220-1102 Question 136
Single answerSoundA user reports that after connecting a laptop to a conference room projector with HDMI, the presentation video displays correctly on both screens, but no sound comes from the laptop's built-in speakers. The user disconnects the projector, but audio still does not play through the laptop speakers. Volume is up, the system is not muted, and other applications show audio activity. Which action should the technician take FIRST to restore sound?
- A
Set the laptop's built-in speakers as the default playback device in the operating system's sound settings
- B
Reinstall the laptop's chipset drivers from the manufacturer website
- C
Replace the laptop's internal speakers because HDMI commonly damages speaker hardware
- D
Disable the microphone array in Device Manager to prevent audio routing conflicts
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This scenario tests practical troubleshooting of sound settings after using an external display. A common real-world issue is that HDMI carries both video and audio, so the operating system may automatically switch the default playback device to the projector, monitor, or AV receiver. After disconnecting, the system may not revert to the laptop speakers. Best practice is to check the selected playback device first before moving to drivers or hardware replacement. In Windows, this is typically verified through Sound settings or the legacy Sound control panel under Playback devices. This aligns with standard CompTIA A+ troubleshooting methodology: identify the problem, establish a likely cause, test the simplest solution first, and avoid unnecessary hardware replacement.
- A. Correct.
Correct. HDMI commonly presents itself as a separate audio output device. In Windows and other desktop operating systems, connecting to an HDMI display or projector can cause the default playback device to switch from the internal speakers to the HDMI audio endpoint. If the system does not automatically switch back after disconnecting, manually selecting the laptop speakers as the default playback device is the appropriate first troubleshooting step.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Chipset drivers are not the first thing to address in this scenario. The symptoms point to an output device selection issue rather than a motherboard communication problem. Audio meters show activity, which suggests the system is generating sound but sending it to the wrong destination. Reinstalling chipset drivers would be unnecessary and less efficient as an initial step.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. HDMI does not commonly damage internal speaker hardware. The timing of the issue after projector use suggests a logical audio routing problem, not a physical hardware failure. Replacing speakers before checking sound output settings would be premature and not aligned with standard troubleshooting methodology.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. The microphone array is an input device, not the playback output for system audio. Disabling it would not resolve a problem where the OS is likely still using an HDMI audio device as the playback target. This distractor reflects confusion between recording and playback devices.