CompTIA A+ Practice Test (220-1201)

If a screen is still readable but very dark after brightness has been verified, the hardware most likely at fault is the backlight system (and, on older CCFL-based displays, its inverter). A failing backlight cannot produce sufficient illumination, so checking or replacing these components is the logical next troubleshooting step. Adjusting contrast or disabling eco modes seldom restores full brightness when the backlight has failed, and a faulty video card typically causes distortion or no image rather than a uniformly dim picture.

The technician should add another 4GB module that matches the specifications of the current memory. This action takes advantage of the laptop's support for a dual-channel configuration, which effectively doubles the available memory bandwidth when two identical modules are used in paired slots.

Display burn-in refers to a permanent discoloration of areas on an electronic display such as LCD or OLED screens. It is caused by the prolonged display of the same image or scene, leading to uneven wear of the pixels. For example, if a static image, like a logo or menu bar, remains on the screen for an extended period, its outline may remain visible even when new images are displayed. 'Image persistence' or 'Ghosting' can sometimes be confused with burn-in, but these are usually temporary and can be resolved by turning the display off for some time. 'Dead pixels' do not constitute burn-in; instead, they represent individual pixels that are no longer functioning. 'Color distortion' suggests a problem with color output, which may not necessarily be related to permanent damage from static images.

A DNS record should be established for this network resource. DNS records allow users to access a resource via a name, rather than having to remember a complex IP address.

To test the transmit and receive capabilities of the NICs directly within each system, a loopback plug is the correct tool. When inserted into an Ethernet port, the loopback plug redirects the outgoing signals back into the receiving circuits of the same port. This ensures that the NIC is operational and can handle data transmission. Using software like a Wi-Fi analyzer is inappropriate since it's used to survey wireless networks, not test NICs. Automated diagnostic software on the computer may report on the perceived status of the NIC, but does not complete a physical layer test for sending and receiving as the loopback plug would do. Lastly, Punchdown tools are utilized for inserting wire into terminal blocks on patch panels or keystone jacks and are unrelated to direct port testing.

Many MFPs support a Scan-to-Cloud (also called Web Services or Web Connect) feature. After the device is connected to the Internet and the user authenticates, the printer uploads the scanned file directly to the selected cloud-storage account. Other scan destinations such as e-mail, SMB network folders, or USB drives do not perform this direct cloud upload.

Remote Desktop Protocol servers listen on TCP (and UDP) port 3389 by default. When a client starts an RDP session, it tries to connect to the target system on this port; if the port is closed or remapped, the connection will fail unless the client is told to use the alternate port. Other listed ports belong to unrelated protocols: 22 is SSH, 21 is FTP control, and 80 is HTTP.

Display burn-in, also known as screen burn, is the result of displaying the same image or scene for an extended period, leading to some pixels aging differently than others and causing a permanent 'ghost' image. This symptom differs from temporary screen artifacts or image retention, which can usually be corrected by changing the display content or turning the screen off for a while.

Repetitive clicking noises from within a computer case often stem from a hard disk drive experiencing a 'click of death'. This is a distinct indicator of a severe malfunction related to the HDD's read/write heads or disk platters. While fans and optical drives can also create noise, such a specific clicking pattern is characteristic of HDD failures.

RAID 10 (also called RAID 1+0 and RAID "ten") combines the data mirroring of RAID 1 and the striping of RAID 0. This allows both protection and redundancy of data (RAID 1) and high data read speeds (RAID 0).

Servers commonly receive static IP addresses because clients and applications must be able to reach the service at a consistent address. Dynamic addressing could change the server's IP, breaking name resolution or hard-coded connections. While routers and printers also often use static IPs, servers are the most typical example tested at the CompTIA A+ level.

Coaxial cable is the correct answer. It is the standard cable type used for broadband cable internet and television services. These cables are terminated with F-type connectors, which screw on to provide a secure, threaded connection that prevents accidental disconnection. The other options are incorrect as they are video display cables with their own unique connectors: HDMI uses a proprietary connector, DisplayPort uses a latching connector, and DVI uses a connector secured with thumbscrews.

Calibration ensures that the printer outputs the correct colors and aligns the print head properly. This process adjusts the printer to compensate for any variances in print quality. Incorrect options like 'Cleaning the print head' or 'Increasing the printing speed' are not the primary purpose of calibration, though they may be results of general maintenance. 'Reducing power consumption' may be a beneficial side effect if a non-calibrated printer was previously overworking due to misalignment, but it is not the reason for calibration.

The grinding noise, particularly during boot-up, typically indicates a mechanical problem with a component that has moving parts. In a desktop PC, a failing hard drive or a malfunctioning fan is often the culprit. Because the noise is described as 'loud' and occurs during boot, when hard drives are engaged to load the operating system, a hard drive that is beginning to fail is the most probable cause, as mechanical hard drives contain spinning disks which can produce loud grinding noises when they malfunction. Other options listed, such as a failing solid-state drive or incorrect driver installation, would not typically result in a grinding noise because these components do not contain moving parts capable of producing such a sound.

The correct parameter is "Lease Time" (sometimes called Lease Duration). It defines the period for which an IP address is valid before the client must renegotiate the lease. Reducing this value causes addresses to return to the pool sooner in high-turnover environments. Changing the Range only alters how many addresses are available, a Reservation permanently ties an address to a given MAC address, and Scope Options carry ancillary settings such as DNS or gateway information but do not affect lease duration.