220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question

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 /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows

  Why it's wrong here

  SFC with the `/offbootdir` and `/offwindir` switches repairs corrupted system files by checking file integrity against the component store, but stop error 0xc000021a indicates a critical system process (such as CSRSS or Winlogon) has terminated, often due to a corrupt registry hive or driver mismatch. SFC cannot repair registry hives or replace kernel-mode drivers that cause this specific failure. It is tempting because SFC is the standard tool for fixing boot failures caused by file corruption, and would be correct if the error indicated a damaged system file rather than a terminated critical process.

• ✓

  DISM /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

  Why this is correct

  DISM /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth targets an offline Windows image, scanning the component store for corruption and repairing it using Windows Update or a specified source. Since 0xc000021a is often triggered by a corrupt system hive or mismatched system files, restoring the system image can address the underlying cause of the critical process failure. This is the correct first-line repair because it directly fixes the system files and registry-related corruption that SFC cannot, and it does not require booting the OS.

• ✗

  chkdsk C: /f

  Why it's wrong here

  chkdsk C: /f checks the NTFS file system for logical errors, bad sectors, and cross-linked files, and attempts to repair them. However, stop error 0xc000021a arises from a terminated critical process, not from disk-level file system corruption; even if chkdsk finds issues, it cannot repair the actual system files or registry hives that cause the bugcheck. Running chkdsk might be useful if disk errors are suspected, but it is not a targeted fix for this bugcheck.

• ✗

  bcdedit /rebuildbcd

  Why it's wrong here

  bcdedit /rebuildbcd reconstructs the Boot Configuration Database, which controls boot manager entries and boot application parameters. The 0xc000021a stop code occurs during kernel or early user-mode initialization, well after the BCD has already been read, so a corrupt BCD would typically produce a different error such as 0xc000000f or 0xc0000098. Therefore, rebuilding the BCD would not resolve the critical process termination that defines this failure.

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