Tech Interview questions:

------------------------

Expand BIOS:
a)Basic input output server
b)Basic input output system ---->ans
c)begin instruction on server
d)none of the above
1. How many Logical Drives is it possible to fit onto a physical HDD?
23 drives.
2. What are the speed and the device maximum specs of the IEEE 1394 Port?
400Mbps - 63 devices at a time.

3. What the different RAID levels. Explain any RAID 1.

RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 2, RAID 3, RAID 4, RAID 5, RAID 6

4. What is Firewall?
A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private
network.

5. Can I connect two computers to internet using same line?

Yes.
6. Different version of Windows XP.
Home, Prof., MCE., Tablet PC Edition, 64bit Edition.

7. Different versions of USB?

1.0, 1.1, 2.0 & OTG
8. What is a File Extension?
A tag of three or four letters, preceded by a period, which identifies
a data file's format or the application used to create the file.

9. Different types of slots present on the Motherboard.

ISA, EISA, PCI, AGP, PCI-Express, Memory Slots, Processor Slots.

10. Types of Memory(RAM).

There are basically two major types of memory: Dynamic RAM (DRAM) and
Static RAM (SRAM).

11. What is BIOS?

Basic Input/Output System, the built-in software that determines what a
computer can do without accessing programs from a disk. On PCs, the
BIOS contains all the code required to control the keyboard, display
screen, disk drives, serial communications, and a number of miscellaneous functions.
12. What is ROM? Types of ROM.
Read-only memory (ROM), also known as firmware, is an integrated
circuit programmed with specific data when it is manufactured.
There are five basic ROM types:
ROM
PROM
EPROM
EEPROM
Flash memory

13. Different types of ports?

PS/2, USB, Serial, Parallel, IEEE1394, Ethernet.
14. How do you reset the BIOS password, when you forget it?
By reseating the CMOS battery or the changing the jumper settings on
the motherboard.
15. How many layers are present in OSI and TCP/IP model?
OSI - 7 & TCP/IP - 5
16. What does the ping command do?
ping - Pinging is a command which tells you if the connection between
your computer and a particular domain/computer is working correctly.
17. What is Cache memory? Types of Cache memory and difference.
Cache memory is a fast RAM system designed to hold data recently
accessed from the disk drive that the microprocessor may need again.
Types - L1, L2 and L3.
18. What is Virtual Memory?
This is system memory that is simulated by the hard drive. When all the
RAM is being used (for example if there are many programs open at the
same time) the computer will swap data to the hard drive and back to
give the impression that there is slightly more memory.
19. Utility used to remove programs from Startup -
MSConfig
20. Fast Use Switching mode.
It is a feature of XP which has the ability to have multiple users
logged on to one machine and switch quickly between them.

21. What is Device Manager?

The Device Manager is a tool included with Microsoft Windows operating
systems that allows the user to display and control the hardware
attached to the computer. When a piece of hardware is not working, the
offending hardware is highlighted where the user can deal with it.

22. What is SATA & PATA? What are they used for?
SATA - Serial ATA(Advanced Technology Attachment)
PATA - Parallel ATA
They are used for connecting the Hard Drives.
23. How many pins does a IDE connector /FDD connector have?
Pins on IDE connector- 40
Pins on FDD connector - 26
24. Types of DVD media.
DVD-ROM, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, DVD-RAM.
25. What is a Centronics connector used for?
Used for connecting Printers.
26. What is System Restore & what OSs has this feature?
System restore is a disaster recovery feature in Microsoft Windows Me
and XP. This feature allows the user to revert crucial operating system
files back to a previous recorded state (known as a 'restore point').
27. What is LKGC?
Last Known Good Configuration - The Last Known Good Configuration
feature is a recovery option that you can use to start your computer by
using the most recent settings that worked. The Last Known Good
Configuration feature restores registry information and driver settings that were in effect the last
time the computer started successfully.
28. What is the difference between MS-Outlook and Outlook Express?
Outlook comes with MS-Office and OE comes with IE.
29. What is the version of IE that comes with Windows 98 / Windows XP?
4.0 - Win 98 **
5.0 - Win 98 SE and Win 2000
5.5 - Win Millennium Edition (ME)
6.0 - Win XP Home/Pro **
30. What is the difference between CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW media?
CD-ROM - Read-only.
CD-R - Can write the data onto the disc once.
CD-RW - Can write the data onto the disc multiple times, by erasing
the previously written data.
31. How do you boot the system to the Safe mode?
Pressing the F8 key while loading Windows.
32. What is the Fdisk utility?
Used to create the partitions on the Hard Drive.
33. What is Scanreg utlity used for?
To fix any issues with the Registry.
34. Different types of internet connections.
Dial-Up, Broadband(DSL, Cable, Satellite).

