801 - Comptia Reviewing The Basics And Thinking Critically

Front 1

Review questions chapter 1

1.

Which is faster, a Hi

-

Speed USB port or a SuperSpeed USB port?

Back 1

SuperSpeed USB is faster than Hi

-

Speed USB

Front 2

2.

What type of output does a S/PDIF port provide

Back 2

High quality sound to an audio s

ystem

Front 3

3.

List five types of video ports.

Back 3

VGA, S

-

Video, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort video ports

Front 4

4.

What is the purpose of an expansion slot on a motherboard?

Back 4

An expansion slot on a motherboard is used for an expansion card, which provides a port

or other function that

is not provided by the motherboard

Front 5

5.

What should be the setting for a dual

-

voltage selector switch on a power supply when

using the computer in the United States?

Back 5

Set the switch to 115 volts

Front 6

6.

What unit of measure is used to

describe

the amount of work a s

urge suppressor

can do before it stops protecting the circuit from an electrical surge?

Back 6

Joule

Front 7

7.

Hot wires in

home

wiring are normally colored ____ and ground wires in

computers are normally colored _____.

Back 7

Black, black

Front 8

8.

What is the difference between a transfo

rmer and a rectifier? Which are found in a

PC power supply?

Back 8

A rectifier is a device that converts alternating current to direct current. A transformer is a device

that changes the ratio of current to voltage. A computer power supply functions as both.

Front 9

9.

What

device can you use to make sure a computer is protected against power surges?

Back 9

A surge suppressor

Front 10

10.

A power supply receives 120 volts of ___ power from a wall outlet and converts it to 3.3,

5, and 12 volts of ____ power.

Back 10

AC, DC

Front 11

11.

Why is a power supply dangero

us even after the power is disconnected

Back 11

Capacitors inside a PC power supply create the even flow of current needed by the PC.

Capacitors maintain their charge long after current is no longer present, which is why the inside

of a power supply can be danger

ous even when power is disconnected

Front 12

12.

Which two tools can a PC support technician use when taking apart a computer to

best protect computer components against ESD?

Back 12

Ground bracelet and antistatic gloves

Front 13

13. What is the purpose of a POST diagnostic card?

Back 13

To report errors at POST

Front 14

14. What are the three purposes accomplished by the motherboard BIOS?

Back 14

System BIOS manages essential devices, startup BIOS starts the computer, and BIOS setup is
used to configure the motherboard

Front 15

15. How is the best way to determine if a cable inside a computer is a data and instruction
cable or a power cable?

Back 15

Follow the cable from its source to its destination

Front 16

16. What technology standard provides for up to four drives installed in a system?

Back 16

PATA (parallel ATA), also called EIDE (enhanced integrated drive electronics) or IDE

Front 17

17. How many pins does the P1 connector have that uses the ATX Version 2.2
standard?

Back 17

24

Front 18

18. What device might require extra power so that it uses the 12V 6-pin power
connector? In what two locations might you find the connector?

Back 18

A PCI Express video card. The connector might be located on the video card or on the
motherboard.

Front 19

19. What is the purpose of the 4-pin auxiliary connector on a motherboard?

Back 19

To provide extra voltage or power for a processor

Front 20

20. What is the purpose of the 4-pin Molex connector?

Back 20

To power IDE (PATA) drives

Front 21

Thinking Critically
1. You purchase a new computer system that does not have wireless capability, and
then you decide that you want to use a wireless connection to the Internet. What
are the least expensive ways (pick two) to upgrade your system to wireless?
a. Trade in the computer for another computer that has wireless installed
4
b. Purchase a second computer that has wireless
c. Purchase a wireless expansion card and install it in your system
d. Purchase a USB wireless adapter and connect it to your PC by way of a USB
port

Back 21

Answers: c. Purchase a wireless expansion card and install it in your system, and d. Purchase a
USB wireless adapter and connect it to your PC by way of a USB port

Front 22

2. How much power is consumed by a load drawing 5 A with 120 V across it?

Back 22

600 watts

Front 23

3. When working on a computer, which of the following best protects against ESD?
Why?
a. Always touch the computer case before touching a circuit board inside the
case
b. Always wear a ground bracelet clipped to the side of the case
c. Always sit a computer on an antistatic mat when working on it
d. Always work on a computer in a room without carpet

Back 23

Answer: b. Always wear a ground bracelet clipped to the side of the case

Front 24

4. When troubleshooting a computer hardware problem, which tool might help with
each of the following problems?
a. You suspect the network port on a computer is not functioning.
b. The system fails at the beginning of the boot and nothing appears on the screen.
c. A hard drive is not working and you suspect the Molex power connector from the
power supply might be the source of the problem.

Back 24

Answers: a. Loopback plug, b. POST diagnostic card, c. Multimeter

Front 25

Chapter 2 Review questions

1. When taking a computer apart, why is it important to not stack boards on top of
each other?

Back 25

You could accidentally dislodge a chip.

Front 26

2. Why is it important to remove loose jewelry before working inside a computer
case?

Back 26

Because the jewelry might get caught in cables and components as you work.

Front 27

3. When assembling a system, which do you install first, the drives or the
motherboard?

Back 27

Drives

Front 28

4. What is the purpose of raised screw holes or standoffs installed between the
motherboard and case?

Back 28

To prevent a short that might happen if lines on the bottom of the motherboard touch the
case when the system is running.

Front 29

5. When installing the front panel wires to the motherboard front panel header, how
do you know which pins to use for each wire if the pins on the header are not
labeled?

Back 29

You can find this information in the motherboard user guide.

Front 30

6. What are the two major components of a processor cooler assembly?

Back 30

Heat sink and fan

Front 31

7. How many pins does the CPU fan header on a motherboard have?

Back 31

4 pins

Front 32

8. If the power connector from the CPU fan has only three pins, it can still connect
to the 4-pin header, but what functionality is lost?

Back 32

Adjustable speed control of the fan to lessen the noise in the system

Front 33

9. How do you determine the wattage capacity needed by a power supply?

Back 33

Add up all wattage requirements for all devices that will use the power supply and then add an
additional 30%

Front 34

10. Which one component in a high-end gaming computer is likely to draw the most
power?

Back 34

The video card

Front 35

1. You disassemble and reassemble a computer. When you first turn it on, you see
no lights and hear no sounds. Nothing appears on the monitor screen. What is the
most likely cause of the problem? Explain your answer.
3
a. A memory module is not seated properly in a memory slot.
b. You forgot to plug up the monitor external power cord.
c. A wire in the case is obstructing a fan.
d. Power cords to the motherboard are not connected.

Back 35

answer: d. Power cords to the motherboard are not connected. All the other answers
would still cause the system to start the boot even though it might fail. If the motherboard
is not getting power, it will not start the boot.

Front 36

2. How much power is consumed by a load drawing 5 A with 120 V across it?

Back 36

600 watts

Front 37

3. What is a reasonable wattage capacity for a power supply to be used with a
system that contains a DVD drive, three hard drives, and a high-end video card?
a. 250 watts
b. 1000 watts
c. 700 watts
d. 150 watts

Back 37

Answer: c. 700 watts

Front 38

chapter 4 reviews questions

1. What are the three most popular form factors used for motherboards?

Back 38

ATX, microATX, and Mini-ITX

Front 39

2. Which type of Intel chipsets was the first to support the graphics controller to be
part of the processor?

Back 39

Sandy Bridge or second generation chipsets

Front 40

How many pins does the Intel Socket B have? What is another name for this
socket?

