easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1102 Practice Question: A technician is tasked with installing a security…
A technician is tasked with installing a security patch on 50 company laptops. The change management process requires a full system backup before any patch installation. During the backup of the first laptop, the backup fails due to insufficient disk space. What should the technician do?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the candidate's understanding that change management policies are mandatory and must be followed, not circumvented, and that troubleshooting steps should be taken before escalating to management.
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
✓
Free up disk space by deleting temporary files and retry the backup.
The change management process explicitly requires a full system backup before patch installation. Deleting temporary files is a standard, low-risk method to free disk space and retry the backup, ensuring compliance without violating policy. This approach maintains data integrity and follows the established procedure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Skip the backup for this laptop and proceed with the patch installation.
Why it's wrong here
Skipping the required backup before a patch installation directly violates established change management policies and introduces significant risk. A patch is a system modification that, if unsuccessful, could lead to data corruption, system instability, or complete operational failure. Without a current backup, there is no reliable recovery point, making data loss or extensive downtime a high probability.
- ✓
Free up disk space by deleting temporary files and retry the backup.
Why this is correct
Insufficient disk space is a common reason for backup failures. Deleting temporary files, clearing system caches, or emptying the Recycle Bin are standard and effective initial troubleshooting steps to reclaim necessary storage. Successfully freeing up space and completing the backup ensures compliance with the change management policy, providing a critical recovery point before proceeding with the patch installation.
- ✗
Install the patch anyway and create a manual restore point.
Why it's wrong here
A manual restore point primarily captures system files, registry settings, and installed applications, allowing for a rollback of system configuration changes. However, it does not typically include user data or a complete image of the operating system and its partitions. Therefore, it fails to provide the comprehensive data protection and full system recovery capability mandated by a robust change management policy.
- ✗
Report the failure to the change manager and request an exception.
Why it's wrong here
While reporting issues is an important aspect of IT operations, immediately escalating a backup failure to a change manager without attempting basic troubleshooting is inefficient and bypasses the technician's primary responsibility. Many backup issues, such as those caused by insufficient disk space or minor software glitches, can be resolved quickly by the technician, demonstrating proactive problem-solving and preventing unnecessary escalation.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Security Features
Key term
Change management
Change management is the structured process of planning, approving, implementing, and reviewing changes to IT systems to minimize risk and disruption.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.