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220-1202 Practice Question: That their external hard drive is no longer…
A user reports that their external hard drive is no longer recognized by Windows. They suspect it might be infected with malware from a previous connection. You run a security scan and find no threats. What is the most likely cause of the drive not being recognized?
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The USB controller driver is corrupted or outdated.
When a drive is not recognized after a suspected malware incident, the issue is often driver-related or due to a corrupted file system, not necessarily malware. Reinstalling or updating the USB controller driver in Device Manager can resolve recognition issues. The correct answer is to check Device Manager for driver issues.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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The drive is permanently damaged by malware.
Why it's wrong here
Malware primarily targets software, corrupting files, operating systems, or applications. It does not typically possess the capability to inflict permanent physical damage to hardware components like platters, read/write heads, or controller boards of an external hard drive. While malware can render data inaccessible or corrupt the file system, the underlying hardware usually remains physically intact and functional, often recoverable through reformatting or data recovery tools.
- ✓
The USB controller driver is corrupted or outdated.
Why this is correct
A corrupted or outdated USB controller driver is a common cause for an external hard drive not being recognized or functioning correctly. The driver acts as the essential software interface between the operating system and the USB hardware, translating commands and enabling communication. If this driver is compromised, the OS cannot properly enumerate or interact with the connected drive, leading to recognition failures that can often be resolved by updating or reinstalling the driver via Device Manager.
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The user needs to format the drive to remove malware.
Why it's wrong here
Formatting an external drive is a drastic measure that erases all data and recreates the file system, which is unnecessary if no malware has been detected or confirmed. Furthermore, formatting addresses logical data issues, not underlying hardware communication problems like a faulty USB controller driver. If the issue is a driver problem, formatting the drive will not resolve the inability of the operating system to recognize or communicate with the device.
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Windows Firewall is blocking the external drive.
Why it's wrong here
Windows Firewall is specifically designed to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic, protecting the system from unauthorized access over a network connection. It operates at the network layer and has no mechanism or function to block or interfere with locally connected hardware devices, such as external USB hard drives. Therefore, a firewall configuration would not prevent an external drive from being recognized or accessed by the operating system.
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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.