Question 1

A user wishes to share files between his Apple Computer and Windows 7 PC. What protocol will he most likely employ?

Accepted Answer

SMB (Server Message Blocks) would be employed by a user wishing to share files between his Apple and Windows computers.
Key Takeaway - The Server Message Blocks (SMB) protocol permits users to share files and printers between systems. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) allows users to transfer files between computers, but is usually not used over the Internet (rather than within a LAN). IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) provides remote email access, and HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) allows for Internet Browsing.

Question 2

In which window in Windows XP will you find the Printer icons?

Accepted Answer

Key Takeaway - Printer icons are located in the "Printers and Faxes" window in XP, the "Printers" window in Vista, and "Devices and Printers" in Windows 7. These unique differences are specifically mentioned in A+ objectives, so you should be aware of the distinction.

Question 3

David is troubleshooting a completely dead computer with a No Power issue. Which of the following should he do first to fix this issue?

Accepted Answer

The first step in troubleshooting this problem would be to check if the wall outlet supplying the power is working correctly. Then, proceed to the other components that are related to the power subsystem; including the power supply, the UPS, and power connectors.
Key takeaway: In order to troubleshoot issues, first isolate the points of failure or components that could go wrong and cause the issue. Next, establish a logical order that should be followed to troubleshoot an issue. This order determines the components that should be checked first, followed by the rest (from the point of origin to the destination).
In this case, power originates from the wall outlet. Hence, it should be checked first.

Question 4

A high-end user has a computer with multiple CPUs at the office and wants to simulate the processing results on his home computer with a single CPU. What technology might you recommend to this user?

Accepted Answer

You would recommend Multi-Threading to this user, which allows a single CPU to simulate multi-CPU technology, processing two separate sets of instructions.
Key Takeaway - In Multi-Threading, the operating system sees two virtual CPUs, even though only one is present. A multicore processor physically contains two or more actual processor cores in one CPU. Hypertransport is an AMD technology unrelated to Multi-Threading, and 64-bit refers to a type of CPU architecture, the other type being 32-bit.

Question 5

David purchased a new IDE hard drive and installed it on his computer. He switched ON and found that the new hard drive was not recognized. Which of the following should he check for FIRST?

Accepted Answer

If a new hard drive is not recognized, the most crucial aspect to be checked for is the jumper setting on the hard drive. The jumper setting should be chosen to either Cable Select or Slave and Master, based on where the drive is connected.
Key Takeaway: The most common jumpers on a hard drive are Cable Select, Master, and Slave. If Cable Select is chosen, the motherboard will choose whether to make the drive primary or secondary. If Master is chosen, the hard drive will function only if it connected to the primary master or secondary master. If Slave is chosen, the hard drive will function only if it connected to the primary slave or secondary slave.

Question 6

Sarah is experiencing a strange problem with her computer. The computer shuts down unexpectedly every half hour. Which of the following could be the most probable cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The most probable cause of a computer shutting down unexpectedly is a malfunctioning processor fan. In the absence of a component which can dissipate heat generated by the processor, the processor overheats. Eventually, when a threshold temperature is reached, the OS shuts down the computer.
Key Takeaway: The four main causes that contribute to a processor shutting down are:
1. Hardware issue with the processor fan.
2. Hardware issue with the heat sink that is used to dissipate the heat from the processor.
3. Dust and dirt accumulated on the processor fan makes it less effective.
4. Not enough thermal glue between the processor and heat sink.

Question 7

David is using a laptop computer with a 2.4 GHz processor. However he notices that the processor is operating at 1.5GHz only. Which of the following could be the possible explanation?

Accepted Answer

If a processor is operating at a speed lower than the one it is designed to operate at, the processor is most likely being throttled. This is done to reduce the dissipated heat and the power consumption in a computer.
Key Takeaway: CPU throttling, also known as dynamic frequency scaling, is a technique that runs the processor at a lower frequency (or, speed) than it is designed to operate. This is primarily done for the following reasons:
1. To reduce heat dissipation in poorly cooled systems.
2. To conserve battery in laptop computers. Operating laptop processors at lower speeds results in less heat generation and reduces cooling costs.

