CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 (220-1201) — Questions 76–150

Ghosting in laser printers is often caused by a worn or damaged cleaning blade on the drum unit. If the drum is not properly cleaned after each rotation, residual toner remains and transfers to the next page. Replacing the drum unit or cleaning blade resolves the issue.

This scenario isolates a DNS failure: local IP communication works, but name resolution fails. DNS translates domain names to IP addresses, so if it fails, web browsing by name will not work while local IP pings succeed.

USB-C to USB-A adapters are common for connecting newer devices to older ports. The correct answer is a USB-C male to USB-A female adapter, which allows the drive's USB-C cable to plug into a USB-A port.

Standard HDMI cables (especially older versions) may not have sufficient bandwidth for 4K at proper refresh rates, leading to chroma subsampling and blurry text. The correct answer identifies bandwidth limitation as the cause, and the solution would be to use a high-speed HDMI or DisplayPort cable.

Many AIO designs use plastic clips in addition to screws to secure the back cover. The technician should carefully pry along the seam with a plastic spudger to release the clips without damaging the casing. Forcing the cover can crack the plastic.

The correct answer is D because HDMI to HDMI connects the first monitor, and DisplayPort to DVI (or HDMI) connects the second, using an adapter if needed. This tests understanding of common video connector conversions and that DisplayPort can drive DVI or HDMI with a passive adapter.

RAID 0 stripes data across both drives, providing combined capacity (1 TB). If only 500 GB is shown, the array may be configured as RAID 1 (mirroring) or not properly set up. The drives themselves are unlikely to be faulty.

A cracked LCD screen requires replacement of the entire display panel, which is often as expensive as the whole unit for all-in-ones. Because the touch layer still works, the damage is to the LCD layer beneath. The most cost-effective solution is usually to replace the entire all-in-one, as screen replacement labor and parts can be prohibitive.

This question tests understanding of Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). An address in the 169.254.x.x range indicates that the device could not reach a DHCP server and assigned itself a link-local address. The cause is likely a DHCP server issue or network connectivity problem preventing DHCP discovery.

A Local Area Network (LAN) is the appropriate choice for connecting devices within a single building, such as a warehouse, allowing the handheld scanners to communicate with the central server. It can be wired or wireless and does not require internet. A WAN is for wider areas, a PAN is too short-range for a warehouse, and a MAN is for city-scale.

For a /24 subnet (255.255.255.0), usable addresses range from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254, but .1 is typically reserved for the router. The technician should choose an address outside the DHCP pool, such as 192.168.1.50, to avoid conflicts.

Ghosting in laser printers is often caused by a worn or damaged cleaning blade on the drum, or a failing fuser that doesn't fully fuse toner. The offset ghost indicates residual toner from the previous page not being cleaned off the drum.

This scenario tests understanding of Wi-Fi configuration issues. The most common cause is an incorrect password or security mismatch on the device, as other devices connect successfully to the same network.

This error often occurs when the VM cannot find a bootable device. Even with the ISO attached, if the virtual DVD drive is not connected to the correct controller or is not enabled, the VM will not boot from it. The correct answer points to a common oversight: the virtual DVD drive may be on a different controller or not attached.

This scenario describes a long-range, obstruction-heavy connection. A wireless mesh network uses multiple nodes to extend coverage and maintain a stable connection, making it ideal for outbuildings. Powerline adapters are wired alternatives, and range extenders can cause performance drops. 5 GHz has shorter range and poorer penetration through walls.

Since auto-rotate works in safe mode, the hardware (accelerometer) is functional. The issue is caused by a third-party app or a system setting that is interfering with rotation. Safe mode disables third-party apps, so the problem is likely a recently installed app that is locking the orientation or a setting within an app that overrides system rotation.

DisplayPort and DVI-D are both digital standards. A DisplayPort to DVI-D cable can directly connect the two, as DisplayPort is compatible with DVI-D signals. No active conversion is needed because both are digital.

This question tests knowledge of IP address ranges and valid addresses. The address 192.168.1.256 is invalid because octets in IPv4 are limited to 0-255. The printer will not communicate on the network.

5 GHz signals have shorter range and are more easily obstructed. If the user is at the edge of coverage, the signal may intermittently drop. The periodic nature suggests a weak signal, not interference or driver issues.

RAID 6 can tolerate two drive failures, but if a third drive fails or has bad sectors during rebuild, the array may fail. The most likely cause is that a third drive developed bad sectors during the rebuild, preventing successful reconstruction. This highlights the risk of rebuild stress on older drives.

Repeating horizontal defects at regular intervals are classic symptoms of a damaged roller or drum. The distance between defects matches the circumference of the drum or a roller. Since the toner cartridge is new, the issue likely lies with the separate drum unit or a roller (like the transfer roller) that has a defect.

