mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: That their laptop's keyboard types random…
A user reports that their laptop's keyboard types random characters when certain keys are pressed. The laptop has not been dropped or spilled on. What is the most likely hardware issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1201 exam often tests the distinction between hardware and software issues, and the trap here is that candidates may confuse a loose ribbon cable (which causes missing keys) with a faulty controller (which causes random characters), as both are hardware problems but with different symptoms.
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 keyboard has an internal short or faulty controller.
A keyboard with an internal short or faulty controller can cause erratic behavior like typing random characters when keys are pressed. This occurs because the short or controller failure disrupts the matrix scanning process, sending incorrect key codes to the system. Since the laptop was not dropped or spilled, physical damage like a loose ribbon cable is less likely, making an internal component failure the most probable hardware cause.
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 keyboard driver is corrupted.
Why it's wrong here
A corrupted keyboard driver primarily affects the interpretation of legitimate key presses, leading to specific keys not responding or producing incorrect, but consistent, characters. It is unlikely to spontaneously generate a stream of truly random characters from unrelated keys, as the driver's role is to translate hardware signals, not invent them.
- ✗
The keyboard ribbon cable is loose.
Why it's wrong here
A loose keyboard ribbon cable typically results in intermittent connectivity for specific rows or columns within the key matrix, causing certain keys to fail entirely or respond inconsistently. This physical disconnection would prevent key presses from registering, rather than generating spurious, random character outputs, which implies an active, erroneous signal generation.
- ✓
The keyboard has an internal short or faulty controller.
Why this is correct
An internal short circuit within the keyboard's key matrix or a faulty integrated controller can bridge electrical pathways, simulating multiple simultaneous key presses or sending erroneous scan codes to the operating system. This hardware malfunction directly generates unpredictable input signals, leading to the appearance of random characters being typed without user interaction, necessitating keyboard replacement.
- ✗
The operating system has a malware infection.
Why it's wrong here
While malware can log keystrokes or inject its own input, it generally operates with a specific purpose, often exhibiting structured patterns for data exfiltration or command execution. Truly random character output upon key press is less characteristic of software-driven injection and more indicative of a hardware component generating unpredictable signals, as malware typically aims for controlled, not chaotic, interaction.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
Laptop
A portable personal computer that integrates a display, keyboard, touchpad, battery, and internal components into a single clamshell device for mobile computing.
Key term
CAN
A CAN (Controller Area Network) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
About these practice questions
One of 972 original 220-1201 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.