220-1202 Windows OS Features and Tools Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of windows os features and tools. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user reports that their Windows 10 laptop is running slowly and frequently shows a 'Low Memory' warning. They have 8 GB of RAM and are not running any unusual applications. Which built-in Windows tool should you use to determine if a specific process is leaking memory?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Task Manager
Task Manager (Option B) is the correct tool because it provides a real-time view of per-process memory usage, including the 'Memory (Active Private Working Set)' column, which can identify a process that is consuming an abnormally increasing amount of RAM over time—indicative of a memory leak. Unlike other tools, Task Manager allows you to quickly sort processes by memory usage and observe growth without needing to configure counters or parse logs.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Performance Monitor
Why it's wrong here
Performance Monitor is used for advanced logging and historical performance data, not quick real-time per-process memory checks.
✓
Task Manager
Why this is correct
Task Manager's Processes tab shows current memory usage for each process, making it ideal for spotting a memory leak.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Event Viewer
Why it's wrong here
Event Viewer logs system events and errors but does not display real-time per-process memory consumption.
✗
System Configuration (msconfig)
Why it's wrong here
System Configuration manages startup programs and services, not live memory monitoring.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the misconception that Performance Monitor is the only tool for memory leak diagnosis, but Task Manager is the correct first-line tool for quickly identifying a leaking process in a user-reported scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A memory leak occurs when a process allocates memory (e.g., via HeapAlloc or VirtualAlloc) but fails to release it, causing the process's private working set to grow indefinitely. In Task Manager, the 'Details' tab exposes the 'Memory (Active Private Working Set)' and 'Commit size' columns, which reflect the actual physical RAM in use and the virtual memory reserved, respectively; monitoring these values over a few minutes can reveal a leak. For a more granular analysis, Performance Monitor's 'Process\Private Bytes' counter tracks the exact committed memory that is not shareable, which is the definitive metric for leak detection in enterprise environments.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1202 question in full detail.
Windows OS Features and Tools — This question tests Windows OS Features and Tools — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Task Manager — Task Manager (Option B) is the correct tool because it provides a real-time view of per-process memory usage, including the 'Memory (Active Private Working Set)' column, which can identify a process that is consuming an abnormally increasing amount of RAM over time—indicative of a memory leak. Unlike other tools, Task Manager allows you to quickly sort processes by memory usage and observe growth without needing to configure counters or parse logs.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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