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CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) practice questions

220 free questions with answers and explanations.

Practice test
  1. 151.A technician is writing a script to process every file in a folder and rename each one according to a naming convention. Which of the following scripting constructs is REQUIRED to repeat the same set of actions for each file automatically?Operational Procedures
  2. 152.A client reports that their Windows 11 laptop, which has an SSD, has become very slow to boot and applications often freeze. The technician opens Task Manager and observes that the disk utilization is consistently at 100%, even when no applications are actively running. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?Software Troubleshooting
  3. 153.A user installs a new browser extension advertised as a 'productivity booster'. Shortly after, they notice their browser's default search engine has changed, new toolbars appear, and they are constantly redirected to various shopping sites. The extension also seems to track their browsing history without explicit consent. Which browser security issue is most likely occurring?Security
  4. 154.A small office wants to protect a single desktop workstation from both minor voltage spikes and brief power outages so that a user has time to save work and shut down properly. Which device BEST meets this need?Operational Procedures
  5. 155.A user receives an email that appears to be from their company's HR department, stating there's a security alert requiring them to click a link and log in to review a new policy. The link, however, points to a suspicious URL that is only slightly different from the legitimate company portal. Which social engineering attack is this an example of?Security
  6. 156.A user is experiencing issues with their Windows 11 system where certain applications are failing to launch, and the system occasionally displays blue screen errors. The technician suspects that the Windows installation itself might be corrupted and needs to be repaired without losing user data or installed applications. Which advanced command-line tool is best suited for repairing the Windows image by using a known-good source?Operating Systems
  7. 157.A user calls the help desk in a panic because a browser pop-up claims their computer is infected with 237 viruses and instructs them to call a toll-free number immediately to avoid losing all their data. What type of threat does this describe?Software Troubleshooting
  8. 158.A developer wants to legally modify the source code of an application and redistribute the modified version to others. Which type of software license would permit this?Operational Procedures
  9. 159.A user submits a help desk ticket that only states "computer is broken." Which action should the technician take FIRST to ensure the ticket is properly documented before working on the issue?Operational Procedures
  10. 160.A technician installs a new third-party antivirus suite on a Windows 11 laptop. Immediately after, the system blue-screens with the stop code KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE on every normal boot attempt, but the laptop boots successfully into Safe Mode. Which of the following is the BEST next step?Software Troubleshooting
  11. 161.A system administrator is managing a fleet of Windows 10 Pro workstations. They need to implement a security policy that restricts software installation to only approved applications and prevents users from changing critical system settings. Which edition of Windows 10 is required to centrally manage these policies through Group Policy Objects (GPOs) from an Active Directory domain controller?Operating Systems
  12. 162.A user is experiencing frequent application crashes and system instability on their macOS computer. The technician wants to check the system logs for error messages and clues about the cause of the instability. Which macOS utility is designed for viewing and managing system log files?Operating Systems
  13. 163.A server room's relative humidity has dropped below 30%. Which of the following risks is MOST likely to increase as a result?Operational Procedures
  14. 164.A technician notices an unfamiliar person walk closely behind an employee through a badge-access door without swiping their own badge. Which social engineering technique does this describe?Security
  15. 165.A technician removes a swollen lithium-ion battery from a laptop during a repair. Which of the following is the correct method for disposing of the battery?Operational Procedures
  16. 166.A technician is setting up a new Windows workstation for a user who will primarily be performing data entry tasks and accessing shared network folders. The company policy dictates that users should only have the minimum necessary permissions to perform their job functions. Which principle should the technician apply when configuring the user's access rights?Security
  17. 167.A technician installed a second operating system on a PC that previously ran Windows only. After installation, the PC no longer boots into Windows and instead shows a boot loader error referencing an unrecognized partition. Which of the following commands should the technician run from the Windows Recovery Environment to repair the master boot record?Software Troubleshooting
