Software Troubleshooting

Question 1

A user is experiencing multiple pop-ups when he opens his computer web browser. What type of malicious software could account for this?

Answer 1

adware

Any software program in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running is referred to as adware.

Question 2

What are all the steps to removing malware?

Answer 2

Identify and research malware symptoms.
Quarantine infected system.
Disable system restore.
Remediate infected systems.
Schedule scans and run updates.
Enable system restore.
Educate the end-user.

Question 3

A user has successfully set up dual monitors on his system, but the mouse does not track correctly from one screen to the next. Explain the procedure to remedy this issue.

Answer 3

The monitors must be realigned in Display Settings.

The monitors must be realigned. Right-click on desktop and select Display Settings, drag the screens to properly orient them so the mouse will track from screen to screen in normal order.

Question 4

A user complains that his disk drive appears to be running very slowly and it is beginning to affect the system speed. He checked and the hard drive is less than half full. What suggestions can you make to help speed up his hard drive?

Answer 4

Defragment the hard drive.

There is a good chance that the files on his drive have become fragmented. The user should defragment the drive, unless he is using a solid-state drive (SSD), which should never be defragmented.

Question 5

A client calls and wants to be able to view, search, or even edit the system registry file. What would you suggest?

Answer 5

Regedit allows users to view, search, and edit the system registry file. Be certain to explain to the client the issues with editing the registry.

Question 6

You have just completely removed viruses from a system. According to CompTIA A+ specifications, the 7th, and final, step in the “Best Practice for removing malware” is ____.

Answer 6

Educate the end user.

Question 7

A user calls the hotline wanting to know where he can view error logs on his Linux system. Where is the most common location for these files on a Linux system?

Answer 7

/var/log

Most releases of Linux store error files in the /var/log directory.

Question 8

How can you view logs in Windows systems?

Answer 8

The Event Viewer.

The Event Viewer not only displays the events running but also errors, log files, and system warnings, which are all very useful in troubleshooting.

Question 9

A client calls stating that he is constantly receiving e-mail responses to e-mail messages he never sent. What has happened to his system?

Answer 9

Malware has hijacked his e-mail account and is now sending e-mail through his account. These messages could also be a result of spoofing or phishing, but those are not answer choices.

Question 10

After connecting to a new wireless network, a user receives a message that states “Limited Connectivity”. What is a possible cause of this issue?

Answer 10

The computer did not receive an IP address from the DHCP server after connecting to the network.

Limited connectivity is a type of network issue that occurs when the computer can see the network, but there is an issue with the connection. One common cause of this issue is when the computer isn’t getting an IP address from a DHCP server.

Question 11

A technician would like to restart a service to see if it will fix an issue with an application. Where can the technician restart services?

Answer 11

To restart a service, open Services.msc. In the services menu, search for the service in question. In the left panel there should be an option to restart the service.

Question 12

A user’s computer is taking an extremely long time to start up. What could be done to potentially solve this issue?

Answer 12

Disable unnecessary programs from startup.

Having too many programs run upon startup can cause a computer to start up much slower than is desirable. One solution is to navigate to the Task Manager and disable any startup programs that are not needed.

Question 13

A user opened up a web browser and noticed that the page looked very different from her normal home page. She also noticed that her default search engine had changed to a third-party one she had never heard of before. What type of attack is this user likely experiencing?

Answer 13

browser redirection

If you find your browser has been changed, or that the results of a search come from a third-party site, it is likely that your browser has been redirected by malware.

Question 14

rogue antivirus

Answer 14

If a user believes that they are downloading a legitimate antivirus, but the antivirus program actually turns out to be malware

Question 15

A user is having an issue pairing Bluetooth headphones with his mobile device. What should the user try first?

Answer 15

The first step to troubleshooting Bluetooth connectivity issues is very basic; you should confirm that you have Bluetooth turned “on” on the device in question. If it is on, then sometimes toggling it off and back on can help. Steps like rebooting should come a little later in the troubleshooting process.

Question 16

XCode applications allow you to

Answer 16

view logs on an iOS device.

Question 17

Logcat allows you to -

Answer 17

view logs on an Android device.

To view logs on an Android device, you could use the application Logcat.

Question 18

What does it mean when users report their computer is “running slow”?

Answer 18

Unfortunately, this can mean different things for each user. When users tell you that their computer is running slower than normal, it’s important that you ask for specifics.

While slow system performance could be the cause of faulty hardware or an operating system problem, it could also be caused by a security issue. If a system is infected with malware, system performance may be slowed considerably.

Question 19

What does “limited connectivity” mean?

Answer 19

Limited connectivity is a type of network issue. Essentially, the computer is able to see the network, and even partially connect to it, but there is an issue with that connection. For example, if a computer connects to a network but doesn’t receive IP address information from a DHCP server, it will show the limited connectivity message.

