220-1201 Practice Test 40 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is setting up a new network printer in a conference room. The printer has an RJ45 port for wired networking, but the only available wall jack is labeled with a different room number. The technician needs to connect the printer to the network. What is the best approach?

Accepted Answer

Use a tone generator and probe to trace the wall jack to the patch panel. The wall jack may be connected to a different network drop. The technician should use a tone generator and probe to identify which port on the patch panel corresponds to that wall jack, ensuring correct connectivity.

Answer

Connect the printer directly to the router using a long Ethernet cable

Answer

Assume the jack is functional and connect the printer

Answer

Use a WiFi adapter for the printer instead

Question 2

A technician is tasked with connecting a legacy projector that only has a VGA input to a modern laptop that has only HDMI and USB-C outputs. Which adapter should the technician use?

Accepted Answer

HDMI to VGA active adapter. Since VGA is analog and HDMI is digital, an active converter is needed. A USB-C to VGA adapter can work if the laptop supports video over USB-C, but an HDMI to VGA adapter is also an option if the laptop has HDMI. The best answer is an HDMI to VGA active adapter, as it directly converts the digital signal to analog.

Answer

USB-C to VGA passive adapter

Answer

VGA to HDMI cable

Answer

USB-C to HDMI adapter

Question 3

A data center technician is installing a new server that requires a redundant power supply with two C13 power cords. The rack has two separate PDUs (Power Distribution Units) with C19 outlets. What type of power cable is needed to connect the server to the PDUs?

Accepted Answer

C13 to C19 power cord. C13 and C19 are different connector types. C13 is a standard connector for many devices, while C19 is used for higher-current devices. A C14 to C19 cable connects a C13 device to a C19 PDU outlet, but the server has C13 cords, so a C13 to C19 cable is needed. However, the server's power cords are C13, so the technician needs a cable that goes from C13 (server end) to C19 (PDU end). The correct answer is a C13 to C19 power cord.

Answer

C14 to C19 power cord

Answer

C13 to C14 power cord

Answer

C19 to C20 power cord

Question 4

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that fails to boot. The motherboard has a 24-pin ATX power connector and an 8-pin CPU power connector. The power supply has a 20+4 pin main connector and a 4+4 pin CPU connector. The technician connects the 20+4 pin to the motherboard correctly, but the system still does not power on. What should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

The 4+4 pin CPU connector is only using one 4-pin half. The 4+4 pin CPU connector can be used as either a 4-pin or 8-pin connector. The technician must ensure that both 4-pin halves are connected together to form the 8-pin CPU power connector required by the motherboard. If only one 4-pin half is connected, the CPU may not receive power.

Answer

The 20+4 pin connector is not fully seated

Answer

The power supply switch is turned off

Answer

The RAM is not properly seated

Question 5

A technician is deploying a new thin client in a hospital room. The thin client has a DisplayPort output, but the existing monitor only has a DVI-D input. The technician needs a single cable to connect them without adapters. Which cable type should be used?

Accepted Answer

DisplayPort to DVI-D cable. DisplayPort and DVI-D are both digital standards. A DisplayPort to DVI-D cable can directly connect the two, as DisplayPort is compatible with DVI-D signals. No active conversion is needed because both are digital.

Answer

DisplayPort to VGA cable

Answer

HDMI to DVI-D cable

Answer

DVI-D to DVI-D cable

Question 6

A customer reports that their desktop PC, which originally had 8 GB of RAM, is now very slow after they installed a second 8 GB stick. The system boots and shows 16 GB in the BIOS, but the OS only reports 8 GB usable. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The new RAM stick is incompatible with the existing module, causing the system to run in single-channel mode and limiting usable memory.. This scenario describes a common issue where mismatched memory modules cause the system to operate in single-channel mode or fail to address all installed RAM. The most likely cause is that the new RAM stick is not compatible with the existing module, often due to differences in speed, timings, or rank, forcing the system to run at the lower common denominator or disabling dual-channel support. The BIOS sees both sticks, but the OS may only report the usable memory from one channel if the modules are mismatched.

Answer

The new RAM stick is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Answer

The RAM is not fully seated in the slot.

Answer

The motherboard only supports up to 8 GB of RAM.

Question 7

A user is building a new gaming PC and wants to install 32 GB of DDR4 RAM in a dual-channel configuration. They have two 16 GB sticks. Which motherboard slots should they use to ensure dual-channel operation?

Accepted Answer

Slots 2 and 4 (alternating slots).. For dual-channel operation, memory modules must be installed in the correct slots, typically alternating colors or labeled as A2 and B2 (or slots 2 and 4) on most modern motherboards. This ensures the memory controller can access both sticks simultaneously, increasing bandwidth. The user manual or motherboard labeling is the definitive guide, but the common practice is to use the second and fourth slots from the CPU.

Answer

Slots 1 and 2 (adjacent to each other).

Answer

Slots 1 and 3 (alternating slots).

Answer

Any two slots will work; dual-channel is automatic.

Question 8

A small office has several desktop PCs that are experiencing intermittent blue screen errors, especially when running multiple applications. The IT support team suspects faulty RAM. Which tool should they use to test the memory modules?

Accepted Answer

Windows Memory Diagnostic.. Windows Memory Diagnostic is a built-in tool in Windows that performs a thorough test of installed RAM to detect errors. It can be run from the boot menu or within Windows and is the standard first step for diagnosing memory issues. Other tools like MemTest86 are also common, but Windows Memory Diagnostic is readily available without additional downloads.

Answer

Task Manager.

Answer

CHKDSK.

Answer

System Configuration (msconfig).

