CompTIA Updated 220-1101 Exam Questions and Answers by francisco

The next step that the technician should do is to have the user unplug the heater. This is because the heater may be causing electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI) that affects the signal transmission between the computer and the monitor. EMI and RFI are types of noise or distortion that can degrade the quality or integrity of data signals, especially in analog connections such as VGA. EMI and RFI can be generated by various sources, such as power lines, motors, fans, heaters, microwaves, radios, or cell phones. EMI and RFI can cause various symptoms on the monitor, such as flickering, ghosting, blurring, color shifting, or no display at all.

To troubleshoot EMI and RFI issues, the technician should follow these steps:

Identify the source of the interference. In this case, the heater is the most likely culprit, as it was added recently and is located close to the monitor or the cable.

Eliminate or reduce the interference. The technician should have the user unplug the heater or move it away from the monitor or the cable. The technician should also check if there are any other potential sources of interference nearby and remove or relocate them if possible.

Test the monitor. The technician should verify if the monitor is working properly after unplugging or moving the heater. If the monitor is still not working, the technician should try other troubleshooting steps, such as checking the display settings on the computer, ensuring the VGA cable is connected properly, or replacing the monitor.

References:

How to Fix Monitor Flickering - CCM1

How to Fix a Flickering Laptop Screen - Lifewire2

How to Fix a Flickering Monitor - Techwalla3

How to Troubleshoot Display or Video Issues on a Monitor4

How to Troubleshoot a Monitor That Won’t Turn On - Lifewire5

USB-C is the best connection method to use to connect the dock to the laptop because it supports multiple display outputs, data transfer, audio, and power delivery with a single cable. USB-C can also be compatible with Thunderbolt 3 or DisplayPort over USB-C docking stations, which offer even higher performance and versatility. USB-C is also a reversible connector, which makes it easy and convenient to use.

References:

The Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 Student Guide (Exam 220-1101), Chapter 2: Configure and Support PC Components, Section 2.5: Compare and contrast various connection interfaces and explain their purpose, Page 941

How to Connect and Set Up a Docking Station With a Dell Laptop2

How to Dock a Laptop (with Pictures) - wikiHow3

How To Connect Two Laptops To One Docking Station4

A clicking hard drive is usually a sign of a mechanical failure, where the read/write heads are not functioning properly or the platters are scratched or broken. This can be caused by physical shock, such as dropping the laptop while it was turned on. A damaged hard drive may not be able to boot up the operating system or access the data stored on it. This is a serious problem that requires data recovery and hard drive replacement.

References

Identifying Hard Drive Sounds and Determining What They Mean

Hard Drive Clicking? See How to Fix Click Hard Drive On Your Own

Chapter 3: Hardware

A printer drum is a component of a laser printer that transfers the toner to the paper. It is a cylindrical metal or plastic piece that is coated with a photosensitive material. The drum is charged by a laser beam, which creates an electrostatic image of the document to be printed. The toner then sticks to the charged areas of the drum, and the drum rolls over the paper, transferring the toner to the paper and creating the printout1.

If the printer drum is damaged, worn out, or dirty, it may not be able to transfer the toner properly, resulting in blank pages. According to some web search results23, some signs that a printer drum needs to be replaced are:

•Faint, light, faded, or blank printed pages

•Streaks, spots, or lines on the printed pages

•Error messages indicating a drum problem

To fix this issue, the technician may need to clean or replace the printer drum. Some web search results12 provide instructions on how to perform a manual drum cleaning or replacement.

Printer ink is not a likely cause of the issue, since the user has already tried installing different toners and the issue persists. Toner is the powder used by laser printers, while ink is the liquid used by inkjet printers. They are not interchangeable4.

Environmental temperature is not a likely cause of the issue, since most printers can operate in a wide range of temperatures. However, extreme temperatures may affect the quality and performance of some printers. For example, high temperatures may cause ink to dry out or toner to clump, while low temperatures may cause ink to freeze or toner to become brittle.

Corrupted printer drivers are not a likely cause of the issue, since they would affect the communication between the printer and the computer, not the printing process itself. Corrupted printer drivers may cause errors, delays, or incorrect outputs, but not blank pages.