Question 1

After upgrading your system's memory, you boot up your computer and are met with a blank screen and several beeps during the POST. You checked the RAM was compatible with your system's motherboard before purchasing it. What is your next step?

Accepted Answer

If after upgrading your system memory, you are met with a blank screen and several beeps from POST during booting up, your next step should be reseating the DIMM and booting again.
Key Takeaway: When RAM DIMMs are not seated correctly they can cause a blank screen and a series of beeps in POST (power on self-test). Therefore, your next step in this situation should be to turn off the system (and unplug it from the wall), reseat the DIMM, and try again. If that doesn't work, you can try a different Bay and different DIMM chips, since it may be faulty.

Question 2

A user calls the helpdesk complaining that their system will not boot up after a lightning storm the night previous. They hear a beeping sound emitting from a box next to their computer. Other users are having similar issues, but other electrical devices in the building seem to be working. What is most likely the problem?

Accepted Answer

If a user's system will not boot up after a lightning storm and they hear a beeping sound emitting from a box next to their computer, the surge protectors are likely set to off and UPSs are low on charge.
Key Takeaway: The lightning storm means a possibility of having caused a blackout and surge of electricity, which would have set the surge protectors to switch to the off position (this is how they protect computers). Since the system was connected to a UPS, the battery was switched on, and quickly drained its battery without a source to recharge-this is why it is now beeping.

Question 3

You are working on your computer when you notice a burning smell that seems to be emitting from your system. What is the first thing you should do?

Accepted Answer

If you notice a burning smell emitting from your system, the first thing you should do is shut down the system and remove power to it.
Key Takeaway: When it comes to electrical systems, a burning smell is never a good thing. The first thing to do, always, is remove the electricity source from the computer after shutting the unit down. This way, if an electrical fire has started in your system, you will remove the source. Additionally, fires are helped along by oxygen, and the fans in your system won't be helping the cause. Once you've done this, call your supervisory and possibly 911, depending on the severity of the situation. Hopefully, your organization has a plan of action in case of emergencies such as this.

Question 4

A colleague is putting together a new computer. He turns on the system after plugging everything up, and notices that while the fans spin, there is no power to the other devices in the system (most notably the motherboard and CPU). What is most likely the issue?

Accepted Answer

If the fans spin but there is no power to other devices in the system (most notably the motherboard and CPU) the issue is likely the ATX power connector is loose.
Key Takeaway: The ATX power connector, which is now one large connector that used to be divided into two connector (P8/P9 or P1/P2), needs to be connected to the motherboard for the CPU to function, and therefore for the system to work. You may notice that the fans (which connect directly to the power supply) and perhaps the hard drives are functioning correctly-this is because the connection to those devices is strong. This also demonstrates that power is travelling to the power supply correctly, although it does not rule out a possible problem with the power supply or the motherboard if reseating the connection does not fix the problem.

Question 5

A user calls you complaining that for about a month his hard drive has intermittently worked and then not worked-for months before that it has worked fine. He has tried reseating the cables to no avail. What would you advise the user?

Accepted Answer

If a user calls complaining that his drive is intermittently working, you should advise him to back up the hard drive immediately.
Key Takeaway: Since the hard drive was working normally for a few months, and then intermittently stopped and started working, we can assume something funky is going on inside the drive. Advising the user to back up the drive immediately is the best course of action, since it is probably going to fail soon. Also it is possible the IDE or SATA cables have gone bad, it is unlikely they suddenly went bad, and while the power supply could be intermittently supplying power to the hard drive, that is not the most likely component to fail in this situation.

Question 6

You have connected your laptop wirelessly to a SOHO router. While you can navigate to other systems on the network, you are not able to connect to the Cable Internet. You check your DHCP IP address, and it is 192.168.1.54. Where is likely the issue?

Accepted Answer

If you are unable to connect to the Internet, but you can navigate other systems on the Network when connected through a Wi-Fi SOHO router, the issue is likely with the Cable Modem.
Key Takeaway: Since the computer is getting an IP address of 192.168.1.54, we can assume it is probably connecting to the Wi-Fi SOHO router successfully and receiving an IP address from the router's built-in DHCP server. As a result, it is able to navigate other systems on the network. Therefore, neither the SOHO router, the wireless network, nor the TCP/IP stack on your system can be the culprit of the problem, and the cable modem must be either bad or the cable connection (more than likely) needs to be restarted.

