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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that has…
A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that has a blank screen after the user closed the lid and then reopened it. The laptop's power LED is on, and the fan is spinning. Pressing keys does not wake the display. What should the technician do first?
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
✓
Perform a hard reset by holding the power button for 10-15 seconds
This scenario describes a classic 'lid sensor' or 'display not waking' issue. The laptop is on (power LED, fan), but the display is blank. The first step should be to perform a hard reset by holding the power button to force a shutdown, then power on again. This can clear a hung state.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Replace the LCD panel
Why it's wrong here
Replacing the LCD panel is a premature troubleshooting step because the display was fully functional before the laptop lid was closed. A blank screen after opening the lid, when the display previously worked, typically indicates a software-related issue, such as a graphics driver crash or the system being stuck in a sleep state, rather than a physical failure of the LCD hardware itself. Therefore, more fundamental power management or system state resets should be attempted first.
- ✓
Perform a hard reset by holding the power button for 10-15 seconds
Why this is correct
Performing a hard reset by holding the power button for 10-15 seconds forces the laptop to power down completely, clearing volatile memory (RAM) and resetting the system's current operational state. This action is highly effective for resolving scenarios where the operating system or graphics controller has become unresponsive or 'stuck' in a sleep or low-power state, preventing the display from reactivating after the lid is opened. It is a standard, non-invasive first step for such display issues.
- ✗
Reseat the RAM modules
Why it's wrong here
Reseating RAM is a troubleshooting step for no POST or beep codes, but the laptop is already on (fan spinning, power LED). This is not the first step for a blank screen after lid closure.
- ✗
Check the laptop's lid sensor for damage
Why it's wrong here
While a faulty lid sensor could indeed prevent the display from turning back on after the lid is opened, checking or replacing this component typically requires disassembling the laptop. This is a more complex and invasive procedure that should be reserved for later troubleshooting steps, after simpler, non-invasive solutions like a hard reset have been attempted and failed. Prioritizing a hard reset is a more efficient and less risky initial diagnostic approach.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.