their socket. This can be caused by heating and cooling. Reseat the card (and screw it into the case!) and see whether that resolves the issue. If not, you may need to replace the sound card.
A user reports that her iPhone 5 is always overheating and constantly locks up. What should you advise her to do?
A. Replace the battery.
B. Open the Power app and set the phone to operate on the low voltage setting.
C. Turn off the phone and let it cool down.
D. Replace the phone.
D. Replace the phone.
If overheating is persistent, you have a few options. The first is to test or replace the battery, as that’s the most likely culprit. With mobile phones, though, the battery is not designed to be field replaceable. In this case, she may have to replace the device.
You have just used administrative privileges to install a printer on a user’s workstation. When the user tries to print to the printer, she gets an error message saying access denied. What is the cause of this problem?
A. The printer is offline.
B. The printer is out of memory.
C. The print spooler needs to be restarted.
D. The user does not have the security permissions to print.
D. The user does not have the security permissions to print.
In a networked environment, users need the proper permissions both to install and to print to the printer. Not having permission will result in denied access.
You are using a CRT monitor at a kiosk. The colors on the monitor recently started looking wrong. What should you do to try to resolve the issue?
A. Replace the monitor.
B. Replace the video card.
C. Disconnect the monitor and plug it back in.
D. Degauss the monitor.
D. Degauss the monitor.
Seeing incorrect colors is most likely a monitor issue, and you can always confirm it by switching monitors. On CRTs, you can use a process called degaussing (decreasing or eliminating an unwanted magnetic field), which is done through a utility built into the menu on the monitor, to try to fix the problem. If that doesn’t make the problem go away, it’s probably time to replace the monitor.
The inkjet printer in your office jams a lot and produces many crinkled papers. What is the most likely cause of this?
A. Incorrect paper tension settings
B. Dirty print heads
C. Obstructed paper path
D. Paper that is too dry
C. Obstructed paper path
Printer jams (aka “the printer crinkled my paper”) happen when something prevents the paper from advancing through the printer evenly. There are generally three causes of printer jams: an obstructed paper path, stripped drive gears, and using the wrong paper.
A user reports that her Windows 7 computer will not boot. When booting, it gives the error message Operating System not found. Which utility can you use to attempt to fix this issue?
A. format
B. chkdsk
C. bootrec
D. diskpart
C. bootrec
This error message indicates that the master boot record (MBR) on the hard drive is missing or damaged. The bootrec utility can be run in Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, or Windows Vista to interact with the Master Boot Record (MBR), boot sector, or Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. To run the tool, you must boot from the installation disk, choose the Repair Your Computer option, and enter the System Recovery Options. Choose Command Prompt from System Recovery Options and then type BOOTREC.EXE.
A technician is troubleshooting a computer with a wired network connection that can’t connect to the network. He verified that the cable is plugged in, but there are no lights lit on the network card. The computer could connect yesterday, and no other users report an issue. Which of the following are most likely to be causing this problem? (Choose two.)
A. Faulty network cable.
B. Faulty network card driver.
C. Incorrect TCP/IP configuration.
D. The cable is unplugged at the other end.
A. Faulty network cable.
D. The cable is unplugged at the other end.
If the network card doesn’t have any lights, it doesn’t have a connection. It could be that the cable is bad or that it’s not plugged in on the other side, or it could also be a problem with the NIC or the connectivity device on the other side. If nobody else in the same area is having the same problem, that points to an issue with this computer or cable.
While replacing a toner cartridge in a laser printer, a technician spilled toner on and around the printer. What should he use to clean up the spill?
A. A damp cloth
B. Compressed air
C. A toner vacuum
D. Denatured alcohol
C. A toner vacuum
Most of the time if you have dust or debris in a printer, you can go ahead and use compressed air to blow it away. Don’t do that with toner, though, because it will make a huge mess. If you have a toner spill, use a specialized toner vacuum to pick it up. Also, never use a damp cloth to try to clean up a toner spill. If a cloth is needed, use a dry one.
The AC adapter for your laptop has a green LED indicator on it. When you plug the adapter into a wall outlet, the light does not illuminate. What could be the reason for this? (Choose two.)
A. The laptop is off.
B. The wall outlet is defective.
C. The AC adapter is defective.
D. The voltage selector for the AC adapter is set incorrectly.
B. The wall outlet is defective.
C. The AC adapter is defective.
Many laptop power adapters have a light on them indicating that they’re plugged in. If there’s no light, check to make sure that the outlet is working or switch outlets. Also, most laptops have a power-ready indicator light when plugged into a wall outlet as well. Check to see whether it’s lit. If the outlet is fine, try another power adapter. They do fail on occasion.
You are troubleshooting an inkjet printer. Users report that the printer is printing in the wrong colors. The problem just started happening recently. What could be causing it? (Choose two.)
