Try 10 focused CompTIA A+ 220-1201 questions on Hardware Troubleshooting, with explanations, then continue with IT Mastery.
Open the matching IT Mastery practice page for timed mocks, topic drills, progress tracking, explanations, and full practice.
Try CompTIA A+ 220-1201 on Web View full CompTIA A+ 220-1201 practice page
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam route | CompTIA A+ 220-1201 |
| Topic area | Hardware and Network Troubleshooting |
| Blueprint weight | 29% |
| Page purpose | Focused sample questions before returning to mixed practice |
Use this page to isolate Hardware and Network Troubleshooting for CompTIA A+ 220-1201. Work through the 10 questions first, then review the explanations and return to mixed practice in IT Mastery.
| Pass | What to do | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| First attempt | Answer without checking the explanation first. | The fact, rule, calculation, or judgment point that controlled your answer. |
| Review | Read the explanation even when you were correct. | Why the best answer is stronger than the closest distractor. |
| Repair | Repeat only missed or uncertain items after a short break. | The pattern behind misses, not the answer letter. |
| Transfer | Return to mixed practice once the topic feels stable. | Whether the same skill holds up when the topic is no longer obvious. |
Blueprint context: 29% of the practice outline. A focused topic score can overstate readiness if you recognize the pattern too quickly, so use it as repair work before timed mixed sets.
These questions are original IT Mastery practice items aligned to this topic area. They are designed for self-assessment and are not official exam questions.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
A user reports that their desktop makes a loud, repetitive clicking sound whenever they open large files, and sometimes the system briefly freezes. As you listen, the noise clearly comes from the internal 3.5-inch hard drive. Which action should you take FIRST, based on this symptom alone?
Options:
A. Disable write caching on the drive and continue using the system until the next scheduled backup
B. Immediately copy important data to another storage device and arrange to replace the hard drive
C. Power off the PC for 30 minutes, then run an extended surface scan to identify and remap bad sectors
D. Run a full disk defragmentation to improve performance and recheck the system tomorrow
Best answer: B
Explanation: Loud grinding or clicking sounds from a hard drive are classic signs of mechanical failure, such as a failing actuator or read/write head. Once these noises appear, the drive is at high risk of catastrophic failure and you cannot rely on it to keep working.
Because the deciding factor is imminent mechanical failure, the top priority is data protection, not performance tuning or extended diagnostics. The correct response is to minimize further stress on the drive, immediately back up important data to another storage location, and plan to replace the drive as soon as possible.
Actions like defragmentation or long surface scans perform continuous reads and writes, which can cause a borderline mechanical drive to fail during the test. Similarly, delaying backup until a future window is unsafe when you already have clear physical failure symptoms.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
A small office user reports that video calls and HD streaming become very choppy for everyone in the office between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., but work fine during the rest of the day. A speed test at noon shows normal internet speeds, and the router’s status page in the evening shows the WAN link near 100% utilization. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the slow network speeds?
Options:
A. An incorrect default gateway configured on the office PCs
B. A duplex mismatch on one user’s desktop Ethernet port
C. A weak Wi‑Fi signal caused by the router being in a closet
D. Bandwidth saturation on the internet connection during peak usage times
Best answer: D
Explanation: The key symptom is that everyone’s internet‑based activities (video calls, streaming) are fine during off‑peak hours but become choppy during a specific busy time window. The router’s WAN utilization reaching near 100% at those times confirms that the internet connection is saturated.
When bandwidth saturation occurs, the available throughput is shared among all active users and applications. High‑bandwidth activities like HD streaming and video conferencing are especially sensitive to lack of available bandwidth, leading to buffering, freezes, and poor call quality. Once the heavy usage period passes, speeds return to normal, which explains the good performance at noon.
This pattern rules out constant issues like weak Wi‑Fi or misconfiguration and instead points to a shared capacity problem on the WAN link during peak usage hours.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
A technician installs a new 1TB SATA SSD in a Windows desktop to provide additional storage. The user reports that the new space is not visible in File Explorer, so the technician opens Disk Management, as shown in the exhibit.
