Objective 3.1: Configure and Troubleshoot Storage Devices | MCDST Self-Paced Training Exam 70-271(c) Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Micro[... ]ystem

As a desktop support technician (DST), you will need to configure users’ hard disks so that data can be stored and retrieved. You should know how to create partitions and format hard disks and have an understanding of the basic and dynamic disk types available in Windows XP Professional. You should also be able configure and troubleshoot problems that users might encounter with CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or any removable storage devices that are part of a user’s workstation.

To answer the questions in this objective, you should know how to use the Disk Management console to manage your users’ hard disks and CD-ROM/DVD-ROM optical drives and know how to use Device Manager to update hardware devices and drivers.

Objective 3.1 Questions

You are a DST for a small automotive shop that has three computers running Windows XP Professional, two computers running Windows 98, and one laptop running Windows XP Home Edition. The manager of the shop has a dual-bootable computer that is running both Windows 98 and Windows XP Professional. The workstation is configured with one hard disk containing two 4 GB partitions that are both formatted as FAT32. Windows 98 is installed on the C: partition, and Windows XP Professional is installed on the D: partition. While at the Disk Management console, the manager upgrades Disk 0 from a basic disk to a dynamic disk because he heard that it was more efficient. He then types the command convert d: /fs:ntfs at the command prompt and reboots the computer. He tries to boot the computer in Windows 98 and receives an error. Why can’t the manager start the workstation in the Windows 98 operating system?
1. The Windows 98 operating system cannot boot on a dynamic disk.
2. The Convert command formatted both partitions as NTFS, so Windows 98 cannot start.
3. The manager should have only upgraded the D: partition to dynamic, and not Disk 0.
4. The manager should have formatted both partition as NTFS, and not just the D: partition.
You are the DST for a large recording studio and support 30 users. All the workstations are running Windows XP Professional except the accountant, who is running Windows XP Home Edition. The accountant’s workstation has two basic 8 gigabyte (GB) hard disks, with each divided into two 4 megabyte (MB) partitions formatted as FAT32. She decides that she wants to convert the partitions on Disk 0 to NTFS, but leave the partitions on Disk 1 as FAT32. She wants to upgrade one of the basic disks to a dynamic disk. She calls you and asks if it is possible to upgrade Disk 0 to dynamic and leave Disk 1 as a basic disk. What should you tell her?
1. You should tell her “Yes,” she can upgrade Disk 0 to dynamic and leave Disk 1 as basic.
2. You should tell her “No” because Windows XP Home Edition does not support dynamic disks, so she cannot upgrade either of the disks.
3. You should tell her “Yes.” But also tell her that she can only upgrade the disk that contained NTFS partitions.
4. You should tell her “No” because she cannot upgrade a basic disk to a dynamic disk if the disk has partitions formatted in FAT32.
You are a DST for small private investigation firm. The five employees of the company are all running Windows XP Home Edition. One of the users calls you and wants to know how many primary partitions she can create on her 8 GB hard disk. She tells you she currently has one primary partition that is 2 GB and that the rest of the disk has unallocated space. What should you tell her?
1. Four
2. Five
3. Six
4. Three
How much unallocated disk space must be available on a disk for it to be upgraded from basic to dynamic?
1. 10 MB
2. 1 MB
3. 5 MB
4. 100 MB
You are a DST for a security firm supporting 50 users. Each user has a workstation that is running dual-boot Windows 98 and Windows XP Professional operating systems. The workstations have two hard disks, both formatted as FAT32. The president of the company calls you into his office and asks you if it is possible to extend his C: partition because it is almost filled to capacity, yet he has almost 2 GB of unallocated disk space on the same disk. What should you tell him?
1. You should tell him that a partition cannot be extended unless it is formatted as NTFS.
2. You should tell him the disk needs to be converted into a dynamic disk.
3. You should tell him that the partition must be part of a volume set.
4. You should tell him that partitions cannot be extended and that he needs to buy another hard disk.
You are a DST for small brokerage firm and you are supporting ten users. Each user has a workstation that is running Windows XP Professional. The workstations contain two 4 GB hard disks that are formatted as FAT32. A user calls and says he is concerned about the data that is stored on Disk 0. It contains critical information that is updated every five to ten minutes, and he wants to be sure that in the event of a disk crash, he will be able to recover the information. He asks you if there is a way to mirror the disks so that if one disk crashes, he could still work using the other disk. What should you tell him?
1. You should tell him that the disks can be mirrored, but that he will first have to convert the file type on both disks to NTFS.
2. You should tell him that the disks can be mirrored, but that at least one disk must be converted to NTFS.
3. You should tell him that the disks can be mirrored, but that they will first have to be upgraded to dynamic disks.
4. You should tell him that fault-tolerant volumes are supported only on Microsoft Windows Server products and not on Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition.
Before a basic disk can be upgraded to a dynamic disk, you must:
1. Convert all partitions to NTFS.
2. Confirm that the MBR disk has a minimum of 1 MB unallocated disk space on it.
3. Confirm that there is a minimum of available hard disk space equivalent to the amount of system memory.
4. Confirm that all files and folders on the disk are moved or copied to a basic disk for access after the upgrade.
You are the DST for a help desk, and a user calls saying that her DVD audio is not working on her computer running Windows XP. What are some of the troubleshooting steps you can take?
1. Verify that the sound card is properly configured.
2. Verify that the speakers are plugged in and turned on.
3. Verify that the audio cables connecting the DVD to the sound card are connected.
4. Verify that the Sound Properties Enabled check box is selected in the Power Options dialog box.

