220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A Windows 10 application stops responding. The user cannot close the application normally. Which built-in tool should be used to force close the application?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse Resource Monitor (B) with Task Manager because both show process lists, but Resource Monitor lacks the 'End task' functionality and is intended for detailed performance analysis, not process termination.
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
✓
Task Manager
Task Manager (A) is the correct built-in tool to force close a non-responsive application in Windows 10. You can open it via Ctrl+Shift+Esc, select the hung application on the Processes tab, and click 'End task' to send a WM_CLOSE or, if that fails, a TerminateProcess call to forcibly stop the process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Task Manager
Why this is correct
Task Manager is the correct built-in Windows 10 utility for forcefully ending an unresponsive application. In the Processes or Details tab, you can select the hung app and click 'End task,' which sends a WM_CLOSE message and, if the process does not respond, issues a TerminateProcess call to kill it. This direct process-termination capability is exactly what is needed when an application stops responding.
- ✗
Resource Monitor
Why it's wrong here
Resource Monitor (resmon.exe) is a read-only diagnostic tool that displays real-time per-process usage of CPU, memory, disk, and network resources. It is extremely useful for identifying which resource bottleneck is causing an application to hang, but it provides no controls to send termination signals or kill processes. To actually close the unresponsive application, you must switch to a separate control tool like Task Manager or use the command-line taskkill utility.
- ✗
Event Viewer
Why it's wrong here
Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) records system, security, and application events, including error messages and crash details that may shed light on why an application stopped responding. However, it is strictly a logging and analysis console; it does not expose any running-process controls, so you cannot directly end or kill a program from within it. Its purpose is to help you troubleshoot the root cause after you have already dealt with the immediate problem of the hung application.
- ✗
Task Scheduler
Why it's wrong here
Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc) is designed to create, configure, and manage tasks that launch programs or scripts automatically based on time triggers, logon events, or system conditions. It operates purely on a scheduling basis and has no awareness of or control over processes that are already running in the user session. Therefore, it cannot terminate an unresponsive application; its management scope is limited to automated task definitions, not live process control.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshoot: Application Crashes
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
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.
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.