220-1201 Practice Test 42 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A customer complains that their computer takes a long time to switch between open applications and frequently shows the 'low memory' warning. The system has 8 GB of DDR3 RAM. Task Manager shows that 7.5 GB is in use when only a few applications are open. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The system has a memory leak in one of the running applications.. A memory leak occurs when an application does not release memory after it is done using it, causing RAM usage to steadily increase. This is a common software issue that can be identified by checking which process is consuming memory in Task Manager.

Answer

The hard drive is failing and causing the system to use excessive virtual memory.

Answer

The RAM modules are not installed in the correct slots for dual-channel mode.

Answer

The page file is set too small.

Question 2

A technician is upgrading a client's older PC from 8 GB to 16 GB of DDR3 RAM. After installing the new modules, the system boots but only recognizes 8 GB in the BIOS and Windows. The technician has tried reseating the RAM and swapping slots. What should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

Verify that the operating system is 64-bit.. 32-bit operating systems have a 4 GB memory limit (or slightly more with PAE), so if the client is running a 32-bit version of Windows, it will not recognize more than 4 GB. The technician should verify the OS architecture first.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version.

Answer

Check if the motherboard supports 16 GB of RAM.

Answer

Test each RAM module individually in a known working system.

Question 3

A technician is tasked with upgrading the RAM in a laptop that uses SO-DIMM modules. The laptop currently has 4 GB of RAM soldered on the motherboard and one empty SO-DIMM slot. The technician installs an 8 GB SO-DIMM, but the system only reports 8 GB total. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's BIOS is configured to use only the SO-DIMM slot when populated.. Some laptops with soldered RAM have a limitation where the SO-DIMM slot cannot be used simultaneously with the onboard memory, or the system may disable the onboard RAM when a module is installed. This is a design constraint, not a hardware failure.

Answer

The SO-DIMM module is incompatible with the laptop's chipset.

Answer

The soldered RAM is faulty and has been disabled.

Answer

The SO-DIMM is not seated properly in the slot.

Question 4

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that randomly reboots under heavy load, such as when running a benchmark or rendering video. The system passes a memory test with no errors, and the CPU temperatures are normal. The power supply is a 500W unit that is three years old. What is the most likely cause of the reboots?

Accepted Answer

The power supply is unable to deliver consistent power under peak load.. Under heavy load, the system draws more power. An aging or insufficient power supply may not be able to deliver stable voltage, causing the system to reboot. This is a common issue that can mimic RAM problems but is actually power-related.

Answer

The RAM is overheating under load.

Answer

The motherboard capacitors are failing.

Answer

The CPU is throttling due to a failing fan.

Question 5

A technician is configuring a high-performance workstation for scientific simulations that require large amounts of RAM. The motherboard has eight DDR4 slots and supports quad-channel memory. The technician installs four 16 GB sticks in the correct slots for quad-channel mode. After booting, the system reports 64 GB of RAM but only runs in dual-channel mode. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The installed CPU only supports dual-channel memory.. Quad-channel memory requires a compatible CPU that supports quad-channel architecture. Most consumer CPUs (like Intel Core i7/i9) only support dual-channel, even if the motherboard has four slots. Server or HEDT (High-End Desktop) CPUs are needed for quad-channel.

Answer

The RAM sticks are not identical in speed and timings.

Answer

The motherboard BIOS needs to be configured to enable quad-channel mode.

Answer

The RAM is installed in the wrong slots for quad-channel operation.

Question 6

A customer reports that their desktop PC with a 1 TB HDD is running very slowly, especially when opening large files. They mention that the drive light is constantly active even when the system is idle. What is the most likely cause of this performance issue?

Accepted Answer

The hard disk drive is failing and has developed bad sectors.. A failing HDD often causes constant drive activity and slow file access due to bad sectors or mechanical wear. This is a common symptom that technicians should recognize before data loss occurs. SSDs or other components do not typically exhibit this behavior.

Answer

The CPU is overheating and throttling performance.

Answer

The system has a virus that is encrypting files in the background.

Answer

The RAM is insufficient and the system is using the hard drive as virtual memory.

Question 7

A user wants to upgrade their laptop from a traditional HDD to an SSD for faster boot times. They have a SATA III interface available. Which type of SSD should you recommend for the best performance without requiring an adapter?

Accepted Answer

2.5-inch SATA SSD. A 2.5-inch SATA SSD is the direct replacement for a laptop HDD, using the same interface and form factor. NVMe M.2 drives require an M.2 slot, which this laptop may not have. mSATA is less common and not standard in most laptops.

