220-1101 · Question #244
A technician is troubleshooting a computer that is not completing POST and gets stuck at the manufacturer logo screen. All internal, removable parts have been disconnected and only the minimum parts n
The correct answer is A. Test the RAM in different slots, one at a time.. The minimum components required to POST are: motherboard, CPU, one RAM stick, and power supply. Since the system still fails POST with only minimum components connected, one of those components or their configuration is the culprit. The RAM and its slot are the most variable and
Question
A technician is troubleshooting a computer that is not completing POST and gets stuck at the manufacturer logo screen. All internal, removable parts have been disconnected and only the minimum parts necessary to POST were reconnected. However, the symptoms remain the same. Which of the following should the technician try NEXT?
Options
- ATest the RAM in different slots, one at a time.
- BRemove and test the power supply.
- CReplace the motherboard.
- DChange the CMOS battery.
How the community answered
(52 responses)- A73% (38)
- B4% (2)
- C17% (9)
- D6% (3)
Explanation
The minimum components required to POST are: motherboard, CPU, one RAM stick, and power supply. Since the system still fails POST with only minimum components connected, one of those components or their configuration is the culprit. The RAM and its slot are the most variable and failure-prone of the minimum components after a strip-down. Testing RAM one stick at a time in different slots isolates whether the issue is the RAM module itself or a faulty DIMM slot - a common, testable cause. Replacing the motherboard (C) is premature without further testing. Changing the CMOS battery (D) typically causes date/time or settings issues, not a POST hang. Testing the PSU (B) is reasonable but RAM slot isolation is a simpler next step.
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