Objective 3.1 Answers

Correct Answers: A
1. Correct: Only Windows 2000 products and later can read or boot from a dynamic disk.
2. Incorrect: Typing the command convert D: /fs:ntfs converts the FAT partition of D: into an NTFS formatted partition. Because Windows 98 was installed on partition C:, this will have no effect.
3. Incorrect: Basic disks can only be upgraded to dynamic disks, not partitions.
4. Incorrect: Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) cannot read or boot from an NTFS formatted drive.
Correct Answers: B
1. Incorrect: This would be true if she were running Windows XP Professional, but Windows XP Home Edition does not support dynamic disks.
2. Correct: Windows XP Home Edition does not support dynamic disks.
3. Incorrect: A disk can be upgraded from basic to dynamic regardless of whether it is formatted as FAT or NTFS, but Windows XP Home Edition does not support dynamic disks.
4. Incorrect: A disk can be upgraded from basic to dynamic regardless of whether it is formatted as FAT or NTFS, but Windows XP Home Edition doesn’t support dynamic disks.
Correct Answers: D
1. Incorrect: Only a total of four primary partitions can be configured on a basic disk. Because there is already one partition, only three more can be created.
2. Incorrect: Only a total of four primary partitions can be configured on a basic disk. Because there is already one partition, only three more can be created.
3. Incorrect: Only a total of four primary partitions can be configured on a basic disk. Because there is already one partition, only three more can be created.
4. Correct: Because there is already one partition, only three more primary partitions can be created.
Correct Answers: B
1. Incorrect: Only 1 MB of unallocated space must be available for the Master Boot Record (MBR).
2. Correct: Only 1 MB of unallocated space must be available for the MBR.
3. Incorrect: Only 1 MB of unallocated space must be available for the MBR.
4. Incorrect: Only 1 MB of unallocated space must be available for the MBR.
Correct Answers: A
1. Correct: Only NTFS partitions can be extended. To extend the C: volume by 1 GB, you would type the extend size=1000 command at the DiskPart prompt. The number you type following the size parameter is in MB.
2. Incorrect: To extend a volume or partition, the disk only has to be formatted as NTFS. It does not have to be a dynamic disk.
3. Incorrect: To extend a volume or partition, the disk only has to be formatted as NTFS. It does not have to be a dynamic disk or part of a volume set.
4. Incorrect: He already has unallocated space on his disk, so he does not need an additional hard disk. The partition must first be converted to NTFS and then the C: partition can be extended.
Correct Answers: C
1. Incorrect: Even though NTFS is a better choice of file systems than FAT, it is not required when creating a mirrored drive. What is required is that both disks be dynamic and not basic.
2. Incorrect: Even though NTFS offers such features as file-level security, quota management, encryption, and compression, it is not required when configuring disk mirroring. What is required is that both disks be dynamic and not basic.
3. Correct: You cannot create a mirrored volume or any fault-tolerant volume on basic disks.
4. Incorrect: Windows XP Professional does support the creation of fault-tolerant volumes. Windows XP Home Edition does not.
Correct Answers: B
1. Incorrect: Dynamic disks can contain FAT partitions before and after they are converted.
2. Correct: For an upgrade to take place, there must be 1 MB of unallocated disk space, which will contain database information that is stored on the MBR sector of the disk.
3. Incorrect: For an upgrade to take place, there must be 1 MB of unallocated disk space, which will contain database information that is stored on the MBR sector of the disk.
4. Incorrect: All files and folders will be accessible by the Windows XP Professional operating system after the upgrade. If the workstation is a multiple boot system that also uses Windows 98, any disks that were upgraded to dynamic will be not be accessible while the Windows 98 system is booted. It is not recommended to upgrade basic disks to dynamic disk on multiple boot systems.
Correct Answers: A, B, and C
1. Correct: You should verify that the sound card is properly configured and that the audio cable connecting the sound card to the DVD is connected.
2. Correct: You should also make sure that the Mute All check box is not selected in the Volume Properties dialog box.
3. Correct: You should also verify that the speakers are plugged in and turned on.
4. Incorrect: There is no such option. You should verify that the sound card is configured, the audio cables connecting the sound card to the DVD are in place, and that the speakers are plugged in and turned on.