Question 20

What does a “failure to boot” mean?

Answer 20

occurs when the computer is unable to load the operating system. One type of failure to boot is “No OS found.”

Question 21

What does “no OS found” mean?

Answer 21

No OS found is a specific type of failure to boot. No OS found occurs when the computer is unable to locate OS files. This can be either because the storage devices do not contain any OS files, or the boot configuration loader is pointing to the wrong partition.

Question 22

What does an application crashing mean?

Answer 22

It is not uncommon for applications to crash on a computer and there are many different causes for these crashes.

When an application crashes, the user may see the application close unexpectedly or simply “freeze.”

If the application freezes rather than closes when it crashes, it may be necessary to end the task in Task Manager.

Question 23

What does a blue screen mean?

Answer 23

A blue screen, or more commonly known as BSOD (blue screen of death), is a proprietary crash screen on Windows OS. A BSOD that occurs during the initial boot sequence could be caused by bad hardware, drivers and/or bad applications. Since a BSOD can be caused by many different things, technicians will need to do research on the specific error message given during a BSOD.

Question 24

What do black screens mean?

Answer 24

they are usually caused by an error at POST. When a black screen occurs, the best course of action is typically to attempt to reboot into Safe Mode or last known good configuration.

Question 25

What are printing problems usually caused by?

Answer 25

Printing problems can be caused by driver issues, network issues, and even physical hardware issues.

Question 26

What do you do when services fail to start?

Answer 26

Services can be stopped, started, and restarted in the services menu and can be also be viewed from Task Manager. When a service associated with a specific application won’t start, it might be time to consider reinstalling the application.

Question 27

What do you do when there’s a really slow boot up process happening on your computer?

Answer 27

If a system is taking longer than normal to boot, this could be caused by a myriad of circumstances. The hard drive may be experiencing errors. In this case, running a defrag could be beneficial. Slow boot-ups can also be a symptom of faulty or outdated hardware.

Question 28

What do you do with a slow profile loading?

Answer 28

A profile that takes a long time to load can be a result of having too many applications load at startup. It could also be a result of insufficient hard drive space or memory.

Question 29

What does defragmenting a hard drive do?

Answer 29

Disks can become fragmented as files are created, deleted, and modified over time. Defrag realigns all the file fragments into contiguous files on the drive.

This not only speeds up disk access but also eliminates wear on the drive. Keep in mind that solid-state drives should never be defragmented.

Question 30

What do you do to end a task when an app freezes or will not close?

Answer 30

ending the task from Task Manager is often a quick way to resolve these issues. To end a task, launch Task Manager and locate the application in question. When the application is located, click “End Task”.

Question 31

How do you restart an application?

Answer 31

To restart a service, open Services.msc. In the services menu, search for the service in question. In the left panel, there should be an option to restart the service.

Question 32

How can you repair applications?

Answer 32

Applications can be repaired from the Add or Remove Programs menu. Locate the program in question, and instead of selecting Uninstall, select Modify. This will usually give you the option to repair the program. This can be especially useful with regard to Microsoft Office products.

Question 33

How do you disable a service?

Answer 33

To disable a service, navigate to the Services.msc program, locate the service in question and double-click on it. In the menu for that service, you can choose the disable option.

Question 34

How do you disable a program from startup?

Answer 34

In Windows 10, open Task Manager, and the Startup tab is displayed. This shows all of the startup programs and allows a user to disable a program from startup.

Question 35

What is Safe Mode and how do you get to it?

Answer 35

Booting a Windows computer into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking will boot the computer with only the necessary configuration. Safe Mode boots the system with only drivers absolutely necessary to do so.

If you suspect problems with drivers, or need to modify system settings that are otherwise unavailable due to booting issues, Safe Mode can help.

To enter Safe Mode, repeatedly press F8 during initial boot.

Question 36

If there is only an issue with a specific user’s account, what could be more helpful than rebuilding the entire user’s profile?

Answer 36

rebuild that particular Windows profile if it becomes corrupted.

Question 37

What do you do if the browser has changed without your knowledge or the results come from a third party site?

Answer 37

it is likely that your browser has been redirected by malware. An anti-malware cleaner may or may not address the issue. You may want to restore your system from a known good backup.

Question 38

What are signs that your computer is infected with malware?

Answer 38

• slow system performance
• third party websites opening
• pop ups
• redirection to other websites
• browser changed without your choosing
• system doesn’t boot
• application crashes
• OS won’t install updates
• rogue antivirus activity after third party antivirus installed
• lots of spam messages
• renamed system files
• disappearing/deleted files
• file permissions and ownership
• hijacked email (automated replies and hijacked account)
• permissions denied
• system and app log errors

Question 39

How do you address malware on a computer?

