CompTIA A+ Practice Test (220-1202)

Port forwarding, sometimes referred to as port mapping, allows specific external traffic to be directed to an internal network address based on the port number. By configuring port forwarding, you can control incoming traffic and ensure that it reaches the correct device on your private network while restricting unauthorized access to specific services.

Reliability Monitor (opened from Control Panel > Security and Maintenance > View reliability history or by running perfmon /rel) charts a daily or weekly stability index and lists critical events-including BSODs, application failures, and driver issues-making it an ideal first stop when investigating recurring crashes. Event Viewer also holds the data but is less visual, Device Manager focuses on hardware/driver status, and Performance Monitor tracks real-time resource usage rather than historical crash information.

Inspect the advanced power settings to confirm that hibernation is enabled for the current power plan. - This is correct. Advanced power settings allow you to configure specific behaviors for the current power plan, including whether hibernation is enabled. If hibernation is not properly configured, the laptop may not enter this state after the specified period of inactivity.

Further, you should verify what the team member is saying is correct as they could be incorrect about the setting being correctly configured.

Ensure the device is not plugged into a power source while attempting to hibernate. - Hibernation can typically occur whether the device is plugged in or running on battery, depending on how the power plan is configured. Plugging in the device does not inherently prevent hibernation.

Verify if there are any system updates pending that might affect power management. - While pending updates can occasionally cause unexpected system behavior, they are less likely to be the direct cause of hibernation issues. It is better to first confirm the settings in the power plan.

Check the display settings to see if there is a timeout configured for sleep mode. - Display timeout settings are unrelated to hibernation behavior. These settings control when the screen turns off due to inactivity, not when the device enters hibernation.

ext4 is the default Linux filesystem and introduces extent-based allocation, which lowers fragmentation and improves performance. It supports volumes up to 1 exabyte and individual files well beyond 4 GB, making it suitable for large video files. FAT32 cannot hold files larger than 4 GB, NTFS requires third-party driver support for full read-write capability on Linux, and Microsoft ReFS is not supported by the Linux kernel at all. Therefore, ext4 best satisfies all stated requirements.

A ransomware attack is a type of malware that locks or encrypts a victim's data and withholds the decryption key until a ransom-often in cryptocurrency-is paid. This scenario describes exactly that behavior, so ransomware is the correct choice.

• Man-in-the-Middle attacks intercept or alter communications but do not typically encrypt a victim's data for ransom.
• A rootkit conceals privileged access for an attacker rather than announcing itself and demanding payment.
• Phishing is a social-engineering tactic to trick users into giving up credentials or installing malware, but it does not itself encrypt data and demand payment.

Therefore, "Ransomware attack" is the best answer.

System File Checker (SFC) is a utility in Windows that allows users to scan for and restore corruptions in Windows system files. It is an ideal first step in troubleshooting a suspected issue with system file integrity, as it can identify and fix problems without impacting user data. If SFC does not resolve the issue, other tools like Windows Recovery Environment or System Restore might be considered for more comprehensive repair actions. Disk Cleanup, while useful for freeing up space and potentially improving performance, is unlikely to fix system file corruption.

The first step should be to verify that the workstation is receiving a complete and correct DHCP configuration. Running ipconfig /all lets the technician confirm the IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server information. If any of these fields are missing or incorrect, an ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew can request a fresh lease from the DHCP server. Incorrect DNS or gateway settings commonly cause loss of Internet access while local file sharing on the same subnet continues to work. Browser resets, security-suite whitelists, or hosts-file edits will not resolve a faulty network configuration.

The correct answer is TACACS+ because it provides centralized authentication for users attempting to access network resources. It allows for fine-grained control over access rights and can handle remote authentication efficiently.

The other options do not focus primarily on network device access management or lack effective centralized control features.

The severity or business-impact level is the most important detail for prioritization because help-desk frameworks (including ITIL) derive ticket priority from urgency and impact. Knowing how badly the problem affects users or core processes allows the technician (or automated rules) to decide whether the ticket is critical, high, medium, or low priority and to escalate or bundle similar high-impact issues.

While usernames/asset tags (device information), timestamps, and department details are useful for troubleshooting, they do not, by themselves, determine how fast the issue must be addressed.

