220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user's Windows 10 laptop has become increasingly slow over the past month. The hard drive activity light is constantly on, and the system often freezes for several seconds. A technician suspects the issue is related to a failing hard disk drive (HDD). Which two of the following should the technician perform to confirm the diagnosis? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse performance optimization tools like defragmentation with diagnostic tools; defragmentation can worsen a failing drive and does not confirm hardware failure.
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
✓
Check the S.M.A.R.T. status using a diagnostic tool.
To confirm a failing HDD, the technician should check S.M.A.R.T. data for warning signs and run chkdsk /r to scan for and recover bad sectors. These tools directly assess the drive's health and can reveal physical errors, unlike defragmentation, memory testing, or disk cleanup, which address other issues.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files.
Why it's wrong here
Disk Cleanup frees space by removing temporary and unnecessary files. It can improve performance if the drive is nearly full, but it does not diagnose a failing hard drive. The symptoms described—constant activity and freezes—are more indicative of hardware degradation than low disk space.
- ✗
Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.
Why it's wrong here
Windows Memory Diagnostic tests RAM, not the hard drive. While faulty RAM can cause freezes, the constant hard drive activity and the technician's suspicion of a failing HDD point to storage. Testing memory does not confirm or rule out disk problems and is not the appropriate diagnostic here.
- ✓
Check the S.M.A.R.T. status using a diagnostic tool.
Why this is correct
S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) provides early warning of impending disk failure. Tools like CrystalDiskInfo or the manufacturer's utility can read attributes such as reallocated sectors and pending sectors. A failing S.M.A.R.T. status strongly indicates the drive should be replaced.
- ✓
Run chkdsk /r from an elevated command prompt.
Why this is correct
chkdsk /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. On a failing HDD, it can identify and mark bad sectors, and it may report errors that confirm physical damage. Running it helps verify the disk's condition and can sometimes temporarily improve stability by isolating bad areas.
- ✗
Defragment the hard drive using the built-in Windows tool.
Why it's wrong here
Defragmentation reorganizes files to improve access times on a healthy HDD, but it does not diagnose a failing drive. In fact, heavy defragmentation on a drive with bad sectors can stress it further and accelerate failure. It is not a diagnostic step for suspected hardware failure.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshoot: Network Issues from OS
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.
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 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 220-1202 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.