Back 40

1366 pins, LGA1366

Front 41

4. What type of memory does the LGA1155 socket work with? Which socket was it
designed to replace?

Back 41

DDR3 memory, LGA1156

Front 42

5. Does the Sandy Bridge chipset family use two chipset housings on the
motherboard or a single chipset housing? The Nehalem chipset?

Back 42

A single chipset housing, two chipset housings

Front 43

6. How many pins does the AMD socket AM2 have?

Back 43

940 pins

Front 44

7. Which socket by AMD uses a land grid array rather than a pin grid array?

Back 44

Socket F

Front 45

8. Which is a better performing Intel chipset, the X58 or the H67?

Back 45

H67

Front 46

9. Which part of a Nehalem chipset connects directly to the processor, the North
Bridge or the South Bridge?

Back 46

The North Bridge

Front 47

10. What are the names of the two technologies used to install multiple video cards in
the same system?

Back 47

SLI and CrossFire

Front 48

11. What are the two different voltages that a PCI slot can provide?

Back 48

5 volts and 3.3 volts

Front 49

12. How does the throughput of PCI Express Version 1.1 compare to PCIe Version 1?
How does PCIe Version 2 compare to Version 1?

Back 49

PCIe Version 1.1 and PCIe Version 1 have the same throughput. PCIe Version 2 doubles
the throughput of PCIe Version 1.

Front 50

13. What is the maximum wattage that a PCIe Version 2.0 expansion card can draw?

Back 50

300 watts

Front 51

14. What new type of power connector on the motherboard was introduced with PCIe
Version 1.0? How much power does this connector provide?

Back 51

6-pin PCIe connector, 75 watts

Front 52

15. What new type of power connector was introduced with PCIe Version 2.0? How
much power does this connector provide?

Back 52

8-pin PCIe connector, 150 watts

Front 53

16. If you are installing an expansion card into a case that does not have enough
clearance above the motherboard for the card, what device can you use to solve
the problem?

Back 53

A riser card

Front 54

17. What is the purpose of an AGP slot?

Back 54

To hold a video card

Front 55

18. Which is faster, a PCI Express x16 bus or the latest AGP bus?

Back 55

PCI Express x16 is about 4 times faster than the latest AGP bus

Front 56

19. Which chip on the motherboard does Windows Bitlocker Encryption use to secure
the hard drive?

Back 56

TPM chip

Front 57

20. How can you find out how many memory slots are populated on a motherboard
without opening the computer case?

Back 57

View the information on a BIOS setup screen

Front 58

21. What are two reasons you might decide to flash BIOS?

Back 58

To add new features made available by the BIOS manufacturer or to attempt to solve
problems with the motherboard

Front 59

22. What is the easiest way to obtain the latest software to upgrade BIOS?

Back 59

Go to the Web site of the BIOS or motherboard manufacturer.

Front 60

23. What can you do if the power-on password and the supervisor password to a
system have been forgotten?

Back 60

Use the jumpers on the motherboard to reset the passwords

Front 61

24. Where is the boot priority order for devices kept?

Back 61

In CMOS RAM

Front 62

26. Describe how you can access the BIOS setup program.

Back 62

By pressing certain keys (depending on the specific computer and BIOS program) during
the boot process

Front 63

27. If a USB port on the motherboard is failing, what is one task you can do that
might fix the problem?

Back 63

Go to the motherboard manufacturer web site, download and install updated drivers.

Front 64

28. What might the purpose be for a SATA-style power connector on a motherboard?

Back 64

To provide auxiliary power to PCIe cards

Front 65

29. What is the purpose of installing standoffs or spacers between the motherboard
and the case?

Back 65

So that components on the back of the motherboard do not touch the case and cause a
short

Front 66

30. When installing a motherboard, suppose you forget to connect the wires from the
case to the front panel header. Will you be able to power up the system? Why or
why not?

Back 66

No, because the power button will not work until the power wire is connected to the
motherboard.

Front 67

Thinking Critically

1. Why does a motherboard sometimes support more than one system bus speed?

Back 67

So that it can support different processors running at different speeds

Front 68

2. Why don’t all buses on a motherboard operate at the same speed?

Back 68

Because not all devices to which the buses are connected transmit data at the same speed.
The speeds of different hardware components are evolving at different rates.

Front 69

3. When you turn off the power to a computer at night, it loses the date, and you
must reenter it each morning. What is the problem and how do you solve it?

Back 69

The CMOS battery is dead and needs replacing.

Front 70

4. Why do you think the trend is to store configuration information on a
motherboard in CMOS RAM rather than by using jumpers or switches?

Back 70

Possible answers:
 Because changing setup using jumpers or switches requires opening the computer
case, and BIOS setup is easier to change.
 Because there are many more settings on today’s newer motherboards that would
require too many jumpers and switches

Front 71

5. Why do you think the trend is to put more control such as the graphics controller
and the memory controller in the processor rather than in the chipset?

Back 71

Possible answer: Because the processor is faster than the chipset

Front 72

6. When troubleshooting a motherboard, you discover the network port no longer
works. What is the best and least expensive solution to this problem? If this
solution does not work, which solution should you try next?
a. Replace the motherboard
b. Disable the network port and install a network card in an expansion slot.
c. Use a wireless network device in a USB port to connect to a wireless network.
d. Return the motherboard to the factory for repair.
e. Update the motherboard drivers.

Back 72

All the above solutions might be possible. The least expensive and simplest solution is e.
Update the motherboard drivers. If that doesn’t work, you do do b. Disable the network
port and install a network card in an expansion slot.

Front 73

7. A computer freezes at odd times. At first you suspect the power supply or
overheating, but you have eliminated overheating and replaced the power supply
without solving the problem. What do you do next?
a. Replace the processor
b. Replace the motherboard
c. Reinstall Windows
d. Replace the memory modules
e. Flash BIOS

Back 73

Try the simple and least expensive things first: Flash BIOS

Front 74

chapter 5 reviews questions

1. Who are the two major manufacturers of processors?

Back 74

Intel, AMD

Front 75

2. What is the name of the memory cache that is on the same die as the processor?

Back 75

L1 cache

Front 76

3. What is the name of the memory cache that is closest to the processor die but is
not housed on the die?

Back 76

L2 cache

Front 77

4. What is the name of the Intel technology that allows a processor to handle two
threads at the same time?

Back 77

Hyper-Threading

Front 78

5. How many threads can a quad-core processor handle at once?

Back 78

Eight

Front 79

6. Which Intel processor socket uses a screw head to hold down the socket load
plate?

Back 79

Socket LGA1155

Front 80

7. Which is faster, SRAM or DRAM? Why?

Back 80

SRAM, because it does not need to be refreshed

Front 81

8. How many pins are on a DDR3 DIMM? DDR2 DIMM?

Back 81

For DDR3 DIMM, 240 pins. For DDR2 DIMM, 240 pins.

Front 82

9. How many pins are on a DDR DIMM? SDRAM DIMM?

Back 82

For DDR DIMM, 184 pins. For SDRAM DIMM, 168 pins.

