easyMultiple Choice
220-1102 Practice Question: That a specific application crashes immediately…
A user reports that a specific application crashes immediately on launch. You want to verify the integrity of the application's core files without reinstalling. Which command-line tool can you use to scan and repair system files that the application depends on?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse `dism` with `sfc` because both repair system files, but `dism` repairs the component store (the source for SFC) rather than the installed system files themselves, making `sfc /scannow` the correct first-line tool for verifying and repairing application-dependent system files.
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
✓
sfc /scannow
The `sfc /scannow` (System File Checker) command scans all protected system files and replaces corrupted versions with a cached copy located in the `%WinDir%\System32\dllcache` directory. Since the application crashes on launch, it likely depends on core Windows system files (e.g., DLLs, executables) that may be corrupted or missing. Running `sfc /scannow` verifies and repairs these system files without reinstalling the application itself, directly addressing the integrity of the dependencies.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
sfc /scannow
Why this is correct
sfc /scannow scans protected Windows system files, compares them against cached copies, and replaces corrupted ones, repairing the shared components an application depends on without reinstalling it. It satisfies the integrity-verification constraint, unlike DISM, which services the component store image itself.
- ✗
chkdsk /f
Why it's wrong here
chkdsk /f repairs file-system metadata and bad sectors on a volume, not the integrity of application binaries or protected system files. It is tempting because it does scan and fix disk-level corruption, which would be the right tool when a volume's filesystem structure is damaged rather than an application's dependencies.
- ✗
tasklist
Why it's wrong here
tasklist only enumerates running processes and their resource usage; it performs no integrity check or repair of any file. It is tempting because it can confirm whether the crashing application launched at all, which would be the right tool for diagnosing whether a process started before failing.
- ✗
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Why it's wrong here
DISM restores the component store image that Windows servicing uses; it does not verify or repair arbitrary application files the crashing program depends on. It is tempting because it repairs corrupted system files, which would be correct when servicing corruption prevents Windows updates or component installation.
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Troubleshoot: Cloud Application Issues
Key term
Integrity
Integrity is the assurance that data has not been altered or tampered with in an unauthorized way, preserving its accuracy and consistency from source to destination.
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.
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JA
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.