220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician has a Windows 10 Pro workstation that fails to boot with the error 'Inaccessible boot device' after a driver update. The technician boots from a Windows 10 installation USB and selects 'Repair your computer'. Which built-in recovery tool should the technician use to attempt to restore the system to a previous working state?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse Startup Repair with System Restore, assuming any boot error can be fixed by Startup Repair, but the key differentiator is that the error 'Inaccessible boot device' after a driver update points to a driver-level regression, which requires reverting the driver state via System Restore rather than repairing boot files.
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
✓
System Restore
System Restore is the correct tool because it allows the technician to revert the system to a previous restore point created before the driver update, effectively undoing the problematic change without affecting user data. This is the built-in recovery feature specifically designed to restore system files, registry settings, and installed drivers to a prior state, making it ideal for resolving boot failures caused by a bad driver update.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Startup Repair
Why it's wrong here
Startup Repair is designed to diagnose and fix common boot-loader problems, such as missing or corrupted BCD files or MBR issues, but it does not address driver-level crashes. The INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE bugcheck (0x7B) indicates Windows loaded its kernel but the boot volume's storage driver failed, which is a software/driver regression rather than a boot-configuration error. As a result, running Startup Repair will typically scan for boot problems and report that it cannot fix the issue, because the underlying driver remains unchanged.
- ✓
System Restore
Why this is correct
System Restore is the correct choice because it rolls back the system's files, registry, and drivers to a previously known-good restore point without affecting personal data. If a recently installed or updated storage controller driver is causing the INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error, reverting to an earlier point will replace that driver and restore boot capability. It is a non-destructive recovery tool that works from the Windows Recovery Environment, making it the optimal first-line repair for driver-induced boot failures.
- ✗
Safe Mode
Why it's wrong here
Safe Mode is a boot-time diagnostic mode that loads a minimal set of drivers, but it is not a repair tool and does not automatically undo any system changes. While you could theoretically boot into WinRE and select Safe Mode via Startup Settings, the offending storage driver might still be loaded in the minimal set, or you would have to manually uninstall/roll back the driver through Device Manager. In contrast, System Restore performs the rollback automatically and is accessible directly from the recovery menu, making Safe Mode a less direct and less reliable option for this scenario.
- ✗
Reset this PC
Why it's wrong here
Reset this PC reinstalls Windows from scratch or from a recovery image, which would clear the driver corruption that causes the boot failure, but it also removes all installed applications, system settings, and potentially personal files depending on the option chosen. This is an aggressive, time-consuming solution that effectively wipes the system to factory state or a fresh installation, making it a last resort for a problem that a single driver rollback can solve. Since System Restore can reverse the exact change responsible without data loss, Reset this PC is disproportionately disruptive and not the advised recovery action.
Visual reference
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
Key term
Registry
The Windows Registry is a central hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options for the operating system, hardware, software, and user preferences.
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.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 workstation that fails to boot normally after an unsuccessful driver update. The technician can access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Which two tools available in WinRE can be used to restore the system to a previous working state? (Select two.)
medium- A.Startup Repair
- ✓ B.System Restore
- ✓ C.System Image Recovery
- D.Safe Mode
Why B: System Restore (Option B) is correct because it uses restore points to revert system files, registry settings, and installed drivers to a previous state without affecting personal data. System Image Recovery (Option C) is also correct because it restores the entire system from a previously created system image, returning the computer to that exact state and thereby undoing the failed driver update. Note that System Image Recovery replaces all data on the system drive with the image contents, unlike System Restore which preserves personal files.
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.