220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that a line-of-business application crashes immediately after launch with an 'Access Violation' error. The technician has reinstalled the application, run antivirus scans, and checked Event Viewer. The error log points to a corrupted user profile. Which built-in tool should the technician use to create a new user profile for the user?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse 'creating a new user profile' with 'repairing the current profile' and incorrectly choose Registry Editor or System File Checker, thinking they can fix the corruption directly, when in fact the proper solution is to create a new account via Local Users and Groups.
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
✓
Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc)
Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc) is the correct built-in tool for creating a new user profile because it allows the technician to create a new local user account, which automatically generates a fresh user profile when the user logs in for the first time. Since the error log points to a corrupted user profile, creating a new account via this tool bypasses the corruption without needing to repair the existing profile. This directly addresses the 'Access Violation' error caused by the corrupted profile.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Registry Editor
Why it's wrong here
Registry Editor (regedit.exe) allows direct manipulation of the Windows registry, including profile-related keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList. However, editing these keys to fix a corrupted user profile is extremely risky and can easily render the system unbootable or cause further user profile damage. It also requires knowing exactly which SID and settings are corrupt, which is rarely a straightforward diagnosis. Because of this high risk and complexity, creating a new local user is the safer, recommended first step.
- ✗
Group Policy Editor
Why it's wrong here
Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) is designed to configure computer-wide and per-user policies, such as security settings, script assignments, and software restrictions, not to manage user profile storage. While a corrupt profile can cause an app to crash, policy changes will not repair the broken profile folders or the NTUSER.DAT registry hive that hold user data. The tool does not have any mechanism to create, rebuild, or replace user profiles. Therefore, it is not a useful tool for addressing an application crash caused by profile corruption.
- ✓
Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc)
Why this is correct
Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc) is the correct tool because it lets an administrator create a new local user account without complex troubleshooting. When the affected user logs out and the new account logs in for the first time, Windows automatically builds a fresh user profile from the default template, complete with a new CU registry hive and standard folders. This new profile bypasses the corrupted one, allowing the previously crashing application to launch normally and confirming that the problem was indeed profile-specific. Afterward, the administrator can migrate needed documents and settings from the old profile to the new account.
- ✗
System File Checker
Why it's wrong here
System File Checker (sfc /scannow) verifies the integrity of all protected Windows system files, such as kernel32.dll and other operating system components, and repairs them if corruption is detected. It does not examine or modify user profile files, the profile-specific registry hive, or folder permission settings. Because the application crash is caused by a corrupted user profile rather than a damaged system file, SFC will neither identify nor correct the underlying problem. Thus, running it would be a waste of time and would not resolve the issue.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
DISM Tool for Windows Repair
Key term
Event
An event is any identifiable occurrence or action in a computer system, network, or application that can be logged, monitored, or analyzed for security or operational purposes.
Key term
Antivirus
Antivirus is software that detects, prevents, and removes malicious software (malware) from a computer or network.
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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.