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FC0-U71 A support technician for a small company Practice Question
You are a support technician for a small company. An employee reports that their desktop computer will not turn on. You have verified that the power cable is securely connected to both the computer and the wall outlet. When you press the power button, you hear a faint clicking sound but the computer does not start. The power supply fan does not spin, and there are no lights on the motherboard. You have tested the wall outlet with a known working device and it provides power. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse a clicking sound with a mechanical hard drive issue or a stuck fan, but in a no-power scenario, the clicking is a classic sign of a power supply's protection circuit cycling, not a component failure elsewhere.
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 power supply is faulty.
The symptoms—faint clicking sound, no fan spin, no motherboard lights, and confirmed wall outlet power—strongly indicate a power supply failure. The clicking sound often comes from a relay or overload protection circuit inside the PSU attempting to start but failing due to internal component damage or short circuit. A faulty power supply cannot deliver the necessary voltages (e.g., +3.3V, +5V, +12V) to power the system, explaining the complete lack of activity.
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 CPU is overheated.
Why it's wrong here
Overheating would not prevent the power supply fan from spinning.
- ✗
The power button is not connected properly.
Why it's wrong here
The clicking sound suggests the button is working.
- ✓
The power supply is faulty.
Why this is correct
The clicking sound and no fan spin indicate a PSU issue.
- ✗
The motherboard has failed.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, the lack of power supply fan makes PSU failure more likely.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.