Question 7

A laptop user travelling on business plugs into the hotel's network connection. Her Windows computer shows she is connected, but she cannot get access to the Internet. The user checks her IP address and notices that it is 169.254. 235.52. The user's laptop network connection worked fine only a few hours previous at the airport. What is most likely the issue?

Accepted Answer

If the user is receiving an IP address of 169.254.235.52 and had a functioning network connection only a few hours beforehand, it is likely that the hotel's DHCP server is not functioning correctly.
Key Takeaway: The IP Address 169.254.235.52 is an APIPA address, which means that the computer has self-assigned that address to itself because it has not been assigned one by a DHCP server. Since the laptop worked correctly only a few hours beforehand, we can (generally speaking) rule out driver or hardware difficulties. Although the Ethernet cable could need to be replaced, it is more likely in this case that the DHCP server is not functioning correctly.

Question 8

A user is experiencing slow transfer speeds and intermittent network drops on her Wi-Fi network. What might you recommend as a possible way to mitigate the problem?

Accepted Answer

If a user is experiencing slow transfer speeds and intermittent network drops on her Wi-Fi network, you might suggest changing the radio channel as a way to mitigate the problem.
Key Takeaway: Many devices use the same band of radio signal-and that band is broken into several channels (remember in cop movies when the agents switch to a "secure channel"). Sometimes by switching the channel to a different one, you can avoid interference on the more commonly used Wi-Fi channels. Changing the SSID, security type, and using Mac filtering may help with security, but they shouldn't have a direct effect on performance.

Question 9

What feature in Windows allows to computers to have the same IP address?

Accepted Answer

No feature in Windows exists that allows computers to have the same IP address.
Key Takeaway: Each computer on a network must have a unique MAC address and a unique IP address, since these unique identifiers are how systems communicate on networks. While certain features in Windows and on SOHO routers, such as NAT or Network Address Translation, allow you to hide behind one pubic IP address (outside of the network), each device must have its own individual IP address.

Question 10

All of the following tools are useful for creating a CAT5 Crossover Cable, except:

Accepted Answer

All of the above tools are useful for creating a CAT5 Crossover Cable except a Punch Down Tool.
Key Takeaway: To create a Cat5 Crossover Cable (or a Cat5 straight-through patch cable), you first need to strip the cable, crimp the RJ-45 connector onto either end (with the wires in proper color order), and test the cable for use. A punch down tool is only useful if you are terminating drops on a patch panel, for instance in an IDF or MDF.

Question 11

You are trying to make sense of server room where all the drops terminate, and you want to begin by labeling each drop in the server room with a room and letter number corresponding to its physical drop location in the building. What tool is going to be most helpful to you in completing this task?

Accepted Answer

Toner Probes will be most helpful to you in trying to locate the physical location of cables on a patch panel.
Key Takeaway: Toner Probes work by emitting a tone into the cable that can be recognized by a unit plugged into the other end of the cable. So, you can use this device to determine the location of cables that have been labeled poorly. A loopback plug tests a network card or Ethernet port, a cable tester tests the cable itself, and a punch down tool is used to terminate patch cables in a patch panel, for instance on an IDF or MDF.

Question 12

When installing Windows 7 on your new system, which has been setup with a RAID 1 array, the installation fails, stating that you do not have a disk available for installation. What is the issue?

Accepted Answer

When installing Windows 7 on your new system configured for a RAID 1 array, you need to install the RAID array drivers by pressing F6 during the Windows 7 Installation startup.
Key Takeaway: Technicians and users have had to do this with every version of Windows since XP-and it often comes up on the test. Make sure to press F6 at the beginning of the Windows installation to install SCSI drivers (you'll see a message to do so at the bottom of the screen).

Question 13

Every time a user restarts their Windows 7 computer, they are met with a BSOD. What is a first step in resolving this issue?

Accepted Answer

A first step in resolving a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) issue is to undo recent changes using System Restore.
Key Takeaway: A BSOD (or Blue Screen of Death) is also called a Stop Error, and it can generally be caused by some sort of corruption that has caused the OS to shut down rather than continue running (and possibly damage itself). The quickest (and first) way to resolve this issue is through a System Restore, which undoes recent changes to System files, but not data files. Many times, this does not resolve the issue, and a reinstallation, manual troubleshooting in Safe Mode, or a complete restore from a Backup is necessary-but these are not first steps.