Question 8

Jane is trying to connect a flash drive to her friend's desktop computer. The drive doesn't seem to work in any of the USB ports. However, the drive works on her own laptop. Which of the following could be the most likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

Since the drive is working on the laptop computer, it can be inferred that the flash drive works fine. Most of the time, a good flash drive does not work on a computer because the USB option will be turned OFF in the CMOS setup. Another cause for a flash drive to not work could be faulty USB ports on the desktop computer. Verify the integrity of the ports by connecting good-known USB devices to these ports.
Key Takeaway: The sequence of steps to follow when a USB drive does not work on a USB port is:
1. Try using the drive in any other port. If it works on any one of the slots, that means the other slots are faulty.
2. Try using another good-known drive on these ports.
3. Check if the USB option is turned ON in the CMOS setup.

Question 9

David notices that his computer's CPU utilization is often above 75%. Which of the following could he do to improve the speed of the computer and reduce the CPU utilization percentage?

Accepted Answer

A very high CPU utilization factor that constantly stays above 75% indicates that the CPU resources are being over-utilized. The CPU needs to be upgraded.
Key Takeaway: A number of bulky applications installed on the computer can take up a considerable amount of CPU resources. Background processes or a virus could also be a cause of the high CPU utilization factor.
Constantly check for any unknown or unnecessary programs or processes running on your computer and disable them from your Task manager or the msconfig command.

Question 10

When a user boots his computer, the monitor goes black. After investigating, you find out that he has set the refresh rate too high. How can you fix this problem?

Accepted Answer

There is no way of entering a normal boot configuration when the refresh rate is set to a very high value. Enter the VGA mode that loads the generic video drivers and set the resolution to 640×480 at a refresh rate of 60 Hz. This changes the refresh rate to an optimal value.
Key Takeaway: There are times when you may accidentally set the refresh rate on the monitor higher than what the monitor can take. When you do that, the monitor goes blank. It does not allow you to change the refresh rate. The only way of doing that is to go to the VGA mode in the advanced boot options menu when the computer boots up.

Question 11

Which of the following combination of components can deliver the best performance on a computer?

Accepted Answer

Of the combinations given here, a PCI and AGP combination delivers the best performance. PCI supports a maximum bus speed of 133 MB/s on a shared bandwidth. AGP supports a 1.066 MB/s speed on a dedicated bandwidth.
Key Takeaway: A motherboard with AGP slots and 2-3 PCI slots is preferred. AGP cards can be used to obtain optimal video performance and PCI cards can be used for other additional purposes like TV, audio, and network connections.

Question 12

How many EIDE drives can be connected on a computer at any one point in time?

Accepted Answer

you can place 4 IDE drives on a computer with 2 IDE sockets. Each socket supports 2 IDE devices.
Key Takeaway: In general a motherboard (non-SATA) has 2 IDE sockets: IDE1 and IDE2. Up to 4 devices can be connected on these sockets.

Question 13

John wants to upgrade his computer with more RAM. Which of the following should he check for to determine the maximum amount of RAM supported by the motherboard?

Accepted Answer

The best place to check for information on the maximum amount of hardware supported on a motherboard is in the motherboard documentation.
Key Takeaway: A specific motherboard model is designed to support a specific amount of hardware resources. Before upgrading components like the processor, RAM, or the hard drive, check the motherboard documentation for the maximum amount of hardware support and the specific variant of the hardware supported.

Question 14

Which of the following is the best method to remove a flash drive that has been inserted into a USB port?

