220-1101 Practice Exam 59 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A user reports that their laser printer is producing pages with vertical streaks of faded print. The technician notices that the streaks appear in the same location on every page. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

The toner cartridge is low or unevenly distributed.. Vertical streaks of faded print that repeat in the same location are a classic symptom of low toner or uneven toner distribution in the cartridge. Shaking the cartridge can temporarily redistribute toner, but replacement is the permanent fix. Other components like the fuser, transfer belt, or laser scanner would produce different symptoms, such as smearing, spots, or distortion. Therefore, the toner cartridge is the most likely cause.

Answer

The laser scanner unit is misaligned.

Answer

The fuser assembly is damaged.

Answer

The transfer belt is dirty.

Question 2

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that frequently experiences blue screen errors (BSODs) with various stop codes. The technician suspects a hardware issue. Which of the following should the technician perform to help identify the cause? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Check the Event Viewer for critical system errors.. BSODs with varying stop codes often point to memory or driver issues. Running Windows Memory Diagnostic tests the RAM, a common culprit. Checking Event Viewer can reveal logged errors that correlate with the BSODs. Together, these steps help identify whether the issue is memory-related or caused by a specific driver or hardware component.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version.

Answer

Run a hard drive diagnostic utility to check for bad sectors.

Answer

Replace the power supply with a higher-wattage unit.

Question 3

A technician is preparing a fleet of corporate Android tablets for field staff who need to access email and a line-of-business app. The security team requires that the devices be encrypted and that a lost tablet cannot be accessed without the user's PIN, even if someone removes the storage. Which of the following should the technician configure?

Accepted Answer

Enable file-based encryption with a secure lock-screen credential enforced by policy.. File-based encryption ties the decryption keys to the user's lock-screen credential, so storage removed from the tablet cannot be read without the PIN. Enforcing that credential through management policy ensures users cannot weaken it. Work profiles, VPNs, biometrics alone, and disabling USB debugging each provide valuable but different protections that do not encrypt data at rest or gate it on the lock-screen secret.

Answer

Enable a biometric unlock and require a six-digit PIN for the lock screen.

Answer

Configure a work profile and enforce a VPN for all corporate applications.

Answer

Turn on USB debugging and require developer options to be disabled by policy.

Question 4

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop that randomly reboots under load and occasionally emits a burning smell. Visual inspection reveals brown discoloration on several pins of the 24-pin ATX motherboard connector. The power supply is a 650W unit that is three years old. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Replace the 24-pin power supply and inspect the motherboard connector for damage.. Burned or discolored pins on the 24-pin ATX connector indicate a power delivery fault, typically from a failing power supply or a loose connection that created high resistance. The technician must replace the power supply and inspect the motherboard header for matching damage before powering the system again. Ignoring the physical evidence and attempting firmware, wattage, or contact fixes will not resolve the root cause.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version.

Answer

Replace the power supply with a higher-wattage unit.

Answer

Re-seat the 24-pin connector and apply dielectric grease to the pins.

Question 5

A user complains that their desktop computer's clock loses time and resets to an earlier date every time the computer is powered off. The computer otherwise works normally. Which of the following components is MOST likely causing this issue?

Accepted Answer

The CMOS battery. The CMOS battery provides power to the real-time clock and BIOS settings when the computer is off. When it fails, the clock loses time and resets. Replacing the CMOS battery is the standard fix for this symptom.

Answer

The power supply unit (PSU)

Answer

The motherboard

Answer

The hard drive

Question 6

A user reports that their laser printer is producing pages with vertical streaks of faded print. The technician notices that the streaks appear in the same location on every page. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

The printer's cleaning blade or erase lamp is faulty.. Ghosting on a laser printer is a classic symptom of a faulty cleaning blade or erase lamp. These components are responsible for removing residual toner and neutralizing the drum's surface between pages. When they fail, the previous page's image remains on the drum and transfers to the next page, creating a repetitive ghost image. The drum unit is the most likely component to replace.

Answer

The fuser assembly is not heating properly.

Answer

The toner cartridge is low and needs replacement.

Answer

The imaging drum is scratched or dirty.

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that emits a burning smell and then shuts down during use. The technician notices dust buildup inside the case and a swollen capacitor on the motherboard. Which of the following should the technician do to address the issue? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Replace the motherboard with a compatible model.. The swollen capacitor is a clear motherboard failure that requires replacement, and the dust buildup must be cleaned to restore proper airflow and prevent overheating. Together these actions address both the immediate hardware damage and the environmental cause. Software or power supply changes do not correct physical capacitor damage or dust-related thermal stress.

Answer

Replace the power supply with a higher-wattage unit.

Answer

Reinstall the operating system to clear corrupted drivers.

Answer

Update the BIOS to the latest version to improve power management.

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that emits a rhythmic beeping pattern at startup and does not display video. The pattern is three short beeps followed by a pause, then three short beeps again. The motherboard is from a major manufacturer and uses a standard BIOS. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM is not properly seated or is faulty.. The rhythmic pattern of three short beeps is a standard BIOS beep code for a memory error. The system cannot complete POST because it fails to detect or initialize RAM. Reseating or replacing the memory modules is the appropriate first step. Other components like CPU, power supply, or video card would produce different beep codes or symptoms, making memory the most likely cause.

