easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1202 Practice Question: A client brings in a laptop that was used by an…
A client brings in a laptop that was used by an employee who left the company. The manager wants to ensure all data is unrecoverable before recycling the laptop. The laptop has a traditional HDD. Which method should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
The A+ exam often tests the misconception that a degausser is the best option for data destruction on HDDs, but candidates forget that degaussing destroys the drive's functionality and is not a secure sanitization method for reuse, whereas disk-wiping software allows the drive to be repurposed while ensuring data is unrecoverable.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Run a full overwrite using disk-wiping software.
Disk-wiping software performs a full overwrite of every sector on the HDD with patterns (e.g., zeros, random data), making the original data unrecoverable even with advanced forensic tools. This method is specifically designed for secure data destruction on functional drives, ensuring compliance with data sanitization standards like NIST SP 800-88.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Perform a quick format of the drive.
Why it's wrong here
A quick format merely deletes the file system's pointers to data, marking sectors as available without actually erasing the underlying magnetic data. This means the data blocks themselves remain on the drive and are easily recoverable using common data recovery software. Therefore, it provides insufficient security for sensitive information that needs to be permanently removed.
- ✗
Use a degausser to demagnetize the drive.
Why it's wrong here
Using a degausser generates a powerful magnetic field to scramble the magnetic domains on a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), effectively destroying all data stored on it. While extremely effective for data destruction, degaussing renders the drive permanently inoperable and unusable for any future purpose. This method is excessive and wasteful if the objective is to securely erase data while retaining the hardware for reuse.
- ✓
Run a full overwrite using disk-wiping software.
Why this is correct
Running a full overwrite with specialized disk-wiping software systematically writes new data, typically zeros or random patterns, across every sector of the drive. This process ensures that all previous data is completely obliterated and unrecoverable, even with advanced forensic techniques. Crucially, this method allows the drive to be subsequently reformatted and reused, making it an ideal balance between data security and hardware longevity.
- ✗
Physically shred the drive with a hard drive shredder.
Why it's wrong here
Physically shredding a hard drive involves using a specialized machine to tear the platters into tiny, irreparable fragments. This method offers the highest level of data destruction, making any data recovery absolutely impossible. However, it is an irreversible process that completely destroys the hardware, making it an unnecessarily extreme and costly solution if the drive could otherwise be securely wiped and repurposed.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.