220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A user's Windows 10 computer will not boot normally after a failed driver installation. The technician can access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Which built-in tool should the technician use FIRST to attempt to restore the system to a point before the driver was installed?
⚠ Common exam trap
220-1102 often tests the order of troubleshooting steps; candidates may choose Startup Repair because it sounds like it fixes boot issues, but the question specifies a failed driver installation, making System Restore the first logical choice.
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
✓
System Restore
System Restore is designed to revert system files, drivers, and registry settings to a previous restore point without affecting personal files. After a failed driver installation, using System Restore from WinRE is the quickest way to roll back the driver and restore system stability. It is the first tool to try because it specifically targets the problem of a recent change causing boot failure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
System Restore
Why this is correct
System Restore takes the affected system back to a restore point created before the problematic driver was installed, using Volume Shadow Copy to revert registry hives and protected system files while leaving user documents, photos, and other personal data intact. Because it can be launched from the Windows Recovery Environment when the OS will not boot, it directly removes the newly added driver and its related system modifications without reinstallation. This targeted rollback is exactly what is needed for this boot failure.
- ✗
Reset this PC
Why it's wrong here
Reset this PC reinstalls Windows from scratch, either retaining personal files or erasing them, but in all cases it removes installed applications, desktop programs, and most drivers, and returns all system settings to their factory defaults. That is far more invasive than necessary for a bad driver, and it risks losing application data and requiring reinstallation of all software. It also takes significantly longer and may not even preserve the user's installed programs, making it an inappropriate first-line recovery action.
- ✗
System Image Recovery
Why it's wrong here
System Image Recovery can only be used if you have previously created a complete image of the entire Windows partition, typically an external VHDX or a backup drive. If no such image was made, this option simply fails, and even when one exists, it restores the whole system to the state of the image, wiping all program updates, drivers, and user files created after that image. For a single bad driver, this is a sledgehammer approach that forces massive data loss and is rarely the correct tool.
- ✗
Startup Repair
Why it's wrong here
Startup Repair is a built-in Windows Recovery Environment tool that diagnoses and fixes structural boot problems, such as corrupt BCD, missing MBR, or damaged boot files like winload.exe. It does not have the ability to uninstall drivers or revert registry changes, so the faulty driver that is causing the boot crash remains active and continues to halt startup. Thus it may get you to a recovery menu, but it will not remove the actual root cause of the failed normal boot.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
macOS System Preferences and Settings
Key term
Recovery
Recovery is the process of restoring systems, data, and operations after a security incident, failure, or disaster to return to normal functioning.
Key term
Windows 10
Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft that combines the familiarity of Windows 7 with the modern features of Windows 8, designed to run on a wide range of devices from desktops to tablets.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.