35. Abbreviations:
- FSB - Front-side Bus
- USB - Universal Serial Bus
- PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect
- AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port
- ICH - I/O Controller Hub
- CMOS - Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
- IRQ - Interrupt Request Lines, are hardware lines over which I/O
devices, keyboards, and disk drives can send interrupts to the CPU.

36. What is the difference between CMOS and BIOS?

BIOS - The BIOS on the motherboard contains the instructions on how the
computer boots.
CMOS - Contains the system settings.

37. What is the difference between Standby and Hibernation modes?

In Standby mode, power is saved by shutting down the hard drives, fans
and monitors. These are high power consumption devices. The computer
still uses power to save the data in memory, so you can restart very
quickly (however, if power goes off while in this state, the data in memory will be lost).

In Hibernate mode, XP saves the data in memory to the hard disk. Then
the power is cut off completely, so this preserves more battery life.
When you restart, it takes a little longer because the data saved on the disk must be restored to
memory. Of course, this method uses disk space
to store the memory data.

38. What is the Msinfo32 utility used for?

To get the complete PC Information.

39. What are minimum files required by the PC to boot to DOS?

IO.SYS, MS-DOS.SYS, Command.com

40. Versions of AGP.

1.0, 2.0 & 3.0

41. What is the capacity of a (3.5" and 5 1/4") floppy disks?

3.5" disk - 1.44MB and 5 1/4" disk - 1.2MB
42. What is the Windows Registry?
In computing, the registry is the part of an operating system which
records the relationship between hardware, memory space and addressing. In general terms it is
a database which stores settings and options for
the operating system, especially for Microsoft Windows 32-bit versions.
It contains information and settings for all the hardware, software,
users, and preferences of the PC.

43. Recovery Console.

If your Microsoft Windows XP-based computer does not start correctly or
if it does not start at all, you can use the Windows Recovery Console
to help you recover your system software.

44. Name few Chipsets.

Intel, AMD, VIA, SIS, Realtek.

45. How do you Degauss a LCD monitor?

We cannot Degauss a LCD monitor.

46. Features of Windows XP. Differences between Windows 98 & Windows

XP.

47. What are the common network topologies?

Bus, Star, and Ring.

48. Maximum number of devices that can be connected to a USB port at a

time.
127

49. Number of pins in a SATA HDD.

7

50.
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N/W Questions:
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User(s) are complaining of delays when using the network. What would
you do?
What are some of the problems associated with operating a switched LAN?
Name some of the ways of combining TCP/IP traffic and SNA traffic over
the same link.
What sort of cabling is suitable for Fast Ethernet protocols?
What is a Class D IP address?
Why do I sometimes lose a server's address when using more than one
server?
What is Firewall?
How do I monitor the activity of sockets?
How would I put my socket in non-blocking mode?
What are RAW sockets?
What is the role of TCP protocol and IP protocol.
What is UDP?
How can I make my server a daemon?
How should I choose a port number for my server?
Layers in TCP/IP
How can I be sure that a UDP message is received?
How to get IP header of a UDP message
Writing UDP/SOCK_DGRAM applications
How many bytes in an IPX network address?
What is the difference between MUTEX and Semaphore?
What is priority inversion?
Different Solutions to dining philosophers problem.
What is a message queue?
Questions on Shared Memory.
What is DHCP?
Working of ping, telnet, gopher.
Can I connect two computers to internet using same line?

