hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a PC that boots…
A technician is troubleshooting a PC that boots to a black screen with a blinking cursor after the BIOS screen. The system has a single SSD with the OS installed. The BIOS detects the SSD. What is the most likely cause?
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 bootloader is corrupted
A black screen with a blinking cursor after POST indicates the BIOS found a bootable device but cannot locate the bootloader. This is often due to a corrupted Master Boot Record (MBR) or GUID Partition Table (GPT). The technician should boot from installation media and use the Startup Repair or bootrec commands to rebuild the bootloader.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The SSD is not properly formatted
Why it's wrong here
If an SSD is unformatted or has an uninitialized partition table, the BIOS/UEFI firmware would not recognize it as a valid boot device containing an operating system. Instead of booting to a blinking cursor, the system would typically display an error message such as "No bootable device found" or "Operating System not found," as it cannot locate the necessary boot sector or partition. A blinking cursor usually indicates that the system has found a boot device but failed to load the OS.
- ✓
The bootloader is corrupted
Why this is correct
The bootloader is a critical piece of software responsible for initiating the operating system after the BIOS/UEFI POST completes. If the bootloader, such as GRUB or Windows Boot Manager, becomes corrupted or is missing from the boot sector or EFI System Partition, the system will successfully complete POST and find the boot device, but it will then fail to load the OS kernel. This often manifests as a blinking cursor on a black screen, indicating the system is stuck trying to execute corrupted boot instructions.
- ✗
The RAM is faulty
Why it's wrong here
Faulty Random Access Memory (RAM) typically leads to system instability, such as Blue Screens of Death (BSODs) in Windows, unexpected reboots, or application crashes during operation. During the boot process, severe RAM errors might prevent the Power-On Self-Test (POST) from completing successfully, resulting in beep codes or no display at all. A blinking cursor after the BIOS POST indicates that the system has passed memory checks and is attempting to load the OS, which is not a direct symptom of RAM failure.
- ✗
The power supply is underpowered
Why it's wrong here
An underpowered or failing Power Supply Unit (PSU) would typically manifest as intermittent shutdowns, system instability under load, or a complete failure to power on. If the PSU cannot deliver sufficient wattage to all components, the system might fail to complete POST, experience random reboots, or components might not initialize correctly. However, booting consistently to a blinking cursor suggests the system is receiving adequate power to complete POST and initiate the boot sequence, but then encounters a software-related issue.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1201
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user reports that their PC boots to a black screen with a blinking cursor after installing a new SATA SSD. The old hard drive is still connected. What is the most likely issue?
easy- A.The new SSD is defective
- ✓ B.The boot order in BIOS is incorrect
- C.The SATA cable is loose
- D.The power supply is insufficient
Why B: The blinking cursor on a black screen usually indicates the system cannot find a bootable device. With two drives connected, the boot order in the BIOS may be set to the old hard drive or the new SSD may not have an OS installed.
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.