This is a practice exam for IT professionals studying for the CompTIA A+ 220-802. A+ covers the fundamentals of computer technology, installation and configuration of PCs, laptops and related hardware, and basic networking.
1) A technician has just installed additional RAM onto an employee's laptop. The laptop now has 6GB of RAM, but Windows 7 shows "4GB Usable Memory" What is most likely the issue?
32 Bit Windows Operating Systems are limited to using 4 Gigabytes of RAM. The laptop will need to be upgraded to a 64 bit version in order to utilize all 6 Gigabytes.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
2) Which of the following connector types is most commonly found on non-iOS smartphones?
The Micro USB connector type is the most common cable type for non-iOS devices (Android, Windows Phone). Some older devices may use a mini USB connector, which was replaced by the micro USB type.
This question is filed under objective 3, Mobile Devices
3) Which of the following IP Addresses would be automatically assigned when a Windows PC is unable to contact a DHCP Server?
When a PC needs an IP address but cannot contact a DHCP server, it will will receive an APIPA Address. APIPA Addresses will be within the 169.254.0.0-169.254.255.255 range.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network management protocol used on Internet Protocol networks whereby a DHCP server dynamically assigns an IP address and other network configuration parameters to each device on a network so they can communicate with other IP networks A DHCP server enables computers to request IP addresses and networking parameters automatically from the Internet service provider (ISP), reducing the need for a network administrator or a user to manually assign IP addresses to all network devices In the absence of a DHCP server, a computer or other device on the network needs to be manually assigned an IP address, or to assign itself an APIPA address, the latter of which will not enable it to communicate… Read More
4) A friend has come to you for help with a laptop, which has been regularly experiencing the BSOD and is making a faint clicking noise. What is most likely the issue with this laptop?
The key bit of information for this question is the faint clicking noise. The only moving component in a computer is a Hard disk drive, and the first sign of a physical hard drive failure is a clicking noise. SSD's do not have any moving parts and will not make clicking noises, while a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) will. HDD is not an answer, so None of the Above is correct.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve digital data using one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnetic material The platters are paired with magnetic heads, usually arranged on a moving actuator arm, which read and write data to the platter surfaces Data is accessed in a random-access manner, meaning that individual blocks of data can be stored and retrieved in any order HDDs are a type of non-volatile storage, retaining stored data even when powered offIntroduced by IBM in 1956, HDDs were the dominant secondary storage device for general-purpose computers beginning in the early 1960s… Read More
5) A technician is accessing a Windows PC via SSH. Which command can the technician use to create a new directory on the PC?
MD (same as MKDIR) is a command used to create a new folder or directory in a Windows environment.
This question is filed under objective 1, Operating Systems
In computing, pushd and popd are commands used to work with the command line directory stack They are available on command-line interpreters such as 4DOS, Bash, C shell, tcsh, Hamilton C shell, KornShell, cmdexe, and PowerShell for operating systems such as DOS, Microsoft Windows, ReactOS, and Unix-like systems … Read More
6) Which Windows tool can prevent programs from automatically opening upon start up?
The MSCONFIG tool, officially called the System Configuration tool has several features for troubleshooting and modifying the start up process.
This question is filed under objective 1, Operating Systems
MSConfig (officially called System Configuration in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10, and Microsoft System Configuration Utility in previous operating systems) is a system utility to troubleshoot the Microsoft Windows startup process It can disable or re-enable software, device drivers and Windows services that run at startup, or change boot parameters It is bundled with all versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems since Windows 98 except Windows 2000 Windows 95 and Windows 2000 users can download the utility as well, although it was not designed for them… Read More
7) Which of the following Windows commands can identify and repair corrupted information and other hard drive issues?
Check Disk (CHKDSK) is a Windows Repair tool for verifying volume integrity.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
In computing, CHKDSK (short for "check disk") is a system tool and command in DOS, Digital Research FlexOS, IBM/Toshiba 4690 OS, IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows and related operating systems It verifies the file system integrity of a volume and fixes logical file system errors It is similar to the fsck command in Unix and similar to Microsoft ScanDisk which co-existed with CHKDSK in Windows 9x and MS-DOS 6x … Read More
8) After replacing a motherboard on a customer's laptop for a no sound issue, a technician realizes that there is intermittent wireless connectivity on the laptop. Which of the following should the technician perform FIRST?
