Exam 4: Supporting the Power System and Troubleshooting Computers

The battery indicator light is on, even though your laptop is plugged into an AC adaptor. To determine why you are not getting power from the AC adapter, which of the following should you check? (Select all that apply.)

Phil wants to add a new video card, and he is sure the power supply is sufficient to run the new video card. But when he tries to locate the power connector for the new video card, he does not find a 6-pin PCI-E power connector. He has several extra cables for hard drive power cables from his power supply that he is not using. What is the least expensive way for Phil to power his video card?

Gwen recently purchased a new video card, and after she installed it, she realized she did not have the correct connections and was not able to power the video card. What connector(s) should Gwen look for when purchasing a new power supply? (Select all that apply.)

You notice that your computer is running slow and decide to reboot the computer to see if that will fix the problem. During the reboot, you notice that the amount of RAM shown during the RAM count is not the same as it was the day before. What might cause this problem?

Over the past week, every time Larry has started his computer, he has noticed that the time is not correct. Larry didn't consider this a problem because his computer was working properly. However, now Larry has decided that he should investigate why the time is not accurate. What can you tell Larry to check to find out why the clock does not keep the right time?

Lin is booting up his computer, and during the boot process, the computer powers down. After several unsuccessful attempts to boot his computer, he decides that he needs to start the troubleshooting process. Lin thinks that the problem could be in the power supply, so he uses a power supply tester. The test shows that the power supply is functioning properly. What should Lin check next in the troubleshooting process?

Your computer system loses power while you are working on a project for a very important client. When the computer restarts, you hear continuous beeps coming from your computer, and the monitor is showing no signal. What do the beeps mean?

Sara is having a tough time finding the cause of a problem on a computer she is troubleshooting. She found a possible problem but is not sure if she is correct. In case she is wrong, Sara does not want to test her theory, because doing so might worsen the problem. What would you advise Sara to do?

Sara works in the IT department for a large retail store. She has been testing a theory about why an error message keeps popping up on a coworker's computer when he tries to start Windows. She has hit a wall and doesn't know where to look next. Sara feels very frustrated with the problem. What should Sara do to help work out the solution?

James added a new video card and needs to get a power supply that will have enough power to run the new card. When researching the new power supply, what feature does James need to look for to make sure he has enough power to run his computer with the new video card?

George is involved with a project at work and notices that he has a pending update for his computer. George knows that updates are important, and he decides to take a break and complete the restart of the computer so that the update can install. After George restarts the computer, he notices that his AutoCAD program is running slowly. The issue continues to the point that George decides to call the technician and ask him to check what is going wrong on his computer. The technician tells George to turn the computer off and then on again and asks George how much RAM is counted. The amount of RAM is 8GB less than the amount that was installed on George's system. What hardware could be causing this problem? (Select all that apply.)

When you turn on your computer for the day, you notice lights and fans but no beeps and no video. The Num Lock light does not come on. What might be the problem with your computer? (Select all that apply.)

Your customer wants to build a new computer and needs to make sure he orders the correct power supply for his machine. What should you tell him to check to make sure he orders the correct power supply? (Select all that apply.)

When advising a customer on the purchase of a new power supply, you should explain that if the power supply runs at peak performance all the time, it will overheat. Additionally, power supplies can lose some capacity over time. Considering these conditions, you recommend that the customer purchase a power supply with a power rating higher than what the system currently uses. How much more wattage over peak do you recommend the customer purchase?

Rebecca completed work on a computer and is verifying the functionality of the system when she finds a new problem. This problem is not urgent and can be easily fixed. The policy at Rebecca's company is that all problems need to be reported and given a priority code before they can be assigned to someone. What should Rebecca do about this new problem?

Heather is troubleshooting a computer at her worksite. She has interviewed the computer's user and is currently trying to reproduce the problem the user described. Heather is in which step of the troubleshooting process?

Which component may be considered a field replaceable unit or FRU?

Kiera is building a new computer and wants to make sure she has an adequate power supply for all the new equipment she is purchasing. She will be installing three HDDs, with each using 25 watts. The processor she is using will need 125 watts. The motherboard will use 80 watts. RAM will require 3 watts for each of the four DDR3 DIMM modules. Her video card will need 400 watts to run at the maximum level. She wants to keep the cost as low as possible for the power supply. Which power supply would you recommend?

You are troubleshooting a computer that your client said turns off during normal operation. While you are trying to identify the problem, the client also informs you that if he waits a while, the computer will turn back on and run normally for a bit. You open the system and immediately notice a large dust buildup around the processor fan and heat sink. What problem can you detect on the computer and confidently report to your client?

Landon starts his computer and receives the error message, "Hard drive is not found." In a panic, he calls you because he did not back up his data and has numerous important files on his hard drive. During your investigation, Landon tells you he was watching a movie on his computer the previous night. What might be the problem with Landon's computer?