220-1101 Hardware Practice Test 3 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician installs a new M.2 NVMe SSD into a desktop computer. The drive is detected in the system BIOS, but it does not appear in Windows Disk Management. The technician checks Device Manager and sees the drive listed under 'Other devices' with a yellow exclamation mark. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

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

Accepted Answer

Install the correct driver for the NVMe controller. The yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager under 'Other devices' indicates that Windows lacks the correct driver for the NVMe controller, not that the disk is uninitialized or unformatted. Since the drive is detected in BIOS, the M.2 slot is enabled and functional; the OS simply cannot communicate with the drive without the proper NVMe driver. Installing the correct driver will allow Windows to recognize the drive normally, after which it can be initialized and formatted.

Answer

Initialize the disk in Disk Management

Answer

Format the partition

Answer

Enable the M.2 slot in BIOS

Question 2

A technician installs a new M.2 NVMe SSD into a desktop computer. The drive is detected in the system BIOS, but it does not appear in Windows Disk Management. The technician checks Device Manager and sees the drive listed under 'Other devices' with a yellow exclamation mark. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

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

Accepted Answer

Install the correct NVMe driver from the manufacturer. The M.2 NVMe SSD is detected in BIOS and listed in Device Manager with a yellow exclamation mark under 'Other devices', which indicates Windows lacks the native driver for NVMe storage. Unlike SATA SSDs, NVMe drives require a specific driver (typically the Microsoft standard NVMe driver or a manufacturer-provided one) to function. Installing the correct NVMe driver from the manufacturer resolves the driver issue and makes the drive accessible in Windows.

Answer

Enable the drive in the BIOS SATA configuration

Answer

Initialize the disk in Disk Management

Answer

Update the system BIOS to the latest version

Question 3

A user's laptop was accidentally knocked off a desk. The laptop powers on and boots to Windows, but the built-in LCD display shows a distorted image with vertical lines and flickering colors. The technician connects an external monitor via HDMI, and the image displays correctly without any distortion. Which of the following components is MOST likely damaged?

Accepted Answer

The LVDS or eDP cable. The LVDS/eDP cable connects the motherboard to the LCD panel. A physical shock can loosen or damage this cable, causing display corruption. The external monitor displaying correctly proves the GPU and motherboard are generating a proper signal, isolating the problem to the internal display assembly (either the cable or the panel). The cable is more susceptible to impact than the panel, making it the most likely cause.

Answer

The LCD panel

Answer

The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)

Answer

The motherboard

Question 4

A technician installs a new SATA hard disk drive (HDD) into a desktop computer. The drive is not detected in the BIOS. The technician verifies that the SATA power cable is connected and the SATA data cable is properly seated on both the drive and the motherboard. The drive spins up (vibration is felt). Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the drive not being detected?

Accepted Answer

The SATA port is disabled in the BIOS settings.. The drive is receiving power, and the data cable is properly seated, so the issue is likely that the SATA port itself is disabled in the BIOS. When a SATA port is disabled, the BIOS does not enumerate the device during POST, so it won't appear in the BIOS setup or boot list. This is a common configuration issue, especially on systems where unused ports are disabled by default or after a BIOS reset.

Answer

The drive needs to be initialized in Disk Management.

Answer

The drive is incompatible with the SATA controller mode (IDE vs AHCI).

Answer

The SATA driver is not installed in the operating system.

Question 5

A technician is building a desktop computer and applies thermal paste to the CPU before installing the heatsink. The technician uses significantly more paste than recommended. Which of the following is the most likely consequence of this action?

Accepted Answer

The CPU will overheat because excess paste reduces heat transfer efficiency. Excess thermal paste acts as an insulator rather than a conductor, creating a thicker layer that impedes heat transfer from the CPU die to the heatsink base. This reduces thermal conductivity efficiency, causing the CPU to run hotter and potentially throttle or fail under load.

Answer

The thermal paste will cause a short circuit on the motherboard

Answer

The CPU will run cooler due to better coverage

Answer

There will be no noticeable effect on system performance

Question 6

A technician is upgrading a desktop computer's storage. The motherboard has one M.2 slot that supports both SATA and NVMe protocols. The user wants the fastest possible boot drive. Which type of M.2 drive should the technician select?

Accepted Answer

NVMe M.2. The NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) protocol is designed to leverage the high-speed PCIe bus, offering significantly lower latency and higher throughput compared to SATA-based SSDs. Since the motherboard's M.2 slot supports both SATA and NVMe, selecting an NVMe M.2 drive provides the fastest possible boot drive performance.

Answer

SATA M.2

Answer

mSATA

Answer

2.5" SSD

Question 7

A technician needs to install a PCIe x4 network adapter into a desktop computer. The motherboard has the following available slots: one PCIe x16 slot (occupied by a graphics card), two PCIe x1 slots, and one PCIe x8 slot. Which slot can the technician use to install the x4 card?

Accepted Answer

The PCIe x8 slot. The PCIe x8 slot is the correct choice because PCIe is designed to be backward and forward compatible in terms of lane width. A PCIe x4 card can physically and electrically operate in a PCIe x8 slot, as the slot provides at least the required number of lanes and the card will negotiate down to x4 mode. The other slots either lack the physical size (x1) or are occupied by a critical component (x16).

Answer

Any of the PCIe x1 slots

Answer

The PCIe x16 slot after removing the graphics card

Answer

A PCI slot

Question 8

A technician is building a high-performance gaming PC. The motherboard has four DDR4 DIMM slots, and the technician installs two 8 GB modules in slots A2 and B2 (dual-channel configuration). The PC boots and works, but the BIOS shows only 8 GB of RAM. The technician reseats the modules and tries different slots, but the issue persists. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

One of the RAM modules is faulty. The most likely cause is that one of the RAM modules is faulty. When two modules are installed in a dual-channel configuration (slots A2 and B2) and the system detects only 8 GB instead of 16 GB, it typically indicates that one module is not being recognized or is failing. Reseating and swapping slots did not resolve the issue, which further points to a defective module rather than a configuration or compatibility problem.

