220-1201 Practice Question: A user complains that their PC is running slowly,…

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Upgrade the CPU to a faster model.

  Why it's wrong here

  Upgrading the CPU to a faster model is ineffective when the primary bottleneck is insufficient RAM. A faster processor cannot compensate for the delays caused by the operating system constantly moving data between slow disk storage (virtual memory) and physical RAM because the system is running out of available memory. The CPU spends more time waiting for data access rather than performing computations, rendering a CPU upgrade largely pointless in this specific scenario.

• ✓

  Add an additional 4 GB of RAM to bring the total to 8 GB.

  Why this is correct

  Insufficient RAM is a common cause of a slow PC, as the operating system resorts to using the much slower hard drive as virtual memory (page file) when physical RAM is exhausted. Increasing the RAM from 4 GB to 8 GB directly addresses this memory bottleneck, allowing more applications and data to reside in faster physical memory. This significantly reduces reliance on the page file, thereby improving overall system responsiveness, multitasking capabilities, and preventing performance degradation.

• ✗

  Replace the hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD).

  Why it's wrong here

  While replacing a hard drive with a Solid-State Drive (SSD) significantly improves disk I/O speeds, it does not fundamentally resolve the issue of memory exhaustion. The system would still be forced to use virtual memory when RAM runs out, even if that virtual memory is now faster. The core problem is the *need* to swap data to disk due to insufficient physical RAM, which an SSD only makes less painful, rather than eliminating the root cause of excessive swapping.

• ✗

  Disable the page file to force the system to use only RAM.

  Why it's wrong here

  Disabling the page file, which serves as virtual memory, is a dangerous action that can severely worsen system performance and stability. The page file acts as a critical overflow mechanism, allowing the operating system to manage memory efficiently by temporarily storing less-used data on disk when physical RAM is scarce. Without it, if applications demand more memory than available physical RAM, the system will run out of memory, leading to application crashes, system instability, or even a complete system freeze.

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