FC0-U71 Infrastructure Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that powers on but produces no video and emits a repeating beep pattern. The motherboard has an integrated speaker and no POST card is available. Which component should the technician check first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating any beep as a generic alarm instead of recognizing that repeating POST beeps specifically point to memory initialization failure.
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
✓
RAM module
POST beep codes are diagnostic signals generated when the BIOS detects a hardware failure before video initialization. A repeating pattern most often maps to a memory initialization failure, so reseating or swapping RAM is the logical first action. Power, storage, and CMOS issues produce different symptoms such as no power, boot device errors, or configuration resets rather than repeating beeps.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Hard disk drive
Why it's wrong here
A failed hard drive would typically allow the system to POST and display an error such as 'no bootable device.' The BIOS beep code occurs before any storage device is accessed, so the drive cannot be the cause of the repeating beeps. Video would also be present at the BIOS screen if only storage failed.
- ✗
Power supply unit
Why it's wrong here
A failing power supply usually causes the system to power off, reboot, or fail to start at all. In this scenario the PC powers on and the motherboard speaker produces a POST beep code, which indicates the power supply is delivering at least standby and main voltages. The repeating beep points to a different subsystem.
- ✓
RAM module
Why this is correct
Repeating beep codes during POST commonly indicate a memory error because the BIOS cannot initialize the RAM to continue the boot process. Reseating or replacing the memory module is the standard first step. The absence of video is consistent with POST halting before video initialization, making RAM the most likely culprit.
- ✗
CMOS battery
Why it's wrong here
A depleted CMOS battery causes the system clock and BIOS settings to reset, often prompting a configuration error at boot. It does not produce repeating beep codes or prevent video output. The system would still POST normally after the settings are corrected, so this component does not match the symptom.
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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 FC0-U71 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 FC0-U71 exam.