Because this is an intermittent issue, the problem likely lies with the wireless signal due to a problem with interference, channel settings, or the antenna itself.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 80211 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access Wi‑Fi is a trademark of the non-profit Wi-Fi Alliance, which restricts the use of the term Wi-Fi Certified to products that successfully complete interoperability certification testing As of 2010, the Wi-Fi Alliance consisted of more than 375 companies from around the world As of 2009, Wi-Fi-integrated circuit chips shipped approximately 580 million units yearly Devices that can use Wi-Fi technologies include desktops and laptops, smartphones and tablets, smart TVs, printers, digital audio players, digital cameras, cars, and drones… Read More
9) Which of the following security threats is BEST mitigated through proper user training?
There's no firewall or antivirus that can protect from Social Engineering. The best solution is to teach users how to identify and avoid Social Engineering.
This question is filed under objective 2, Security
Social engineering, in the context of information security, is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information This differs from social engineering within the social sciences, which does not concern the divulging of confidential information A type of confidence trick for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or system access, it differs from a traditional "con" in that it is often one of many steps in a more complex fraud schemeIt has also been defined as "any act that influences a person to take an action that may or may not be in their best interests… Read More
10) Which of the following will allow a Windows OS to boot with only the essentials like basic drivers, required programs and default settings?
Safe Mode, as it's name implies, can allow a Windows OS to safely BOOT even when a malicious software, invalid driver, or other issue is causing a system failure.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
Safe mode is a diagnostic mode of a computer operating system (OS) It can also refer to a mode of operation by application software In Windows, safe mode only allows essential system programs and services to start up at boot Safe mode is intended to help fix most, if not all problems within an operating system It is also widely used for removing rogue security software … Read More
11) Which of the following allows an Android device to track movements, such as a tilt or shake?
Accelerometers are used in many mobile devices (Android included) to track a device's motion and orientation. For example, an Android app that can be used to find a level surface is using the accelerometer to determine the devices orientation.
This question is filed under objective 3, Mobile Devices
An accelerometer is a tool that measures proper acceleration Proper acceleration is the acceleration (the rate of change of velocity) of a body in its own instantaneous rest frame this is different from coordinate acceleration, which is acceleration in a fixed coordinate system For example, an accelerometer at rest on the surface of the Earth will measure an acceleration due to Earth's gravity, straight upwards (by definition) of g ≈ 981 m/s2 By contrast, accelerometers in free fall (falling toward the center of the Earth at a rate of about 981 m/s2) will measure zero Accelerometers have many uses in industry and science… Read More
12) A technician is troubleshooting a PC that is not completing POST and merely provides an audible beep code. Which of the following should be the FIRST item checked?
During a POST the computer would have checked to ensure that all equipment required to boot is properly working. Of the 4 choices, the only part required for BOOT is a proper memory configuration. Heat sinks, hard drives, and IDE/SATA Cables are not needed to pass POST, which makes them irrelevant to the question.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
A power-on self-test (POST) is a process performed by firmware or software routines immediately after a computer or other digital electronic device is powered on This article mainly deals with POSTs on personal computers, but many other embedded systems such as those in major appliances, avionics, communications, or medical equipment also have self-test routines which are automatically invoked at power-on The results of the POST may be displayed on a panel that is part of the device, output to an external device, or stored for future retrieval by a diagnostic tool Since a self-test might detect that the system's usual human-readable display is non-functional, an indicator lamp or a speaker may be provided to show error codes as a sequence… Read More
13) You are installing Windows Server 2008 R2 onto a new company file server that uses a RAID card. You have verified that all cabling is correctly seated, but Windows is not recognizing any storage mediums for installation. Which of the following will most likely correct the issue?
Many RAID cards require a vendor specific driver to function with Windows. In order to install Windows, you first need to provide it with the proper RAID driver.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
14) Which of the following terms describes a folder's permissions defaulting to match the permissions of it's parents folder?
Inheritance is when an computer object, like a file or folder inherits settings from it's parent. For example, if a use does not have read access to a folder, they also cannot read any files or sub folders of that directory.