A common cause of Play Store updates getting stuck at "Downloading…" is a corrupted or bloated cache for the Google Play Store app. Clearing only the cache forces the Store to rebuild its temporary files without affecting user data, and often allows the pending update to begin immediately. Switching to mobile data may not help if the problem is local to the Play Store app; enabling developer options is unrelated; and performing a factory reset is far too drastic for an isolated update failure.

The 'Devices and Printers' utility in the Control Panel of Windows 10 enables users to view and manage all peripheral devices and printers connected to the computer. This single access point allows users to add new printers or devices, check statuses, and troubleshoot issues. 'System' primarily provides information about the computer and its system settings, but does not directly manage peripheral devices. 'Hardware and Sound' is a broader category in the Control Panel that houses multiple utilities, including 'Devices and Printers'. 'Network and Sharing Center' is used for managing network connections and settings and is not related to peripheral devices and printers.

A voice call places an automated call to a registered phone number and either prompts the user to approve the sign-in or reads a one-time passcode. Because the user must have physical possession of that phone line, the call satisfies the "something you have" factor and can be combined with a password (something you know) to meet MFA requirements. The other options rely only on knowledge factors and do not supply the required second factor.

Format is a Windows command tool that enables users to prepare a storage device, such as a hard drive or USB drive, by erasing all existing data and initializing a new file system, making the device ready for use and storage of new data.

Group Policy allows administrators to implement specific configurations for users and computers within an Active Directory environment. It helps in managing system settings, software installation, security options, and more on all member computers automatically. Other features like Login Script and Home Folder serve different purposes like scripting automation tasks during login and providing personal storage respectively.

The contradictory, unsolicited pop-ups are characteristic of rogue security software (also called FakeAV or scareware). These programs impersonate legitimate security tools and use social-engineering tactics-such as false out-of-date warnings-to trick users into installing or paying for useless or malicious software. Genuine definition-update problems would appear only within the installed antivirus interface, not as random web redirects.

Incorrect options:

• Antivirus license expired: A valid console would show the license status; it would not redirect to an unrelated product.
• Incorrect system clock: A wrong clock can stop updates, but the antivirus GUI would list the error; random web pop-ups would not occur.
• Full scan required: Definition currency is independent of scan schedules and would still show the correct update time.

Default administrator usernames and passwords are widely published and actively targeted by threat actors. Renaming the default Administrator account and assigning a strong, unique password eliminates an easy, well-known attack vector. Disabling SSID broadcast (B) affects only wireless discovery, not local account credentials. Creating standard user accounts (C) is good practice but does not secure the privileged default account. Enabling Remote Desktop and opening port 3389 (D) actually increases the attack surface. Therefore, option A is correct. [CISA warns that default passwords are easily found and exploited; organizations should change them immediately.]

Obtaining a certification of destruction or recycling from a third-party vendor ensures that they have properly followed the necessary procedures for secure data destruction or recycling. This certification acts as a formal validation and holds the vendor accountable. While merely choosing a reputable vendor or conducting random audits are beneficial, they do not provide the same level of formal documentation and assurance as a certification.

The correct answer includes all the essential steps that the technician has taken to diagnose the issue. This ensures that anyone reviewing the ticket can understand what has been attempted. Details such as the network cable test, network settings verification, and software update checks are vital for continuity and clarity, allowing other technicians to pick up where the original technician left off or to avoid duplicating efforts.

The presence of frequent shutdowns and an overall decrease in system responsiveness often suggests overheating. Overheating can cause the system to shut down unexpectedly to prevent damage.

Other potential issues, such as outdated drivers or excessive background processes, may also lead to sluggishness, but they are less closely correlated with sudden shutdowns. Thus, overheating is a more comprehensive explanation for both symptoms.

Voiceprint recognition compares the unique pitch, tone, and cadence patterns in a person's speech against a stored template. Because every telephone already has a microphone, no extra scanning hardware is needed, and the executive does not have to recall additional secrets. Fingerprint, retina, and facial recognition all require specialized readers or cameras that are not available on an ordinary voice-only phone, so they would not meet the stated constraints.