OS Questions:
----------------
What is MUTEX ?
What isthe difference between a 'thread' and a 'process'?
What is INODE?
Explain the working of Virtual Memory.
How does Windows NT supports Multitasking?
Explain the Unix Kernel.
What is Concurrency? Expain with example Deadlock and Starvation.
What are your solution strategies for "Dining Philosophers Problem" ?
Explain Memory Partitioning, Paging, Segmentation.
Explain Scheduling.
Operating System Security.
What is Semaphore?
Explain the following file systems : NTFS, Macintosh(HPFS), FAT .
What are the different process states?
What is Marshalling?
Define and explain COM?
What is Marshalling?
Difference - Loading and Linking ?
Windows Server and MS Exchange interview questions
What is DHCP? How we configure DHCP?
What are the ways to configure DNS & Zones?
What are the types of backup? Explain each?
What are Levels of RAID 0, 1, 5? Which one is better & why?
What are FMSO Roles? List them.
Describe the lease process of the DHCP server.
Disaster Recovery Plan?
What is scope & super scope?
Differences between Win 2000 Server & Advanced Server?
Logical Diagram of Active Directory? What is the difference between
child domain & additional domain server?
FTP, NNTP, SMTP, KERBEROS, DNS, DHCP, POP3 port numbers?
What is Kerberos? Which version is currently used by Windows? How does
Kerberos work?
Microsoft Exchange Server interview questions
Distribution List?
GAL, Routing Group, Stm files, Eseutil & ininteg - what are they used
for?
What is MIME & MAPI?
List the services of Exchange Server 2000?
How would you recover Exchange server when the log file is corrupted?
Typical Interview questions:
----------------------------------
Tell me about yourself (refer to same answer #1 below)
What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses? (refer to sample answers
#11 & 12)
Why did you leave your last job? (refer to sample answer #22)
Why do you want to work for us? (refer to sample answers #29 & 31)
How did you like your old job? (refer to sample answer #14)
What kind of salary are you looking for? (refer to sample answer #55)
What do you know about our company? (PPR Career will coach but library
visit is appropriate: refer to sample answer #3)
Why should we hire you? (refer to sample answer #51)
What did you think of your old boss? (refer to sample answer #28)
What are your long-range goals? (refer to sample answers #48, 49 & 50)
Do you like to work overtime? (refer to sample answer #35)
You seem overqualified (or under-qualified). (refer to sample answer
#52)
55 Most Frequently asked Interview Questions:
-------------------------------------------------------
* Tell me about yourself. Use "Picture Frame Approach"
Answer in about two minutes. Avoid details, don't ramble. Touch on
these four areas:
How many years, doing what function
Education – credentials
Major responsibility and accomplishments
Personal summary of work style (plus career goals if applicable)
Prepare in advance using this formula:
"My name is…"
"I've worked for X years as a [title]"
"Currently, I'm a [title] at [company]"
"Before that, I was a [title] at [company]"
"I love the challenge of my work, especially the major strengths it
allows me to offer, including [A, B, and C]".
Second, help the interviewer by focusing the question with a question
of your own: "What about me would be most relevant to you and what this
company needs?"
* Did you bring your resume?
Yes. Be prepared with two or three extra copies. Do not offer them
unless you're asked for one.
* What do you know about our organization?
Research the target company before the interview. Basic research is
the only way to prepare for this question. Do your homework, and you'll
score big on this question. Talk about products, services, history and
people, especially any friends that work there. "But I would love to
know more, particularly from your point of view. Do we have time to cover
that now?
* What experience do you have?
Pre-interview research and PPR Career will help you here. Try to cite
experience relevant to the company's concerns. Also, try answering this
questions with a question: "Are you looking for overall experience or
experience in some specific area of special interest to you?" Let the
interviewer's response guide your answer.
* According to your definition of success, how successful have you
been so far?
(Is this person mature and self aware?) Be prepared to define success,
and then respond (consistent record of responsibility)
* In your current or last position, what were your most significant
accomplishments? In your career so far?
Give one or two accomplishment statements
* Had you thought of leaving your present position before? If yes,
what do you think held you there?
Refer to positive aspects of the job, advancement opportunities, and
what you learned.
* Would you describe a few situations in which your work was
criticized?