NVMe drives require UEFI mode because legacy BIOS lacks the necessary driver support for NVMe controllers. Enabling UEFI boot mode and disabling legacy/CSM allows the firmware to initialize the NVMe drive correctly. This question tests understanding of UEFI's role in supporting modern storage interfaces.

This question tests knowledge of display cable capabilities. DisplayPort cables come in different versions, and older cables may not support 4K at higher refresh rates. The most likely cause is using a DisplayPort cable that does not meet the required bandwidth for 4K.

Miracast uses Wi-Fi Direct to mirror the screen; the laptop must support Miracast (common in Windows 8.1 and later) and have Wi-Fi enabled. It does not require an internet connection or Bluetooth.

A red LED near the DRAM slot indicates a memory-related issue. After a power surge, the RAM could be damaged, or the new RAM might have been improperly seated. However, since the user recently upgraded, the most likely cause is that the new RAM is not compatible or is faulty.

A Wide Area Network (WAN) is designed to connect multiple LANs over large geographic distances, such as between cities, using leased lines or VPNs for security. This matches the requirement for a long-distance, secure connection. A LAN is too local, a MAN covers a city but not multiple cities, and a PAN is too short-range.

Band steering is a feature that encourages dual-band clients to use the less congested 5 GHz band, improving performance. This directly addresses the issue of devices sticking to 2.4 GHz.

This question tests understanding that Cat5e supports Gigabit Ethernet, but poor termination or cable damage can cause issues. The correct answer is that the terminations may have poor contact or are not fully inserted, as 1000Base-T uses all four pairs and is less tolerant of faults than 100Base-TX.

Since the user has already ruled out the cable and adapter, the issue is likely with the phone itself. A common problem is debris or lint compacted in the Lightning port, preventing a proper connection. Cleaning the port carefully can often resolve this.

Constant 100% disk usage with no corresponding high CPU or memory usage is a classic sign of a failing hard drive, often due to bad sectors or mechanical wear. While a slow drive can be caused by malware or fragmentation, hardware failure is the primary suspect in this scenario.

A 2.5-inch SATA SSD is the direct replacement for a laptop HDD, using the same interface and form factor. NVMe M.2 drives require an M.2 slot, which this laptop may not have. mSATA is less common and not standard in most laptops.

The link light being off indicates a physical layer problem between the switch and router. The most common cause is a faulty or loose cable, so checking the cable connection is the logical first step in network troubleshooting.

This question tests knowledge of 802.1X and RADIUS. WPA2-Enterprise uses 802.1X for authentication, which typically relies on a RADIUS server to validate domain credentials against Active Directory. DHCP, DNS, and NTP don't handle authentication.

Thermal printers rely on a printhead that heats the paper. Uneven darkness and missing sections typically indicate a dirty or damaged printhead element. Cleaning the printhead with a thermal cleaning pen or isopropyl alcohol is the first step.

This question tests understanding of app compatibility with OS updates. iOS updates can deprecate APIs or change security requirements, causing older apps to crash. The app developer must release an update to support the new OS. The technician should check for an app update in the App Store, as the developer likely has a fix.

Smudged ink that rubs off on an inkjet printer usually means the ink is not drying properly. This can happen if the paper type setting is incorrect (e.g., set to 'plain paper' when using glossy paper) or if the printer is set to a high-speed mode that doesn't allow enough drying time. Adjusting the paper type or print quality setting often resolves the issue.

If the SATA mode is changed from AHCI to IDE, the OS driver may not load, causing a boot failure. This can happen after a CMOS reset or accidental BIOS change. The question tests understanding of SATA controller modes and their impact on booting.

To create a searchable PDF, the printer must perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on the scanned image. This requires the printer to have an OCR feature enabled and the scan settings to be set to 'PDF with searchable text' or 'OCR PDF'. TIFF is a raw image format without text layer.

The correct answer is D because USB-C ports can support different protocols (USB 3.x, Thunderbolt, DisplayPort), and if the laptop's USB-C port does not support the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard required by the SSD, the device may not be detected. This tests understanding that USB-C is a physical connector shape, not a guarantee of a specific protocol or speed.

Bluetooth is backward compatible, so a Bluetooth 5.0 device can connect to a Bluetooth 2.1 device, but it will operate at the lower version's capabilities. This tests knowledge of Bluetooth version compatibility and that features like range and speed are limited by the older device.

This question tests knowledge of Windows compatibility and application support on mobile devices. Windows 10 64-bit includes WOW64 (Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit) by default, allowing 32-bit apps to run without additional configuration. No special steps are needed.

NAT (Network Address Translation) allows multiple devices on a private network to share a single public IP address by translating their private IPs to the public IP. DHCP assigns internal IPs but does not enable internet sharing. DNS resolves names, and PAT is a form of NAT but not the broad service name.

