CompTIA A+ Core 2 — All Questions

A Windows PC repeatedly shows a blue screen (stop error) shortly after installing a new device driver. What is the best first troubleshooting step?

• a.Disable the antivirus permanently
• b.Immediately replace the motherboard
• c.Reinstall all applications
• d.Boot into Safe Mode and roll back or update the driver✓

Because the crashes began right after a driver install, booting into Safe Mode and rolling back or updating that driver directly targets the likely cause. Replacing hardware or reinstalling all apps is premature and disproportionate.

An application launches but immediately closes without an error message. Which tool can reveal a logged reason for the crash?

• a.Character Map
• b.Disk Cleanup
• c.Event Viewer✓
• d.Magnifier

Event Viewer records application and system errors, often capturing the faulting module or error code behind a silent crash. Disk Cleanup, Character Map, and Magnifier do not provide diagnostic crash logs.

A smartphone's battery drains unusually fast and the device runs hot even when idle. Which is a likely software-related cause to investigate first?

• a.A misbehaving or malicious app running in the background✓
• b.The screen resolution setting
• c.The charger cable color
• d.The phone case brand

A rogue or poorly optimized background app can consume CPU and radios continuously, draining the battery and generating heat. Checking battery usage stats to find the offending app is the logical first step.

Windows fails to reach the desktop and boots into automatic repair loops. Which recovery option lets a technician restore the system to an earlier known-good configuration without deleting personal files?

• a.Replace the CPU
• b.Reinstall Windows from scratch
• c.Format the drive
• d.System Restore✓

System Restore reverts system files, drivers, and registry settings to an earlier restore point while leaving personal files intact. A full reinstall or format would be more destructive and time-consuming.

A user reports that their web browser constantly redirects to unwanted sites and shows new toolbars they did not install. What is the most likely cause?

• a.A failing power supply
• b.A dead CMOS battery
• c.A browser hijacker or adware infection✓
• d.An incorrect monitor refresh rate

Unwanted redirects and unfamiliar toolbars are classic signs of a browser hijacker or adware. Hardware issues like a power supply, refresh rate, or CMOS battery would not cause browser redirection behavior.

A Windows computer is extremely slow, and Task Manager shows an unknown process using nearly 100% CPU. What should the technician do first?

• a.Reinstall Windows
• b.Research the process, then end it and run a malware scan✓
• c.Replace the hard drive
• d.Add more RAM immediately

Identifying the process and confirming whether it is legitimate, then ending it and scanning for malware, addresses the actual cause of high CPU use. Hardware changes or a reinstall are premature before diagnosing the process.

After a Windows update, a specific application no longer opens. Which approach best isolates whether the update caused the problem?

• a.Uninstall the recent update or use System Restore, then test the app✓
• b.Replace the RAM
• c.Reset the BIOS
• d.Buy a new computer

Removing the recent update or rolling back with System Restore and retesting directly tests the hypothesis that the update broke the app. This targeted change isolates the cause without unnecessary hardware work.

A mobile app repeatedly crashes on launch after the user has plenty of storage and a good connection. Which sequence of steps is most appropriate first?

• a.Root the device
• b.Factory reset the phone right away
• c.Force stop the app, clear its cache, then update or reinstall it✓
• d.Replace the battery

Force stopping, clearing the app cache, and updating or reinstalling resolves most single-app crashes with minimal disruption. A factory reset or rooting is far more drastic and should not be the first response.

A user cannot install updates and sees low-disk-space warnings on the Windows system drive. Which action most directly addresses the root cause?

• a.Disable the network adapter
• b.Change the desktop wallpaper
• c.Increase the monitor brightness
• d.Free up space with Disk Cleanup and remove unneeded files✓

Update failures tied to low disk space are resolved by freeing storage, for example with Disk Cleanup or by removing unneeded files. The other actions do not affect available disk space.

Several pop-ups appear even when no browser is open, and the antivirus has been mysteriously disabled. What is the most likely explanation?

• a.The monitor cable is loose
• b.The BIOS date is wrong
• c.The system is infected with malware✓
• d.The keyboard is failing

Pop-ups without a browser and a disabled antivirus strongly indicate a malware infection actively defending itself. Hardware or BIOS issues would not disable security software or generate advertising pop-ups.

When following best practices to remediate a malware infection, which step should be performed to prevent the malware from spreading or communicating while it is being removed?

• a.Increase the screen resolution
• b.Quarantine/disconnect the infected system from the network✓
• c.Reinstall Microsoft Office
• d.Defragment the drive

Isolating the machine from the network (quarantine) stops the malware from spreading or contacting command-and-control servers during remediation. Reinstalling Office or changing resolution does nothing to contain an infection.

A user's files suddenly have a strange extension and a note demands payment to restore them. What has most likely happened, and what is the safest recovery path?

