220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A Windows 10 computer fails to boot with the error message 'The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible.' The technician suspects a problem with the Boot Configuration Data (BCD). Which command should the technician use from the Windows Recovery Environment command prompt to repair the BCD?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse general system file repair (sfc /scannow) or disk integrity checks (chkdsk /f) with the specific boot configuration repair needed, because they see 'boot' in the error message and assume any repair tool will work.
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
✓
bootrec /rebuildbcd
The bootrec /rebuildbcd command scans all drives for Windows installations and allows the technician to rebuild the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store, which is the correct fix when the BCD is missing or corrupted. This directly addresses the error 'The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible,' which indicates the boot loader cannot locate or read the BCD. The command is run from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) command prompt, making it the appropriate tool for this scenario.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Why this is correct
The bootrec /rebuildbcd command directly scans all attached disks for valid Windows installations and asks you to add each to the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. It rewrites the BCD store from scratch, which resolves errors caused by a missing, corrupt, or misconfigured boot configuration. This is the correct first-line repair tool when Windows 10 fails with a BCD-related boot error.
- ✗
sfc /scannow
Why it's wrong here
sfc /scannow (System File Checker) verifies the integrity of every protected system file and replaces corrupted ones with cached copies from Windows. However, it does not inspect or repair the Boot Configuration Data store or any boot-related metadata, and it requires a running Windows environment to execute. Even if run from the Recovery Environment, SFC's scope is the OS file tree, not the boot config, so a BCD-specific error remains unaddressed.
- ✗
chkdsk /f
Why it's wrong here
chkdsk /f checks the file system (NTFS/FAT32) for logical errors, bad sectors, and cross-linked files, and fixes them to ensure volume integrity. It never reads or modifies the BCD store because the BCD is a separate database file, not a file-system structure. While underlying disk corruption could trigger a boot failure, chkdsk cannot recreate boot entries or the boot manager configuration.
- ✗
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Why it's wrong here
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth repairs component store corruption within the Windows image (e.g., WinSxS) using an available update source. It requires an online (running) Windows instance to function with /Online, but when the boot fails at the BCD stage, Windows can't be online. Moreover, even if run from WinRE, DISM targets system image files, not the BCD store, which lies outside the image in the system partition.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
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
Recovery
Recovery is the process of restoring systems, data, and operations after a security incident, failure, or disaster to return to normal functioning.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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