220-1201 Practice Question: A user complains that their external monitor…

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 monitor's resolution is set too high for VGA

  Why it's wrong here

  While VGA is an analog signal and can degrade at very high resolutions, the resulting blurriness would typically be a consistent artifact across all content and not necessarily specific to a particular computer's unique setup. More importantly, simply exceeding a monitor's optimal resolution usually results in a "signal out of range" error or a consistently degraded image, not the specific interference patterns of blurriness and horizontal lines.

• ✓

  There is a ground loop between the computer and monitor

  Why this is correct

  A ground loop occurs when two pieces of equipment, such as a computer and monitor, are connected to different ground potentials, creating an unintended circuit through the signal cable's ground path. This current flow induces electromagnetic interference directly into the analog VGA signal lines, manifesting as visible artifacts such as horizontal scrolling bars, waves, or a general blurriness and distortion across the display. This specific type of electrical noise is a classic cause of the described symptoms in analog video connections.

• ✗

  The VGA port on the computer has bent pins

  Why it's wrong here

  A VGA connector utilizes multiple pins to transmit distinct signals for red, green, blue, horizontal synchronization, vertical synchronization, and ground. If a pin is bent or broken, it typically results in a complete loss of one or more primary colors (e.g., a reddish tint if the green or blue pin is affected), a lack of synchronization leading to a "no signal" message, or a completely blank screen. It would not typically cause a general blurriness with horizontal lines, which is indicative of electrical interference rather than a broken signal path.

• ✗

  The graphics driver is corrupt

  Why it's wrong here

  A corrupt or outdated graphics driver primarily affects how the operating system communicates with the GPU and how the GPU renders images digitally before they are sent to the display. Symptoms typically include software-related graphical artifacts like distorted textures, incorrect colors, screen flickering, application crashes, or system instability (e.g., a Blue Screen of Death). It would not introduce analog electrical interference patterns such as blurriness and horizontal lines, as these are physical signal integrity issues rather than software rendering problems.

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