easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A customer reports that their new desktop PC runs…
A customer reports that their new desktop PC runs for exactly 30 minutes and then shuts down. After the shutdown, the system won't power back on for several minutes. What is the most likely BIOS/UEFI-related cause of this behavior?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The BIOS thermal protection feature is triggering due to CPU overheating.
This scenario describes thermal shutdown protection. The BIOS/UEFI monitors CPU temperature via sensors and will shut down the system to prevent damage if temperatures exceed safe thresholds. The delay before restarting allows the CPU to cool down.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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The BIOS has a power-on password enabled.
Why it's wrong here
A power-on password (POP) is a security feature configured in the BIOS/UEFI that prompts for a password immediately after the Power-On Self-Test (POST) completes, before the operating system even begins to load. If enabled and the correct password is not entered, the system would be prevented from booting entirely, displaying a prompt or error. It would not allow the PC to successfully run for 30 minutes before shutting down, as the system would never reach the operating system or any significant runtime.
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The BIOS is set to the wrong CPU multiplier.
Why it's wrong here
The CPU multiplier, in conjunction with the base clock (BCLK), determines the processor's operating frequency. Setting an incorrect or unstable CPU multiplier in the BIOS/UEFI would typically lead to immediate system instability, such as blue screens of death (BSODs), random reboots, or a complete failure to boot the operating system. It would not result in a consistent 30-minute runtime followed by a shutdown that requires a cooldown period, as such behavior is characteristic of thermal issues rather than clocking errors.
- ✓
The BIOS thermal protection feature is triggering due to CPU overheating.
Why this is correct
Modern CPUs and motherboards incorporate sophisticated thermal monitoring and protection mechanisms within the BIOS/UEFI firmware. When the CPU temperature exceeds a predefined critical threshold, the system initiates an emergency shutdown to prevent permanent damage to the processor and other components. The consistent 30-minute runtime strongly suggests it takes that long for the CPU to reach this critical temperature under sustained load, and the subsequent inability to immediately restart indicates a necessary cooldown period before the CPU temperature drops below the safe operating threshold, allowing the system to power on again. This behavior is a classic symptom of CPU overheating.
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The UEFI boot order is set to network boot first.
Why it's wrong here
The UEFI boot order dictates the sequence in which the system attempts to load an operating system from various storage devices, network sources, or optical drives. If the UEFI boot order were set to network boot first and no network boot server was found, the system would either attempt to boot from the next device in the sequence or display an error indicating no bootable device. This setting only affects the initial boot process and would not cause the system to successfully run for 30 minutes before shutting down due to a thermal issue; it would prevent the operating system from loading in the first place.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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