• a.A ransomware infection; isolate the system and restore data from clean backups✓
• b.A driver conflict; update the driver
• c.A dead battery; replace it
• d.A failed update; reinstall the update

Renamed files plus a ransom note indicate ransomware. The safest recovery is to isolate the machine and restore from known-clean backups rather than pay. Driver or battery explanations do not match these symptoms.

A laptop touchscreen registers phantom touches and inputs the user did not make. After a reboot the issue persists in every app. What is a reasonable early software step before assuming hardware failure?

• a.Reinstall all user applications
• b.Reset the router
• c.Update or reinstall the touchscreen/digitizer driver and check for OS updates✓
• d.Immediately replace the display panel

Updating or reinstalling the digitizer driver and applying OS updates can resolve ghost-touch issues caused by software or firmware bugs. Only after software steps fail should hardware replacement be considered.

Which log-based Windows tool would best help a technician correlate a recurring application error with the exact time and error code each time it happens?

• a.Paint
• b.Sticky Notes
• c.Calculator
• d.Event Viewer✓

Event Viewer timestamps application and system events with error codes, allowing a technician to correlate a recurring crash with its cause. The other listed tools are simple accessories with no logging capability.

A Windows PC boots to a black screen with only a cursor after login. Which troubleshooting environment lets the technician load a minimal set of drivers to diagnose the issue?

• a.Screen saver settings
• b.Safe Mode✓
• c.UEFI firmware setup
• d.BIOS beep codes

Safe Mode starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services, helping determine whether a third-party driver or startup program causes the black screen. Firmware setup and beep codes address hardware, not this OS-level issue.

A user complains that the system time keeps resetting and secure websites report certificate errors. While often hardware-related, which quick check can rule out a simple software/setting cause?

• a.Verify the correct date, time, and time zone settings and enable automatic time sync✓
• b.Replace the RAM
• c.Reinstall the OS
• d.Replace the hard drive

Certificate errors frequently stem from an incorrect clock, so verifying date/time/time zone and enabling automatic synchronization is a fast software check. If the clock still resets after reboots, a dead CMOS battery may be the hardware cause.

An Android user side-loaded an app and now sees excessive ads and unexpected charges. What is the recommended remediation?

• a.Buy a new phone
• b.Upgrade the data plan
• c.Replace the SIM card
• d.Uninstall the suspicious app, run a mobile security scan, and review app permissions✓

Removing the side-loaded app, scanning for malware, and reviewing permissions targets the likely malicious source of ads and charges. Buying new hardware or changing the SIM does not remove the offending software.

A desktop application freezes frequently only when a specific large file is opened, while smaller files work fine. What is a sensible first hypothesis to test?

• a.The monitor is defective
• b.The specific file may be corrupt or too large for available memory✓
• c.The power supply is failing
• d.The keyboard driver is missing

Because only one large file triggers the freeze, testing whether that file is corrupt or exceeds available memory is a logical first step, such as opening a copy or checking resource usage. General hardware failures would affect all files.

During malware remediation best practices, when should the technician re-enable System Restore and create a fresh restore point?

• a.After the system is verified clean, to establish a new known-good point✓
• b.Before scanning, so restore points are preserved
• c.Never, System Restore must stay off
• d.Only if the antivirus fails

Best practice is to disable System Restore during cleanup so infected restore points are purged, then re-enable it and create a new restore point once the system is confirmed clean. Preserving infected restore points risks reinfection.

A user reports their phone's data usage spiked dramatically with no change in habits, and unfamiliar apps appeared. What is the most appropriate investigation?

• a.Replace the charging port
• b.Check data-usage per app, remove unknown apps, and scan for malware✓
• c.Turn off Bluetooth permanently
• d.Increase screen timeout

Reviewing per-app data usage, removing unrecognized apps, and scanning for malware targets a likely compromise causing the spike. Charging-port or Bluetooth changes are unrelated to unexplained data consumption.

A Windows system shows the message 'No boot device found' after being powered off normally. Which is the most appropriate first diagnostic step?

• a.Check boot order in firmware and verify the drive is detected✓
• b.Change the desktop theme
• c.Update the web browser
• d.Reinstall Microsoft Office

Verifying the firmware boot order and confirming the drive is detected isolates whether the boot device is missing or misordered before assuming corruption or hardware failure. Application or theme changes are irrelevant to booting.

A Windows PC intermittently loses its network connection only over Wi-Fi, while wired devices stay online. Which is a reasonable early software step?

• a.Replace the monitor
• b.Replace the motherboard
• c.Update the wireless adapter driver and check power-management settings for the adapter✓
• d.Reinstall the operating system

Updating the wireless driver and disabling aggressive power-saving on the adapter often resolves intermittent Wi-Fi drops caused by software or firmware. Reinstalling the OS or replacing hardware is premature before these checks.