Front 83

10. How many notches does a DDR3 DIMM have?

Back 83

One

Front 84

11. What was the first type of DIMM that ran synchronized with the system clock?

Back 84

SDRAM DIMM

Front 85

12. What major improvement did DDR make over regular SDRAM?

Back 85

Data is processed twice in one clock beat, doubling the speed of regular SDRAM

Front 86

13. Which DIMM performs better, a double-sided dual-ranked DIMM or a double-sided
single-ranked DIMM?

Back 86

A double-sided single-ranked DIMM

Front 87

14. What prevents a DDR DIMM from being installed in a DDR2 DIMM slot on a
motherboard?

Back 87

The position of the one notch on the DIMM module

Front 88

15. Which module, a DDR3 or DDR2 DIMM, uses lower voltage?

Back 88

DDR3 DIMM

Front 89

16. In a memory ad for DIMMs, you notice 64Meg ×72 for one DIMM and 64Meg ×64 for
another DIMM. What does the 72 tell you about the first DIMM?

Back 89

The first DIMM supports ECC technology for error checking

Front 90

17. A DIMM that contains memory chips in two memory banks on the module is said to be
______.

Back 90

Dual ranked

Front 91

18. What type of DIMM supports triple channeling?

Back 91

DDR3 DIMM

Front 92

19. If two bits of a byte are in error when the byte is read from ECC memory, can ECC detect
the error? Can it fix the error?

Back 92

Yes, No

Front 93

20. How many notches are on an SDRAM DIMM?

Back 93

Two

Front 94

21. Looking at an SDRAM DIMM, how can you know for certain the voltage needed by the
module?

Back 94

Look at the notch on the right side of the module.

Front 95

22. A DIMM memory ad displays 5-5-5-15. What is the CAS Latency value of this DIMM?

Back 95

CL5

Front 96

23. What is the most amount of RAM that can be used by a 32-bit installation of Windows 7
Professional?

Back 96

4 GB

Front 97

24. A motherboard uses dual channeling, but you have four DIMMs available that differ in
size. The motherboard supports all four sizes. Can you install these DIMMs on the board?
Will dual channeling be enabled?

Back 97

Yes, the DIMMs will work on the board, but dual channeling will not be enabled.

Front 98

25. You need to upgrade memory on a motherboard that uses RIMMs. You notice one
RIMM and one C-RIMM module are already installed on the board. Which module
should you replace?

Back 98

The C-RIMM module

Front 99

26. What 2 types of memory can be used on a 100-MHz motherboard?

Back 99

SDRAM and DDR SDRAM

Front 100

27. Which is faster, CL3 memory or CL5 memory?

Back 100

CL3 is faster than CL5 memory

Front 101

28. You are looking to purchase two DIMMs running at 400 MHz. You find DIMMs
advertised at PC4000 and PC3200. Which do you purchase?

Back 101

PC3200

Front 102

29. You need to find out how much RAM is installed in a system. What command do you
enter in the Search box to launch the System Information utility?

Back 102

Msinfo32.exe

Front 103

30. Although ECC memory costs more than non-ECC memory, why would you choose to
use it? Which type of computer typically requires ECC memory?

Back 103

ECC memory is more reliable than non-ECC memory. A server.

Front 104

Thinking Critically
1. You need to upgrade memory in a system but you don’t have the motherboard
documentation available. You open the case and notice that the board has four DIMM
slots; three slots are colored yellow and one slot is black. What type of DIMM does the
board likely use? How can you be sure?

Back 104

The three yellow slots probably indicate triple channeling, which means the board uses DDR3
DIMMs. To know for sure, remove a DIMM and look for the position of the notch on the DIMM.

Front 105

2. If your motherboard supports DIMM memory, will RIMM memory still work on the
board?

Back 105

No, you can only use the type of memory module the board is designed to support.

Front 106

3. If your motherboard supports ECC SDRAM memory, can you substitute non-ECC
SDRAM memory? If your motherboard supports buffered SDRAM memory, can you
substitute unbuffered SDRAM modules?

Back 106

You can substitute non-ECC memory on an ECC board, and the error-checking feature will be
shown disabled in BIOS setup. You cannot use unbuffered SDRAM on a motherboard that
supports buffered memory, because the notches on buffered DIMMs are in different positions
than for unbuffered DIMMs.

Front 107

4. You have just upgraded memory on a computer from 1 GB to 2 GB by adding one
DIMM. When you first turn on the PC, the memory count shows only 1 GB. Which of
the following is most likely the source of the problem? What can you do to fix it?
a. Windows is giving an error because it likely became corrupted while the PC was
disassembled.
b. The new DIMM you installed is faulty.
c. The new DIMM is not properly seated.
d. The DIMM is installed in the wrong slot.

Back 107

The new DIMM is not properly seated. Turn off the PC and reseat the DIMM. Check that the
DIMM is standing in the slot at the same height of the other DIMM installed.

Front 108

5. Your motherboard supports dual channeling and you currently have two slots used in
Channel A on the board; each module holds 1 GB. You want to install an additional 1 GB
of RAM. Will your system run faster if you install two 512 MB DIMMs or one 1 GB
DIMM? Explain your answer.

Back 108

The system will run faster if you install two DIMMs because dual channeling can be used if both
Channel B slots are filled. Dual channeling is faster than single channeling.

Front 109

chapter 6 reviews

1. What are the two types of technologies used inside hard drives?

Back 109

Solid state drives and magnetic drives

Front 110

2. What are four speeds in revolutions per minute that the spindle inside a hard drive
might rotate?

Back 110

5400, 7200, 10,000, and 15, 000 RPM

Front 111

3. What is the name of the Windows technology that supports a memory buffer in a
hybrid drive?

Back 111

ReadyDrive

Front 112

4. When the OS addresses the sectors on a hard drive as one long list of sequential
sectors, what is this technology called?

Back 112

Logical block addressing (LBA)

Front 113

5. A CD drive that uses a PATA connection must follow what standard?

Back 113

ATAPI

Front 114

6. How many pins does an 80-conductor IDE cable have? What is the maximum
recommended length of an IDE cable?

Back 114

40 pins, 18 inches

Front 115

7. What is the transfer speed of an IDE interface using the ATA-7 standard?

Back 115

133 MB/sec

Front 116

8. What is the transfer speed for SATA I? SATA II? SATA III?

Back 116

1.5 Gb/sec, 3 Gb/sec, 6 Gb/sec

Front 117

9. How many pins does a SATA data cable have? How many pins does a SATA
power cable have?

Back 117

7 pins, 15 pins

Front 118

10. What term describes the technology that allows you to exchange a hard drive
without powering down the system?

Back 118

Hot swapping or hot plugging

Front 119

11. What are the four possible configurations for a PATA drive installed in a system?

Back 119

Primary IDE channel, master device
Primary IDE channel, slave device
Secondary IDE channel, master device
Secondary IDE channel, slave device

Front 120

12. Which SCSI ID is assigned to the SCSI host adapter?

Back 120

SCSI ID 7

Front 121

13. Which two SCSI connectors might be used with narrow SCSI?

Back 121

The 50-pin SCSI connector and the 25-pin SCSI connector

Front 122

14. Which version of SCSI is known as Fast SCSI? Which version is known as Ultra
SCSI?

Back 122

SCSI-2, SCSI-3

Front 123

15. Which RAID level mirrors one hard drive with a second drive so that the same
data is written to both drives?

Back 123

RAID 1

Front 124

16. Which RAID level stripes data across multiple drives to improve performance and
also provides fault tolerance?

Back 124

RAID 5

Front 125

17. How many hard drives does it take to implement RAID 10?

Back 125

Four

Front 126

18. How many pins does a floppy drive cable have? What is the storage capacity of a
3½" high-density floppy disk?

Back 126

34 pins, 1.44MB

Front 127

19. If a motherboard has one blue IDE connector and one black IDE connection,
which do you use to install a single drive?

