220-1102 Task Manager Practice Question
A user reports that a Windows 10 application has stopped responding and the window is frozen. The technician is on the phone with the user. What should the technician instruct the user to do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to restarting the computer (Option A) as a universal fix, but CompTIA expects the least disruptive and most targeted step first—using Task Manager to end the specific unresponsive process.
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
✓
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, select the unresponsive application, and click End task.
The first step when troubleshooting a frozen application in Windows 10 is to attempt to close it using Task Manager. The technician should instruct the user to press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, locate the unresponsive application under the Processes tab, select it, and click 'End task'. This forcefully terminates the process, which is the quickest and safest initial action to regain control without requiring a system restart.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Restart the computer.
Why it's wrong here
Restarting the computer forcibly closes every running process, including the unresponsive one, but it also discards unsaved work in all other applications and logs off any active sessions. It is a broad, brute-force recovery method intended for system-wide freezes or kernel errors, not for a single application hang. Since Task Manager can resolve the issue in seconds without collateral damage, a reboot should be reserved for cases where the system itself is unresponsive or after targeted troubleshooting fails.
- ✓
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, select the unresponsive application, and click End task.
Why this is correct
Pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager directly, bypassing the security screen that Ctrl+Alt+Del would show. In the Processes or Details tab, locate the hung application (often marked as "Not responding"), select it, and click "End task." This terminates only that specific process tree, preserving all other running applications and unsaved work in other programs, making it the fastest and most targeted remedy for a single frozen app.
- ✗
Uninstall and reinstall the application.
Why it's wrong here
Uninstalling and reinstalling the application is a heavy-handed response that erases the app's local data, settings, and configuration, and it requires re-downloading or re-reading the installer. It only makes sense if the application is repeatedly crashing due to corrupted program files or a broken deployment, not for a single occurrence of an unresponsive window. The proper first step is to end the process via Task Manager; reinstallation should be considered only after the same failure reoccurs or if the app's files are verified to be corrupt.
- ✗
Run System Restore to revert recent changes.
Why it's wrong here
System Restore (Rstrui.exe) rolls back the registry, system files, and installed drivers to an earlier restore point, but it does not terminate an already-running hung process. It is designed for issues caused by recent system changes—like a faulty driver or patch—not for a transient application hang. Furthermore, a restore can affect installed programs and user settings across the system, making it an overly invasive action that is unnecessary when the goal is simply to close one frozen app.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
User Account Control (UAC)
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.
Key term
Task Manager
Task Manager is a built-in Windows utility that shows running programs, processes, and system performance, allowing users to monitor and manage computer activity.
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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.