  18. 168.A technician's PC displays the error 'BOOTMGR is missing' after an improper shutdown. Which command should the technician run from the Windows Recovery Environment to rebuild the boot configuration data store?Software Troubleshooting
  19. 169.A technician is tasked with securely decommissioning several old hard disk drives (HDDs) that contain highly sensitive customer data. Simply deleting files and reformatting the drives is insufficient. The company policy requires physical destruction to prevent any data recovery. Which method would ensure the most complete and irreversible data destruction for these HDDs?Security
  20. 170.A user reports that their Android smartphone frequently crashes applications and occasionally reboots unexpectedly. The technician suspects a hardware issue. Which of the following is the MOST effective first step to diagnose potential hardware problems on a mobile device?Software Troubleshooting
  21. 171.A company requires employees to insert a physical smart card into a reader in addition to entering a PIN to log into their workstations. The smart card represents which authentication factor?Security
  22. 172.A user reports that their mobile phone is behaving erratically: apps are crashing frequently, the battery drains much faster than usual, and there are strange pop-ups appearing even when the browser is closed. The user also notices unfamiliar apps installed that they don't recall downloading. What type of security threat is MOST likely affecting the mobile device?Security
  23. 173.A user reports that their Windows 11 computer is running slowly and applications are frequently crashing. The technician suspects that the system files might be corrupted. Which command-line tool should the technician use to scan for and attempt to repair corrupted Windows system files?Operating Systems
  24. 174.A user's PC displays the error 'Operating System not found' after a failed Windows update. Which of the following should the technician attempt FIRST to resolve the boot issue?Software Troubleshooting
  25. 175.A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 11 desktop that is running extremely slowly. In Task Manager, the Details tab shows a process named 'svch0st.exe' consuming 95% of CPU. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?Software Troubleshooting
  26. 176.A technician is troubleshooting a Linux server that is experiencing intermittent network connectivity issues. They suspect a problem with the DNS resolution. Which command-line utility can the technician use to query DNS servers for information about domain names?Operating Systems
  27. 177.A company is decommissioning several old solid-state drives (SSDs) that contained confidential client data. Due to the nature of SSD technology, traditional magnetic degaussing is ineffective. The company requires a method that securely and permanently renders the data unrecoverable. Which data destruction method should be used?Security
  28. 178.A user reports that their smartphone's battery drains noticeably faster since installing a new social media app last week. There are no other suspicious symptoms such as unusual data spikes or unfamiliar apps. Which of the following is the BEST first troubleshooting step?Software Troubleshooting
  29. 179.A technician wants to protect a critical server from sudden power outages, allowing enough time for a graceful, automated shutdown. Which of the following devices should be used?Operational Procedures
  30. 180.An IT manager is reviewing the security logs of several Windows servers. They notice frequent failed login attempts from an unknown IP address targeting various user accounts, followed by successful logins to a different account after a period of time. This pattern suggests an attacker is systematically trying combinations of usernames and passwords. Which type of attack is most likely occurring?Security
  31. 181.A user reports that they are unable to connect to shared network drives and cannot access the internet on their Windows 11 laptop. Other devices on the same network are functioning correctly. Upon inspection, the technician notices that the laptop has a self-assigned IP address (169.254.x.x). Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?Operating Systems
  32. 182.A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 11 workstation that is exhibiting severe performance degradation, frequent crashes, and network connectivity issues. After running a full scan with antivirus software, no threats are detected. However, a process named 'svch0st.exe' (with a '0' instead of 'o') is consuming 90% of the CPU and network bandwidth. What is the MOST likely cause of these symptoms?Security
  33. 183.A user reports that their macOS computer is running extremely slowly and frequently freezes. The technician suspects that a specific application is consuming excessive CPU resources. Which of the following macOS utilities would be best to identify which application is causing the high CPU usage?Operating Systems
  34. 184.A company retains daily backups for two weeks, weekly backups for two months, and monthly backups for one year, cycling older media back into use once retention expires. Which of the following backup rotation schemes is being described?Operational Procedures
