mediumMultiple Choice
220-1202 Practice Question: That they cannot access a shared folder on the…
A user reports that they cannot access a shared folder on the network, but other users can. The folder is on a Windows 10 Pro workstation. What should you check first to resolve this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between share-level permissions and NTFS permissions, trapping candidates who assume a firewall or password issue is the cause when the problem is user-specific and the resource is accessible to others.
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
✓
Check the NTFS permissions on the folder
Since other users can access the shared folder, the network share and firewall are functioning correctly. The issue is specific to one user, which points to a permission problem at the file system level. NTFS permissions control user-level access to folders, and a misconfigured or missing ACE (Access Control Entry) for that user would prevent access while allowing others. Checking NTFS permissions is the logical first step because it directly governs per-user access to the resource.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Check the Windows Defender Firewall settings
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules apply to the workstation as a whole, so they would block every user, not one. Windows Defender Firewall is the right check when no client can reach any share on the host, indicating a host-wide block rather than a per-account permission problem.
- ✓
Check the NTFS permissions on the folder
Why this is correct
NTFS permissions govern access per user account, so if only this user is denied while others succeed, their account likely lacks the required Allow entries or is explicitly denied. Checking these permissions first isolates an account-specific rights problem rather than a share-level or network fault.
- ✗
Check the user’s password expiration status
Why it's wrong here
An expired password would prevent the user logging on entirely, not selectively reaching one share while others succeed. Password expiry checks belong to scenarios where authentication itself fails across all resources, such as repeated lockouts or domain logon errors.
- ✗
Check the User Account Control settings
Why it's wrong here
UAC governs elevation prompts for local administrative actions, not share access over SMB, which is evaluated by NTFS and share permissions. UAC settings are the correct focus when standard users cannot perform tasks requiring elevation on their own workstation.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1202 question from scratch — 687 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.