Accepted Answer

Flash drives should be removed from the computer using the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the notification area.
Key Takeaway: A USB drive has a file system, just like a hard drive does. If the power to the machine is cut, or the drive is pulled out during a write, this will result in incomplete data and possibly a corrupted file system on the drive. The "Safely Remove Hardware" bit calls for all programs accessing the drive to complete whatever reads or writes they are performing, as the drive will be removed. When all I/O is complete, the OS removes the drive from its list of usable drives and then tells you it's safe to remove it.

Question 15

Which of the following computer components retain a significant lethal electrical charge even after the device is unplugged?

Accepted Answer

Monitors operate at high voltages with a high amount of electric charge. CRT monitors can store up to 24 KV. Hence the back of the monitor should not be opened unless you are trained to do so.
Key Takeaway: Of the components mentioned here, only monitors store a high amount of static electricity. Components like processor, RAM and hard drive do not store the amount of static electricity that could prove lethal.

Question 16

Jonathan has added some more components to his computer and wants to replace the power supply. Which of the following should he check for to replace the power supply effectively? I: Color sequence on the motherboard power supply connector
II: Type and number of supply connections
III: Support for international power supply voltages above 241 V
IV: Total wattage of power supply

Accepted Answer

Three things you need to check for before you replace the power supply are:
- Type of connectors on the supply
- Number of connectors on the power supply
- Total wattage of the power supply
Key Takeaway: Power supply provides power to all the components on the computer. Before replacing the power supply, check for the type, number of supply connectors, and the wattage to ensure the proper working of the power sub system.

Question 17

Sarah is trying to print a document from her workstation. She can see her document displayed in the print queue, however it does not print. The printer is fully functional. Which of the following steps should she take to print the document?

Accepted Answer

To fix this problem, restart the print spooler. To restart the spooler service, click Start, right click My Computer, and then click Manage. Expand Services and Applications, and then click Services. In the details pane, right click the Print Spooler service, and then click Start.
Key Takeaway: Clearing the entries in the print queue, or deleting and recreating the print object will not help.

Question 18

David installed a new set of drivers for one of his hardware components. Since then, the computer has not been able to boot to the OS. What could be the first step in resolving this problem?

Accepted Answer

Many times, a new set of drivers may not be compatible with the operating system. Hence, the computer fails to boot to the OS and freezes. Use the Last Known Good Configuration from the advanced boot menu to start your computer by using the most recent settings that worked.
Key Takeaway: The Last Known Good Configuration feature is a recovery option that you can use to start your computer by using the most recent settings that worked. The Last Known Good Configuration feature restores registry information and driver settings that were in effect the last time the computer started successfully.

Question 19

While playing a stereo audio CD, you notice that adjusting any attributes with the left hand speaker affects the right hand speaker. What are the most probable causes?

Accepted Answer

The audio connector from the speaker is connected to the line-in port that controls the left speaker in the setup. Rearrange the settings to connect the connectors to the appropriate ports.
Key Takeaway: If the speaker connections are plugged into the wrong connectors, making changes to any of the attributes will not be reflected in the right speaker.
Most motherboards these days come along with an advanced configuration manager. This configuration manager lets you re-configure your audio ports to two line-in ports; one used for a left speaker, and another for a right speaker. Even if the ports are configured properly using the configuration manager, it is crucial to check the physical connections to these ports.

Question 20

David configured a password to restrict access to the CMOS setup, but has forgotten the password. Which of the following should he do to remove this password and access the CMOS setup?

Accepted Answer

To reset or bypass the CMOS password, clear the CMOS jumper on the motherboard. This clears all the CMOS settings, including the CMOS password.
Key Takeaway: The CMOS password is used to protect any unauthorized changes to the machine's basic configuration. If you forget the password, you will not be able to enter the CMOS setup. To clear this password and enter the setup, do the following:
1. Locate the CMOS jumper on the motherboard.
2. Remove this jumper from its default location.
3. Refer to the manual for the password reset location. Ideally pin #1 and #2 are default, and pin #2 and #3 are used for a password reset.
4. Keep the jumper in the reset location for 20-30 seconds and then place it in the default location.

Quiz 19: Essentials