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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a server that…
A technician is troubleshooting a server that randomly resets the time and date to 2000 after being powered off for a few hours. The system otherwise boots and runs normally. Which component is most likely failing?
⚠ Common exam trap
220-1201 often tests the classic symptom-to-component mapping, and the trap is overthinking a simple CMOS battery failure as a PSU or firmware problem because the system 'otherwise runs normally.'
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 CMOS battery needs replacement
The CMOS battery (typically a CR2032 coin cell) powers the real-time clock and stores BIOS/UEFI settings when the system is unplugged. When it fails, the system loses time and date after being powered off, often resetting to a default like January 1, 2000. The system still boots and runs normally because the battery is only needed to retain settings and time across power loss.
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 power supply unit is failing
Why it's wrong here
A failing power supply unit (PSU) typically manifests as intermittent or complete system shutdowns, unexpected reboots, or general instability due to insufficient or fluctuating power delivery to components. While it can cause system resets, the specific symptom of consistently losing time and date settings upon power loss points away from a general power delivery issue and more towards a specific component responsible for maintaining those settings. A PSU failure would likely affect more than just the clock.
- ✗
The motherboard clock crystal is defective
Why it's wrong here
The motherboard's clock crystal provides the precise timing pulses for the Real-Time Clock (RTC) chip to keep accurate time while the system is running. A defective clock crystal would cause the system's time to drift significantly, either running too fast or too slow, even when the system is powered on and operating. It would not, however, cause the system to completely lose its time and date settings and revert to a default upon reboot, which is indicative of a power retention issue.
- ✓
The CMOS battery needs replacement
Why this is correct
The CMOS battery (typically a CR2032 coin cell) provides continuous power to the Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) memory chip, which stores the system's BIOS/UEFI settings, including the Real-Time Clock (RTC) data (date and time). When this battery is depleted, the CMOS memory loses power when the main system power is off, causing the system to revert to default settings and lose the correct date and time upon the next boot. This directly explains why the server randomly resets its time and date.
- ✗
The UEFI firmware has a bug
Why it's wrong here
A bug within the UEFI firmware would typically manifest as consistent and reproducible issues, such as specific boot failures, incorrect hardware detection, or persistent configuration problems, regardless of how long the system has been powered off. Such a bug would not selectively cause the time and date to reset only after the system loses main power, as the firmware itself is stored in non-volatile memory and does not rely on the CMOS battery for its core functionality. The issue would likely persist even with a healthy CMOS battery.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshoot: Laptop Battery Issues
Key term
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
UEFI is the modern replacement for BIOS that controls how a computer starts up and loads the operating system.
Key term
BIOS
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is the low-level firmware stored on a motherboard chip that initializes and tests hardware components before loading the operating system.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.