HP System Configuration & Troubleshooting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A user reports that their HP workstation powers on but displays no video output. The power LED is solid and fans spin. What is the FIRST component to suspect?
- Faulty power supply unit
- Unseated or failed GPU/integrated graphics (Correct answer)
- Corrupted operating system files
- Failed network interface card
Correct answer: Unseated or failed GPU/integrated graphics
When power is confirmed but there is no video, a loose or failed graphics card (discrete or integrated) is the primary suspect before investigating other components.
Question 2: Which HP BIOS utility allows you to configure RAID settings on supported HP ProLiant and Elite systems?
- HP System Management Homepage
- HP UEFI System Utilities (F9) (Correct answer)
- HP Support Assistant
- HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI
Correct answer: HP UEFI System Utilities (F9)
HP UEFI System Utilities, accessed by pressing F9 at boot, provides RAID configuration options among other advanced system settings.
Question 3: An HP laptop's battery charges to only 50% and stops. Which HP feature is most likely intentionally limiting the charge?
- HP Fast Charge mode
- HP Battery Health Manager adaptive charging (Correct answer)
- Thermal throttling protection
- HP Power Manager performance mode
Correct answer: HP Battery Health Manager adaptive charging
HP Battery Health Manager includes an adaptive charging option that limits charge to 80% (or another threshold) to prolong long-term battery lifespan.
Question 4: A technician needs to remotely manage an HP ProLiant server's hardware even when the OS is unresponsive. Which technology enables this?
- HP Systems Insight Manager
- Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) (Correct answer)
- HP OneView
- HP Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP)
Correct answer: Integrated Lights-Out (iLO)
iLO (Integrated Lights-Out) is HP's out-of-band management technology that allows remote server management independent of the host OS state.
Question 5: After replacing a CMOS battery on an HP desktop, what is the expected behavior on first boot?
- The system will automatically restore all BIOS settings from backup
- The system will prompt to enter BIOS setup to reconfigure date, time, and settings (Correct answer)
- The system will boot normally with no intervention required
- The system will require a Windows repair boot
Correct answer: The system will prompt to enter BIOS setup to reconfigure date, time, and settings
Replacing the CMOS battery clears stored BIOS settings; the system will typically halt and prompt the user to enter setup to reconfigure date, time, and other BIOS parameters.
Question 6: Which HP tool is used to create a bootable USB drive for running hardware diagnostics on an HP PC without booting the installed OS?
- HP Support Assistant
- HP PC Hardware Diagnostics Windows
- HP UEFI Diagnostics (F2 at boot) (Correct answer)
- HP Image Assistant
Correct answer: HP UEFI Diagnostics (F2 at boot)
Pressing F2 during boot launches HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI, which can also be installed to a USB drive to run diagnostics completely independent of the OS.
Question 7: A user complains that their HP desktop randomly restarts under heavy load. Temperatures appear normal. What should the technician check next?
- Re-seat the CPU heatsink
- Test the power supply under load using HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (Correct answer)
- Update the network adapter drivers
- Replace the CMOS battery
Correct answer: Test the power supply under load using HP PC Hardware Diagnostics
Random restarts under load with normal temperatures point to an inadequate or failing PSU; HP's diagnostics can stress-test the power delivery subsystem.
HP System Configuration & Troubleshooting 2
A user reports that their HP workstation powers on but displays no video output.
The power LED is solid and fans spin.
What is the FIRST component to suspect?