easyMultiple Choice
220-1202 Practice Question: That their Windows 10 PC is running slowly and…
A user reports that their Windows 10 PC is running slowly and they see many background processes in Task Manager. You need to identify which processes are consuming the most CPU and memory resources without installing any additional software. Which built-in Windows tool should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse Resource Monitor (Option B) as the primary tool for resource monitoring, but the question asks for the tool to 'identify which processes are consuming the most CPU and memory resources' without installing software, and Task Manager is the immediate, built-in solution for that specific task.
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
✓
Task Manager
Task Manager (Option C) is the correct built-in tool because it provides a real-time, sortable list of all running processes, displaying their CPU and memory usage directly on the Processes tab. This allows you to quickly identify which processes are consuming the most resources without needing to install additional software, as the user specifically requested.
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 logs and charts counters over time, but it does not present a live, sortable per-process ranking of CPU and memory consumers. It is designed for sustained baseline capture and threshold alerting, so it would suit capacity trending rather than the immediate identification this scenario requires.
- ✗
Resource Monitor
Why it's wrong here
Resource Monitor shows CPU, memory, disk and network usage per process, but Task Manager already provides the per-process CPU and memory breakdown the scenario needs, and the question asks which tool to use for that identification. Resource Monitor would be correct when deeper detail such as handles or disk queue length is required.
- ✓
Task Manager
Why this is correct
Task Manager's Processes tab lists every running process with live CPU and memory usage, letting you sort by either column to find the heaviest consumers. It ships with Windows 10, satisfying the constraint of no additional software installation.
- ✗
System Configuration (msconfig)
Why it's wrong here
System Configuration manages startup items and boot settings; it does not display live per-process CPU or memory consumption. It is tempting because disabling startup entries can improve performance, but that is remediation, not identification. It would be the correct tool for controlling which services and programs launch at boot.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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