A+ 1101 PM A 6-26

The printer in the accounting department has stopped all printing processes. The print queue shows seven jobs in the queue waiting to be printed. Which of the following would be the BEST next troubleshooting step?

• Send a test job to the printer and move it to the top of the queue

• Restart the printer's spooler

• Install an updated version of the printer driver

• Delete everything in the queue and resend the print jobs

Answer explanation

The Answer: B. Restart the printer's spooler

The print spooler is the software responsible for storing print jobs and sending them to the printer. If the printer spooler has failed or has stopped, then none of the print jobs will be sent to the printer.

The incorrect answers:

A. Send a test job to the printer and move it to the top of the queue Since the print spooler is the issue, it won't matter where a print job might be in the queue. A test print job will sit at the top of the queue just like any other print job.

C.   Install an updated version of the printer driver

The printer driver on a client workstation is responsible for formatting the print job in a way the printer can properly interpret during the printing process. Changing the print driver won't fix problems with the print spooler.

D.   Delete everything in the queue and resend the print jobs

If the spooler is having problems, then deleting the print jobs will only require users to resend the print requests, which will then sit in the queue and not print.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 5.6 - Troubleshooting Printers https://professormesser.link/1101050601

A system administrator has connected an external USB drive to a computer to transfer some documents. When booting the computer, the system tries to boot from the external drive and gives an error message. Which of the following would be the BEST way to prevent the USB drive from booting?

• Modify the BIOS to boot from the internal hard drive

• Modify the boot order in Windows Disk Management

• Rebuild the MBR on the external hard drive

• Disable the external drive in Device Manager

Answer explanation

The Answer: A. Modify the BIOS to boot from the internal hard drive The boot order is managed in the system BIOS, and one way to avoid the computer from attempting to boot from an external storage device is to move the internal drive to have a higher boot priority.

The incorrect answers:

B.   Modify the boot order in Windows Disk Management

Windows Disk Management is not used to configure the boot order of the computer. By the time Windows has loaded, the boot order has already been determined. The boot order is configured in the system BIOS.

C.   Rebuild the MBR on the external hard drive

Rebuilding the MBR (Master Boot Record) of the external hard drive will not prevent the computer from attempting to boot to the drive.  Rebuilding the MBR would only be necessary if the boot record was erased or damaged.

D.   Disable the external drive in Device Manager

Since Windows Device Manager is only active after the system boots, disabling the external drive would not prevent the boot process. Disabling the drive in Device Manager would only prevent Windows from accessing the drive once the system was booted.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 5.2 -

Troubleshooting Common Hardware Problems https://professormesser.link/1001050201

A user's print jobs to a new multifunction printer produce pages of garbled text, but jobs from other users are printing normally. Which of the following would be the MOST likely reason for this issue?

• Printer driver specifies secured prints

• Faulty network cable

• Print driver is configured for PCL

• Application is not authorized to print

Answer explanation

The Answer: C. Print driver is configured for PCL

The page description language configured in a printer driver must match the language on the printer. If a device prints to a PostScript printer using Hewlett-Packard's PCL (Printer Command Language), the output will appear garbled and unreadable.

The incorrect answers:

A.  Printer driver specifies secured prints

Secured printing allows the user to associated their print job with a PIN (Personal Identification Number), and the job will not print until the PIN is entered at the printer console. This process does not cause the output to appear garbled or corrupted.

B.  Faulty network cable

A faulty cable would cause the printer to receive data slowly or not at all.

The output of the printer would not be affected by a faulty Ethernet cable.

D. Application is not authorized to print

A print authorization is commonly determined by the user's rights and permissions and is not based on the application. If a user did not have rights to print, then no print job would be queued and no output  would be created.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 3.6 - Multifunction Devices https://professormesser.link/1101030601

A network connection in a conference room was installed years ago, and there’s no documentation for the cable run. Connecting a device to the cable results in a successful Ethernet connection, so the other end of the cable should terminate somewhere in the wiring closet. Which of these tools would be the best choice to find the other end of the network connection?

