CompTIA A+ Practice Test (220-1201)

M.2 SSDs plug into a dedicated M.2 slot on the motherboard. The edge connector carries both data and power, so no separate SATA data or power cables are required. Rotational speed (RPM) applies only to mechanical hard drives, and M.2 devices are not optical drives.

PCIe (PCI Express) is the modern standard for expansion slots and is designated by its number of lanes, such as x1, x4, x8, and x16. A higher number of lanes provides greater bandwidth, which is critical for components like high-end graphics cards that typically use x16 slots. While the PCIe standard technically includes a x32 configuration, it is not found on common hardware. The other options are incorrect: PCI and AGP are legacy slot types that do not use this lane-based naming convention, and CNR was a specialized, obsolete riser slot.

The fuser assembly is the correct answer because it's responsible for heating the toner powder, allowing it to melt and bind to the paper to create a permanent image. The imaging drum is what receives the image from the laser in preparation for applying toner, but it does not fuse the toner to the paper. The transfer belt also is involved in the imaging process as it transfers the toner from the drum onto the paper, but again, it doesn’t provide the heat to fuse it. The transfer roller helps to apply an electrical charge to the paper, enabling the toner to be pulled onto the paper from the drum. Pickup rollers are responsible for feeding paper into the printer, and separation pads help separate individual sheets of paper. A duplexing assembly allows for printing on both sides of the paper but has no role in fusing toner.

In impact printers such as dot-matrix and daisy-wheel models, a moving print head contains pins or type elements that physically strike an inked ribbon. The force of this impact presses the ribbon against the paper, depositing ink to form characters or images. Other assemblies-such as feeding mechanisms, duplexing hardware, or laser imaging drums-perform different tasks and do not create the printed image.

Standard Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) sessions use TCP port 80. Without this port allowed, browsers cannot establish the initial connection for unencrypted web pages.

• Port 21 is the FTP control channel and is unrelated to web browsing.
• Port 23 is used by Telnet, a terminal emulation protocol, not by web browsers.
• Port 143 is the default port for IMAP email retrieval. Allowing these ports would not restore access to ordinary HTTP sites.

DDR4 is the correct choice because it is known for higher speed and efficiency advancements over earlier RAM types like DDR2 and DDR3. DDR4 operates at a lower voltage of 1.2V against DDR3's 1.5V and DDR2's 1.8V, resulting in less power consumption. It also supports larger module capacities which allow for greater RAM density in computer systems.

Requiring each user to authenticate before accessing any print, scan, or fax capability prevents unauthorized use and enables auditing of every job. Disabling authentication, exposing the device directly to the Internet, or keeping default credentials all weaken security. Industry security guides for MFPs recommend enabling user authentication and other controls such as encryption and audit logging.

The probe needs to push a small, one-way message without establishing or maintaining a session. UDP is a connectionless protocol, so it does not perform the three-way handshake, sequencing, acknowledgments, or flow-control operations that TCP uses. This absence of session management keeps the header small (8 bytes vs. TCP's 20+ bytes) and processing overhead low, making UDP ideal when speed and reduced bandwidth matter more than guaranteed delivery. TCP, on the other hand, is connection-oriented; its handshake, acknowledgments, and retransmission features add latency and additional bytes-unnecessary for a simple, best-effort status message. The option claiming UDP provides built-in flow control is incorrect, as this is a feature of TCP. The option claiming TCP can broadcast packets is also incorrect; TCP is a unicast protocol and does not support broadcasting.

The correct answer explains that the PCI slot is designed to accommodate expansion cards that provide additional functionality to a computer system. Incorrect answers like 'RAM installation' or 'Cooling the system' are not related to PCI slot use, although they might seem plausible because they involve motherboard components. Similarly, programming the BIOS/UEFI is not done via PCI slots but through the firmware interface itself.

Using virtual machines to provide an environment for cross-platform virtualization is the most efficient solution for the development team. Virtual machines enable the team to run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine, which facilitates easy compatibility testing without the need for multiple physical systems. Virtual machines act as a sandbox where developers can create and test in isolated environments that simulate different operating systems.

