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220-1202 Practice Question: A customer reports that their Windows 11 PC is…
A customer reports that their Windows 11 PC is experiencing intermittent application crashes and you suspect file corruption. You need to run a system file check without using the full Windows interface. Which administrative tool can you launch from the Run dialog to open a command prompt with the necessary permissions?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1202 exam often tests the distinction between launching a tool with standard permissions versus elevated permissions, and the trap here is that candidates assume typing 'cmd' alone is sufficient, forgetting that administrative tasks like sfc require the Ctrl+Shift+Enter shortcut to run as administrator.
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
✓
Type 'cmd' in the Run dialog and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter
Pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter while typing 'cmd' in the Run dialog launches Command Prompt with administrator privileges, which is required to run the System File Checker (sfc /scannow) to repair file corruption. This bypasses the full Windows interface and provides the necessary elevated permissions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Type 'cmd' in the Run dialog and press Enter
Why it's wrong here
Typing 'cmd' in the Run dialog and pressing Enter launches a standard command prompt session. This session operates under the current user's privileges, which are typically non-administrative by default. Consequently, the System File Checker (SFC) tool, when executed in this context, will lack the necessary permissions to access and modify protected operating system files, leading to an 'access denied' error or an incomplete repair.
- ✗
Type 'powershell' in the Run dialog and press Enter
Why it's wrong here
Typing 'powershell' in the Run dialog and pressing Enter opens a standard PowerShell console, not the traditional Command Prompt. While PowerShell is a powerful command-line shell capable of executing `sfc /scannow`, the question specifically asks for the method to open a 'command prompt.' Furthermore, this action alone does not grant administrative privileges, meaning SFC would still fail to repair protected system files without explicit elevation.
- ✓
Type 'cmd' in the Run dialog and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter
Why this is correct
Typing 'cmd' in the Run dialog and pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter is the correct method to launch an elevated command prompt. This key combination specifically triggers the User Account Control (UAC) prompt, requesting administrative consent from the user. An elevated command prompt provides the necessary administrator privileges for the System File Checker (SFC) tool to access and repair protected Windows system files effectively, ensuring a comprehensive scan and restoration process.
- ✗
Type 'msconfig' in the Run dialog and press Enter
Why it's wrong here
Typing 'msconfig' in the Run dialog and pressing Enter opens the System Configuration utility, a graphical tool for managing boot options, startup programs, services, and various system tools. This utility is designed for configuring system settings and troubleshooting boot issues, not for directly launching command-line interpreters or executing command-line utilities like SFC. It does not provide an interface to open an elevated command prompt.
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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.