220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that a custom line-of-business application fails to launch on Windows 10 Pro with the error 'This application could not be started. Application Error: 0xc0000142'. The application worked correctly on Windows 7. The technician has verified the application is compatible with Windows 10 per the vendor, and has run System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) with no issues found. The application requires administrative privileges and is already configured to 'Run as administrator' in the compatibility settings. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume the error is caused by missing DLLs or permission issues, leading them to choose re-registering DLLs or disabling 'Run as administrator', when the root cause is a compatibility shim mismatch that is specifically addressed by enabling Windows 7 compatibility mode.
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
✓
Enable the 'Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows 7' setting.
The error 0xc0000142 typically indicates that a Windows application failed to initialize properly, often due to compatibility issues with the operating system. Since the application worked on Windows 7 and the vendor confirms Windows 10 compatibility, enabling 'Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows 7' forces the application to run under a compatibility shim that mimics the Windows 7 environment, resolving the initialization failure without altering the application's code or permissions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Enable the 'Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows 7' setting.
Why this is correct
Windows 7 compatibility mode works by applying a compatibility shim that makes the operating system appear as Windows 7 to the application, intercepting version-check API calls and providing the expected legacy environment. Because this line-of-business app previously ran on Windows 7, its initialization routine likely queries the OS version or relies on deprecated APIs that modern Windows blocks; the shim resolves those mismatches. This is the most direct fix for a legacy app that fails to launch purely due to OS version differences, without altering security context or system-wide configuration.
- ✗
Disable the 'Run as administrator' setting to reduce permissions.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling 'Run as administrator' reduces the process integrity level from high to standard, which can actually prevent the application from accessing protected resources (like certain registry keys or files) that it legitimately needs even in compatibility mode. If the app historically ran on Windows 7 with standard user rights, this change is unnecessary, but if it required elevation, removal will cause access-denied errors or silent failure. This setting addresses privilege misconfigurations, not OS version compatibility, so it is not the correct action for a launch failure tied to the OS environment.
- ✗
Re-register all DLL files associated with the application.
Why it's wrong here
Re-registering DLLs (e.g., regsvr32) forces the system to rewrite COM registration entries in the registry, which can resolve some loading failures caused by broken or missing class registrations. However, this is a targeted troubleshooting step for component-level corruption, not a compatibility fix; if the application worked on Windows 7 and the binaries are intact, the launch failure is more likely due to OS version detection or deprecated API behavior. Performing this step first is invasive and time-consuming, and could even destabilize other applications if done broadly, making it an inappropriate first response.
- ✗
Perform a clean boot to eliminate software conflicts.
Why it's wrong here
A clean boot disables all third-party startup programs and non-Microsoft services in the MSCONFIG utility to isolate background software conflicts, which is useful when an application fails because a service or driver interferes at startup. But the prompt indicates the app worked on Windows 7 and now fails on a newer OS, pointing to an inherent compatibility mismatch rather than a transient conflict. Clean boot is a diagnostic, not a solution, and while it might identify a culprit, it does not emulate the missing Windows 7 APIs or version response, so it is a less direct and effective next step than applying compatibility mode.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user reports that a legacy line-of-business application stops responding shortly after launch on a Windows 10 Pro workstation. The application worked fine on the previous Windows 7 machine. Which built-in Windows feature should the technician use to mitigate this issue?
medium- A.Windows Sandbox
- ✓ B.Compatibility mode with Windows 7 settings
- C.Hyper-V
- D.PowerShell execution policy change
Why B: Compatibility mode with Windows 7 settings is the correct choice because it forces the legacy application to run under the same operating system environment it was designed for, emulating Windows 7 behaviors such as version reporting and API handling. This resolves issues where the application crashes or hangs due to incompatibility with Windows 10's newer system calls or security features.
JA
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.