Question 14

Which of the following could cause the Windows 7 system to run the disk checker upon startup?

Accepted Answer

A power outage that causes the system to suddenly shut down could cause the Windows 7 system to run the disk checker upon startup.
Key Takeaway: Every version of Windows since XP will run a diagnostic disk checker when booting up after an unexpected shut down, for instance due to a power outage. This is because if some files weren't closed currently, they could cause errors when Windows starts back up. Although a virus infection could cause the system to shut down improperly, it is not the most likely cause of a reboot.

Question 15

After booting into Windows 7 you receive an error that states that a device failed to start in Windows 7. What is the best solution to implement first?

Accepted Answer

After booting into Windows 7 you receive an error that states that a device failed to start in Windows 7, so the best solution to implement first is to update the device driver from the Internet
Key Takeaway: If the device fails to start in Windows 7, this means the OS is having an issue communicating properly with the hardware of the device. Although it is possible something has become corrupted in the OS or the hardware itself, the more likely issue is a driver corruption or the driver being forced out of date by OS update.

Question 16

What is one way to resolve a "missing hal.dll" error in Windows 7?

Accepted Answer

Running the Startup Repair utility from the Windows 7 installation DVD is one way to resolve a missing hal.dll error in Windows 7.
Key Takeaway: When it comes to missing DLLs (or Dynamic Link Libraries), it is never good to copy them from the Internet or even another computer, since the version, author, date, and other factors can greatly change the specific DLL file. Also, due to how common a missing DLL file is, viruses often pop up in DLL libraries available online. Since Hal.dll is a file involved with startup (and it is located in the System32 folder), a good solution in this case is to run Startup Repair from the Windows 7 installation DVD. It is possible a simple reboot will also solve the issue, but that is the first troubleshooting step you should take in just about every instance anyway.

Question 17

A user has been plagued by pop-ups ever since installing a program that promised to remove viruses from their system. They installed the program after a pop-up on their system told them they had 5 viruses. What type of malware does this exemplify?

Accepted Answer

A user who has been plagued by pop-ups ever since installing a program that promised to remove viruses from their system is best exemplified by adware.
Key Takeaway: Adware is responsible for unwanted ads and popups on your computer. In this case, the adware used a form of social engineering to get the user to click on the pop up, install the software, and thus open the computer up to more adware. Spyware is software that runs in the background and sends information about the computer to an outside party, while viruses and worms are malicious, self-replicating codes that cause purposeful damage to a system.

Question 18

Before removing a virus using manual or automatic techniques, you should always do what in a Windows 7 environment?

Accepted Answer

Before removing a virus using manual or automatic techniques, you should always disable System Restore.
Key Takeaway: A virus can hide out in the system restore image, re-infecting a cleaned machine, thus undoing all of your hard work removing the virus. To prevent this from happening, it is always recommended you disable system restore before removing a virus. Although you will probably boot into Safe Mode for virus removal, it is not always necessary-and not required like disabling system restore is. You do not need to disable automatic scanning or purge the quarantine while removing a virus.

Question 19

Installing an anti-virus suite will only work effectively if you practice all of the following, except for:

Accepted Answer

Installing an anti-virus suite will only work effectively if you practice all of the above, except installing a third-party firewall program.
Key Takeaway: Windows comes with a Firewall installed, and many anti-virus programs come with their own firewalls, so installing a third party firewall is not necessary. Updating .dat files, which are the virus-scan data files, responsible for letting the antivirus program know which viruses to look for, is important. You must keep the OS up-to-date with patches so outside threats have less of a chance of getting into your system. The number one cause of infections is due to social engineering, where a program tricks the user into allowing it access; thus, educating yourself on potential threats is a must.

Question 20

What tool can be useful in identifying internal errors and bottlenecks occurring within the Windows 7 OS?

Accepted Answer

The Event Viewer can be useful in identifying internal errors and bottlenecks occurring with the Windows 7 OS.
Key Takeaway: The Event Viewer logs errors and warnings occurring with the System, Application, and Security areas of the OS. This is a helpful place to go when you are attempting to solve an OS issue, (for instance, why you continually get an error on startup, or why a program closes as soon as it opens). MSCONFIG is useful for troubleshooting errors found in the event viewer, and MSINFO32 provides useful information about your computer hardware and use. CHKSDSK is useful for fixing hard drive errors.

Quiz 10: Troubleshooting