Back 127

The blue connection

Front 128

20. When implementing RAID on a motherboard, where do you enable the feature?

Back 128

In BIOS setup

Front 129

Thinking Critically
1. You install an IDE hard drive and then turn on the PC for the first time. You
access BIOS setup and see that the drive is not recognized. Which of the
following do you do next?
a. Turn off the PC, open the case, and verify that memory modules on the
motherboard have not become loose.
b. Turn off the PC, open the case, and verify that the data cable and power
cable are connected correctly and jumpers on the drive are set correctly.
c. Verify that BIOS autodetection is enabled.
d. Reboot the PC and enter BIOS setup again to see if it now recognizes the
drive.

Back 129

Answer: c. Verify that BIOS autodetection is enabled.

Front 130

2. You want to install a SSD drive in your desktop computer, but the drive is far too
narrow to fit snuggly into the bays of your computer case. Which of the following
do you do?
a. Install the SSD in a laptop computer.
b. Buy a bay adapter that will allow you to install the narrow drive in a
desktop case bay.
c. This SSD is designed for a laptop. Flash BIOS so that your system will
support a laptop hard drive.
4
d. Use a special SATA controller card that will support the narrow hard
drive.

Back 130

Answer: b. Buy a bay adapter that will allow you to install the narrow drive in a desktop
case bay.

Front 131

3. Mark each statement as true or false:
a. SATA 1 is about ten times faster than IDE ATA/133.
b. SATA 1 is about 100 times faster than IDE ATA/133.
c. RAID 0 can be implemented using only a single hard drive.
d. RAID 5 requires five hard drives working together at the same speed and
capacity.
e. You can use an internal SATA data cable with an eSATA port.
f. A SATA data cable has 7 pins.

Back 131

Answers: a. True, b. False, c. False, d. False, e. False, f. True

Front 132

chapter 8 reviews questions

1. What command can you enter in the Search box to launch Device Manager?

Back 132

Devmgmt.msc

Front 133

2. Which is faster, an eSATA-600 port or a FireWire 800 port?

Back 133

eSATA-600

Front 134

3. What is the speed for Hi-Speed USB?

Back 134

480 Mbps

Front 135

4. How many times faster is a Hi-Speed USB port than an Original USB port
running at 12 Mbps?

Back 135

40 times faster

Front 136

5. Which is faster, USB 3.0 or eSATA 600?

Back 136

eSATA 600

Front 137

6. Which is faster, Wi-Fi 802.11n or Bluetooth?

Back 137

Wi-Fi 802.11n

Front 138

7. How many pins does a FireWire 800 port have?

Back 138

9 pins

Front 139

8. What type of wireless transmission requires a line-of-sight clearance?

Back 139

Infrared

Front 140

9. Will a printer rated to use USB 3.0 work when you connect the printer’s USB
cable into a USB 2.0 port on your computer?

Back 140

Yes, but at the USB 2.0 speed.

Front 141

10. What is the easiest way to tell if a USB port on a notebook computer is using the
USB 3.0 standard?

Back 141

Check the color of the port, which is blue.

Front 142

11. For an LCD monitor, what is the best resolution to use?

Back 142

The native resolution

Front 143

12. Which gives a better measurement for the quality of an LCD monitor, the contrast
ratio or the dynamic contrast ratio?

Back 143

The contrast ratio

Front 144

13. Which type port gives the best output, a composite out port or an S-Video port?

Back 144

An S-Video port

Front 145

14. What command do you use to find out what version of DirectX your video card is
using?

Back 145

Dxdiag.exe

Front 146

15. Name two types of ports a keyboard might use.

Back 146

PS/2, USB

Front 147

16. Which Windows utility is most likely the one to use when uninstalling an
expansion card?

Back 147

Device Manager

Front 148

17. Would you expect all the devices listed in BIOS setup to also be listed in Device
Manager? Would you expect all devices listed in Device Manager to also be listed
in BIOS setup?

Back 148

Yes, no

Front 149

18. Why is it best to leave a slot empty between two expansion cards?

Back 149

To improve air flow

Front 150

19. Which speaker port should you use when connecting a single speaker to a PC?

Back 150

The lime green audio port

Front 151

20. What type of adapter card allows you to watch TV using your computer?

Back 151

TV tuner card

Front 152

21. What type of file system is used by Blu-ray discs?

Back 152

UDF

Front 153

22. What type of file system is used by SDXC memory cards?

Back 153

exFAT

Front 154

23. What two types of interfaces might be used by an internal DVD drive?

Back 154

SATA or IDE (PATA)

Front 155

24. How much data can a CD hold?

Back 155

700 MB

Front 156

25. How much data can a double-sided, dual-layer DVD hold?

Back 156

Advertised as 17 GB but actually 15.90 GB

Front 157

26. How much data can a double-sided, single-layer BD hold?

Back 157

25 GB

Front 158

27. Which costs more, a CD-R or a CD-RW disc?

Back 158

CD-RW

Front 159

28. Which type of flash memory card is currently the smallest type of card?

Back 159

MicroSD, also the same size as MicroSDHC and MicroSDXC

Front 160

29. What are the group of standards that represent music in digital form?

Back 160

midi

Front 161

30. Why might a musical keyboard have two MIDI ports?

Back 161

One MIDI port for output and one MIDI port for input

Front 162

Thinking Critically
1. If a PS/2 keyboard does not work on your system and yet you know the keyboard is
good, what is the best solution?
a. Disable the PS/2 port in BIOS setup and use a PS/2 splitter to install a keyboard
and mouse using the PS/2 mouse port.
b. Install a USB keyboard on a USB port.
c. Exchange the PS/2 port on your motherboard.
d. Replace the motherboard.

Back 162

Answer: b. Install a USB keyboard on a USB port.

Front 163

2. You plug a new scanner into a USB port on your Windows 7 system. When you first
turn on the scanner, what should you expect to see?
a. A message displayed by the scanner software telling you to reboot your system.
b. You see the Found New Hardware Wizard launch.
c. Your system automatically reboots.
d. An error message from the USB controller.

Back 163

Answer: b. You see the Found New Hardware Wizard launch.

Front 164

3. You turn on your Windows 7 computer and see the system display POST messages.
Then the screen turns blue with no text. Which of the following items could be the
source of the problem?
a. The video card
b. The monitor
c. Windows
d. MS Word software installed on the system

Back 164

Answer: c. Windows

Front 165

4. You have just installed a new sound card and its drivers and connected the speakers
and amplifier. You insert a music CD into the drive to test the drive. Windows Media
Player launches and says it is playing the CD, but you don’t hear music. What do you
do first?
a. Check the volume controls on the speaker amplifier.
b. Check the connections of the amplifier and speakers to the card.
c. Check Device Manager for errors with the sound card.
d. Verify that the amplifier has power.