Which of the following should the technician do NEXT to make this new disk usable by the operating system?
Exhibit:
Disk Management
Disk 0
Basic 476.94 GB Online
(C:) NTFS 476.94 GB Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)
Disk 1
Unknown 931.51 GB Not Initialized
Options:
A. Assign a drive letter to Disk 1 so that it appears in File Explorer
B. Replace the SATA data cable on Disk 1 and rescan disks in Disk Management
C. Enable RAID mode for Disk 1 in UEFI firmware and then reboot the system
D. Initialize Disk 1 and create a new simple volume on the unallocated space
Best answer: D
Explanation: The exhibit shows Windows Disk Management with two disks. Disk 0 is the existing system disk with the C: volume, which is online and healthy. Disk 1 is listed as “Unknown” and “Not Initialized” with a capacity of 931.51GB and no volumes beneath it.
When Windows detects a brand-new drive that has never been partitioned, it can see the physical disk but it has no partition table or file system. This is why the disk appears in Disk Management but not in File Explorer. The proper process is to first initialize the disk (creating a partition table like MBR or GPT), then create a new simple volume, format it with a file system such as NTFS, and assign a drive letter.
Because the disk is already recognized by size and status in Disk Management, hardware-level issues like cabling or BIOS/UEFI detection are unlikely. The missing step is completing disk initialization and volume creation inside the OS.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
A technician notices that a desktop PC always shows an incorrect, older date and time each time it is powered on after being shut down overnight. Once corrected in the OS, the time stays accurate until the system is powered off again. Which component is MOST likely failing?
Options:
A. Graphics card (GPU)
B. CMOS battery
C. Power supply unit (PSU)
D. System RAM
Best answer: B
Explanation: The system’s date and time are maintained by a small real-time clock circuit on the motherboard. When the computer is powered off, this clock and the firmware settings are kept alive by a small CMOS battery, typically a CR2032 coin-cell. If this battery becomes weak or fails, the clock stops maintaining the correct time while the system is off.
Because the scenario states that the time is correct while the system is on but is wrong again each time the PC is powered back on after being off, this points directly to a problem with the CMOS battery rather than with the power supply, RAM, or graphics hardware. Replacing the CMOS battery is a common, low-cost fix for systems that lose time when powered down.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
A user’s Windows desktop has the OS on a fast NVMe SSD and a separate 2TB mechanical HDD used for large project files and backups. The user reports very slow file copies and backups from the HDD, with consistently low IOPS. You suspect drive saturation, fragmentation, or a possible interface bottleneck. Which of the following actions should you AVOID as initial troubleshooting steps? (Select TWO.)
Options:
A. Check the HDD’s fragmentation level and, if it is heavily fragmented, run a defragmentation pass on that mechanical drive during a maintenance window.
B. Verify that the HDD is connected to a SATA III (6Gb/s) port instead of an older, slower SATA controller on the motherboard.
C. Reformat the HDD immediately to see if a clean file system improves performance, planning to restore data only if the speed problem persists.
D. Increase the system’s paging file so that it uses almost all remaining free space on the already slow HDD to try to compensate for low performance.
E. Use Task Manager or Resource Monitor to see if the HDD is running at or near 100% active time during large file operations.
Correct answers: C and D
Explanation: This scenario focuses on troubleshooting slow read/write performance and low IOPS on a mechanical data drive. At the A+ level, technicians should start with non-destructive, targeted checks that relate to common causes such as drive saturation, fragmentation, and interface limitations.
Good first steps include using built-in performance tools to confirm that the HDD is the bottleneck, verifying the drive is on the fastest available interface, and checking for fragmentation on a mechanical drive. These actions gather evidence and address obvious configuration issues without risking data.
