220-1201 Storage Devices — Timed 20 Questions

Question 1

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 2

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.

Question 3

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 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 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 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 10

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 11

A technician is configuring a workstation for a graphic designer who needs to work with large 4K video files. The motherboard supports SATA III and has one M.2 slot. Which storage configuration will provide the best performance for this workload?

Accepted Answer

One NVMe M.2 SSD for both the OS and media files.. This question tests understanding of storage interface speeds. NVMe M.2 SSDs offer significantly higher sequential read/write speeds (up to 3500 MB/s) compared to SATA III (up to 550 MB/s), making them ideal for large file editing.

Answer

One SATA III SSD for the OS and one SATA III HDD for media files.

Answer

Two SATA III SSDs in RAID 0.

Answer

One SATA III SSD for the OS and one NVMe M.2 SSD for media files.

Question 12

A user reports that their computer's hard drive makes a clicking noise and the system occasionally freezes. Which action should you take first?

Accepted Answer

Back up the user's data as soon as possible.. Clicking noises from a hard drive often indicate mechanical failure (head crash). Immediate backup of critical data is the priority before further troubleshooting or replacement.

Answer

Run CHKDSK to repair file system errors.

Answer

Replace the hard drive immediately.

Answer

Update the hard drive firmware.

Question 13

A customer reports that their external USB hard drive is not recognized when plugged into the front USB ports of their desktop, but it works fine on the back ports. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The front USB ports do not supply enough power.. This question tests knowledge of USB port power delivery and cable length limitations. Front USB ports often share a single internal header and may deliver less power than rear ports directly on the motherboard, causing high-power devices like external hard drives to fail.

Answer

The USB cable is too short.

Answer

The front USB ports are not connected to the motherboard.

Answer

The hard drive is formatted with the wrong file system.

Question 14

A user wants to add a second hard drive to their desktop for extra storage, but the computer only has one SATA data cable available. The technician has an extra SATA power cable from the power supply. What is the most practical solution?

Accepted Answer

Purchase an additional SATA data cable and use the existing power cable.. This question tests understanding of SATA connectivity requirements. Each SATA drive needs its own data cable, but power can be shared via splitters or by using available power connectors.

Answer

Use a Y-splitter on the existing SATA data cable to connect both drives.

Answer

Connect the second drive using an external USB-to-SATA adapter.

Answer

Replace the existing hard drive with a larger one.

Question 15

A technician is installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD into a desktop motherboard that has two M.2 slots. After installation, the system boots but the new drive is not detected in the BIOS. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Check if the M.2 slot supports NVMe or only SATA.. This question tests knowledge of M.2 slot configurations. Some M.2 slots share bandwidth with SATA ports or PCIe lanes, and the motherboard manual specifies which slot supports NVMe.

Answer

Update the SSD firmware.

Answer

Replace the SSD with a different brand.

Answer

Disable Secure Boot in the BIOS.

Question 16

A user reports that their computer with a 256GB SSD and a 1TB HDD is running out of space on the C: drive (SSD). The user wants to move the 'Users' folder to the HDD to free space. What is the best method to accomplish this without data loss?

Accepted Answer

Use the 'Location' tab in the Users folder properties to change the target path to the HDD.. This question tests advanced storage management skills. Moving system folders like 'Users' requires using symbolic links (junctions) or the built-in 'Location' tab in folder properties to redirect the path without breaking system functionality.

Answer

Cut and paste the Users folder to the HDD, then create a shortcut on the SSD.

Answer

Format the HDD as a dynamic disk and extend the C: partition onto it.

Answer

Delete the pagefile on the SSD to free space.

Question 17

A user wants to upgrade their laptop from a 500GB 5400 RPM HDD to a faster storage solution without increasing power consumption. Which drive type should you recommend?

Accepted Answer

A SATA solid-state drive (SSD). This question assesses understanding of storage drive characteristics. SSDs are faster, more durable, and consume less power than HDDs, making them ideal for laptop upgrades.

Answer

Another 5400 RPM HDD with a larger cache

Answer

A 10,000 RPM HDD

Answer

An external USB flash drive

Question 18

A user complains that their external hard drive is not showing up in File Explorer, but it appears in Device Manager as a connected device. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The drive does not have a drive letter assigned.. This question tests troubleshooting storage recognition issues. When a device appears in Device Manager but not File Explorer, it often means the drive lacks a drive letter or has a partition issue.

Answer

The USB port is faulty.

Answer

The drive needs a new driver.

Answer

The file system is corrupted.

Question 19

A technician is building a new workstation for video editing and needs to choose a storage configuration that offers the best read performance for large media files. Which setup should they select?

Accepted Answer

Two SSDs in RAID 0 (striping). This question tests RAID level knowledge for performance. RAID 0 stripes data across multiple drives, improving read/write speeds, which is ideal for large file access in video editing.

Answer

A single 2TB 7200 RPM HDD

Answer

Two SSDs in RAID 1 (mirroring)

Answer

A single NVMe SSD

Question 20

A technician is troubleshooting a server that uses a RAID 5 array with three 1TB HDDs. One drive fails, and the technician replaces it with a new 1TB HDD. After rebuilding, the array reports only 1.8TB of usable space. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The replacement drive has a slightly smaller actual capacity than the original drives.. This question tests advanced RAID understanding. RAID 5 uses one drive's worth of capacity for parity, so three 1TB drives yield 2TB usable. The loss of 0.2TB suggests the replacement drive has slightly less capacity due to manufacturer differences or sector mapping.

Answer

The new drive has a different sector size (4K vs 512e).

Answer

The RAID controller is using some space for metadata.

Answer

The RAID 5 array is degraded and needs a second drive to be replaced.