Answer

The power supply is failing.

Answer

The video card is not seated properly.

Answer

The CPU is overheating.

Question 9

A user reports that their laptop's battery no longer holds a charge for more than 20 minutes, even though it is plugged in most of the day. The laptop is 14 months old and still under a 2-year warranty. A technician runs a battery report and sees the design capacity is 52,000 mWh but the full charge capacity is now 22,000 mWh. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The battery has reached the end of its useful life due to normal wear and requires replacement.. The battery report shows a significant discrepancy between design capacity and full charge capacity, indicating the battery has degraded chemically over time. After 14 months, this level of wear is typical for lithium-ion batteries. The most likely cause is normal aging, so the battery should be replaced, possibly under warranty.

Answer

The laptop's charging port is damaged and only allows intermittent charging.

Answer

The operating system's power plan is set to Power Saver, causing the battery to drain faster.

Answer

The AC adapter is underpowered and cannot charge the battery while the laptop is in use.

Question 10

A technician is configuring a RAID array on a motherboard with an integrated RAID controller. The goal is to maximize read performance and provide redundancy, using four identical 1TB SATA drives. Which RAID level should the technician select?

Accepted Answer

RAID 10. RAID 10 stripes data across mirrored pairs, delivering high read performance and redundancy. With four 1TB drives, it provides 2TB usable and can tolerate one drive failure in each mirror. RAID 0 lacks redundancy, RAID 1 does not scale read performance across four drives, and RAID 5 has parity overhead that reduces write performance. RAID 10 best meets the combined requirements.

Answer

RAID 1

Answer

RAID 0

Answer

RAID 5

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that randomly reboots during use. The technician suspects a power issue. Which of the following should the technician check? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Check the PSU's 24-pin and 8-pin CPU power connectors for secure seating.. Random reboots under load often stem from insufficient or unstable power. Verifying that the PSU wattage meets the system's demands and ensuring all power connectors are securely seated are fundamental steps. These checks directly address the power delivery path and can quickly identify common causes like an undersized PSU or loose connections.

Answer

Check the CPU cooler for proper mounting and thermal paste.

Answer

Run a memory diagnostic to rule out faulty RAM.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version.

Question 12

A technician is troubleshooting a user's laptop that intermittently loses Wi-Fi connectivity. The laptop connects fine when close to the access point, but drops connections when the user moves to a different room. Other devices in the same room maintain a strong signal. The technician runs a wireless analyzer and sees that the laptop's signal strength is significantly lower than other devices at the same distance. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's Wi-Fi antenna cables are disconnected or damaged.. The laptop's significantly lower signal strength compared to other devices at the same distance indicates a hardware problem with the laptop's wireless antenna. Disconnected or damaged antenna cables are common, especially if the laptop was recently opened for upgrades or repairs. Other causes like channel interference or driver issues would affect all devices or not specifically reduce signal strength. Therefore, checking the antenna connections is the correct first step.

Answer

The access point is configured to use a crowded channel.

Answer

The laptop's wireless card driver is outdated.

Answer

The laptop is set to power-saving mode, reducing Wi-Fi transmit power.

Question 13

A user reports that a desktop printer produces pages with faint, faded text across the entire page. The technician confirms the printer is a laser printer and the toner cartridge was recently replaced with a new one. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The toner cartridge is low or the toner density setting is too low.. Faint text across an entire laser-printed page most often indicates insufficient toner or a low density setting. Even a new cartridge can be faulty or improperly installed, and density settings directly control how much toner is applied. Checking these first is faster and more likely to resolve the issue than inspecting the transfer belt, fuser, or scanner.

Answer

The transfer belt is worn and not transferring toner properly.

Answer

The laser scanner unit is dirty, causing the beam to weaken.

Answer

The fuser is not heating enough to bond the toner to the paper.

Question 14

A user reports that a laptop's wireless connection drops whenever the laptop is moved from the docking station to a conference room, but wired connectivity works fine at the desk. The technician confirms the wireless adapter is enabled and the correct SSID is configured. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Whether the wireless network signal strength and channel availability at the new location are adequate.. The laptop maintains wired connectivity at the desk, so the failure is tied to the wireless environment away from the dock. Weak signal, channel congestion, or coverage gaps in the conference room are the most probable causes. Confirming signal strength and channel conditions first narrows the issue before adjusting drivers, power settings, or IP configuration.

Answer

Whether the laptop's wireless radio is disabled by a physical switch or function key.

Answer

Whether the wireless adapter is configured with a static IP address from the wired network.

Answer

Whether the laptop's wired Ethernet adapter is disabled in Device Manager.

Question 15

A user wants to transfer photos and videos from their Android smartphone to a Windows laptop using a USB cable. When the phone is connected, it charges but does not appear in File Explorer. The technician confirms the cable and laptop port are functional. Which of the following should the technician do to resolve the issue?

