220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A Windows 10 computer fails to boot after a power outage. The technician suspects file system corruption. The technician boots into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Which command-line tool should be used FIRST to check and repair the file system?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse file system corruption with boot loader or system file issues, leading them to choose sfc /scannow or bootrec /fixmbr first, when the logical first step is to verify and repair the volume with chkdsk.
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
✓
chkdsk /f
The correct first step when suspecting file system corruption after a power outage is to use chkdsk /f. This command checks the integrity of the file system and fixes logical errors, such as those caused by an improper shutdown. Running chkdsk before other tools ensures the underlying volume is stable before attempting system file repairs or boot configuration fixes.
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 it's wrong here
SFC (System File Checker) scans protected system files and repairs them by replacing corrupted versions with cached copies, but it does not inspect the file system structure itself, such as the Master File Table or directory entries. After a power outage, the failure to boot is more likely caused by volume-level NTFS corruption, not by tampered system files. Additionally, sfc /scannow requires a running Windows environment, which isn't available on a computer that won't boot, so it cannot be the first remediation step.
- ✓
chkdsk /f
Why this is correct
chkdsk /f checks the entire volume for file system errors—including bad sectors, cross-linked files, and metadata inconsistencies—and repairs them, which makes it the correct initial tool when an unclean shutdown like a power outage leaves the disk in a dirty state. It directly validates and restores the integrity of the NTFS volume structure that Windows needs to mount and boot from. Because abrupt power loss often corrupts file system journaling or allocation tables, chkdsk is specifically designed to resolve this and is the appropriate first action.
- ✗
bootrec /fixmbr
Why it's wrong here
bootrec /fixmbr writes a new master boot record (MBR) to the first sector of the system partition, which only repairs the boot loader code that initiates Windows startup. This tool addresses boot configuration problems such as a missing or corrupted MBR, not file system corruption, which exists at the volume level (e.g., NTFS metadata) rather than the boot sector. A power outage typically causes file system inconsistencies, not necessarily a damaged MBR, so rewriting the MBR would not fix the underlying volume corruption preventing boot.
- ✗
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Why it's wrong here
DISM with /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth repairs corruption in the Windows component store and system image of an already-booted, running Windows installation. This command cannot run on a machine that fails to boot because it requires the operating system to be loaded and functioning. Moreover, DISM does not scan or repair the file system structure; a power outage commonly causes volume-level NTFS damage, not component store corruption, making DISM both inapplicable and premature before chkdsk is run.
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Windows Networking and File Sharing
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
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 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.