Back 165

Do the simple thing first: a. Check the volume controls on the speaker amplifier.

Front 166

5. You have just installed a new sound card in your system, and Windows says the card
installed with no errors. When you plug up the speakers and try to play a music CD,
you hear no sound. What are the first things you should do? The second thing?
a. Check Device Manager to see if the sound card is recognized and has no errors.
b. Reinstall Windows 7.
c. Use Device Manager to uninstall the sound card.
6
d. Identify your sound card by opening the case and looking on the card for
manufacturer and model.
e. Verify the volume is turned up in Windows and on the speakers.
f. Use Device Manager to update the sound card drivers.

Back 166

Answer: e. Verify the volume is turned up in Windows and on the speakers.
a. Check Device Manager to see if the sound card is recognized and has no errors.

Front 167

6. You have just installed a new DVD drive and its drivers under Windows 7. The drive
will read a CD but not a DVD. You decide to reinstall the device drivers. What is the
first thing you do?
a. Open the Control Panel and launch the Add New Hardware Wizard.
b. Open Device Manager and choose Update Driver.
c. Remove the data cable from the DVD drive so Windows will no longer recognize
the drive and allow you to reinstall the drivers.
d. Open Device Manager and uninstall the drive.

Back 167

Answer: d. Open Device Manager and uninstall the drive.

Front 168

Chapter 9
Satisfying Customer Needs
Reviewing the Basics
1. Name five job roles that can all be categorized as a PC technician.

Back 168

PC support technician, PC service technician, technical retail associate, bench technician,
help-desk technician

Front 169

2. Of the five jobs in Question 1, which one job might never include interacting with
the PC’s primary user?

Back 169

Bench technician (depot technician)

Front 170

3. Assume that you are a customer who wants to have a PC repaired. List five main
characteristics that you would want to see in your PC repair person.

Back 170

Answers may vary. Possible answers: Positive and helpful attitude, own the problem, be
dependable, be customer-focused, be credible, maintain integrity and honesty, know the
law with respect to your work, act professionally, perform your work in a professional
manner.

Front 171

4. What is one thing you should do when you receive a phone call requesting on-site
support, before you make an appointment?

Back 171

Ask questions to identify the problem and ask the caller to check and try some simple
things while on the phone with you.

Front 172

5. You make an appointment to do an on-site repair, but you are detained and find
out that you will be late. What is the best thing to do?

Back 172

Call the customer and explain the situation. Agree on a new time of arrival.

Front 173

6. When you arrive for an on-site service call, how important is your greeting? What
would be a good greeting to start off a good business relationship?

Back 173

The first impression is very important as it sets the tone for the entire visit.
Possible first greeting: “Good morning, my name is xxx. Are you Mr. Xxxx?”

Front 174

7. When making an on-site service call, what should you do before making any
changes to software or before taking the case cover off a computer?

Back 174

Ask the user to describe the problem in detail. Then ask permission to service the
computer.

Front 175

8. What should you do after finishing your PC repair?

Back 175

Verify everything is working. Then ask the customer to do the same. Fill out the
paperwork.

Front 176

9. What is a good strategy to follow if a conflict arises between you and your
customer?

Back 176

Stay professional. Allow the customer to vent. Listen carefully. Do what you can to solve
the problem. Escalate if necessary.

Front 177

10. If you are about to make an on-site service call to a large financial organization, is
it appropriate to show up in shorts and a T-shirt? Why or why not?

Back 177

No, you are expected to dress professionally and appropriately for the environment.

Front 178

11. You have exhausted your knowledge of a problem and it still is not solved. Before
you escalate it, what else can you do?

Back 178

Ask a knowledgeable coworker for help.

Front 179

12. If you need to make a phone call while on a customer’s site and your cell phone is
not working, what do you do?

Back 179

Ask permission to use the phone.

Front 180

13. When someone calls your help desk, what is the first thing you should do?

Back 180

Identify the person and determine they are entitled to receive your help.

Front 181

14. What is one thing you can do to help a caller who needs phone support and is not
a competent computer user?

Back 181

Allow the customer to ask questions.
Be patient and take the customer through each step slowly.

Front 182

15. Describe what you should do when a customer complains to you about a product
or service that your company provides.

Back 182

Allow the customer to speak without your getting defensive.
Take notes and send the information to the right person in your organization.
Be an active listener. Show you care.

Front 183

16. What are some things you can do to make your work at a help desk easier?

Back 183

Use a telephone headset. Have all available resources handy. Keep notes as you work.
Follow along with the user on your own computer screen.

Front 184

17. When applying for a position as a help desk technician you discover the job
interview will happen by telephone. Why do you think the employer has chosen
this method for the interview?

Back 184

Possible answer: To find out how well you handle yourself on the telephone.

Front 185

18. What is the primary importance of a chain of custody document?

Back 185

Answer: To assure that evidence of a possible crime will be properly admitted into a court of law.

Front 186

19. In a Home Theater PC, what is the purpose of an HDMI output port?

Back 186

Answer: To output video/audio to television.

Front 187

20. In a Home Theater PC, why might you need an HDMI input port? Which type of
adapter card might provide this port?

Back 187

Answer: To connect the HTPC to a TV cable box. A video capture card might provide an HDMI
input port.

Front 188

21. Which system requires the best graphics card, a CAD workstation or a
virtualization workstation?

Back 188

Answer: A CAD workstation.

Front 189

22. Which is generally a better GPU, one in the NVIDIA Quadro family or one in the
NVIDIA GeForce family?

Back 189

Answer: The NVIDIA Quadro family of GPUs.

Front 190

23. Which socket does Intel recommend you use with liquid cooling?

Back 190

Answer: Socket LGA2011

Front 191

24. How many speakers or sound channels does surround sound version 5.1 use?

Back 191

Answer: Up to six channels and speakers.

Front 192

25. Why is it important that a virtualization workstation have a lot of RAM?

Back 192

Answer: Because each VM might tie up its full amount of RAM when the VM is running.

Front 193

Thinking Critically
1. You own a small PC repair company and a customer comes to you with a PC that
will not boot. After investigating, you discover the hard drive has crashed. What
should you do first?
a. Install a hard drive the same size and speed as the original.
b. Ask the customer’s advice about the size drive to install, but select a drive
the same speed as the original drive.
c. Ask the customer’s advice about the size and speed of the new drive to
install.
d. If the customer looks like he can afford it, install the largest and fastest
drive the system can support.

Back 193

c. Ask the customer’s advice about the size and speed of the new drive to install.

Front 194

2. You have repaired a broken LCD panel in a notebook computer. However, when
you disassembled the notebook, you bent the hinge on the notebook lid so that it
now does not latch solidly. When the customer receives the notebook, he notices
the bent hinge and begins shouting at you. What do you do first? Second?
a. Explain to the customer you are sorry but you did the best you could.
6
b. Listen carefully to the customer and don’t get defensive.
c. Apologize and offer to replace the bent hinge.
d. Tell the customer he is not allowed to speak to you like that.

Back 194

First b, then c.

Front 195

Chapter 15
Connecting to and Setting Up a Network
Reviewing the Basics
1. How many bits are in a MAC address?