In contrast, destructive actions like immediately reformatting the drive, or changes that increase load on an already slow drive (such as greatly expanding the paging file on that same HDD), are poor initial choices. They can worsen performance, cause unnecessary downtime, and risk data loss without first confirming simpler causes.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
A user reports that every time they print from a new Windows laptop, the printer outputs several pages of random symbols and garbled characters instead of the proper document. Which underlying cause is MOST likely?
Options:
A. The fuser assembly is not reaching the correct temperature
B. The printer is using an incorrect or incompatible printer driver/page description language
C. The printer is running low on toner or ink
D. The paper is loaded incorrectly in the input tray
Best answer: B
Explanation: When a printer receives a print job, it expects data in a specific format defined by its printer driver and page description language (PDL), such as PCL or PostScript. If the operating system sends data using the wrong driver or a PDL the printer does not understand, the printer interprets the bytes as raw text, producing multiple pages filled with random symbols and garbled characters. This issue is commonly resolved by installing the correct printer driver or selecting the proper PDL for that device.
By contrast, mechanical or consumable issues such as low toner, fuser problems, or misloaded paper affect the quality, adhesion, or feeding of the page, but they do not change the actual character data being printed. The text itself would still be recognizable even if it is faint, smeared, or misaligned.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
A user leaves a dashboard application open on an LCD monitor all day. The screen now shows a faint ghost of the grid even after the app is closed, and there is a single bright green dot that never changes color. Which of the following actions will best address this issue? (Select TWO.)
Options:
A. Clean the screen with an approved microfiber cloth and screen‑safe cleaner.
B. Enable a moving screen saver or short display sleep timeout so the image is not left static for long periods.
C. Replace the monitor under warranty to eliminate the permanently bright pixel.
D. Update the graphics card driver to the latest version from the manufacturer.
E. Demagnetize the monitor using a degaussing tool or the degauss function in the on‑screen menu.
Correct answers: B and C
Explanation: The scenario describes two different LCD artifacts. The faint ghost of the grid that appears after a static image has been displayed for a long time, and then slowly fades, is image persistence (sometimes called temporary burn‑in). This is usually reversible by changing what is displayed or letting the pixels rest.
The bright green dot that never changes color, even when the background is black, is a stuck pixel. Stuck or dead pixels are usually a manufacturing or panel defect rather than a video‑card or software problem. The typical fix, especially in a business environment, is to replace the display if the defect is distracting and falls within warranty terms.
✔ Enable a moving screen saver or short display sleep timeout so the image is not left static for long periods.
✔ Replace the monitor under warranty to eliminate the permanently bright pixel.
✖ Demagnetize the monitor using a degaussing tool or the degauss function in the on‑screen menu.
✖ Clean the screen with an approved microfiber cloth and screen‑safe cleaner.
✖ Update the graphics card driver to the latest version from the manufacturer.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
A user reports that an external LCD monitor connected to a desktop PC is constantly flickering. The technician checks the monitor’s on-screen menu and sees its maximum supported refresh rate is 60Hz, but Windows is currently set to 120Hz for that display. Which action should the technician take to resolve the flickering?
Options:
A. Power-cycle the monitor and computer to reset the connection
B. Replace the desktop’s graphics card with a newer model
C. Change the display’s refresh rate in the OS to 60Hz
D. Increase the display resolution to the monitor’s maximum
Best answer: C
Explanation: Screen flickering on an otherwise functional monitor is often caused by a refresh-rate setting that is too high for the display’s capabilities. In this scenario, the monitor’s on-screen menu clearly shows a maximum supported refresh rate of 60Hz, but the operating system is configured to output 120Hz on that display.
When the GPU sends a refresh rate the monitor cannot properly handle, the result can be flickering, brief blackouts, or no image. The safest and most direct fix is to lower the refresh rate in the OS to match the monitor’s supported value (60Hz). This is a simple configuration change that does not require hardware replacement and aligns with recommended troubleshooting steps: adjust display settings and cabling before assuming a hardware failure.