• Cable tester

• Tone generator

• Multimeter

• Crimper

Answer explanation

The Answer: B. Tone generator

A tone generator is used to produce an analog tone on the cable, and an inductive probe is used to "listen" for the tone on the other end of the cable.

The incorrect answers:

A. Cable tester

A cable tester could be used to confirm the wire map of the cable, but you would first need to locate both ends before that would be possible. A cable tester doesn't provide a way to locate both ends of a cable.

C. Multimeter

A multimeter could be used to verify continuity and the wire map of the cable, but both ends of the cable would need to be close to the multimeter. A multimeter can't be used to locate both ends of a cable.

D. Crimper

If the RJ45 connector on the cable was faulty, a crimper could be used to attach a new connector to the cable.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 2.8 - Network Tools https://professormesser.link/1101020801

A network administrator has received a ticket complaining of port flapping on an Ethernet switch. Which of the following would be the MOST likely reason for this issue?

• Firewall rule is blocking traffic

• Faulty crimp on an Ethernet connector

• Excessive jitter measurements

• Duplex mismatch

Answer explanation

The Answer: B. Faulty crimp on an Ethernet connector

Port flapping describes a network interface that constantly transitions between connected and disconnected. This can sometimes be related to software or firmware, but is most likely associated with a hardware issue. For example, a faulty cable or connector could cause intermittent connectivity and create a flapping Ethernet port.

The incorrect answers:

A. Firewall rule is blocking traffic

Denying or allowing traffic on a firewall would not cause an Ethernet  interface to physically disconnect or connect itself from the network.

C.   Excessive jitter measurements

Jitter measures the time between network frames, and excessive jitter could disrupt real-time voice or video communication. However, excessive jitter would not cause an Ethernet interface to physically disconnect or connect.

D.   Duplex mismatch

A duplex mismatch would certainly cause performance issues and slowdowns, but it would not cause an Ethernet link to constantly disconnect and reconnect.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 5.7 - Troubleshooting Networks https://professormesser.link/1001050701

A user has powered on their computer and received the message

“Operating system not found.” A check of the system shows that the SATA drive cables are properly connected. Which of the following would be the NEXT best troubleshooting step?

• Boot to Safe Mode

• Replace the boot drive

• Restore from a known good backup

• Check for removable drives

Answer explanation

The Answer: D. Check for removable drives

If a USB (Universal Serial Bus) storage device is connected to a computer and the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is checking USB devices before the primary storage drive, the "Operating system not found" error could appear with some USB devices. To avoid this error, the boot order in the BIOS can be changed, or the USB device can be disconnected during the boot process and reconnected after the operating system has started.

The incorrect answers:

A.  Boot to Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a Windows mode used to launch the operating system with minimal services and OS requirements. Safe Mode requires a bootable drive, so the error message in this question would prevent Safe Mode  from starting.

B.  Replace the boot drive

There's not enough information to determine if the boot drive is bad or faulty, so immediately replacing it would be premature. If there aren't any removable storage devices connected to the system, then running hardware diagnostics of the drive would be a good next step before considering a hardware replacement.

C.  Restore from a known good backup

This question doesn't provide enough information about the state of the primary boot drive, so making any significant changes to the data on the drive would not be the best next step.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 5.3 - Troubleshooting Storage Devices https://professormesser.link/1101050301

A user is having an issue with a smartphone battery bulging and physically pushing the screen away from the phone. The rest of the phone appears to be operating normally. Which of the following should be the BEST next troubleshooting step?

• Power off the phone and contact support

• Upgrade to the latest OS version

• Replace the screen

• Perform a factory reset

Answer explanation

The Answer: A. Power off the phone and contact support

A swollen battery indicates damage to the battery and could potentially be a fire hazard. The phone should be powered down and the damaged battery should be removed by a trained smartphone support technician.

