mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1102 Practice Question: A company has a policy that all workstations must…
A company has a policy that all workstations must automatically lock after 10 minutes of inactivity. A user complains that their computer does not lock automatically. Which setting should you check and remediate?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between sleep/screen saver/lock settings, and the trap here is that candidates confuse the power plan sleep timeout with the screen saver lock timeout, assuming sleep automatically locks the workstation.
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
✓
Verify that the screen saver is enabled and set to 'On resume, display logon screen' with a 10-minute wait
The automatic lock behavior in Windows is controlled by the screen saver settings. When 'On resume, display logon screen' is enabled with a 10-minute wait, the screen saver triggers after inactivity and locks the workstation by requiring authentication upon resume. This is the standard mechanism for enforcing a lock timeout, not the power plan sleep timeout.
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 power plan settings for sleep timeout
Why it's wrong here
Checking power plan settings for sleep timeout primarily controls when the display turns off or when the system enters a low-power sleep state to conserve energy. While some power plans can be configured to require a password on resume from sleep, the sleep timeout itself does not inherently invoke a workstation lock for simple inactivity in the same manner as a screen saver. This setting focuses on power management rather than directly enforcing an immediate security lock on an active user session after a period of idleness, which is typically required by security policies.
- ✓
Verify that the screen saver is enabled and set to 'On resume, display logon screen' with a 10-minute wait
Why this is correct
Enabling the screen saver and configuring it to 'On resume, display logon screen' with a specified wait time directly addresses the security requirement for locking a workstation after inactivity. This setting explicitly triggers the Windows security mechanism, requiring the user to re-authenticate with their credentials to regain access to their session. A 10-minute wait period is a common corporate standard, ensuring that unattended workstations are secured promptly against unauthorized access, thereby meeting the company's policy for workstation security.
- ✗
Ensure Windows Update is fully installed
Why it's wrong here
Ensuring Windows Update is fully installed is crucial for system security and stability, as updates deliver critical security patches, bug fixes, and performance enhancements. However, the installation status of Windows Updates does not directly control or influence the specific configuration of screen lock behavior or inactivity timeouts. The issue described pertains to a user-configurable security setting, not a missing operating system feature or a vulnerability that updates would resolve, making it irrelevant to enforcing a screen lock policy.
- ✗
Disable the Fast Startup feature
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the Fast Startup feature, also known as Hybrid Shutdown, impacts the system's boot process by preventing Windows from saving a hibernation file of the kernel session upon shutdown. This feature is designed to accelerate subsequent startups, not to manage workstation behavior during periods of user inactivity. Therefore, modifying Fast Startup settings would have no effect on how or when a workstation locks its screen after a period of idleness, making it an unrelated troubleshooting step for this policy enforcement.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Editions and Features
Key term
Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying that someone or something is who or what it claims to be before granting access to a system or resource.
Key term
Windows
Windows is a family of operating systems developed by Microsoft that manages computer hardware and software, providing a graphical user interface for users to interact with their devices.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1202 question from scratch — 495 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.