  35. 185.A technician is setting up a new Linux server for a small business. The server will host a critical database and several web applications, requiring high performance and the ability to easily resize partitions and take snapshots without downtime. Which Linux file system is best suited for these advanced features?Operating Systems
  36. 186.A desktop with a traditional 5400 RPM mechanical hard drive has become noticeably sluggish over several months, especially when opening large files. Task Manager shows normal CPU and RAM usage, and a full antivirus scan finds no malware. Which action is MOST likely to improve performance?Software Troubleshooting
  37. 187.A user reports that their web browser is displaying excessive pop-up ads, redirecting to unwanted sites, and their homepage has been changed without their consent. The user also mentions that they recently downloaded a free utility program from a non-official website. What type of malware is MOST likely causing these issues?Security
  38. 188.A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 11 workstation that is experiencing slow performance and unexpected crashes. Upon inspection, they find that Windows Defender has been disabled, and a significant amount of CPU and memory resources are being consumed by an unknown process running in the background. What is the most likely initial step the technician should take given these symptoms?Security
  39. 189.A data center manager wants to prevent hot exhaust air from server racks from mixing with cool air being supplied to the equipment intakes, improving cooling efficiency. Which of the following techniques should be implemented?Operational Procedures
  40. 190.A company is implementing a new Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. To ensure corporate data remains secure on personal mobile devices, the IT department wants to create a secure, isolated environment for company applications and data, separate from the user's personal content. Which mobile security concept best describes this approach?Security
  41. 191.A technician suspects a rootkit infection on a Windows workstation because standard antivirus scans repeatedly report the system as clean, yet suspicious network traffic continues. What is the BEST approach to remove the infection?Software Troubleshooting
  42. 192.A user installs a simple flashlight app on an Android phone. After installation, the app requests permission to access contacts, camera, microphone, and location. Which security concern does this scenario represent?Software Troubleshooting
  43. 193.A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 11 desktop that randomly displays a blue screen error with various stop codes, including 'MEMORY_MANAGEMENT' and 'PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA'. The issue occurs sporadically and often under heavy load. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?Software Troubleshooting
  44. 194.A technician is setting up a new Windows 11 workstation. The user frequently needs to access a specific network share located at \\fileserver\department_data. Which command-line tool would be most efficient to persistently map this network share as the 'Z:' drive for the user?Operating Systems
  45. 195.A user's Windows 10 desktop is experiencing random application crashes and system instability, but there are no signs of malware or hardware failure. Event Viewer shows frequent errors related to corrupted system files. Which command-line utility should a technician use FIRST to attempt to resolve this issue?Software Troubleshooting
  46. 196.A user on a Windows 10 workstation reports that their computer's clock is consistently showing the wrong time, even after manually correcting it. They suspect an issue with synchronization. Which of the following Control Panel applets or Settings categories would allow a technician to configure the automatic time synchronization settings?Operating Systems
  47. 197.A desktop begins throwing application errors immediately after an overnight Windows update. The user reports that the system was working perfectly before the update. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate first step to resolve this issue?Software Troubleshooting
  48. 198.A user reports that their Windows 11 computer is experiencing unusually slow startup times. The technician wants to investigate which applications are configured to launch automatically when the system boots, as these often contribute to startup delays. Which area of the Task Manager should the technician examine?Operating Systems
  49. 199.A technician is installing a new Linux server that will host a large database. The database requires a file system that offers strong data integrity features, journaling, and the ability to handle very large file sizes and volumes. Which file system would best meet these requirements?Operating Systems
  50. 200.A technician installs a new third-party antivirus suite on a Windows 11 laptop. Immediately after rebooting, the laptop displays a blue screen with the error 'DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION' and continuously reboots in a loop. Which of the following actions should the technician take FIRST to resolve this issue?Software Troubleshooting