Back 195

48 bits

Front 196

2. How many bits are in an IPv4 IP address? In an IPv6 IP address?

Back 196

32 bits, 128 bits

Front 197

3. How does a client application identify a server application on another computer on the
network?

Back 197

By a port number

Front 198

4. What are IP addresses called that begin with 10, 172.16, or 192.168?

Back 198

Private IP addresses

Front 199

5. In what class is the IP address 185.75.255.10?

Back 199

Class B

Front 200

6. In what class is the IP address 193.200.30.5?

Back 200

Class C

Front 201

7. Describe the difference between public and private IP addresses. If a network is using
private IP addresses, how can the computers on that network access the Internet?

Back 201

Public IP addresses are licensed and authorized to use the Internet. Private IP
addresses are not authorized or licensed to use the Internet. A computer with a private
IP address uses a NAT router to access the Internet.

Front 202

8. Why is it unlikely that you will fi nd the IP address 192.168.250.10 on the Internet?

Back 202

IP addresses that begin with 192.168 are private IP addresses.

Front 203

9. In Figure 15-9, the subnet mask is four notches tall and is considered a classless subnet
mask for this network of sticks. How many notches tall would be a classful subnet mask
for the same network?

Back 203

A classful subnet mask for this network would be two notches tall because the first two
notches of all sticks in the network are the same.

Front 204

10. If no DHCP server is available when a computer confi gured for dynamic IP
addressing connects to the network, what type of IP address is assigned to the computer?

Back 204

Automatic private IP address (APIPA)

Front 205

11. If a computer is found to have an IP address of 169.254.1.1, what can you assume
about how it received that IP address?

Back 205

The IP address was automatically assigned by Windows when it failed to lease an
address from the DHCP server. The computer received an APIPA IP address.

Front 206

12. What are the last 64 bits of a IPv6 IP address called? How are these bits used?

Back 206

The Interface ID which is used to uniquely identify the network connection on the
local link.

Front 207

13. Name at least three tunneling protocols that are used for IPv6 packets to travel over
an IPv4 network.

Back 207

ISATP, Teredo, and 6TO4

Front 208

14. How is an IPv6 IP address used that begins with 2000::? That begins with FE80::?

Back 208

IP addresses that begin with 2000:: are global addresses used on the Internet.
Addresses that begin with FE80:: are link local addresses used on a private network.

Front 209

15. How many bits are in the Subnet ID block? What are the values of these bits for a
linklocal IP address?

Back 209

The Subnet ID block contains 16 bits. The value of these bits for a link-local address
are 0000 0000 0000 0000.

Front 210

16. Which type of IPv6 address is used to create multiple sites within a large
organization?

Back 210

Unique local addresses

Front 211

17. What type of server serves up IP addresses to computers on a network?

Back 211

DHCP server

Front 212

18. Which TCP/IP protocol that manages packet delivery guarantees that delivery?
Which protocol does not guarantee delivery, but is faster?

Back 212

TCP, UDP

Front 213

19. At what port does an SMTP email server listen to receive email from a client
computer?

Back 213

Port 25

Front 214

20. Which protocol does a web server use when transmissions are encrypted for
security?

Back 214

HTTPS uses either HTTP together with SSL or TLS encryption protocols

Front 215

21. What type of server resolves fully qualifi ed domain names to IP addresses?

Back 215

DNS server

Front 216

22. Which email protocol allows a client application to manage email stored on an email
server?

Back 216

IMAP

Front 217

23. What type of protocol is used to present a public IP address to computers outside the
LAN to handle requests to use the Internet from computers inside the LAN?

Back 217

NAT

Front 218

24. Which protocol is used when an application queries a database on a corporate
network such as a database of printers?

Back 218

LDAP

Front 219

25. What type of encryption protocol does Secure FTP (SFTP) use to secure FTP
transmissions?

Back 219

SSH

Front 220

26. What two Windows applications use the RDP protocol and port 3389?

Back 220

Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance

Front 221

27. Which version of 802.11 technologies can use two antennas at both the access point
and the network adapter?

Back 221

802.11n

Front 222

28. Which wireless encryption standard is stronger, WEP or WPA?

Back 222

WPA

Front 223

29. When securing a Wi-Fi wireless network, which is considered better security: to fi
lter MAC addresses, use encryption, or not broadcast the SSID?

Back 223

To use encryption

Front 224

30. Would you expect WPS to be used when a wireless network is using strong security,
weak security, or no security (as in a public hotspot

Back 224

Strong security

Front 225

Thinking Critically
1. You have just installed a network adapter and have booted up the system, installing the
drivers. You open Windows Explorer on a remote computer and don’t see the computer
on which you just installed the NIC. What is the fi rst thing you check?
a. Has TCP/IPv6 been enabled?
b. Is the computer using dynamic or static IP addressing?
c. Are the lights on the adapter functioning correctly?
d. Has the computer been assigned a computer name?

Back 225

Answer: c. Are the lights on the adapter functioning correctly?

Front 226

2. Your boss asks you to transmit a small fi le that includes sensitive personnel data to a
server on the network. The server is running a Telnet server and an FTP server. Why is it
not a good idea to use Telnet to reach the remote computer?
a. Telnet transmissions are not encrypted.
b. Telnet is not reliable and the fi le might arrive corrupted.
c. FTP is faster than Telnet.
d. FTP running on the same computer as Telnet causes Telnet to not work

Back 226

Answer: a. Because Telnet transmissions are not encrypted

Front 227

3. Your job is to support the desktop computers in a small company of 32 employees. A
consulting fi rm is setting up a private web server to be used internally by company
employees.
The static IP address of the server is 192.168.45.200. Employees will open their web
5
browser and enter personnel.mycompany.com in the URL address box to browse this web
site. What steps do you take so that each computer in the company can browse the site
using this URL?

Back 227

Answer: Make this entry in the Hosts file on each computer:
192.168.45.200 personnel.mycompany.com

Front 228

Chapter 16
Networking Types, Devices, and Cabling
Reviewing the Basics
1. What type of network topology is used when five switches are used on a small
LAN and each switch connects to multiple computers on the LAN?

Back 228

A star bus topology or a hybrid topology

Front 229

2. Place the following networking technologies in the order of their highest speed,
from slowest to fastest: WiMAX, dial-up networking, cable Internet, Fast
Ethernet, 3G

Back 229

Dial-up networking, 3G, cable Internet, WiMAX, Fast Ethernet

Front 230

3. What is the difference between ADSL and SDSL?

Back 230

ADSL uses one upload speed from the consumer to an ISP and a faster download speed.
SDSL uses equal bandwidths in both directions.

Front 231

4. Among satellite, cable Internet, and DSL, which technology experiences more
latency?

Back 231

Satellite

Front 232

5. When using DSL to connect to the Internet, the data transmission shares the
cabling with what other technology?

Back 232

Regular telephone

Front 233

6. When using cable Internet, the data transmission shares the cabling with what
other technology?

Back 233

Television

Front 234

7. What is the name of the port used by an Ethernet cable? What is the name of the
port used by a dial-up modem?

Back 234

RJ-45, RJ-11

Front 235

8. If you want to upgrade your 100BaseT Ethernet network so that it will run about
10 times the current speed, what technology would you use?

