220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that a Windows 10 application crashes immediately upon launch. The technician opens Event Viewer and finds an error stating that a specific DLL file is missing. Which built-in command should the technician run FIRST to attempt to restore the missing system file?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse `chkdsk` with a file repair tool, mistakenly thinking it can fix missing system files, or they assume `regsvr32` can somehow recreate a missing DLL, when in fact it only registers an existing file in the Registry.
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 System File Checker (SFC) utility, invoked with `sfc /scannow`, is the correct first step because it scans all protected system files and replaces corrupted or missing versions with a cached copy from the Windows Component Store. Since the Event Viewer error specifically reports a missing DLL, which is a protected system file, SFC directly addresses the root cause without requiring a disk check or manual registration.
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
System File Checker (sfc) /scannow verifies the integrity of all protected system files by comparing their hashes against authoritative versions stored in the Windows component store (WinSxS) and replaces corrupted, missing, or incorrect files automatically. Because an immediate crash on launch often indicates a missing or corrupted system DLL that the application attempts to load, this command is the appropriate first diagnostic and repair step. It requires an elevated Command Prompt and logs results to %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log for further analysis.
- ✗
chkdsk /r
Why it's wrong here
chkdsk /r examines the on-disk file system structure, including master file table entries, directory records, and allocation metadata, and scans for physically bad sectors while attempting to recover readable data. It repairs inconsistencies like orphaned clusters and invalid security descriptors, but it operates at the file system level and does not inspect file content against known-good versions. Therefore, a missing or corrupt system DLL that would cause an application to crash remains undetected by chkdsk, making this command unsuitable for this scenario.
- ✗
regsvr32
Why it's wrong here
regsvr32 is used to register a DLL (or ActiveX control) inside the Windows Registry by invoking its DllRegisterServer or DllUnregisterServer export, which is necessary for COM components but irrelevant for standard system DLLs loaded by applications. It assumes the DLL file already exists and is loadable; if the file is missing or corrupted, regsvr32 simply fails with an error such as 'The module failed to load' and cannot replace or restore anything. Thus, it is not a repair tool for missing system files causing an immediate crash.
- ✗
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Why it's wrong here
DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth scans the entire system image for corruption, repairs the component store (WinSxS) itself, and can use Windows Update or a local sourced image (e.g., install.wim) as repair source. It is a powerful, low-level repair tool, but it is also more time-consuming and is conventionally used after sfc /scannow fails to repair files or when sfc reports unsupported corruption. For a single missing or corrupt system DLL causing an immediate crash, sfc /scannow is the faster initial step; DISM is a secondary escalation, not the first-line action.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
User Privacy Considerations
Key term
Missing DLL
A Missing DLL error occurs when a required Dynamic Link Library file is not found by the Windows operating system or an application, preventing the program from starting or running properly.
Key term
Event Viewer
Event Viewer is a built-in Windows tool that logs system, security, and application events to help administrators monitor and troubleshoot issues.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1102 question from scratch — 925 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.