220-1102 Security Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Create a new password reset disk using another administrative account

  Why it's wrong here

  Creating a password reset disk for a different account from an administrative login is impossible: the disk is cryptographically bound to the specific user profile at creation time. The wizard checks the current user's password and generates a key pair tied to that account's SID. Even a local administrator cannot generate a reset disk for another user because the required authentication context is missing. Therefore, this option cannot help a user who forgot their own password.

• ✗

  Boot into Safe Mode and use the built-in Administrator account

  Why it's wrong here

  In Windows 10, the built-in Administrator account is disabled by default, and even if enabled, it often has its own password or no password at all, but Safe Mode does not bypass login security. Booting to Safe Mode still presents the login screen for each existing account, including the built-in Administrator, and you cannot reset another user's password without already having administrative privileges in a signed-in session. Moreover, recent Windows versions disable the built-in Administrator by default specifically to prevent this as a backdoor.

• ✗

  Use a third-party password recovery tool to reset the password

  Why it's wrong here

  Third-party password recovery tools typically work by directly attacking or modifying the SAM registry hive, which requires booting from external media and often generates antivirus alarms or violates corporate security policies. On modern systems, they are frequently blocked by BitLocker encryption or TPM hardware verification, making the attempt risky and unreliable. Even when such tools succeed, they are an unsupported, invasive approach that could corrupt user profiles or trigger secure boot failures. Microsoft's official guidance never recommends this method for recovering a forgotten local password.

• ✓

  Use a password reset disk that was created previously

  Why this is correct

  A password reset disk is the official, supported recovery method for a forgotten Windows 10 local account password, but it must have been prepared long before the password is lost. The disk stores a cryptographic key that Windows pairs with the user's account, and when an incorrect password is entered, the 'Reset password' link appears, allowing the user to use the disk to verify ownership and set a new password. It works only for local accounts—not for Microsoft accounts—and it cannot be created retroactively from another account. This is why prior preparation is the only reliable way to regain access without data loss.

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