220-1102 Question 211
Single answerPrintersA small office reports that documents sent to a shared laser printer are printing with repeated ghosted images lower on the page. The toner cartridge was replaced yesterday, but the problem continues on every workstation and with multiple applications. Which component should the technician replace NEXT to resolve the issue?
- A
Fuser assembly
- B
Pickup rollers
- C
Transfer roller
- D
Duplexing unit
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This scenario tests recognition of common laser printer hardware symptoms. Ghosting on laser-printed pages is a classic sign of a failing fuser or, in some cases, imaging components such as the drum. Because the toner cartridge was already replaced and the problem persists across all users and applications, the issue is most likely within the printer hardware itself rather than the print queue, driver, or application. In CompTIA A+ troubleshooting, technicians are expected to associate print-quality defects with the correct replaceable components: pickup rollers with feed issues, duplexers with two-sided paper-path issues, and fusers with toner bonding and ghosting problems. Manufacturer service manuals for laser printers commonly list ghosting and unfused toner as indicators to inspect the fuser and related maintenance kit components.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Repeated or ghosted images on a laser printer commonly indicate a problem with the fuser assembly. If toner is not being fully fused into the paper, remnants of the image can appear again farther down the page. Since the issue occurs from multiple workstations and applications, this points to a printer hardware problem rather than a driver or software issue. After replacing the toner cartridge without improvement, the fuser is the most likely next component to inspect or replace.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Pickup rollers are responsible for feeding paper from the tray into the printer. When they fail, the usual symptoms are paper jams, misfeeds, or failure to pick up paper, not repeated ghost images on the printed page. Someone might choose this option if they associate any print defect with a paper path issue, but ghosting is more closely tied to the imaging or fusing process.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. The transfer roller helps move toner from the drum to the paper. A failed transfer roller more often causes light print, blank pages, or uneven toner transfer rather than a repeated image pattern lower on the page. It is a plausible distractor because it is part of the laser imaging path, but it is less specifically associated with ghosting than the fuser.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. The duplexing unit is used for automatic double-sided printing. Problems with the duplexer typically cause jams during two-sided jobs or issues only when printing on both sides. It would not normally cause repeated ghost images on all print jobs, especially single-sided documents.