easyMultiple Choice
220-1202 Practice Question: A user in the accounting department cannot print…
A user in the accounting department cannot print to a network printer that other users can access. They are running Windows 10. When they try to print, they get a message: 'Windows cannot connect to the printer. Access is denied.' What is the most likely cause of this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume a generic 'cannot connect' error implies a network or driver problem, ignoring the specific 'Access is denied' wording that points directly to permissions.
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
✓
The user does not have permission to use the printer.
The error message 'Access is denied' specifically indicates a permissions issue at the printer or print server level, not a connectivity or hardware problem. Since other users can print successfully, the printer and network are functional, isolating the cause to the user's lack of permission to use the printer. In Windows, printer permissions are managed via the Security tab in printer properties, where the 'Print' permission must be granted to the user or their group.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The printer driver is corrupt on the user's computer.
Why it's wrong here
A corrupt driver typically causes spooler crashes, garbled output or driver-unavailable errors, not the explicit 'Access is denied' message returned when connecting. That wording points to a permissions or share-security rejection. A corrupt driver would be the correct diagnosis if the printer installed but produced malformed or failed print jobs.
- ✗
The network cable is unplugged from the user's computer.
Why it's wrong here
An unplugged network cable would prevent the computer reaching the network entirely, so other network resources would also fail, and the error would be a connectivity or printer-not-found message rather than access denied. A disconnected cable would be correct if the user had no network access at all, including shared drives.
- ✓
The user does not have permission to use the printer.
Why this is correct
An access-denied error when connecting to a shared printer indicates the print server is rejecting the user's credentials, so the account lacks print permission on that printer. Other users succeed because their accounts are granted access through the printer's security settings.
- ✗
The printer is out of paper or toner.
Why it's wrong here
An out-of-paper or out-of-toner condition produces a printer-status or spooler error, not an access-denied message when connecting. The error indicates a permissions failure, such as a restrictive printer share or missing print permission. Paper or toner would be the correct cause if the job spooled but produced no output.
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JA
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.