Chapter 8 – Flashcards
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If you need to recover data off a system that won't boot, install the drive in a working system.
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True
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If you see smoke or smell burning, you should immediately open the case to try to identify the component that is causing it.
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False
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To move a hard drive to another computer for the purposes of accessing the data, you always need to first physically install it in a drive bay.
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False
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A poor looking video display might be caused by inadequate video RAM.
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True
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A degausser can erase everything on an optical disk.
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False
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Which of the following is a likely symptom caused when the CMOS battery fails?
a. POST code beeps
b. time and date settings lost
c. continuous reboots
d. blue screen of death
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B
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Which of the following is true about moving a hard drive from a non-working computer to a working computer for the purposes of accessing the data on the drive?
a. you must install the drive in a drive bay
b. you must manually assign a drive letter
c. you must have an Administrator password before you can access the data on the drive
d. the drive must be initialized before you can access it
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C
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Which of the following is NOT a possible symptom of a problem with the electrical system?
a. there are no indicator lights
b. error codes or beeps come and go during booting
c. you see events in event viewer
d. the PC powers down unexpectedly
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C
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Which of the following is an indication that an inadequate power supply is the source of an intermittent problem?
a. the power supply whines when you first turn on the system
b. you don't see any indicator lights or fans spinning
c. BIOS loses its date and time settings
d. the system tries to boot from the wrong device
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A
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What can be the result of a missing standoff?
a. a short on the motherboard
b. the computer boots, but can't connect to the network
c. data is deleted from the hard drive
d. you see lines on the video monitor
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A
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If you suspect your system is overheating, how can you determine the CPU temperature?
a. in Windows, go to System Information
b. the CPU has a temperature display screen
c. press a room thermometer on the top of the CPU
d. go into BIOS setup and find the CPU screen
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D
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Which of the following is NOT a solution to an overheating problem?
a. verify that cables are not obstructing airflow
b. remove the covers from empty expansion slots
c. be sure the case is not sitting on a carpet
d. remove dust from the power supply, vents, and cooler fans
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B
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What can you conclude if you heard one short beep during system boot?
a. a video problem
b. a memory error
c. all POST tests passed
d. a keyboard controller problem
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C
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If you see an error message that reads "Processor thermal trip error", what is the likely problem?
a. the power supply is inadequate
b. the processor has overheated
c. the processor has failed
d. a memory module might be bad
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B
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What should you do if the system continually reboots and you can't read the error message produced on a blue screen?
a. press F8 as Windows starts up
b. press Pause so you can see the screen output
c. press Ctrl+Print Screen to print the screen output
d. press Esc as soon as you see the blue screen
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A
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Which of the following is NOT an FRU on a motherboard?
a. processor
b. RAM
c. CMOS battery
d. chipset
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D
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Why might you disable quick booting features in BIOS when you are troubleshooting a problem?
a. so you can access the advanced boot menu
b. quick booting prevents Windows from logging errors
c. so you can see a full POST report
d. quick booting bypasses the POST
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C
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What is a possible consequence of the thermal compound being improperly applied to the CPU?
a. you can short circuit the motherboard
b. the CPU can overheat
c. the cooling fan won't run
d. you may get memory errors
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B
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Which message are you likely to see if the BIOS cannot find a hard drive at POST?
a. Fixed disk error
b. Blue screen of death
c. Error in ntoskernel
d. Error loading Windows
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A
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Under what circumstances might you need to rebuild a RAID volume?
a. after you format the disk for the first time
b. after you replace a failed disk
c. when you restore a backup
d. when you add a new disk to the system
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B
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While troubleshooting a monitor or video problem, what can you conclude if you hear one beep during the boot and you see a blank screen?
a. there is an error with the BIOS video system
b. the video drivers are probably bad
c. BIOS has successfully completed POST
d. the video card is probably bad
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C
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What is the likely problem if you see small white, black, or colored spots on your LCD screen?
a. brightness needs to be adjusted
b. the LCD is not getting sufficient power
c. the resolution it set too high
d. you have dead or stuck pixels
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D
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Which of the following is NOT a recommendation for physically protecting your equipment?
a. install air filters over the front or side vents of the case
b. if you won't be using the computer for several weeks, leave it turned off
c. make sure cables are tied up and out of the way
d. don't turn on a computer that is much colder than room temperature
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B
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Which of the following protects your computer from brownouts or sags?
a. degaussing
b. GPU
c. surge protector
d. UPS
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D
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What is the purpose of a zero-fill utility?
a. completely wipes a hard drive clean
b. removes dangerous charges from a CRT
c. ensures that RAM doesn't retain data
d. provides a safe environment to dispose of equipment
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A
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Startup BIOS communicates ______________ errors as a series of beeps before it tests video.
