Chapter 3 Reviewing the Basics 1. What is the difference between a hard boot and a soft boot?

A hard boot usually involves restarting the computer by pressing the on/off switch. A soft boot is performed from the operating system, such as by pressing the key combination Ctrl+Alt+Del or by choosing a Restart option from the Shut Down dialog box. 2. What are the four main parts of the boot process? BIOS checks hardware through POST. The ROM BIOS program searches for and loads an OS. The OS configures the system and completes its own loading. The user executes application software. 3. What memory address is always assigned to the first instruction in the ROM BIOS startup program? FFFF0h 4. How does startup BIOS communicate errors during POST if video is not yet available? Beep codes 5. Name the program that is needed to locate the beginning of the OS on a drive. The MBR (master boot record) 6. List three types of information contained in a hard drives partition table. How many partitions are present Where each partition begins and ends Which partition is the active partition 7. What is the name of the Windows NT/2000/XP boot loader program? Ntldr 8. How many startup disks are needed to boot Windows 2000 from a floppy disk?

Four 9. When troubleshooting a failed boot, if you dont see any lights or hear any noises, what hardware system do you first assume is at fault? The electrical system 10. When booting your computer and you see a blank screen, but hear a single beep, what can you assume worked with no errors? POST 11. When booting your computer and you see a blank screen, but hear a single beep, what component should you check first? The monitor or monitor cable 12. Using the rule trade good for suspected bad, describe how to easily troubleshoot a video problem. Exchange the suspected bad monitor for one you know is good. If that does not help, try exchanging the video card. 13. Give five possible questions that should be asked of a user who is experiencing computer problems.

Possible answers: What procedure was taking place at the time? What had just happened? What recent changes did the user make? When did the computer last work? What has happened in the meantime? What error messages did the user see? 14. What is the best way to document intermittent problems?

Keep a log of when the problems appear and exactly what error messages occur. 15. Using Windows, list the steps to print a screen that shows an error message.

In Windows, the Print Screen key copies the displayed screen to the Clipboard. Launch the Paint software accessory program and paste the contents of the Clipboard into the document. You might need to use the Zoom Out command on the document first. You can then print the document with the displayed screen, using Paint. You can also paste the contents of the Clipboard into a document created by a word-processing application such as Word. 16. What preventive maintenance measures need to be done inside the case at least once a year?

Make sure air vents are clear. Use compressed air to blow the dust out of the case, or use a vacuum to clean vents, power supply, and fan.

Ensure that chips and expansion cards are firmly seated. 17. List at least three tasks you should complete before moving or shipping a computer.

Back up the hard drive. Remove any floppy disks, tape cartridges, or CDs from the drives. Turn off power to the PC and all other devices. Disconnect all power cords and external devices. Label cables and cable connections. Coil all external cords and secure them with twist ties or rubber bands. Pack all components in their original boxes or in similar boxes with sufficient packing material. 18. How do you properly dispose of a battery pack from a notebook computer? A broken monitor? A toner cartridge from a laser printer?

Battery pack from notebook computer: Return to original dealer or take to a recycling center. Broken monitor: Check with local county or environmental officials for laws about disposal. Take to recycling center if available. In all cases, discharge monitor before disposing of it.

Laser toner cartridge: Return to dealer or manufacturer to be recycled. 19. If you are unsure how to properly dispose of a can of contact cleaner, how can you find out the acceptable method of disposal? Check the MSDS of the cleaner. 20. What two tools can be used to remove dust from inside a computer case? Compressed air or anti-static vacuum cleaner 21. What are three types of ribbon cables you might find inside a PC? 40-conductor IDE cable, 80-conductor IDE cable, 34-pin floppy drive cable 22. Why is it important to not rock an expansion card from side to side as you remove it from its slot? You can widen the slot and weaken the connection. 23. What type of expansion card can have a retention mechanism at the bottom of the card to help stabilize it in the slot? A video card 24. Name three tools that you can use to protect a system against ESD as you work on it. Ground bracelet, ground mat, antistatic gloves 25. If you suspect that a USB port is faulty, what tool can you use to test the port? Loop-back plug THINKING CRITICALLY 1. As a help-desk technician, list some good detective questions to ask if the user calls to say, My PC wont boot. What is the nature of the problem? Does the problem occur before or after the boot? Does an error message display? Does the system hang at certain times? Start from a cold boot and do whatever you must do to cause the problem to occur. What are the specific steps you took to duplicate the problem?

2. Starting with the easiest procedures, list five things to check if your PC does not boot.

Make sure everything is plugged in and all cable connections are solid. Boot into Safe Mode and eliminate customized configuration in the OS. Boot from the recovery CD. Eliminate any unnecessary hardware devices. Disconnect the network card, CD-ROM drive, mouse, and maybe even the hard drive. 3. Someone calls saying he has attempted to install a modem, but the modem does not work. List the first four questions you ask.

Answers will vary. Here are some possible ones:

What operating system are you using? Can you see the modem listed in Device Manager with no errors? Is the modem an internal or external device? Have you ever installed a modem before this one?

4. If a PC boots first to the hard drive before checking the floppy disk for an OS, how do you change this boot sequence so that it first looks on the floppy disk for an OS? Make the change in CMOS setup.