Give only one, and tell how you have corrected or plan to correct your
work.
* If I spoke with your previous boss, what would he or she say are
your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Be consistent with what you think the boss would say. Position the
weakness in a positive way (refer to #12)
* How would you describe your personality?
Keep your answer short and relevant to the job and the organization's
culture.
* What are your strong points?
Present three. Relate them to that particular company and job opening.
* What are your weak points?
Don't say you have one, but give one that is really a "positive in
disguise." I am sometimes impatient and do to much work myself when we are
working against tight deadlines." Or "I compliment and praise my staff,
but feel I can improve."
* How did you do in school?
(Is the person motivated? What are his/her values, attitudes? Is there
a fit?) Emphasize your best and favorite subjects. If grades were
average, talk about leadership or jobs you took to finance your education.
Talk about extra-curricular activities (clubs, sports, volunteer work)
* In your current or last position, what features did you like most?
Least?
Refer to your satisfiers for likes. Be careful with dislikes, give
only one (if any) and make it brief. Refuse to answer negatively. Respond
that you "like everything about my current position and have acquired
and developed a great many skills, but I'm now ready for a new set of
challenges and greater responsibilities."
* What do you look for in a job?
Flip this one over. Despite the question, the employer isn't really
interested in what you are looking for. He's interested in what he is
looking for. Address his interests, rather than yours. Use words like
"contribute," "enhance," "improve," and "team environment." Fit your answer
to their needs Relate your preferences and satisfiers/dissatisfiers to
the job opening.
* How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our
firm?
"Not long, because of my experience, transferable skills and ability
to learn."
* How long would you stay with us?
"As long as I feel that I'm contributing, and that my contribution is
recognized. I'm looking to make a long term commitment."
If you have never supervised, how do you feel about assuming those
responsibilities?
If you want to supervise, say so, and be enthusiastic.
* Why do you want to become a supervisor?
"To grow and develop professionally, to help others develop, to build
a team and to share what I have learned."
* What do you see as the most difficult task in being a supervisor?
"Getting things planned and done through others and dealing with
different personalities." Show how you have done this in the past.
* You've been with your current employer quite a while. Why haven't
you advanced with him?
Let's assume the interviewer has a point here. That doesn't mean you
have to agree with the negative terms of the question. Answer: "What I
like about my present position is that it's both stable and challenging.
But it's true that I've grown about as much as I can in my current
position. (This response also turns the issue of salary on its head,
transforming it from What more can I get? to What more can I offer?)
* Why are you leaving your present position?
Never answer with negative reasons, even if they are true. However,
some companies have financial problems which may preclude you from
staying with them. Frame your answer positively by answering why you want to move to the
target company instead of why you left or want to leave your most recent job. For example,
instead of answering, "I don't get enough challenges at [company]," respond, "I am eager to take
on more challenges, and I believe I will find them at [hiring company]. "I'm not unhappy (at my
present employer). However, this opportunity seems to be particularly interesting and I am
interested in pursuing it further.
Never personalize or be negative. Keep it short, give a "group" answer
(e.g. our office is closing, the whole organization is being reduced in
size). Stick to one response; don't change answers during the interview.
When applicable; best response is: I was not on the market when PPR
Career contacted me and explained what you are doing, it peaked my
interest.
* Describe what would be an ideal working environment?
Team work is the key.
* How would you evaluate your present firm?
Be positive. Refer to the valuable experience you have gained. Don't
mention negatives.
* Do you prefer working with figures, or with words?
Be aware of what the job requires and position your answer in that
context. In many cases it would be both.
* What kinds of people do you find difficult to work with?
Use this question as a chance to show that you are a team player: "The
only people I have trouble with are those who aren't team players, who
just don't perform, who complain constantly, and who fail to respond to
any efforts to motivate them." The interviewer is expecting a response
