220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that a critical business application on Windows 10 crashes frequently with error code 0xc0000142. The application was working fine before a recent Windows update. What should the technician try FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to SFC or reinstallation as generic fixes, but CompTIA tests the ability to correlate a specific error code with a recent system change, prioritizing rollback of the update as the most direct and least disruptive solution.
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
✓
Uninstall the recent Windows update
Error code 0xc0000142 indicates a STATUS_DLL_INIT_FAILED error, often caused by a Windows update that introduces incompatible DLLs or changes to the application's runtime environment. Since the application worked before the update, the most efficient first step is to uninstall the recent Windows update to restore the previous working state, avoiding unnecessary reinstallation or system file checks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reinstall the application
Why it's wrong here
Reinstalling the application would not address the root cause, because error 0xc0000142 typically indicates a corrupted system DLL or a missing Visual C++ runtime dependency introduced by the Windows update, not a problem within the application’s own installation files. This option is tempting because reinstalling is a standard fix for application-specific corruption or missing files, and it would be correct if the crash were caused by a damaged local install rather than a system-level update altering shared components.
- ✗
Run System File Checker (SFC) from an elevated Command Prompt
Why it's wrong here
Running SFC from an elevated Command Prompt will scan and repair protected system files, but the 0xc0000142 error is a DLL initialization failure usually caused by a recent Windows update introducing a mismatched runtime component (e.g., Visual C++ Redistributable or a shared system DLL) that the application depends on. SFC only validates the integrity of the system file store itself; it cannot remove or roll back an installed update, so it will not restore the pre-update environment that the application needs. While SFC is a reasonable diagnostic step, it is not the most direct or effective fix for this update-induced regression.
- ✓
Uninstall the recent Windows update
Why this is correct
Uninstalling the recent Windows update is correct because the application worked before the update, making a regression in a shared component the most likely culprit. The 0xc0000142 error specifically indicates that a DLL the application needs failed to initialize—often due to a newer version of a runtime or system DLL introduced by the update. Rolling back the update restores the previous working set of shared files without reinstalling the application or modifying system files further, and it is the least invasive step to confirm and resolve the crash. After uninstalling, the user should temporarily hide the update to prevent automatic reinstallation and then report the issue to Microsoft or the software vendor.
- ✗
Update the application's drivers
Why it's wrong here
Updating the application's drivers is not relevant because 0xc0000142 is a user-mode DLL initialization error, not a kernel-mode driver or hardware access problem. Drivers such as video, network, or chipset drivers do not manage the Windows runtime files or Visual C++ libraries that this application loads at startup. Even if the app relies on a hardware feature, the error code indicates a missing or incompatible user-mode component, not a driver failure. Thus, driver updates would have no effect on the DLL initialization chain and would waste time instead of addressing the actual update-caused regression.
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Related to this question
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System File Checker (sfc /scannow)
Key term
Windows 10
Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft that combines the familiarity of Windows 7 with the modern features of Windows 8, designed to run on a wide range of devices from desktops to tablets.
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.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 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 220-1102 exam.