Question 9

A technician is upgrading a client's laptop from 8 GB to 16 GB of RAM. After installing the new module, the laptop powers on but the screen remains black, and the system emits a series of short beeps. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The RAM module is not fully seated in the slot.. A series of short beeps on a laptop usually indicates a memory failure, such as incompatible or improperly seated RAM. The most common cause is that the new RAM module is not fully inserted into the slot, causing a poor connection. The technician should reseat the module firmly until it clicks into place.

Answer

The new RAM module is incompatible with the laptop's chipset.

Answer

The laptop's battery is dead.

Answer

The RAM is installed in the wrong orientation.

Question 10

A user reports that their PC sometimes fails to boot, and when it does, they see a message saying 'Memory Management Error.' They have two 4 GB sticks of DDR3 RAM installed. A technician runs Windows Memory Diagnostic and finds errors on one stick. What should the technician do next?

Accepted Answer

Replace the faulty RAM stick with a new one of the same specifications.. Once a memory diagnostic confirms errors on a specific module, the correct next step is to replace the faulty stick. Running the system with faulty RAM can lead to data corruption and crashes. The technician should identify the bad module (often by testing one at a time) and replace it with a compatible module.

Answer

Run a full system restore to fix the memory management error.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to improve memory compatibility.

Answer

Remove both sticks and clean the contacts with a pencil eraser.

Question 11

A technician is configuring a workstation for a video editing application that requires 64 GB of RAM. The motherboard has four slots and supports up to 128 GB. The technician has four 16 GB DDR4-3200 modules. What is the most important consideration when installing these modules?

Accepted Answer

Ensure all modules are from the same manufacturer and have the same speed and timings.. When installing four identical RAM modules, the key consideration is ensuring they are all from the same matched set or have identical specifications (speed, timings, voltage) to maintain stability and performance. Mixing modules from different manufacturers or batches can cause instability even if they have the same rated speed. Additionally, the technician should install them in the correct slots for dual-channel operation, but the primary concern is compatibility.

Answer

Install the modules in slots 1, 2, 3, and 4 in any order.

Answer

Install the modules only in the first two slots to leave room for future upgrades.

Answer

Set the RAM voltage to the maximum supported by the motherboard.

Question 12

A user complains that their PC is running slowly, especially when opening multiple browser tabs. The system has 4 GB of RAM installed, and the OS is Windows 10 64-bit. Task Manager shows memory usage consistently at 90-95%. Which upgrade would provide the most immediate performance improvement?

Accepted Answer

Add an additional 4 GB of RAM to bring the total to 8 GB.. With 4 GB of RAM, Windows 10 is likely using most of it for the OS and background processes, leaving little for applications. Upgrading to 8 GB or more will significantly reduce paging to the hard drive and improve multitasking. Adding more RAM is the most effective solution for this symptom, as the system is memory-constrained.

Answer

Upgrade the CPU to a faster model.

Answer

Replace the hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD).

Answer

Disable the page file to force the system to use only RAM.

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop that randomly restarts under heavy load. They suspect the RAM is overheating. What type of RAM cooling solution is most commonly integrated into high-performance memory modules?

Accepted Answer

Heat spreaders (metal fins) on the modules.. High-performance RAM modules often come with heat spreaders—metal fins or covers that dissipate heat from the memory chips. These are passive cooling solutions that increase the surface area for heat dissipation. Active cooling (fans) is less common on standard modules and is usually an aftermarket addition.

Answer

Liquid cooling loops attached to the RAM sticks.

Answer

Small fans mounted directly above the RAM slots.

Answer

Thermal pads that connect RAM to the motherboard heatsink.

Question 14

A server administrator needs to upgrade a critical database server from 64 GB to 128 GB of RAM. The server uses registered ECC DDR4 memory. They have purchased 8 x 16 GB registered ECC modules. When they install them, the server fails to POST with a memory error. The original 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) modules work fine. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The new modules have a different number of ranks (e.g., dual-rank vs. single-rank) than the original modules, causing a rank mismatch that the memory controller cannot handle.. Registered (buffered) ECC memory is designed for servers and has specific compatibility requirements, especially regarding the number of ranks per channel and the memory controller's capabilities. The most likely issue is that the new modules are of a different rank (e.g., dual-rank vs. single-rank) or the server's memory controller cannot handle the total number of ranks when all slots are populated. Mixing ranks or exceeding the rank limit per channel can cause POST failures.

Answer

The new RAM modules are not compatible because they are not ECC, while the server requires ECC.

Answer

The server's BIOS needs to be updated to support 128 GB.

Answer

The new modules are not seated properly in the slots.

Question 15

A technician is tasked with building a high-performance workstation for a data scientist who uses large datasets. The workstation has a motherboard that supports quad-channel memory. The technician has four 16 GB DDR4-3200 modules. Which configuration will yield the best memory performance?

Accepted Answer

Install one module in each of the four channels (e.g., slots 1, 3, 5, 7) to enable quad-channel mode.. Quad-channel memory architecture requires that all four memory channels be populated with identical modules to achieve maximum bandwidth. Installing one module per channel (e.g., in slots 1, 3, 5, 7 or the designated quad-channel slots) allows the memory controller to access all four channels simultaneously, quadrupling the data transfer rate compared to single-channel. Using fewer modules or mismatched sizes would reduce the channel count or cause the system to run in a lower-channel mode.

Answer

Install all four modules in the same channel (e.g., slots 1, 2, 3, 4) to maximize density.

Answer

Install two modules in one channel and two in another, leaving the other two channels empty.

Answer

Install all four modules in the same slot using a special adapter.