Back 235

Gigabit Ethernet or 1000BaseT

Front 236

9. What is the maximum length of a cable on a 100BaseT network?

Back 236

100 meters or 328 feet

Front 237

10. What does the 100 in the name 100BaseT indicate?

Back 237

The transmission speed of the network, which is 100 Mbps.

Front 238

11. Which type of networking cable is more reliable, STP or UTP? Which is used on
LANs?

Back 238

STP is more reliable, UTP is used on LANs

Front 239

12. Which is more expensive, UTP CAT5e cabling or STP CAT5e cabling?

Back 239

STP CAT5e is more expensive because it is shielded

Front 240

13. When looking at a network cable that is not labeled, describe how you can tell if
the cable is a straight-through cable or a crossover cable.

Back 240

Carefully examine the colors of the wires that you can see through the clear plastic RJ45
connector.

Front 241

14. What technology is used when power is transmitted on a network cable?

Back 241

Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Front 242

15. Describe the difference between a hub and a switch.

Back 242

A hub is a pass-through device that transmits all frames to all devices it is connected to
except the device sending the frame. A switch is “smarter” and transmits frames only to
the device to which the frame is addressed, or, if the MAC address table doesn’t have a
particular entry, the switch operates like a hub and sends the frame out to all devices
except to the one sending the frame.

Front 243

16. How is a wireless access point that is also a bridge more efficient in handling
network traffic than a wireless access point that is not a bridge?

Back 243

Because the bridge limits the amount of traffic between the two network segments. It
allows only the traffic to pass that is destined for the other segment.

Front 244

17. What type of cable uses an F connector?

Back 244

TV coax cable

Front 245

18. Why does a CAT6 cable have a plastic core? Which two types of cabling is
recommended for Gigabit Ethernet?

Back 245

To keep the pairs of twisted wires separated which reduces crosstalk. CAT-5e and CAT6

Front 246

19. How many wires does a CAT5 cable have? A CAT5e cable? A coaxial cable?

Back 246

Eight, eight, one

Front 247

20. Which tool can you use to verify that a network port on a computer is good?

Back 247

Loopback plug

Front 248

21. After making a straight-through cable, which tool can you use to certify the cable?

Back 248

Cable tester

Front 249

22. Which tool can help you find a network cable in the walls of a building?

Back 249

Toner probe

Front 250

23. Which tool is used to firmly attach a RJ45 connector to a network cable?

Back 250

Crimper

Front 251

24. Which tool can help you find out which wall jack connects to which port on a
switch in an electrical closet?

Back 251

Loopback plug

Front 252

25. Name two places where you might find a keystone RJ45 jack in a building.

Back 252

In a patch panel in the network closet and in a RJ45 wall jack

Front 253

26. List the number assigned each pair and the color of each pair used in twisted-pair
networking cables.

Back 253

Pair 1 is blue; pair 2 is orange; pair 3 is green, and pair 4 is brown.

Front 254

27. What two standards are used to wire networking cables?

Back 254

T568A and T568B

Front 255

28. Of the two standards in Question 26, which standard is the most common? Which
is required for all U.S. government installations?

Back 255

T568B, T568A

Front 256

29. Using either of the two wiring standards, what are the colors of the two pairs used
to send and/or receive data on a 100BaseT network?

Back 256

Green and orange

Front 257

30. How many pairs of wires are crossed in a crossover cable that will work on a
100BaseT network? On a 1000BaseT network?

Back 257

Two pair, four pair

Front 258

31. To prevent crosstalk in a keystone RJ45 jack, what is the minimum length of wire
that should be untwisted?

Back 258

½ inch

Front 259

Thinking Critically
1. Linda has been assigned the job of connecting five computers to a network. The room
holding the five computers has three network jacks that connect to a switch in an
electrical closet down the hallway. Linda decides to install a second switch in the
room. The new switch has four network ports. She uses one port to connect the switch
to a wall jack. Now she has five ports available (two wall jacks and three switch
ports). While installing and configuring the NICs in the five computers, she discovers
that the PCs connected to the two wall jacks work fine, but the three connected to the
switch refuse to communicate with the network. What could be wrong and what
should she try next?

Back 259

Answer:
Try connecting one of the non-working computers to a wall jack. If that works, then the
problem is the switch, the cable connecting the switch to the wall jack, or the wall jack
the switch is using. First try installing the switch on a known-good jack. Then replace the
cable to the switch; then replace the switch.

Front 260

2. If a Gigabit Ethernet NIC is having a problem communicating with a 100BaseT
switch that only supports half duplex, what steps can you take to manually set the
NIC to the speed and duplex used by the switch? Which speed and duplex should you
choose?

Back 260

Go to Device Manager and open the properties box for the NIC. Click the Link Speed tab
and select 100 Mbps Half Duplex.

Front 261

3. You connect a computer to an RJ-45 wall jack using a straight-through cable. When
you first open the browser on the computer, you discover it does not have Internet
access. Order the following steps in the correct order to troubleshoot the problem.
a. Use a loopback plug to verify the network port on the computer.
b. Rewire the keystone RJ45 wall jack.
c. Use a loopback plug to verify the network port in the wall jack.
d. Exchange the straight-through cable for a known good one.
e. Verify the status indicator lights on the NIC.
f. Use a cable tester to test the network cable and termination from the
switch in the electrical closet to the wall jack.

Back 261

Answer: e, a, c, d, f, and b:
e. Verify the status indicator lights on the NIC.
a. Use a loopback plug to verify the network port on the computer.
c. Use a loopback plug to verify the network port in the wall jack.
d. Exchange the straight-through cable for a known good one.
f. Use a cable tester to test the network cable and termination from the switch in the
electrical closet to the wall jack.
b. Rewire the keystone RJ45 wall jack.

Front 262

Chapter 19
Supporting Notebooks
Reviewing the Basics
1. Why are notebooks usually more expensive than desktop computers with comparable
power and features?

Back 262

Notebooks use compact hard drives that can withstand movement even during operation, and
small memory modules and CPUs that require less voltage than regular components. In general,
it costs more to make similar components that take up less space and require less power.

Front 263

2. Why is the service manual so important to have when you disassemble a notebook?

Back 263

The service manual for the notebook model explains how to open the case and remove
components without damaging the case or components. Each notebook model is proprietary in
design and the ways to disassemble a notebook vary widely.

Front 264

3. Why is it important to reinstall the OS on a notebook from the recovery media rather than
using a retail version of the OS?

Back 264

Because the recovery media contains the OS build and device drivers specific to the notebook

Front 265

4. Which has more features, a port replicator or a docking station?

Back 265

Docking station

Front 266

5. What type of bus is used by ExpressCard slots?

Back 266

PCI Express

Front 267

6. Can you use an ExpressCard card in a CardBus slot? In a PC Card slot?

Back 267

No, no

Front 268

7. What prevents a CardBus card from being inserted in a 16-bit PC Card slot?

Back 268

A bumpy strip on the end of the card

Front 269

8. What type of technology is used by battery packs for notebooks?

Back 269

Lithium Ion

Front 270

9. To what ACPI mode does Windows 7 sleep mode correspond? Windows 7 hibernation?

Back 270

S3 mode, S4 mode

Front 271

10. Which port do you use to connect a docking station to a notebook?

Back 271

Docking port

Front 272

11. Why is it not necessary to set up two hardware profiles in Windows 7 for a notebook to
use or not use a docking station?