The Windows 10 operating system allows users to Re-arrange their displays to match their physical layout. You can find this by right-clicking on the desktop, selecting Display Settings and finding the re-arrange your displays section. Here each display can be moved to match the physical layout.

A Community cloud serves multiple organizations with a common interest, providing a shared infrastructure for their specific community. This model helps comply with shared policies and considerations, such as data governance in the case of sensitive research data.

To handle complex video rendering tasks, especially with 4K content, the most important aspect of the video card to prioritize is memory bandwidth. A higher memory bandwidth allows the video card to process the large amounts of data required for high-resolution video more effectively. Although the amount of VRAM is also essential, the card can become a bottleneck regardless of VRAM capacity if the memory bandwidth is too low. The memory bus interface width is a component of memory bandwidth, but bandwidth is the overall performance metric. Thermal design power (TDP) and DirectX support are important considerations for a system build but are secondary to the immediate need for high data throughput for this specific rendering task.

Quality of Service (QoS) is a feature used in networking to manage traffic and ensure the performance of critical applications by prioritizing their data packets over less important traffic. For example, QoS can be configured on a router to give video conferencing traffic higher priority than file downloads to prevent stuttering and lag. A Virtual LAN (VLAN) is used to segment a network, a Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the name of a wireless network, and a firewall's primary purpose is to filter traffic for security.

Networking equipment typically ships with a default password or no password at all. Changing the password should be step one, before any other configurations.

Server Message Block (SMB), also known by its older dialect name Common Internet File System (CIFS), is the standard protocol for native file sharing on Windows networks. SMB uses TCP port 445. For the network share to be accessible, this port must be open on firewalls between the client and server. FTP (ports 20 and 21) is a protocol for transferring files but is not the default for integrated Windows sharing. HTTPS (port 443) is used for secure web traffic, which might be used for web-based file access but not for a traditional network share. RDP (port 3389) is used for remote desktop connections, not direct file share access as described.

Consistent, timed shutdowns or restarts strongly suggest an overheating condition rather than a sporadic power or battery problem. Overheating most often results from inadequate airflow caused by failed or obstructed fans, clogged heat sinks, or dried thermal compound. The appropriate first step is to inspect and confirm that all cooling fans (CPU, chassis, and power-supply fans) are spinning freely and that vents are clear. If fans are stalled or obstructed, correct the cooling issue before considering replacement parts.

A power-supply replacement could solve random restarts caused by voltage drops, but it should not be attempted until overheating has been ruled out. A CMOS battery error generally manifests as lost BIOS settings or wrong system time, not timed restarts. Upgrading to a lower-TDP CPU might reduce heat, but replacing a major component before basic diagnostics is neither cost-effective nor aligned with best practices.

The essential first step is to confirm the laptop's motherboard has an M.2 slot that specifically supports the NVMe protocol. Not all M.2 slots support NVMe; some are designed only for SATA-based M.2 drives. Without the correct physical and electrical interface, the drive cannot be installed or recognized, making all other checks irrelevant. While physical space (form factor length), firmware updates, and OS drivers are valid considerations in a storage upgrade, they are all secondary to the primary check of interface compatibility.

Software as a service (SaaS) provides applications over the internet, making it accessible from any device with an internet connection. This solution often includes regular updates and features for real-time collaboration while reducing the need for maintaining IT infrastructure. In contrast, IaaS and PaaS are service models that focus more on providing computing resources and platforms for development rather than complete software applications. An on-premises solution would require significant IT management and resources.

The mobile device's GPS receiver determines its position by reading signals from multiple satellites, so it can still calculate latitude and longitude when cellular and Wi-Fi networks are unavailable. Disabling location services would block GPS entirely. Enabling Wi-Fi alone relies on nearby access-point databases, which may not exist in sparsely populated areas. Airplane mode shuts off cellular and Wi-Fi radios and may prevent map downloads or Assisted-GPS data, making it an unsuitable choice for continuous navigation.