220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A technician installed a used SATA SSD from another computer into a desktop workstation. The BIOS correctly detects the SSD, but Windows does not show any new drive in File Explorer. The technician opens Disk Management and sees no uninitialized disks listed. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume a missing drive in Windows is always a physical connection issue (Option A) or a formatting problem (Option C), but the BIOS detection proves connectivity, and the real culprit is the SATA controller mode mismatch, which is a common CompTIA 220-1101 troubleshooting scenario.
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
✓
Change the SATA controller mode in BIOS from RAID to AHCI
When a SATA SSD is detected in BIOS but not in Windows Disk Management, and no uninitialized disks appear, the most likely cause is that the SATA controller mode is set to RAID or Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology) in BIOS, which prevents Windows from recognizing the drive as a standard AHCI device. Changing the mode to AHCI allows the OS to properly enumerate and initialize the SSD, as AHCI is the native driver interface for SATA devices in Windows.
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 SATA cable power connection and ensure the drive is receiving power
Why it's wrong here
The BIOS already detects the drive, which requires the drive to have a stable power supply to perform SATA link initialization and report its identity. If the power connector were faulty or unplugged, the drive would not appear in the BIOS device list at all. Thus, verifying the power connection is redundant and will not address the stated symptom of the drive being visible in BIOS but not in the OS.
- ✓
Change the SATA controller mode in BIOS from RAID to AHCI
Why this is correct
SATA controller modes (IDE, AHCI, and RAID) use different hardware abstraction and driver stacks. If the drive was previously used under an AHCI system and the current BIOS is set to RAID, the RAID controller's software may not recognize the AHCI-formatted drive's partition structure, showing it as uninitialized or missing. Changing the SATA mode from RAID to AHCI aligns the controller with the drive's original configuration, allowing the OS to enumerate it normally. This is the most direct fix given that the BIOS sees the drive but the OS does not.
- ✗
Run the format command from a command prompt with administrative privileges
Why it's wrong here
The format command in Windows is designed to prepare an existing partition with a file system, not to make an invisible or undetected drive appear. Before you can format a drive, it must first be visible in Disk Management and have a valid partition; otherwise, the command returns an 'invalid drive specification' error. Furthermore, formatting would erase all data on the used drive, which is contrary to the goal of recovering or accessing it. The correct preliminary steps are to check the SATA configuration or use Disk Management to initialize and partition the disk.
- ✗
Update the chipset drivers from the motherboard manufacturer's website
Why it's wrong here
Chipset drivers are software components that enable the operating system to communicate with the platform's integrated controllers, but they cannot alter the SATA controller mode enforced by firmware. If the drive is not recognized in the OS because the BIOS is set to RAID while the drive expects AHCI, a driver update will not change how the BIOS enumerates the device. The mode must be switched in the UEFI/BIOS setup before the OS even loads. After the correct mode is set, you may then consider updating drivers to ensure full features, but it is not the immediate solution.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cloud Sync Tools: OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud
Key term
Redundant Array of Independent Disks
A technology that combines multiple physical hard drives into a single logical unit to improve performance, reliability, or both.
Key term
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is a computer bus interface used to connect storage devices like hard drives and solid-state drives to a computer's motherboard.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 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 220-1101 exam.