A. Ink cartridges installed in the wrong spot
B. Leaking ink cartridges
C. Malfunctioning fusing assembly
D. Malfunctioning stepper motor
A. Ink cartridges installed in the wrong spot
B. Leaking ink cartridges
Sometimes, when you print a color document, the colors might not be the same colors that you expected based on what you saw on the screen. A few different issues could cause this problem. First, ink could be bleeding from adjacent areas of the picture, causing the color to be off. A leaking cartridge can cause this, as can using the wrong type of paper for your printer. Second, the ink cartridges could be installed in the wrong spot. Third, it could be a dirty print head. Try running the self-cleaning routine.
You have installed an 802.11ac wireless access point for a company. To cut costs, they wanted only one central access point in the building, which is about 150 feet long. Users at both ends of the building report intermittent wireless connectivity drops and slow access. What is most likely the cause of the problem?
A. Low RF signal
B. Oversaturated WAP
C. SSID not found
D. IP address conflicts
A. Low RF signal
The most common reason that users on wireless networks experience intermittent connectivity issues is distance. The farther away from the WAP the user gets, the weaker the signal becomes. When the signal weakens, the transfer rates drop dramatically.
You are disassembling a defective laptop to replace the motherboard. Which of the following steps are recommended? (Choose two.)
A. Place the screws in a multicompartment pill box and label where they go.
B. Remove the hard drive before removing the motherboard.
C. Label where the cables plug into the motherboard.
D. Use needle nose pliers to remove the motherboard from the spacers.
A. Place the screws in a multicompartment pill box and label where they go.
C. Label where the cables plug into the motherboard.
When repairing laptops, you should always document and label screw and cable locations, organize parts, refer to manufacturer instructions, and use appropriate hand tools. In some cases, but not all, you might need to remove the hard drive to remove the motherboard. To remove the motherboard, use appropriate tools recommended by the manufacturer, as each system can be different.
A user reports that his LCD monitor is flickering constantly. What is the easiest course of action to resolve this problem?
A. Replace the video card.
B. Replace the monitor.
C. Remove external interference such as fans or motors.
D. Degauss the monitor.
B. Replace the monitor.
In an LCD monitor, dimness or flickering is most commonly caused by the backlight starting to fail. In those cases, replace the backlight or the monitor.
You are having problems printing to a networked printer from your Windows 8.1 workstation. Several jobs were sent, but none printed. You just tried to print a test page and nothing came out. What should you do?
A. Check your connections and stop and restart the print spooler.
B. Turn the printer off and back on.
C. Use the printer’s display to clear out the oldest job, take it offline, and put it back online.
D. Press the Reset button on the printer.
A. Check your connections and stop and restart the print spooler.
If your printer isn’t spitting out print jobs, it may be a good idea to print a test page and see whether that works. The test page information is stored in the printer’s memory, so there’s no formatting or translating of jobs required. It’s simply a test to make sure that your printer hears your computer. If nothing happens, double-check your connections and stop and restart the print spooler. If garbage prints, there is likely a problem with the printer or the print driver.
A user just started having intermittent network access problems. While troubleshooting, a message pops up saying Windows has detected an IP address conflict. Your network has a DHCP server. You open their TCP/IP properties and it’s configured as shown here. What do you need to do to resolve the issue?
A. On their computer, run ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew.
B. On the DHCP server, exclude their IP address from the scope.
C. On their computer, set it to Use The Following IP Address and assign them a different address.
D. Use a packet sniffer to determine the computer with the duplicate address, and change that computer to obtain an IP address automatically.
D. Use a packet sniffer to determine the computer with the duplicate address, and change that computer to obtain an IP address automatically.
The most common cause of an IP address conflict is if someone configures a computer with a static IP address that’s part of the DHCP server’s range. The DHCP server, not knowing that the address has been statically assigned somewhere, doles out the address, and now there’s a conflict. Rebooting the computer won’t help, and neither will releasing the address and getting a new lease from the DHCP server—it’s just going to hand out the same address again because it doesn’t know that there’s a problem. As the administrator, you need to track down the offending user. A common way to do this is to use a packet sniffer to look at network traffic and determine the computer name or MAC address associated with the IP address in question.
A mobile phone user is unable to connect to his wireless headset to make hands-free calls. His iPhone screen is shown here. What is most likely the problem?
A. His wireless headset is turned off.
B. Bluetooth is disabled.
C. AirPlay is disabled.
D. Airplane mode is enabled.
B. Bluetooth is disabled.
Most wireless headsets use a Bluetooth connection. The first thing to check is that the Bluetooth is enabled, which also means double-checking that Airplane mode is not turned on. In this case, Bluetooth is off.
