CompTIA 220-1101 Exam

When a computer frequently freezes and requires hard restarts, the first step a technician should take, especially when hardware components have not been recently changed, is to read the event logs. Event logs can provide critical insights into what is causing the system to freeze, including errors and warnings that precede the freeze. This information is essential for diagnosing software or operating system issues that might be causing instability. Checking the temperature or updating drivers might be subsequent steps based on findings from the event logs.

Reference: CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) troubleshooting section, which emphasizes the importance of using system logs to diagnose issues.

When upgrading a laptop's storage from an HDD to an SSD, especially in laptops with only a single bay for a hard drive, the most critical characteristic to consider is the form factor. The form factor must match the physical dimensions and interface of the original HDD to ensure that the SSD can fit into the bay and connect properly. Storage size (B) is important for capacity reasons, transfer speed (D) affects performance, and partition type (A) is a software configuration aspect, but the form factor (C) is crucial for the physical compatibility of the SSD with the laptop.

CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam Objectives Section 3.3: Given a scenario, select and install storage devices.

When a laptop screen fails to mirror to a television despite being correctly connected via an HDMI cable, a common issue is that the television is set to the wrong input source. Modern televisions have multiple input options (e.g., HDMI 1, HDMI 2, AV, etc.), and selecting the correct input that corresponds to the port the HDMI cable is connected to is essential for displaying the laptop's screen. The blinking logo on the TV screen typically indicates that the TV is functioning but not receiving a signal from the selected input source. Changing the TV's input to the correct HDMI port should resolve the issue and allow the laptop screen to mirror onto the TV. Reference: Hardware 1101.docx, 'Connecting External Displays' section.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network service that automatically assigns IP addresses and other configuration parameters to devices that request them. DHCP simplifies the management of IP addresses and avoids conflicts and errors67. An APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) is a feature of Windows that assigns a default IP address in the range of 169.254.x.x to a device when it cannot obtain a valid IP address from a DHCP server. An APIPA indicates that there is a problem with the DHCP service or the network connectivity between the device and the DHCP server89. Therefore, the technician should investigate the DHCP service first to check if it is running, configured correctly, and has enough available IP addresses to assign. The other services are not directly related to the IP address assignment. RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) is a protocol that provides centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting for network access10. AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) is a framework that controls the access and usage of network resources11. DNS (Domain Name System) is a service that resolves domain names into IP addresses12.

Reference

6: What is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)? - Definition from WhatIs.com

7: How DHCP works - Windows Server | Microsoft Docs

8: What is APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing)? - Definition from WhatIs.com

9: How to Fix an IP Address Conflict

10: What is RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service)? - Definition from WhatIs.com

11: What is AAA (authentication, authorization, and accounting)? - Definition from WhatIs.com

12: What is DNS (Domain Name System)? - Definition from WhatIs.com

When a laptop screen fails to mirror to a television despite being correctly connected via an HDMI cable, a common issue is that the television is set to the wrong input source. Modern televisions have multiple input options (e.g., HDMI 1, HDMI 2, AV, etc.), and selecting the correct input that corresponds to the port the HDMI cable is connected to is essential for displaying the laptop's screen. The blinking logo on the TV screen typically indicates that the TV is functioning but not receiving a signal from the selected input source. Changing the TV's input to the correct HDMI port should resolve the issue and allow the laptop screen to mirror onto the TV. Reference: Hardware 1101.docx, 'Connecting External Displays' section.