220-1101 Hardware Practice Question
A user reports that a laptop's built-in keyboard and touchpad stop responding after the laptop has been running for about ten minutes, but an external USB keyboard and mouse work normally. The laptop is not overheating and the battery is healthy. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing on software or battery causes when the timed, heat-related failure of two internal devices that share a cable points to a physical connection problem.
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 ribbon cable connecting the keyboard and touchpad to the motherboard is loose or damaged.
The built-in keyboard and touchpad commonly share a ribbon cable or connector to the motherboard. When the laptop warms up, expansion can cause a marginal connection to lose contact, disabling both devices at once. External USB peripherals use a different path and continue working. Re-seating or replacing the ribbon cable is the appropriate fix.
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 laptop's battery is failing and needs replacement.
Why it's wrong here
The scenario states the battery is healthy, and battery failure typically causes shutdowns, charging problems, or unexpected power loss rather than selective input-device failure. A failing battery would not cause the internal keyboard and touchpad to stop working while external USB devices remain functional. This option contradicts the given information.
- ✓
The ribbon cable connecting the keyboard and touchpad to the motherboard is loose or damaged.
Why this is correct
Intermittent failure of both the built-in keyboard and touchpad after a warm-up period points to a shared internal connection. These components often route through a single ribbon cable or connector to the motherboard, and a loose or partially damaged cable can lose contact as the chassis expands with heat. External USB devices bypass this path, which is why they continue to work.
- ✗
The operating system needs to be reinstalled.
Why it's wrong here
An OS reinstall is a drastic step that would not fix a hardware connection issue. Software problems usually affect all input devices or produce error messages, and they do not typically appear only after a warm-up period. The timed, heat-related pattern strongly suggests a physical connection fault rather than an OS-level problem.
- ✗
The USB controller driver is corrupted.
Why it's wrong here
A corrupted USB controller driver would affect external USB devices, not the internal keyboard and touchpad, which typically connect through PS/2-style or embedded controller interfaces. Since the external USB keyboard and mouse work correctly, the USB subsystem is functioning. The symptom pattern does not match a driver fault.
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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 220-1101 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 220-1101 exam.