CompTIA A+ Practice Test (220-1201)

LCD panels look sharpest only at their native (recommended) resolution. When Windows uses a lower resolution, each image pixel must be interpolated across multiple panel pixels, making icons appear large and text fuzzy. Setting the display to the panel's native 1920x1080 resolution restores one-to-one pixel mapping and eliminates the blurriness. Refresh-rate changes, blue-light filters, or browser acceleration do not address the underlying scaling issue.

Updating the PRL can resolve issues related to network connectivity for a mobile device when it roams outside its original area because the PRL instructs the device which towers to connect to. If the PRL is outdated, it won't include information on newer towers or changed tower priorities, which can lead to connectivity issues. Resetting network settings is less specific to the roaming problem and can cause more disruptions by also resetting saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords. Installing a system update could resolve unforeseen issues, but it's not directly related to the PRL. Checking for SIM card damage could be a step if there are physical connectivity issues, but in this case, the problem occurred after changing locations, making the PRL update more pertinent.

Error correction code (ECC) memory is a type of RAM that has the ability to detect and automatically correct corrupt data.

When connecting switches within a building for high network throughput and reliability, the recommended cable is Category 6 (Cat6), which supports speeds up to 10 Gbps and frequencies up to 250 MHz. Category 5e (Cat5e) cable, while popular, is better suited for lower throughput requirements, supporting speeds up to 1 Gbps and frequencies up to 100 MHz. Twisted-pair telephone wire and coaxial cable are not suitable choices for connecting switches, as they do not meet the high-speed data transmission requirements of modern ethernet networks.

An Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address is used when a device is set to obtain an IP address automatically but cannot contact a DHCP server. The operating system then self-assigns an address from the 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254 range. This address allows for communication only with other devices on the same local network segment that are also using APIPA addresses, but it is not routable and cannot be used to access the internet. Seeing an address in this range indicates a problem with DHCP communication.

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the correct answer as it supports both high-definition video and audio through a single cable, which is what the user requires for a 4K monitor and sound system setup. Video Graphics Array (VGA) is an older, analog standard that does not support audio and also lacks support for high-resolution displays like 4K monitors. Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is a digital standard that typically does not carry an audio signal and would not be suitable for this user's single-cable requirement. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is a bus interface used for connecting storage devices like hard drives and is not used for video or audio.

Creating a virtual machine to run the outdated operating system and legacy software provides isolation from the main, up-to-date operating environment. This ensures compatibility and extends the viability of the software without compromising the security or stability of the company's newer systems and hardware.

When a projector displays a 'No signal' message, it's often due to the data source not being correctly selected on the projector. One should first ensure that the projector is set to the correct input source (e.g., HDMI, VGA, DVI) that is used by the laptop to transmit the presentation. Verifying the projector's input source is a simpler and quicker check before moving to troubleshooting physical connections, which would typically follow if the input source is confirmed to be correct. Changing resolution or display mode, and replacing the bulb, are not related to 'No signal' issues and typically would not resolve the problem.

The logical first diagnostic step is to open Task Manager (or a similar performance-monitoring utility) and observe real-time CPU, memory, and disk usage. This immediately reveals whether a particular resource is saturated and points you toward the specific hardware (CPU, RAM, or storage) to investigate further.

• Verifying RAM compatibility assumes a configuration fault that is not indicated by the symptoms.
• Updating the BIOS carries risk and should be done only if release notes show it addresses the specific issue.
• Installing additional RAM may help after you confirm that memory is the bottleneck; it is not the first diagnostic step.

A Power over Ethernet injector is used in scenarios where a device requires both power and data but the network switch in use doesn't support PoE. The injector adds power capabilities to the network line allowing the device to be powered over the same cable as the data, thus eliminating the need for a separate power source. A PoE splitter is incorrect because it performs the opposite function, separating the power and data signals at the receiving end. An Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) is used for power backup and cannot inject PoE into the cable. And a network switch with built-in PoE is not applicable because the scenario specified that the switch lacks PoE.

Rechargeable batteries in mobile devices have a limited number of charge cycles before their capacity starts to degrade. After a year of regular use, it is typical for a smartphone battery to show signs of reduced charge capacity. Thus, battery replacement is the most appropriate fix for restoring the original battery life. Using a battery-saving app would not restore the original battery health but only might help in managing the existing battery capacity more efficiently. Recalibration procedures are normally advised when the battery meter is inaccurate, not primarily for situations where the battery is genuinely depleting faster due to wear. A factory reset could resolve battery issues related to software, but given the indicative timeline (over a year of usage), the issue is more suggestive of actual battery wear.

A NAT-based virtual switch lets all guests share the host's physical NIC and IP address for outbound traffic, so they can reach external update servers without drawing extra leases from the production DHCP pool. Because the VMs sit behind the hypervisor's NAT, unsolicited inbound sessions from the LAN are blocked, keeping them isolated. Bridged networking would expose each VM directly on the LAN, host-only networking provides no Internet access, and NIC teaming only adds link redundancy without addressing isolation or DHCP consumption.

Ultrabook laptops typically use Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules (SODIMM) due to their compact form factor. This type of RAM is specifically designed for portable computers where space is limited, distinguishing it from larger DIMMs used in desktops.

Garbled print output is typically due to a communication problem between the computer and the printer. It can be caused by an incorrect driver, a corrupted file, or a faulty cable. Checking and updating the printer driver is often the first step in resolving these kinds of issues because drivers translate the computer's instructions into a format that the printer can understand. If the driver is incorrect or outdated, the instructions can become jumbled, leading to garbled prints. Other options listed are less likely to cause garbled print output but can be sources of other types of print defects.

Electronic Ink (also known as Electronic Paper) are used in eReaders as they provide a screen most similar to physical ink and paper.

Cleaning the dust from the heat sink and the internal components will allow for proper airflow and heat dissipation, which should resolve the overheating issue leading to intermittent shutdowns. Applying thermal paste and updating the BIOS are good practices in general, but they would not primarily address the problem at hand. Replacing the CPU might be the next step if it was damaged due to overheating, but there is no indication that this is the case here.

Secure Shell (SSH) operates over port 22 and provides a secure method of accessing network services over an unsecured network. When it comes to file transfers, SSH is the protocol that is commonly used to secure them. SSH uses encryption to secure the connection between the client and server, making it the best choice for encrypted file transfers. While FTP (port 20/21) is used for file transfers, it is not inherently secure. Telnet (port 23) is used for remote command-line login and does not support file transfers. Port 110 is used by POP3 for email retrieval and does not involve direct file transfer capabilities.

The DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) configuration within a router is responsible for automatically assigning IP addresses to client devices on a network. By configuring the DHCP settings such as scope, leases, and reservations, an IT specialist can control the IP addresses assigned to devices in a small office or home network. Incorrect answers usually involve elements outside of DHCP's scope, such as DNS configuration, which sets up how domain names are resolved to IP addresses, and VLAN, which separates broadcast domains within a switch.

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) uses port 143 by default and port 993 by default when using SSL/TLS for encryption.

An environment where desktops are hosted in the cloud provides the ability to outsource maintenance and management of these virtual resources to a service provider. This setting relies on the service provider's data center infrastructure, thus granting the ability to efficiently scale resources and offering potential cost savings due to the shared nature of the environment. This is unlike onsite hosted environments that necessitate the organization's upfront investment in infrastructure and ongoing maintenance, and unlike a private or public cloud which refers to the cloud model itself and does not specify it specializes in hosted desktop environments.