Question

Difficulty: MediumTroubleshooting Methodology

A field technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that experiences intermittent storage drive read errors immediately following a system chassis upgrade. The technician interviewed the user, backed up existing critical data, and verified that the motherboard firmware reports drive S.M.A.R.T. warnings. The technician is currently working within the 'Establish a theory of probable cause' stage of the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology. Which of the following actions should the technician perform as part of this specific stage? (Select TWO.)

  1. Consider simple and obvious hardware causes first, such as a loose SATA data cable connection resulting from the chassis transfer.Answer
  2. Evaluate multiple potential internal causes, such as drive controller failure or damaged SATA power delivery cables.Answer
  3. C
    Order and implement a permanent replacement NVMe solid-state drive while configuring automated cloud backup software.
  4. D
    Reconfigure the local router DHCP pool settings to resolve host IP address leasing conflicts associated with the drive error.

Answer

The technician should consider simple hardware causes first (such as a loose cable) and evaluate multiple potential causes (such as damaged power cables or controller failure).
When establishing a theory of probable cause (Step 2 of the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology), technicians must question the obvious (such as checking for cables loosened during a recent chassis migration) and consider multiple potential internal causes (such as power delivery damage or controller failure) before moving on to testing.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the current troubleshooting methodology stage
The technician has already identified the problem (gathered symptoms, questioned user, backed up data). The current phase is establishing a theory of probable cause.
Before testing or implementing fixes, a valid theory must be formulated by considering all potential causes.
2
Apply core principles of theory establishment
Question the obvious (simple causes like loose cables) and evaluate multiple potential causes (controller or power cable failure).
CompTIA 6-step troubleshooting methodology explicitly requires questioning the obvious and considering top-down/bottom-up possibilities before testing.

Key Concept

CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology - Step 2: Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious, consider multiple causes).
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