When a laser printer produces humming and grinding noises along with ghost images on the printouts, the issue is most likely related to the printer's rollers. These symptoms suggest that the rollers, which are responsible for feeding paper through the printer, may be worn out or dirty. This can cause them to not grip the paper properly, leading to repeated imprints or "ghosting" of images on the printouts. Replacing or cleaning the rollers should resolve both the noise and the print quality issues.
References:
* CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) Exam Objectives, specifically the sections dealing with printer
* maintenance and troubleshooting, which would include addressing issues with internal components such as rollers.
* General knowledge of laser printer operation and common issues, highlighting the role of rollers in paper feed mechanisms and their impact on print quality.