Skip to content
عربيSign in

Get the app

Study guide · 1.4

Identify and explain common hardware adjustments

Sound and display controls are the hardware adjustments people make most often. Knowing where they are and what each one does helps you fix common problems such as no sound or a screen that is hard to read.

A study feature written by ExamDragon, not part of the real exam. Each heading is one of Certiport's skills for this objective.

1.4.1Identify and explain common sound setting adjustments

  • Adjust volume with the keyboard's media keys, the taskbar or menu bar sound icon, or the device's side buttons.
  • Choose the output device (speakers, headphones, a monitor, a Bluetooth headset) in the sound settings; sound plays only on the selected one.
  • Choose the input device (microphone) and check its level meter moves when you speak.
  • Mute can be set on the whole system, on one app, or on a headset's own switch; check all three when there is no sound.
  • Many systems offer per-app volume and options such as mono audio for people with hearing loss in one ear.

Example: During a video call nobody hears a student; the sound settings show the laptop's built-in microphone is selected instead of the headset, and switching fixes it.

1.4.2Identify and explain monitor brightness and contrast controls

  • Brightness sets how much light the screen gives out; contrast sets the difference between the lightest and darkest parts of the image.
  • Laptops and phones change brightness with keys, a slider in quick settings or automatic (adaptive) brightness.
  • External monitors usually have physical buttons and an on-screen menu for brightness, contrast and colour.
  • Night light or blue light filters warm the colours in the evening to reduce blue light and make the screen more comfortable at night.
  • Match brightness to the room: too bright in a dark room causes strain, too dim in daylight makes text hard to read.

Example: Text on a projector looks washed out in a sunny room; the presenter closes the blinds and raises contrast on the projector's menu.

Key terms

Output device
The hardware that plays sound, such as speakers or headphones.
Input device
Hardware that captures sound, such as a microphone.
Mute
Turning sound off without changing the volume level.
Brightness
The overall amount of light a display gives out.
Contrast
The difference between the lightest and darkest areas on a display.

Easy to confuse

  • No sound is often the wrong output device, not a broken speaker.
  • Brightness and contrast are different controls; raising brightness does not sharpen text.
  • A muted app can stay silent even when the system volume is high.

After this guide: You can find and adjust sound and display settings and troubleshoot common audio and screen problems.