220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse Windows Sandbox or Hyper-V as compatibility solutions, but the CompTIA 220-1102 exam specifically tests the built-in Compatibility Mode as the lightweight, first-line tool for legacy application issues on modern Windows.
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
✓
Compatibility mode with Windows 7 settings
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.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Windows Sandbox
Why it's wrong here
Windows Sandbox creates a disposable, isolated desktop environment that is rebuilt from a clean host image every time, so all changes and data inside the sandbox are lost on shutdown. It relies on hypervisor-based isolation and is intended only for evaluating untrusted software briefly—not for hosting a persistent line-of-business application. Because a legacy LOB app would require reinstallation and reconfiguration for every session, and its dependencies may depend on drivers or GPU features the Sandbox does not expose, this cannot address a daily crashing app.
- ✓
Compatibility mode with Windows 7 settings
Why this is correct
Compatibility mode with Windows 7 settings invokes the Windows Application Compatibility shim engine, which intercepts API calls and spoofs an older Windows version to the application, along with emulating legacy behaviors such as DPI scaling and privilege levels. This is the correct fix because it is lightweight, persistent, and runs the application directly on the host, preserving user data and settings. It specifically targets the common issue where an older LOB app fails because newer Windows versions changed undocumented APIs or version-reporting calls.
- ✗
Hyper-V
Why it's wrong here
Hyper-V virtualises entire operating systems, not individual legacy applications; it would require installing a full Windows 7 virtual machine, which is excessive for a single app and introduces licensing and driver overhead. It is tempting because Hyper-V can run older OS environments for compatibility, and in a scenario where the entire legacy OS needed to be preserved alongside the new workstation, it would be the correct tool.
- ✗
PowerShell execution policy change
Why it's wrong here
PowerShell execution policy (e.g., Restricted, RemoteSigned) is a security mechanism that governs whether PowerShell scripts and configuration files can run, but it has no bearing on how native desktop applications interact with the Windows API. A legacy line-of-business application is a compiled executable that does not need PowerShell scripting to launch, and its crashes stem from binary incompatibilities, missing libraries, or security mitigations—not from script execution restrictions. Changing the execution policy would neither repair the app's broken API calls nor prevent its crashes, and it could unnecessarily weaken the system's security posture.
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshoot: Application Crashes and Hangs
Key term
Operating system
An operating system (OS) is the core software that manages a computer's hardware and software resources, providing common services for computer programs.
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
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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.