Lesson 03-C

Question 1

What is a common task for a PC technician related to power and disk issues?

Answer 1

Diagnosing causes relating to power, motherboard components, or disk issues from common symptoms.

Question 2

What is the role of the power supply unit (PSU) when a computer is switched on?

Answer 2

The PSU converts AC input voltage (VAC) to DC voltages (VDC) to power motherboard components and peripheral devices.

Question 3

What should you check first when diagnosing no power symptoms?

Answer 3

Check if the LEDs on the front panel of the system case are lit up and whether you can hear the fans.

Question 4

List potential causes of a power issue when a computer does not start.

Answer 4

• Fault in the PSU
• Incoming electricity supply issues
• Power cables/connectors faults
• Blown fuses

Question 5

What action should be taken if the PSU is suspected to be faulty?

Answer 5

Do not leave it turned on for longer than necessary and monitor for unusual sights, smells, or noises.

Question 6

What does POST stand for in computer diagnostics?

Answer 6

Power-On Self-Test

Question 7

True or False: The POST is a diagnostic program that checks the hardware to ensure components are functioning correctly.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

What could cause the POST procedure to not execute?

Answer 8

A faulty display or incorrect connections.

Question 9

What should be checked if the POST runs but detects a problem?

Answer 9

Check for faulty interfaces and devices.

Question 10

What does a continuous beep code during POST indicate?

Answer 10

Problem with system memory modules or memory controller.

Question 11

Fill in the blank: If a fixed disk is not detected at boot, check that it is _______.

Answer 11

powering up

Question 12

What are the two ways of formatting the boot information?

Answer 12

• MBR (Master Boot Record)
• GPT (GUID Partition Table)

Question 13

What does a blue screen of death (BSOD) typically indicate?

Answer 13

A system memory fault, a hardware device/driver fault, or corruption of operating system files.

Question 14

What is the purpose of SMART in fixed disks?

Answer 14

To alert the operating system if a failure is detected.

Question 15

What should you do if a hard disk drive (HDD) makes unusual noises?

Answer 15

Investigate for mechanical problems.

Question 16

What might constant LED activity on a disk indicate?

Answer 16

Disk thrashing due to insufficient system RAM or a faulty software process.

Question 17

What does it mean if a drive is marked as having bad sectors?

Answer 17

The disk is likely to fail soon.

Question 18

True or False: SSDs have a maximum expected lifetime and can fail like HDDs.

Answer 18

True

Question 19

What should be done when experiencing symptoms of a failing fixed disk?

Answer 19

Make a data backup and replace the disk as soon as possible.

Question 20

What does a boot sector issue often result from?

Answer 20

Corruption due to faults in the disk unit, power failure, or malware.

Question 21

What is a common cause of read/write failures on an HDD?

Answer 21

Bad sectors.

Question 22

What can indicate that a drive is failing or experiencing performance issues?

Answer 22

Extended read/write times.

Question 23

What should you do if performance issues are suspected with a fixed disk?

Answer 23

Run advanced diagnostic tests on the drive.

Question 24

What are possible causes of slow read/write access during operation?

Answer 24

• Application load
• General system resource issues
• File fragmentation (on hard disks)
• Limited remaining capacity

Question 25

What happens when bad sectors or blocks are detected on a disk?

Answer 25

The disk firmware marks them as unavailable for use.

Question 26

What should you do if there is file corruption on a hard disk and no backup?

Answer 26

Attempt to recover data from the device using a recovery utility.

Question 27

Is file recovery from an SSD usually possible?

Answer 27

No, file recovery from an SSD is not usually possible without highly specialized tools.

Question 28

What does RAID stand for?

Answer 28

Redundant Array of Independent Disks.

Question 29

What is the purpose of RAID?

Answer 29

To protect data against the risk of a single fixed disk failing.

Question 30

What are the two main scenarios for RAID failure?

Answer 30

* Failure of a device within the array * Failure of the whole array or volume

Question 31

What happens if one of the underlying devices in a RAID fails?

Answer 31

The volume will be listed as 'degraded,' but data will still be accessible.

Question 32

What is a characteristic of RAID 0?

Answer 32

RAID 0 has no redundancy.

Question 33

What should be done immediately after a disk failure in most desktop-level RAID solutions?

Answer 33

Replace the failed disk as soon as possible.

Question 34

What does hot swapping allow you to do?

Answer 34

Insert a new disk into the chassis without shutting down the system.

Question 35

What is likely to happen during the rebuilding process of a RAID array?

Answer 35

Performance is likely to be severely affected.

Question 36

What precaution should be taken when hot swapping a faulty disk?

Answer 36

Do not remove a healthy disk from the array.

Question 37

What does a red LED indicate in a RAID setup?

Answer 37

Disk failure.

Question 38

What should you do if a RAID volume is not available?

Answer 38

* Check if too many disks have failed * Check if the controller has failed

Question 39

What is the first step to take if the boot process is affected by RAID failure?

Answer 39

Use the RAID configuration utility to verify its status.

Question 40

What should you do if the computer will not turn on after servicing?

Answer 40

Investigate potential new power issues or connections.

Question 41

What steps should you take if additional memory is installed but the system will not boot?

Answer 41

Check memory installation, reseat the RAM, or remove it to test.

Question 42

What should you do if the computer will not boot from the Windows setup DVD?

Answer 42

Check BIOS settings to ensure the DVD drive is the first boot device.

Question 43

What is the best first step to resolve a 'BCD missing' message after a power cut?

Answer 43

Attempt to repair the BCD using recovery options.

Question 44

What should be your first troubleshooting step if a user hears a loud clicking noise when saving a file?

Answer 44

Check the hard disk for potential failure.

Question 45

What does it indicate if a user reports that the RAID utility states the volume is degraded?

Answer 45

There is a failure of one or more disks in the RAID array.

Question 46

Does hearing noises from the hard disk indicate it is failing?

Answer 46

Yes, unusual noises generally indicate potential failure.