220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that was functioning normally before the user cleaned the inside with compressed air. After reassembly, the PC powers on (fans spin, LEDs light) but there is no video output and no POST beeps. The technician has already reseated the RAM, GPU, and all power cables. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume compressed air only dislodges dust and overlook the possibility of static discharge or debris shorting the CMOS battery contacts, leading them to focus on hardware reseating rather than firmware corruption.
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
✓
Clear the CMOS by removing the battery or using the jumper
Clearing the CMOS is the correct next step because the compressed air may have dislodged dust or created a static discharge that corrupted the BIOS/UEFI configuration, causing the system to fail POST without beeps. Reseating components already addressed loose connections, so the issue likely lies in the stored firmware settings, which a CMOS reset will restore to defaults.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Check the power supply voltages with a multimeter
Why it's wrong here
The system powers on (fans, LEDs), which indicates the power supply is delivering at least basic power. While a failing PSU could cause POST issues, it is not the most likely cause after a cleaning event, and the technician should try a less invasive step first.
- ✓
Clear the CMOS by removing the battery or using the jumper
Why this is correct
Clearing the CMOS resets BIOS/UEFI settings to factory defaults. During cleaning, a component may have been nudged or static discharge may have corrupted BIOS settings, causing a no-POST condition. This is a quick, non-destructive step that often resolves such issues.
- ✗
Replace the motherboard
Why it's wrong here
Replacing the motherboard is an extreme, irreversible step that should only be considered after all lower-cost and non-destructive troubleshooting has been exhausted. A no-POST condition immediately after cleaning is far more often caused by a dislodged connector, an improperly seated expansion card, or corrupted BIOS settings than by a sudden motherboard failure. Since the system's fans and LEDs spin up, the board is receiving standby and main power, and addressing symptoms like a standing CMOS error or a reseated RAM module should precede any hardware replacement.
- ✗
Replace the CPU 4+4 pin power cable
Why it's wrong here
The CPU 4+4 pin power cable has already been reseated, and the fact that the system powers on (fans, LEDs) shows that the power supply is delivering at least basic standby and often main power to the board. This makes a broken or loose CPU power cable an unlikely culprit, especially because a no-POST symptom is more closely tied to BIOS settings being corrupted by static discharge during cleaning. Replacing an undamaged cable without first resetting the CMOS would ignore the far more probable cause and adds unnecessary parts and labor.
Go deeper
Related to this question
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DNS and DHCP Configuration for A+
Key term
Power-on Self-test
The Power-on Self-test (POST) is a diagnostic process a computer runs immediately when you turn it on to check that essential hardware components are working correctly before loading the operating system.
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.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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