Other actions like changing resolution, rebooting, or replacing the graphics card do not address the core issue, which is the refresh-rate mismatch between the PC output and the monitor’s capabilities.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
Which of the following statements about fixing image sizing and aspect ratio problems on monitors and projectors are NOT accurate? (Select TWO.)
Options:
A. On a 16:9 screen showing 4:3 content, using “letterbox” or “maintain aspect ratio” modes prevents stretching, even if it adds black bars.
B. Using a projector’s “auto image” or “auto adjust” feature can fix minor sizing and alignment issues without changing the aspect ratio.
C. If a widescreen laptop image appears squashed on a 4:3 projector, lowering the laptop to any lower resolution will automatically restore the correct aspect ratio.
D. If text is too small but the image proportions look correct, increasing display scaling (for example, to 125% or 150%) is preferable to lowering the resolution.
E. Selecting a display’s native resolution in the OS is the best way to ensure the image uses the correct aspect ratio and looks sharp.
F. To remove black bars when showing a 4:3 signal on a 16:9 monitor, you should enable a “full screen stretch” mode so the image fills the entire screen.
Correct answers: C and F
Explanation: Proper sizing and aspect ratio troubleshooting focuses on matching the display’s native resolution, preserving the aspect ratio, and using scaling features instead of arbitrary stretching. A flat-panel display has a fixed pixel grid; using its native resolution ensures that incoming images map one-to-one to those pixels, keeping shapes and text undistorted. When content and screen have different aspect ratios (for example, 4:3 content on a 16:9 screen), the goal is to maintain the original proportions, usually by accepting black bars (letterboxing or pillarboxing) rather than stretching. If users find text too small while the picture proportions are correct, adjusting display scaling in the OS is the right fix because it enlarges UI elements without changing the resolution or aspect ratio. Projectors often offer auto-adjust features to fix minor alignment issues while preserving proportion.
The incorrect statements are the ones that suggest stretching a 4:3 image to fill a 16:9 screen or claim that any lower resolution will automatically correct aspect ratio problems. Both approaches lead to distorted images instead of clean, correctly proportioned output.
Topic: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
Which of the following statements about troubleshooting intermittent Wi‑Fi connectivity is NOT correct?
Options:
A. Using a Wi‑Fi analyzer to find crowded channels and then moving the access point to a less congested channel can improve connection stability.
B. Clients that are on the edge of coverage between two access points using the same SSID may briefly drop connectivity while roaming between them.
C. 5GHz Wi‑Fi usually has a longer range and penetrates walls better than 2.4GHz, so moving a device farther from the access point often improves a weak connection.
D. Very low received signal strength (weak RSSI) can cause intermittent disconnections and timeouts.
Best answer: C
Explanation: Intermittent Wi‑Fi connectivity is often related to signal strength, interference, channel congestion, or roaming behavior. A technician needs to know how 2.4GHz vs 5GHz behave, how channel overlap affects performance, and what happens when clients roam between access points.
The incorrect statement is the one claiming that 5GHz Wi‑Fi usually has a longer range and penetrates walls better than 2.4GHz. In reality, 5GHz typically has higher throughput but shorter range and poorer wall penetration compared to 2.4GHz. Moving a device farther from an access point will generally make a 5GHz connection less stable, not more stable.
The other statements describe accurate troubleshooting ideas: weak RSSI causing intermittent drops, using a Wi‑Fi analyzer to find and avoid congested channels, and brief interruptions when a client roams between access points at the edge of overlapping coverage.
Use the CompTIA A+ 220-1201 Practice Test page for the full IT Mastery route, mixed-topic practice, timed mock exams, explanations, and web/mobile app access.
Try CompTIA A+ 220-1201 on Web View CompTIA A+ 220-1201 Practice Test
Read the CompTIA A+ 220-1201 Cheat Sheet on Tech Exam Lexicon, then return to IT Mastery for timed practice.