Answer

NVMe M.2 SSD

Answer

mSATA SSD

Answer

External USB SSD

Question 8

During a hardware installation, you are tasked with setting up a RAID 1 array in a server using two identical 4 TB HDDs. After configuration, the total usable capacity is only 4 TB. Is this expected behavior?

Accepted Answer

Yes, RAID 1 provides fault tolerance by mirroring data, so usable capacity is 4 TB.. RAID 1 mirrors data across two drives, so usable capacity equals the size of one drive (4 TB). This provides redundancy, not increased storage. RAID 0 would combine capacity, and RAID 5 requires at least three drives.

Answer

No, the array should show 8 TB because the drives are identical.

Answer

No, the array should be configured as RAID 0 to get 8 TB.

Answer

Yes, but only if the drives are set as JBOD.

Question 9

A customer complains that their external USB 3.0 hard drive is only transferring files at USB 2.0 speeds (about 30-40 MB/s). They have confirmed the drive supports USB 3.0. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The USB cable is only rated for USB 2.0.. If a USB 3.0 device is plugged into a USB 2.0 port or a cable that only supports USB 2.0, it will fall back to slower speeds. The cable or port is the most common bottleneck. Driver issues are less likely, and the drive itself is not faulty.

Answer

The external drive is failing and needs to be replaced.

Answer

The drive is formatted with FAT32, which limits transfer speeds.

Answer

The computer's USB drivers are outdated.

Question 10

A technician is configuring a new workstation for video editing. The user needs fast read/write speeds for large project files. Which storage technology should be selected for the primary drive?

Accepted Answer

NVMe M.2 SSD. An NVMe M.2 SSD uses the PCIe interface, offering significantly faster speeds than SATA SSDs or HDDs, ideal for video editing. SATA SSDs are slower, and HDDs are too slow for this workload.

Answer

2.5-inch SATA SSD

Answer

10,000 RPM HDD

Answer

Hybrid drive (SSHD)

Question 11

A user reports that their computer will not boot and displays an 'Operating System Not Found' error. They recently installed a new SATA SSD and connected it to the motherboard. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The boot order in BIOS is not set to the new SSD.. If the boot order is not set to the new SSD, the system may try to boot from another drive or nothing, causing the error. The SSD itself is likely fine, and cables are usually detected if properly connected.

Answer

The SATA cable is faulty.

Answer

The SSD is not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The SSD needs to be formatted before use.

Question 12

A client wants to add a second internal hard drive to their desktop for additional storage, but all SATA ports on the motherboard are already used. What is the best solution?

Accepted Answer

Install a SATA expansion card into an available PCIe slot.. An eSATA or SATA expansion card adds more SATA ports via a PCIe slot. USB adapters are slower, and replacing the motherboard is unnecessary. External enclosures are not internal.

Answer

Use a USB-to-SATA adapter and connect the drive externally.

Answer

Replace the motherboard with one that has more SATA ports.

Answer

Use an external hard drive enclosure connected via USB.

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a server that uses a RAID 5 array with three 2 TB HDDs. The array reports 4 TB of usable space. One drive fails. What is the immediate impact on data availability?

Accepted Answer

The array continues to function, but performance may decrease until the drive is replaced.. RAID 5 can tolerate one drive failure without data loss because parity data is distributed across all drives. The array will continue to operate in a degraded state until the failed drive is replaced and rebuilt. A second failure would cause data loss.

Answer

All data is lost because RAID 5 cannot handle any drive failures.

Answer

The usable capacity drops to 2 TB until the drive is replaced.

Answer

The array automatically switches to RAID 0 to maintain performance.

Question 14

A user complains that their computer with a 256 GB NVMe SSD is running out of storage space. They want to add more internal storage but only have one M.2 slot. What is the best solution to expand capacity without sacrificing performance?

Accepted Answer

Replace the NVMe SSD with a larger capacity NVMe SSD.. Replacing the existing NVMe SSD with a larger capacity model is the most direct way to increase internal storage while maintaining NVMe performance. Adding a SATA SSD via a 2.5-inch bay is also viable but slower. External drives are not internal.

Answer

Install a SATA SSD in an available 2.5-inch drive bay.

Answer

Use an external USB SSD for additional storage.

Answer

Add a second M.2 drive using a PCIe adapter card.

Question 15

A technician is setting up a new RAID 0 array with two 500 GB SSDs for a gaming PC. After installation, the system shows only 500 GB of usable space. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAID controller is set to RAID 1 instead of RAID 0.. RAID 0 stripes data across both drives, providing combined capacity (1 TB). If only 500 GB is shown, the array may be configured as RAID 1 (mirroring) or not properly set up. The drives themselves are unlikely to be faulty.

Answer

One of the SSDs is not detected by the system.

Answer

The SSDs are different brands and incompatible.

Answer

The operating system does not support RAID 0.