Answer

The RAM modules are not compatible with the motherboard

Answer

The CPU cooler is installed too tightly, causing memory controller issues

Answer

Windows 10 has a memory limit for the edition installed

Question 9

A technician is building a desktop computer and has installed a SATA solid-state drive (SSD). After connecting the SATA data cable and power cable, the computer boots to the BIOS, but the SSD is not listed in the SATA devices. The technician has verified that the SATA cable is securely connected to both the drive and the motherboard and that the power supply is functioning. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the BIOS settings to ensure the SATA port is enabled.. The most likely reason the SSD is not detected is that the SATA port is disabled in the BIOS. Even with secure physical connections, a disabled port will not enumerate the drive. Checking and enabling the SATA port in the BIOS is the logical next step before considering other hardware or software issues.

Answer

Format the SSD using a different computer.

Answer

Update the motherboard chipset drivers.

Answer

Replace the CMOS battery.

Question 10

A technician is assembling a workstation. After installing the motherboard, CPU, CPU cooler, RAM, and connecting all necessary power cables, the system does not power on when the front panel power button is pressed. The technician verified the power supply works in another system. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

The front panel header wiring. The front panel header wiring is the most likely cause because the power button connects to the motherboard through this header. If the wires are misaligned or not fully seated, pressing the button will not complete the circuit to signal the power supply to turn on. Since the PSU works in another system, the issue is almost certainly at the motherboard connection, making the front panel header the first logical check.

Answer

The 4/8-pin CPU power connector

Answer

The CMOS battery voltage

Answer

The BIOS version compatibility

Question 11

A technician is assembling a desktop computer in a new case. After installing the motherboard and connecting all components, the computer powers on but immediately shuts down after a few seconds. The technician notices that the motherboard is touching the metal case in several places and that no standoffs were installed between the motherboard and the case tray. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the shutdown?

Accepted Answer

There is a short circuit between the motherboard and the case.. When the motherboard touches the metal case without standoffs, exposed solder points or traces on the back of the board can contact the conductive case, creating an unintended electrical path. This short circuit typically triggers the power supply's overcurrent protection (OCP) or short-circuit protection (SCP), causing the system to power on briefly and then immediately shut down to prevent damage.

Answer

The CPU is overheating due to improper cooler installation.

Answer

The power supply unit is underpowered for the system.

Answer

The front panel power button is incorrectly wired.

Question 12

A technician is installing a new CPU into a desktop motherboard. After placing the CPU into the socket and applying a small amount of thermal paste, the technician is about to attach the heatsink. Which of the following is the correct method for securing the heatsink?

Accepted Answer

Tighten screws in a diagonal/cross pattern a little at a time. The correct method is to tighten the heatsink screws in a diagonal/cross pattern a little at a time. This ensures even pressure distribution across the CPU's integrated heat spreader (IHS), preventing uneven contact that can cause hot spots or thermal throttling. Tightening one screw fully first can tilt the heatsink, creating an air gap that reduces thermal transfer efficiency.

Answer

Tighten one screw fully, then move to the next

Answer

Apply additional thermal paste after mounting the heatsink

Answer

Use a power drill to speed up the process

Question 13

A technician is assembling a desktop computer using an Intel LGA1151 socket motherboard. The CPU has been installed correctly with thermal paste and a heatsink. When the power button is pressed, the system powers on for about three seconds, then shuts off, and then repeatedly attempts to restart. The CPU cooler fan spins normally during that time. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The 4+4 pin EPS12V power connector is not plugged into the motherboard. The 4+4 pin EPS12V connector provides dedicated power to the CPU. Without it, the CPU cannot initialize, causing the motherboard's fail-safe to power off after a few seconds and then repeatedly attempt to restart. The cooler fan spinning normally indicates the system is receiving basic power, but the CPU lacks the necessary voltage to complete POST.

Answer

The RAM modules are not fully seated in their slots

Answer

The CMOS battery is depleted

Answer

The power supply is not rated for the required wattage

Question 14

A technician is building a workstation with a motherboard that has two M.2 slots. One slot (M2A) supports both SATA and PCIe, and the other (M2B) supports PCIe only. The technician installs a SATA M.2 drive in M2B. After booting, the system does not detect the drive. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The M2B slot does not support SATA mode.. The M2B slot supports PCIe only, not SATA. Since the technician installed a SATA M.2 drive into that slot, the motherboard cannot communicate with the drive because the slot lacks the necessary SATA controller interface. This is a classic mismatch between drive interface and slot capability.

Answer

The M.2 drive is defective.

Answer

The SATA controller is disabled in BIOS.

Answer

The drive's firmware needs an update.

Question 15

A technician has just completed building a new desktop computer. After connecting all components and closing the case, the technician presses the power button on the front of the case, but nothing happens. No fans spin, no lights come on. The technician has verified that the power supply unit (PSU) works by testing it in another system. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Connect the front panel power switch header to the correct motherboard pins.. The most likely cause of a completely dead system (no fans, no lights) after building a new PC is that the front panel power switch is not properly connected to the motherboard. The power button on the case is a momentary switch that completes a circuit on the motherboard's front panel header; if the connector is on the wrong pins or not seated, pressing the button does nothing. Since the PSU has been verified working in another system, the next logical step is to check this simple, common wiring error before moving to more complex hardware troubleshooting.

Answer

Replace the CMOS battery on the motherboard.

Answer

Reseat the CPU in the socket.

Answer

Test the power supply using a multimeter.