easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1102 Practice Question: A customer reports that their old laptop, which…
A customer reports that their old laptop, which they sold online, still contains personal files that the new owner accessed. The customer had only performed a 'Reset this PC' with the 'Remove everything' option. What should the technician recommend to prevent this in the future?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume 'Remove everything' in Windows performs a secure erase, but it only removes file pointers, not the underlying data, making it vulnerable to recovery.
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
✓
Use a third-party data wiping tool that overwrites the drive multiple times.
The 'Reset this PC' with 'Remove everything' option in Windows performs a quick format or a single-pass overwrite, which leaves data recoverable by file recovery tools. A third-party data wiping tool that overwrites the drive multiple times (e.g., using the DoD 5220.22-M standard) ensures that the data is irrecoverable by overwriting all sectors with patterns, preventing any future access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Perform a factory reset from the recovery partition.
Why it's wrong here
A factory reset typically reinstalls the operating system and removes user profiles, but it does not securely erase the underlying data blocks on the storage drive. While it makes the system appear clean, the actual data remains on the disk sectors and can be easily recovered using common data recovery software. This method is insufficient for preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information.
- ✓
Use a third-party data wiping tool that overwrites the drive multiple times.
Why this is correct
A third-party data wiping tool is the most effective method for securely sanitizing a drive while keeping the hardware reusable. These tools overwrite every sector of the storage device with specific patterns, often multiple times, adhering to standards like DoD 5220.22-M or NIST SP 800-88. This multi-pass overwrite process renders previous data unrecoverable by even advanced forensic techniques, ensuring complete data privacy for resale.
- ✗
Remove the hard drive and physically destroy it.
Why it's wrong here
While physically destroying the hard drive, such as by shredding or degaussing, is an absolutely effective method for ensuring data can never be recovered, it directly contradicts the customer's goal of reselling the laptop. This action renders the storage component completely unusable, making the laptop incomplete and significantly devalued for resale. Therefore, it is not a practical solution when the intent is to reuse or sell the entire device.
- ✗
Change the user password before selling.
Why it's wrong here
Simply changing the user password only restricts access to the operating system account, not the underlying data stored on the hard drive itself. An attacker could easily bypass this password protection by booting the laptop from an external operating system, removing the drive and connecting it to another computer, or using specialized password reset tools. The original files and sensitive information would remain fully accessible, making this method entirely inadequate for data sanitization.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Editions and Features
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.
Key term
Recovery
Recovery is the process of restoring systems, data, and operations after a security incident, failure, or disaster to return to normal functioning.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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