focused on personality and personal dislikes. Surprise her by
delivering an answer that reflects company values.
* How would your co-workers describe you?
Refer to your strengths and skills.
* What do you think of your boss?
If you like him or her, say so and tell why. If you don't like him or
her, find something positive to say.
* Why do you want to work in a company of this size. Or this type?
Explain how this size or type of company works well for you, using
examples from the past if possible.
* If you had your choice of jobs and companies, where would you go?
Refer to job preferences. Say that this job and this company are very
close to what best suits you.
* Why do you want to work for us?
You feel you can help achieve the companies objectives, especially in
the short run. You like what you've learned about the company, its
policies, goals and management: "I've researched the company and people
tell me it's a good place to work."
* What was the last book you read? Movie you saw? Sporting event you
attended?
Think this through. Your answer should be compatible with accepted
norms.
* What are you doing, or what have you done to reach your career
objectives?
Talk about formal courses and training programs.
* What was wrong with your last company?
Again, choose your words carefully. Don't be negative. Say that no
company is perfect, it had both strengths and weaknesses.
* What kind of hours are you used to working?
(Does the person match job and criteria?)
"As many hours as it takes to get the job done."
* What would you do for us?
Relate past success in accomplishing the objectives which are similar
to those of the prospective employer.
* What has your experience been in supervising people?
Give examples from accomplishments.
* Are you a good supervisor?
Draw from your successes. Yes, my people like and respect me
personally and professionally. They often comment on how much they learn and
develop under my supervision.
* Did you ever fire anyone? If so, what were the reasons and how did
you handle it?
If you haven't, say so, but add that you could do it, if necessary.
* How have you helped your company?
Refer to accomplishments.
* What is the most money you ever accounted for? Largest budget
responsibility?
Refer to accomplishments. If you haven't had budget responsibility,
say so, but refer to an accomplishment that demonstrates the same skill.
* What's the most difficult situation you ever faced on the job?
Remember, you're talking to a prospective employer, not your best
friend. Don't dredge up a catastrophe that resulted in a personal or
corporate failure. Be ready for this question by thinking of a story that has
a happy ending – happy for you and your company. Never digress into
personal or family difficulties, and don't talk about problems you've had
with supervisors or peers. You might discuss a difficult situation with
a subordinate, provided that the issues were resolved inventively and
to everyone's satisfaction.
* Describe some situations in which you have worked under pressure or
met deadlines?
Refer to accomplishments. Everyone has had a few of these pressure
situations in a career. Behavior-related questions aim at assessing a
candidate's character, attitude, and personality traits by asking for an
account of how the candidate handled certain challenging situations. Plan
for such questions by making a list of the desirable traits relevant to
the needs of the industry or prospective employer and by preparing some
job-related stories about your experience that demonstrate a range of
those traits and habits of conduct. Before answering the questions,
listen carefully and ask any clarifying questions you think necessary. Tell
your story and conclude by explaining what you intended your story to
illustrate. Finally, ask for feedback: "Does this tell you what you need
to know?"
* How do you handle rejection?
Rejection is part of business. People don't always buy what you sell.
The tick here is to separate rejection of your product from rejection
of yourself: "I see rejection as an opportunity. I learn from it. When a
customer takes a pass, I ask him what we could do to the product, price
or service to make it possible for him to say yes. Don't get me wrong:
You've got to makes sales. But rejection is valuable, too. It's a good
teacher."
In your present position, what problems have you identified that had
previously been overlooked?
Refer to accomplishments
* Give an example of your creativity.
Refer to accomplishments.
* Give examples of your leadership abilities.
Draw examples from accomplishments.
* What are your career goals?
Talk first about doing the job for which you are applying. Your career
goals should mesh with the hiring company goals.
* What position do you expect to have in two years?
Just say you wish to exceed objectives so well that you will be on a
promotable track.
* What are your objectives?