The incorrect answers:

B.  Upgrade to the latest OS version

Upgrading software on the smartphone will not fix a damaged battery. The best practice with a bulging or swollen battery is to power down the device and replace the battery.

C.  Replace the screen

Although a bulging battery may damage other components, there's nothing in this question that indicates any damage to the screen. Any necessary repairs should take place after the damaged battery is replaced.

D.  Perform a factory reset

A factory reset is a good option for troubleshooting unknown software issues, but it won't correct the damage to a battery. The smartphone should be powered off immediately and repaired.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 5.5  - Troubleshooting Mobile Devices https://professormesser.link/1101050501

A client’s laptop appears to boot normally, but nothing ever appears on the LCD. After closer inspection, you notice the output is visible but it's too faint to clearly see anything. What is the MOST likely cause of  this issue?

• Video card

• Inverter

• Video driver

• Power adapter

Answer explanation

The Answer: B. Inverter

The inverter powers the CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) backlight, allowing you to easily view the pixels on the display. Most newer laptops will use LED (Light Emitting Diode) backlights with existing DC (Direct Current) power and these LED lights don’t require an inverter.

The incorrect answers:

A. Video card

A faulty video card might cause the video display to stop working completely, or the information on the screen may be corrupted. A faulty video adapter does not commonly cause the display to have a decreased backlight setting.

C.  Video driver

Bad video drivers often cause issues with resolution settings or aspect ratios, but a bad video driver does not commonly affect the backlight settings.

D.  Power adapter

A bad power adapter would cause a laptop to fail during the boot process or fail to properly charge a battery. A bad power supply would not usually cause everything to work properly except for the backlight.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 1.2 - Laptop Displays https://professormesser.link/1101010201

A graphics designer is experiencing increasing delays when accessing files on her hard drive. The user maintains a daily backup of all data on the drive. Which of these would be the BEST next troubleshooting step for this issue?

• Reinstall Windows

• Perform a hard drive diagnostic

• Restore from the daily backup

• Boot to Safe Mode

Answer explanation

The Answer: B. Perform a hard drive diagnostic

Before making any changes, it would be useful to gather more information about this problem. A hardware diagnostic would determine if the hard drive itself is working properly. If the hard drive is operating normally, the troubleshooting process can then shift to the operating system  and software.

The incorrect answers:

A. Reinstall Windows

Reinstalling Windows won't help if the hard drive is not operating properly. The installation process is also a time-consuming and significant change, so it's important to know if the underlying hardware is working.

C.  Restore from the daily backup

The root cause of this issue hasn't been identified, so any significant change to the user's data would be premature. The user may have also modified some of this data since the backup was taken, so restoring the backup could potentially result in the loss of user data.

D.  Boot to Safe Mode

Safe Mode will start Windows with a minimal configuration, and this could help troubleshoot software issues with the operating system itself. Before analyzing the software, it would be important to know if the underlying hardware is working properly.

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220-1101, Objective 5.3 - Troubleshooting Storage Devices https://professormesser.link/1101050301

Which of the following would be MOST likely found on an optical disc?

• Document archive

• Operating system boot files

• RAID parity files

• BIOS configurations

Answer explanation

The Answer: A. Document archive

An optical disc such as a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc - Read Only Memory) has the advantage of a relatively large storage area and the ability to write once and never worry about an accidental deletion. The storage of documents and other files is a common use of optical discs.

The incorrect answers:

B.  Operating system boot files

Although it is possible to boot an operating system from an optical disc, it's not a common use of the format. It's much more common to store operating system files on a local storage drive with a higher storage capacity and throughput, such as a hard drive or SSD (Solid-State Drive).

C.  RAID parity files

A RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) array requires that all of the data and parity information reside on the local storage drives. Parity information would not be stored on an optical disc.

D. BIOS configurations

BIOS configurations need to be accessible from the motherboard of a computer, and not from other storage devices. BIOS configurations would not be found on an optical disc.

More information:

220-1101, Objective 3.3 - Storage Devices https://professormesser.link/1101030301