This question is filed under objective 2, Security
In computer science, an object can be a variable, a data structure, a function, or a method, and as such, is a value in memory referenced by an identifier In the class-based and object-oriented programming paradigms, object refers to a particular instance of a class, where the object can be a combination of variables, functions, and data structures In the relational model of database management, an object can be a table or column, or an association between data and a database entity (such as relating a person's age to a specific person) … Read More
15) You are a network administrator for a large company. Several network users have complained that they are receiving odd emails from another user, who claims they have not sent any emails today. Which of the following will most likely stop the issue?
Changing the account password will most likely solve the issue, but better preventatives should be put in place as soon as possible. Spam filters typically ignore local emails, which is why this is not the correct answer.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
Email filtering is the processing of email to organize it according to specified criteria The term can apply to the intervention of human intelligence, but most often refers to the automatic processing of incoming messages with anti-spam techniques - to outgoing emails as well as those being received Email filtering software may reject an item at the initial SMTP connection stage or pass it through unchanged for delivery to the user's mailbox - or alternatively: redirect the message for delivery elsewhere quarantine it for further checking edit or 'tag' it in some way … Read More
16) You have been instructed to configure a database server running Windows Server 2008 to alert technicians when the server's processor or memory is running above 75% capacity. Which of the following technologies will help you achieve this?
Performance monitor is a Windows tool that can be used to monitor and log a system's health and status in real time.
This question is filed under objective 1, Operating Systems
A system monitor is a hardware or software component used to monitor system resources and performance in a computer systemAmong the management issues regarding use of system monitoring tools are resource usage and privacy … Read More
17) Which of the following is true about a file when it is copied from an NTFS to a FAT32 partitions?
Unfortunately the FAT32 file system does not allow for file and folder permissions like those that are commonly found on modern file systems, such as NTFS.
This question is filed under objective 2, Security
NTFS (NT File System) is a proprietary journaling file system developed by Microsoft Starting with Windows NT 31, it is the default file system of the Windows NT familyNTFS has several technical improvements over the file systems that it superseded – File Allocation Table (FAT) and High Performance File System (HPFS) – such as improved support for metadata and advanced data structures to improve performance, reliability, and disk space use Additional extensions are a more elaborate security system based on access control lists (ACLs) and file system journaling NTFS is supported in other desktop and server operating systems as well… Read More
18) A desktop user is contacting the IT Department and complaining their computer will not turn on and is making beeping noises. Which of the following can cause this?
Power On Self Test (POST) uses simple beep codes when there is an issue preventing a computer to BOOT.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
A power-on self-test (POST) is a process performed by firmware or software routines immediately after a computer or other digital electronic device is powered on This article mainly deals with POSTs on personal computers, but many other embedded systems such as those in major appliances, avionics, communications, or medical equipment also have self-test routines which are automatically invoked at power-on The results of the POST may be displayed on a panel that is part of the device, output to an external device, or stored for future retrieval by a diagnostic tool Since a self-test might detect that the system's usual human-readable display is non-functional, an indicator lamp or a speaker may be provided to show error codes as a sequence… Read More
19) Which of the following Windows command line tools will provide a computer's network configuration information?
Ipconfig is a Windows command line tool that provides network information like the IP Address, MAC Address, and Subnet Mask.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
20) A critical server was replaced by the IT staff the previous night. The following morning, some users are reporting that they are unable to browse to the Internet upon booting their workstations. Users who did not shut down their workstations the previous day are able to connect to the Internet. A technician looks at the following report from a workstation with no Internet connectivity: IP Address: 192.168.1.101, Netmask: 255.255.255.0, DHCP Server:192.168.1.1, DNS Server:192.168.1.2, Default Gateway:192.168.1.1, Given the above report, which of the following is the cause of why some workstations are unable to browse the Internet?
If the DHCP Server was down users would receive APIPA Addresses, which is not the case. However, because only computers that have been restarted are affected, we can still assume it is a DHCP Problem, most likely a configuration issue.
This question is filed under objective 4, Troubleshooting
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network management protocol used on Internet Protocol networks whereby a DHCP server dynamically assigns an IP address and other network configuration parameters to each device on a network so they can communicate with other IP networks A DHCP server enables computers to request IP addresses and networking parameters automatically from the Internet service provider (ISP), reducing the need for a network administrator or a user to manually assign IP addresses to all network devices In the absence of a DHCP server, a computer or other device on the network needs to be manually assigned an IP address, or to assign itself an APIPA address, the latter of which will not enable it to communicate… Read More
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