(How does the person handle stress? What is their confidence level?)
Refer back to question #48 on goals.
* Why should we hire you?
This may sound suspicious, negative, or just plain harsh. Actually,
it's a call for help. The employer wants you to help him/her hire you.
Keep your response brief. Recap any job requirements the interviewer may
have mentioned earlier in the interview, then, point by point, match
your skills, abilities and qualifications to those items. Relate a past
experience which represents success in achieving objectives which may be
similar to those of the prospective employer.
* You may be over-qualified or too experienced for the position we
have to offer.
"A strong company needs a strong person." An employer will get faster
return on investment because you have more experience than required.
* Why haven't you found a new position before now?
"Finding the right job takes time. I'm not looking for just any job."
* If you could start again, what would you do differently?
No need to be self-revealing. "Hindsight is 20/20; everyone would make
some changes, but I've learned and grown from all my decisions."
* How much do you expect if we offer this position to you?
Be careful. If you don't know the market value, return the question by
saying that you would expect a fair salary based on the job
responsibilities, your experience and skills and the market value of the job.
Express your interest in the job because it fits your career goals –
Receptive to a reasonable and competitive offer – don't talk $'s. It's always best to put off
discussing salary and let PPR Career handle that.
ANSWER: I'm open to a competitive offer. I'd prefer to discuss the
opportunity and allow my recruiter to handle any salary questions.
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Hardware Questions:
-------------------------
1. How many Logical Drives is it possible to fit onto a physical HDD?
A. Max: 24 and The Extended Partition can only have 23.
2. What is the speed and the device maximum specs of the IEEE 1394
port?
A. Supports a maximum of 63 devices and the maximum speed of 400 Mbps.
3. What the different RAID levels.
Explain any RAID 1.
A. Standard RAID levels - 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Nested RAID levels - RAID 0+1, RAID 10, RAID 30, RAID 100 (RAID
10+0), RAID 50 (RAID 5+0)
4. What is Firewall?
A. A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a
private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination
of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing
private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving
the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do
not meet the specified security criteria.
5. Can I connect two computers to internet using same line?
A. Yes.
6. Different version of Windows XP.
A. 5 Editions - Windows XP Home Edition; XP Professional, XP Tablet PC
Edition, XP Media Center Edition, XP Professional x64 Edition
7. Different versions of USB?
A. 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 & OTG(On-The-Go)
8. What is a File Extension?
9. Different types of slots present on the Motherboard.
10. Types of Memory(RAM).
11. What is BIOS?
12. What is ROM? Types of ROM.
13. Different types of ports?
14. How do you reset the BIOS password, when you forget it?
15. Layers in OSI or TCP/IP model?
16. Working of ping, telnet, gopher.
17. What is Cache memory? Types of Cache memory and difference.
18. What is Virtual Memory?
19. Remove programs from Startup - MSConfig
20. Fast Use Switching mode.
21. What is Device Manager?
22. What is SATA & PATA? What is an IDE connector?
23. How many pins does a IDE connector /FDD connector have?
24. Types of DVDs.
25. What is a Centronics connector?
26. What is System Restore & what OSs has this feature?
27. What is LKGC?
28. What is the difference between MS-Outlook and Outlook Express?
29. What is the version of IE that comes with Windows 98 / Windows XP?
30. What is the difference between CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW media?
31. How do you boot the system to the Safe mode?
32. What is the Fdisk utility?
33. What is Scanreg utlity used for?
34. Different types of internet connections.
35. What is AGP & PCI-Express?
36. Abbrevations - FSB, USB, PCI, AGP, ICH, CMOS.
37. What is the difference between CMOS and BIOS?
38. What is the difference between Standby and Hibernation modes?
39. What is the Msinfo32 utility used for?
40. What are minimum files required by the PC to boot to DOS?
41. Versions of AGP.
42. What is the capacity of a (3.5" and 5 1/4") floppy discs?
43. What is the use of Windows Registry?
44. Recovery Console.
45. Different controllers on the MBD.
46. Differences between Scandisk and CHKDSK.
47. Name few Chipsets.
48. How do you Degauss a LCD monitor?
49. Features of Windows XP. Differences between Windows 98 & Windows
XP.
50. What are the different types of networks?