Back 272

Because Windows 7 automatically senses when a docking station is present

Front 273

12. How many pins does a DDR3 SO-DIMM have? A DDR2 SO-DIMM?

Back 273

204 pins, 200 pins

Front 274

13. When a notebook internal device fails, what three options can you use to deal with the
problem?

Back 274

Return the notebook to a service center for repair
Substitute an external component for the internal component
Replace the internal component

Front 275

14. How many pins does a notebook IDE connector have? A desktop IDE connector?

Back 275

44 pins, 40 pins

Front 276

15. When an LCD panel is very dim and brightness adjustments don’t help, what component
is likely to be the problem?

Back 276

The video inverter

Front 277

16. After you have removed the AC adapter and all peripherals, what is the next component
you should always remove before servicing any internal notebook components?

Back 277

The battery pack

Front 278

17. How many pins does a Mini PCIe card have?

Back 278

52 pins

Front 279

18. What three wireless technologies might be provided by a Mini PCIe card?

Back 279

Wi-Fi wireless, cellular WAN, and Bluetooth

Front 280

19. Which mobile processor socket is currently the most popular by Intel? By AMD?

Back 280

FCPGA988 socket, S1 socket

Front 281

20. What is one cause of a ghost cursor on an LCD screen?

Back 281

Bad video drivers. Try updating the video drivers

Front 282

Thinking Critically
1. Your friend has a Windows XP notebook computer and has purchased Windows 7 and
installed it as an upgrade on his notebook. He calls to tell you about the upgrade and says that
he cannot connect to the Internet. His notebook has an embedded Ethernet port that he uses
for communication. What do you tell him to do?
a. Reinstall Windows XP.
b. Using another computer, download and install the Windows 7 Ethernet drivers from the
notebook manufacturer’s web site.
c. Search the CDs that came with the notebook for Windows 7 Ethernet drivers and install
them.
d. Perform a clean install of Windows 7.

Back 282

The problem is that he has not installed Windows 7 drivers for the on-board port. It is unlikely
the notebook’s drivers CD for Windows XP will contain Windows 7 drivers. The solution most
likely to work is to attempt to use the web site of the notebook manufacturer to identify the
Ethernet port and locate the Windows 7 drivers for the modem.

Front 283

2. A friend asks you for help in determining the best product to buy: a notebook, tablet PC, or
smart phone. She is a paralegal and spends a lot of time at the courthouse researching real
estate titles. She wants a device to take notes with as she works. List three questions you
would ask her to help her make her decision.

Back 283

Answers may vary. Possible answers:
 How extensive are the notes you want to take?
 What type of notes do you take (text, drawings, or both)?
 How much money do you want to spend?

Front 284

3. What type of computer is likely to use SO-DIMMs, have an internal power supply, and use a
desktop processor socket?

Back 284

Answer: An all-in-one computer

Front 285

Chapter 21
Supporting Printers
Reviewing the Basics
1. Which two methods of rendering a print job are done in Windows before the page
ss sent to the printer? Which of these two methods was introduced with Windows
Vista?

Back 285

GDI and XPS. XPS was introduced in Windows Vista.

Front 286

2. Which two printing languages are used to send a print job to a printer and the
printer uses these languages to render a print job before it is printed?

Back 286

PostScript and PCL

Front 287

3. List the seven steps used by a laser printer to print a page.

Back 287

1. Processing. The print job is rendered and a bitmap of the page is created.
2. Charging. The drum is conditioned to contain a high electrical charge.
3. Exposing. A laser beam discharges the high charge down to a lower charge, but
only in places where toner should go.
4. Developing. Toner is placed onto the drum where the charge has been reduced.
5. Transferring. A strong electrical charge draws the toner off the drum onto the
paper.
6. Fusing. Heat and pressure fuse the toner to the paper.
7. Cleaning. The drum is cleaned of any residual toner and electrical charge.

Front 288

4. Which document exhibits better quality, one printed with 600 dpi or one printed
with 1200 dpi? Why?

Back 288

1200 dpi. The more dots per inch, the more detail you can print and the finer the
resolution.

Front 289

5. During the laser printing process, what determines when the toner sticks to the
drum and when it does not stick to the drum?

Back 289

During the writing phase, the uniform high charge is discharged only in the places where
toner is meant to stick to the drum.

Front 290

6. What type printer is most dependent on the quality paper it uses to get the best
printing results?

Back 290

Inkjet printer

Front 291

7. What should you do if an inkjet printer prints with missing dots or lines on the
page?

Back 291

Clean the inkjet nozzles (manually for older inkjet printers or automatically for newer
ones).

Front 292

8. What can you do to help a dot-matrix printer last longer?

Back 292

Keep the print head cool

Front 293

9. What feature on a printer must be enabled so that a printer can automatically print
on both sides of the paper?

Back 293

Duplex printing

Front 294

10. What two Windows XP components are used to share resources on a network and
access those shared resources?

Back 294

Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Printer Sharing

Front 295

11. Using Windows 7, how do you share a local printer with others on the network?

Back 295

In the Devices and Printers window, right-click the printer you want to share and select
Sharing from the shortcut menu.

Front 296

12. What is likely to be the problem when a laser printer consistently produces pages
with gray print?

Back 296

The image drum is worn out and needs replacing

Front 297

13. What kind of printer is assigned an IP address?

Back 297

A network printer

Front 298

14. What two tools can you use to remove loose toner from inside a printer?

Back 298

A toner vacuum and an extension magnet brush

Front 299

15. Where is the best place to look for a firmware upgrade for a printer?15. Where is the best place to look for a firmware upgrade for a printer?

Back 299

The printer manufacturer’s web site

Front 300

16. How can you prove a printer problem is not with the printer itself, but lies with
the network, computer, OS, or application?

Back 300

Print a self-test page using printer controls

Front 301

17. When you get a toner-low message, what can you do to extend the life of the
toner cartridge before you replace the cartridge?

Back 301

Gently shake the toner cartridge to redistribute the toner

Front 302

18. What causes a ghosted image on a printout?

Back 302

The drum is not fully cleaned

Front 303

19. What is likely the problem when a portion of a complicated page does not print?

Back 303

The printer does not have enough memory

Front 304

20. What can you do to verify a printing problem is with an application or a document
and not with Windows?

Back 304

Print a Windows test page

Front 305

Thinking Critically
1. You are not able to print a Word document on a Windows 7 computer to a network
printer. The network printer is connected directly to the network, but when you look
at the Devices and Printers window, you see the name of the printer as \\SMITH\HP
LaserJet 8100. In the following list, select the possible sources of the problem.
a. The SMITH computer is not turned on.
b. The HP LaserJet 8100 printer is not online.
c. The SMITH printer is not online.
d. The Windows 7 computer has a stalled print spool.
e. The HP LaserJet 8100 computer is not logged on to the workgroup.

Back 305

Answer: The printer is installed as a shared printer and not a network printer. The sources
of the problem might be: a, b, and d

Front 306

2. You are not able to print a test page from your Windows 7 computer to your USB
local HP DeskJet printer. Which of the following are possible causes of the problem?
a. The network is down.
b. The printer cable is not connected properly.
c. The Windows print spool is stalled.
d. You have the wrong printer drivers installed.
e. File and Printer Sharing is not enabled.

Back 306

Possible answers: b, c, and d