Accepted Answer

Change the USB connection mode on the phone to File Transfer (MTP).. When an Android phone is connected to a computer via USB, it defaults to charging-only mode for security. To transfer files, the user must change the USB connection mode to File Transfer (MTP) or similar. This allows the computer to see the phone's storage. USB debugging, driver installation, or restarting are not the primary fixes for this common issue.

Answer

Enable USB debugging in Developer Options.

Answer

Restart the phone and the laptop to refresh the connection.

Answer

Install the manufacturer's USB drivers on the laptop.

Question 16

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that randomly freezes during use. The PC has an SSD, 16 GB RAM, and a discrete GPU. The technician runs Windows Memory Diagnostic, which reports no errors. The technician then runs a GPU stress test, which causes the system to freeze within minutes. The GPU is not overclocked. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

The power supply unit's wattage and PCIe power connectors.. The freeze occurring only during GPU stress testing strongly indicates a power delivery issue. A PSU that is inadequate or has faulty PCIe connectors cannot supply the transient power spikes a GPU demands, causing system instability. Checking the PSU's wattage and connections is the most direct and likely fix before considering other components.

Answer

The CPU cooler's mounting pressure and thermal paste application.

Answer

The SSD's firmware version and health status.

Answer

The motherboard's BIOS version and chipset drivers.

Question 17

A small design studio wants to let employees run Windows-only CAD software on their macOS laptops without buying new hardware. The IT consultant proposes installing a Type 2 hypervisor on each Mac so a Windows guest OS runs alongside macOS. Which statement best describes what the consultant must ensure for this solution to work?

Accepted Answer

The Mac must have a CPU that supports hardware-assisted virtualization and virtualization must be enabled, so the Type 2 hypervisor can run the guest efficiently while macOS remains the host OS.. Running Windows software on a macOS laptop while keeping macOS usable calls for a Type 2 (hosted) hypervisor, which installs as an application on the existing operating system and launches the guest as a process. That model requires CPU virtualization extensions to be present and enabled so the guest can execute efficiently rather than through slow binary translation.

Answer

The Mac must be wiped and configured with a Type 1 hypervisor, because only bare-metal hypervisors can run Windows guests on Apple hardware.

Answer

The Windows guest must be assigned a dedicated physical GPU passed through from the Mac, because a Type 2 hypervisor cannot share the host's graphics hardware.

Answer

The Mac must run a container runtime such as Docker instead of a hypervisor, since containers isolate the CAD application without needing a full Windows OS.

Question 18

A user reports that their laptop's wireless mouse and keyboard intermittently stop responding. The devices are connected via a USB receiver plugged into a USB 3.0 port on the laptop. A technician notices that when a large file is transferred to an external USB 3.0 hard drive connected to an adjacent port, the mouse and keyboard lag. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

USB 3.0 ports generate 2.4 GHz interference that affects the wireless receiver.. The most likely cause is USB 3.0 radio frequency interference. USB 3.0 ports and devices can emit noise in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, disrupting wireless peripherals. The issue occurs when the external hard drive is active, generating interference. Moving the receiver away from the USB 3.0 port or using a USB 2.0 port resolves the problem.

Answer

The wireless mouse and keyboard are using outdated drivers.

Answer

The USB receiver is drawing too much power from the USB 3.0 port.

Answer

The USB 3.0 port is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced.

Question 19

A technician is configuring a SOHO router for a small business. The business needs to allow inbound Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) traffic to a single internal server at 192.168.1.50. The router's public IP is 203.0.113.10. Which of the following should the technician configure?

Accepted Answer

Port forwarding for TCP 3389 to 192.168.1.50. Port forwarding allows external devices to reach a specific internal service by mapping a public port to an internal IP and port. RDP listens on TCP 3389, so forwarding that port to the server's IP enables remote access without exposing all ports. Port triggering, DMZ, and static NAT are either insecure, impractical, or incorrect for this scenario.

Answer

Port triggering for TCP 3389 to 192.168.1.50

Answer

Static NAT for 192.168.1.50

Answer

DMZ host configuration for 192.168.1.50

Question 20

A technician is installing a new CPU into a desktop motherboard. The CPU is an Intel Core i7-12700K, which uses the LGA 1700 socket. After placing the CPU into the socket, the technician closes the retention arm and notices that the CPU is not perfectly aligned with the socket's alignment notch. The technician forces the retention arm down, and it clicks into place. Upon powering on, the system fails to POST. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the failure?

Accepted Answer

The CPU was installed with incorrect orientation, damaging the socket pins.. The most likely cause is that the CPU was installed with incorrect orientation, and forcing the retention arm damaged the socket pins. LGA sockets are fragile, and misalignment can bend pins, preventing proper electrical contact. This results in a failed POST. The socket may require replacement or repair.

Answer

The CPU cooler was not installed, causing the CPU to overheat immediately.

Answer

The CPU power connector is not plugged in.

Answer

The BIOS needs to be updated to support the 12th generation Intel CPU.