Answer 39

• If you suspect malware, check out Event Viewer, look if there’s any errors or log in attempts.
• A malware cleaner from a trusted site may address the problem.
• If this doesn’t fix the issue, resort to a known good backup without the malware infection.
• Use a spam filter.
• Avoid sites with invalid certificate (Trusted Root CA) errors.

Steps on the A+ for Malware:
1. Identify and research malware symptoms (slowdowns, unexplained files, etc.)
2. Quarantine the infected systems (pull out the network cord, disconnect it from wifi, maintain all files on one system).
3. Disable system restore in Windows (to not infect other restore points).
4. Remediate the infected systems: update anti-malware software, scan and use removal techniques like Safe Mode and run a virus scan.
5. Schedule scans and run updates, while creating Windows restore points.
6. Educate the end user on proper internet and email usage to avoid getting malware in the first place.

Question 40

When you have a dim display and the brightness settings won’t change on a mobile phone, what happens?

Answer 40

the entire display must be replaced.

Question 41

When a mobile device has slow performance, what’s the solution usually?

Answer 41

Administratively stopping an app in question that may be slowing down the device.

Close any apps if there are too many open.

On Android, go to Settings, then Apps, then Force Stop the ones you want to close.

Question 42

If there’s an app not loading on a mobile phone, what do you do?

Answer 42

• reboot the device and retry the application.
• try a hard reset.
• try to reinstall the app, if it’s only an issue with the one app.

Question 43

If you have issues with bluetooth or wireless connectivity, what do you do?

Answer 43

If a mobile device can connect to all other Wi-Fi networks except a specific one, the issue may lie with the Wi-Fi access point rather than the device itself.

Verify the Wi-Fi settings are correct. Perform a hard reset on the specific device, if necessary.

Check bluetooth configuration parameters: unpair and pair the device. Perform a hard reset on the specific device, if necessary.

Question 44

What do you do if a touchscreen in non-responsive?

Answer 44

If the device is completely blank, you may be able to get the power option to appear on an Apple device by holding down the Power button, then power off. Hold the Power button and the Home button simultaneously for 10 seconds to perform a hard reset of the device.

For most Android devices, hold the Volume Up button and press and hold the Power button until the screen becomes black. However, note that, depending on the make and model of the hardware, you may also be able to either simply either hold the Power button, or hold the Power button and the Volume Down button. After 1 minute or so, power the device back on using the Power button.

Question 45

What are the most likely causes of short battery life on a mobile phone?

Answer 45

The battery needs to be replaced and/or there are too many applications running at the same time.

Question 46

What do you do if a phone appears to be overheating

Answer 46

• Keep phone in a cool, dry area.
• Check which application is using the most CPU power.
• Don’t keep it on the charger all the time.

Question 47

To get a mobile device out of a frozen state, what do you do?

Answer 47

you should run a hard reset on the device.

On IOS, press and hold the Home and Power buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds.

On newer iPhones that no longer have the home button (10 and above) , press and release the Volume Up button, then do the same for the Volume Down button. Next press and hold the Side button, and hold until the display suddenly shuts off, which should take about 10 seconds.

For an Android, press and hold the Power, Volume, and Home buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds.

Question 48

Troubleshoot Steps for No Sound from Speakers

Answer 48

• verify volume control is set on the right level.
• test internal speaker by plugging in an earbud/phone.
• Perform a factory reset of the device.

Question 49

What do you do when the touch screen on a mobile phone isn’t accurate or functional?

Answer 49

• perform a factory reset of the device.
• replace the digitizer.

Question 50

What are the two event log applications you can use for Android and Apple phones?

Answer 50

• XCode on Macs.
• Logcat on Android.

Question 51

What can weak signal and signal drop be caused by?

Answer 51

interference and/or being too far from a cell tower.

Question 52

What do you need to look at when a mobile device is constantly running out of battery life / experiencing a power drain?

Answer 52

you may want to see what other applications are currently running and eliminate them if not vital.

Could be excessive amount of network utilization, either from regular use or malicious software running on the device.

Also, many portable devices have batteries that are getting old and may need to be replaced.

Question 53

You suspect there are unauthorized connections to your wifi network. What do you do?

Answer 53

you may want to investigate using a network analyzer to see how traffic is being handled.

If the connection is Bluetooth, check to see what is paired with you and consider disabling the bluetooth connection when not using it.

Question 54

When you suspect leaked personal files and data - therefore incidence of malware - what do you do?

Answer 54

Consider an anti-malware scan for mobile devices, much the same as for PCs and laptops. If applications that were not installed appear, consider a factory reset and clean installation.