This scenario describes a peer-to-peer (P2P) network where devices communicate directly without a central server. The issue likely stems from the TV and PC using different workgroup names or file-sharing settings, which is common in P2P home networks. Understanding P2P vs. client-server helps troubleshoot local resource access problems.

If printing works but the web interface is inaccessible, the printer's network settings are likely correct, but the web server service may be disabled or blocked by a firewall. Many printers have a separate setting to enable the embedded web server. Checking the printer's menu or documentation is the next step.

The 'Replace Fuser' error is a proactive maintenance indicator, not necessarily a sign of failure. If print quality is fine, the fuser may still be functional, but the printer's page count has reached the recommended replacement interval. Replacing the fuser as part of the maintenance kit prevents future issues and clears the error.

A series of long beeps during POST typically indicates a memory (RAM) issue. Intermittent boot failures with beep codes point to a failing RAM module, a dirty contact, or a loose connection. The beep code is a diagnostic tool from the motherboard's BIOS.

WHEA-Logger errors often indicate hardware issues, particularly with the CPU or its voltage. This can stem from an unstable overclock or insufficient power delivery.

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.

When a dedicated graphics card is installed, the motherboard often disables the integrated graphics port. If the monitor is still connected to the motherboard's video output, it will remain blank. The first step is to ensure the monitor cable is connected to the new graphics card's ports.

A PAN (Personal Area Network) is used for short-range connections between personal devices, such as Bluetooth speakers, headphones, or smartphones. LAN, WAN, and MAN are larger networks that are not designed for this immediate, device-to-device scenario.

Duplex jams often occur because the duplex unit (the mechanism that flips the paper) is misaligned or has a broken gear. Single-sided printing bypasses this unit, so it works fine. Other causes like paper path rollers or fuser issues would typically affect both simplex and duplex printing.

Rapid elasticity is the ability to automatically scale resources up or down based on demand. This is a key characteristic of cloud computing. Other options like measured service or resource pooling are related but do not directly describe auto-scaling.

The distance between repeating defects often matches the circumference of a roller. In laser printers, the OPC drum is typically about 3.75 inches in diameter, so a defect repeating at that interval points to a damaged drum. Other components have different circumferences.

Misaligned colors and blurry text on an inkjet printer typically indicate that the printhead alignment is off. Most inkjet printers have a built-in alignment utility that prints a test page and adjusts the printhead position. Running this calibration is the standard first step.

The green wire (PS_ON) is pulled low by the motherboard to start the PSU. If it stays at 0V, the motherboard is not signaling the PSU to turn on. The 5VSB being present means the PSU's standby power is working, isolating the issue to the motherboard or front panel switch.

Printer-based access control requires user authentication and role-based permissions. The correct approach is to create user accounts on the printer, assign permissions to color printing only to authorized users, and require authentication before printing. This ensures only authorized users can print in color.

Car USB ports often provide limited current (0.5A), which may be insufficient for fast charging or even maintaining charge on modern phones. The phone's charging circuit may require more current than the port supplies, so it does not charge.

Many mobile carriers and device manufacturers impose a timeout on hotspots to conserve battery and data. The hotspot may automatically turn off after a period of inactivity or after a set time.

Load balancers distribute traffic but without session persistence (sticky sessions), a user may be directed to different servers during a session, losing login state or cached data. Configuring the load balancer to use cookies or source IP affinity ensures the same server handles the session. DNS round-robin alone would cause similar issues.

This scenario points to a device-specific issue, such as an incorrect DNS server setting. The device can connect to the local network (Wi-Fi) but DNS resolution fails, preventing internet access.

802.11ac operates on 5 GHz, which has shorter range and poorer penetration through obstacles like metal racks. Enabling 2.4 GHz on the AP provides better range and obstacle penetration for mobile devices.

Wi-Fi 6 access points can operate in mixed mode, but older clients may struggle with channel width or band-steering settings. The most common issue is that the AP is using a channel width (e.g., 160 MHz) that older devices do not support, causing instability.

Faint, streaky text and blank spots on a laser printer with a new toner cartridge and recent maintenance kit replacement typically point to the imaging drum. The drum transfers toner to the paper; if it is worn or damaged, it cannot hold a proper charge, causing these symptoms. The fuser assembly would cause smudging or toner not fused, the transfer roller would cause misalignment or poor transfer, and the pickup rollers would cause paper jams or misfeeds.

This question tests understanding of cable verification tools. A cable tester checks for continuity, shorts, and proper wiring, making it essential for verifying Ethernet cable integrity before deploying a VoIP phone.

The 5 GHz band has shorter range and is more easily blocked by walls and obstacles. The customer's device may be too far from the access point or there may be interference, causing the connection to fail while 2.4 GHz remains available.

A signal of -85 dBm is very weak (near noise floor). The best solution is to add an access point closer to the conference room to boost signal strength to the required level.