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POST
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When the _____________ battery fails, the BIOS loses its time and date settings.
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CMOS
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___________________ causes the CPU to run faster than normal and can cause the CPU to overheat.
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Overclocking
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An error message that reads "CMOS ___________ bad" can indicate that CMOS RAM is corrupted.
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checksum
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If BIOS cannot access a drive in a ___________ array, use the firmware utility to check the status of each disk in the array.
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RAID
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A temporary voltage reduction
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brownouts
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Elimination of accumulated magnetic fields
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degauss
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Horizontally torn images on-screen
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artifacts
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A device that raises the voltage when it drops temporarily
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UPS
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A utility to wipe a hard drive clean
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zero-fill utility
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An error message shown on a blue screen
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BSOD
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A location where Windows keeps a copy of driver software
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driver store
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A tool in Windows 7/Vista that tests memory
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Memory Diagnostics
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A video setting you can try if the display is not working
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VGA mode
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A round air duct that helps direct air to the processor
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CAG
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What are three questions you might want to ask a user when he brings a computer problem to you?
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Can you describe the problem and describe when the problem first started and when it
occurs?
Was the computer recently moved?
Was any new hardware or software recently installed?
Was any software recently reconfigured or upgraded?
Did someone else use your computer recently?
Does the computer have a history of similar problems?
Is there important data on the drive that is not backed up?
Can you show me how to reproduce the problem?
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What causes a BSOD and how should you begin the troubleshooting process?
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These Windows errors are caused by problems with devices, device drivers, or a corrupted Windows installation. Begin troubleshooting by searching the Microsoft web site for the error message and a description of the problem.
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What are POST code beeps and how should you respond to them?
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Startup BIOS communicates POST errors as a series of beeps before it tests video. Search the web site of the motherboard or BIOS manufacturer to know how to interpret a series of beep codes.
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What are some of the possible causes of intermittent device failures?
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Failures that come and go might be caused by overheating or failing RAM, the motherboard, processor, or hard drive. Begin by checking the processor temperature for overheating. Then check RAM for errors and run diagnostics on the hard drive.
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List three possibly symptoms of a problem with the electrical system.
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The PC appears "dead"—no indicator lights and no spinning drive or fan.
The PC sometimes locks up during booting. After several tries, it boots successfully.
Error codes or beeps occur during booting, but they come and go.
You smell burnt parts or odors.
The PC powers down at unexpected times.
The PC appears dead except you hear a whine coming from the power supply.
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List two symptoms of a system that might be overheating.
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The system hangs or freezes at odd times or freezes just a few moments after the boot starts.
A Windows BSOD error occurs during the boot.
You cannot hear a fan running or the fan makes a whining sound.
You cannot feel air being pulled into or out of the case.
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What are three things you can do to solve an overheating problem?
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1. If the system refuses to boot or hangs after a period of activity, suspect overheating. Immediately after the system hangs, go into BIOS setup and find the CPU screen that reports the temperature. The temperature should not exceed 38 degrees C.
2. Use compressed air, a blower, or an antistatic vacuum to remove dust from the power supply, the vents over the entire computer, and the processor cooler fan. Excessive dust insulates components and causes them to overheat.
3. Check airflow inside the case. Are all fans running? You might need to replace a fan. Is there an empty fan slot on the rear of the case? If so, install a case fan in the slot. Orient the fan so that it blows air out of the case. The power cord to the fan can connect to a fan header on the motherboard or to a power connector coming directly from the power supply.
4. If there are other fan slots on the side or front of the case, you can also install fans in these slots. However, don't install more fans than the case is designed to use.
5. Can the side of the case hold a chassis air guide that guides outside air to the processor? If it has a slot for the guide and the guide is missing, install one. However, don't install a guide that obstructs the CPU cooler. How to install an air guide is covered later in this section.
6. A case is generally designed for optimal airflow when slot openings on the front and rear of the case are covered and when the case cover is securely in place. To improve airflow, replace missing faceplates over empty drive bays and replace missing slot covers over empty expansion slots.
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What is the meaning of the message "Missing BOOTMGR"?
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The Windows program needed to start Windows is missing or corrupted. This program is called the OS boot manager program.
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What are the FRUs on a motherboard?
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The field replaceable units (FRUs) on a motherboard are the processor, the processor cooler assembly, RAM, and the CMOS battery. Also, the motherboard itself is an FRU.
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If you see the error message "Inaccessible boot device", what is the most likely problem?
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This message probably indicates that BIOS cannot find a hard drive during the POST.
