220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A Windows 10 workstation boots to a black screen with only a mouse cursor visible. The technician can boot into Safe Mode without issues. Which built-in tool should the technician use to systematically identify the cause of the black screen?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently choose Event Viewer (Option A) because they think reviewing error logs is the fastest way to diagnose the issue, but they overlook that the black screen with only a mouse cursor is typically caused by a service or startup program that Safe Mode bypasses, and msconfig is the only tool that allows systematic isolation of that component without requiring third-party software.
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 Configuration (msconfig)
System Configuration (msconfig). Since the workstation boots to a black screen with only a mouse cursor in normal mode but boots successfully into Safe Mode, the issue is likely caused by a non-Microsoft service, startup program, or driver that loads during normal boot. The System Configuration utility allows the technician to perform a 'diagnostic startup' or selectively disable services and startup items using the 'Selective Startup' option, enabling a systematic isolation of the problematic component. This is the built-in tool designed for this type of troubleshooting, as it provides a controlled environment to identify the specific service or driver causing the black screen.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Event Viewer
Why it's wrong here
Event Viewer is a read-only diagnostic tool that archives application, security, and system logs for post-incident review. Although a black screen may correlate with logged errors such as a display driver failure or a critical service crash, Event Viewer cannot modify startup configuration or test different boot scenarios. Since it does not provide any mechanism to enable or disable startup components, it cannot be used to isolate the root cause through experimentation.
- ✓
System Configuration (msconfig)
Why this is correct
System Configuration (msconfig) allows technicians to choose a Selective Startup mode, hide all Microsoft services, and disable third-party services, then progressively re-enable items to pinpoint the offending process. Its Services tab and the ability to uncheck the Load startup items option provide an efficient, non-intrusive way to test boot dependencies without permanently altering the system. This systematic approach to isolating startup components makes msconfig the correct first-line tool for diagnosing a black screen at boot.
- ✗
Device Manager
Why it's wrong here
Device Manager focuses exclusively on hardware resources, driver versions, and device status rather than software boot dependencies. While a malfunctioning driver can cause a black screen, Device Manager only allows you to disable, update, or roll back specific drivers one at a time, and it offers no facility to disable groups of services or startup applications simultaneously. Additionally, a fully black screen makes navigation difficult, so the tool is better suited for post-boot driver troubleshooting than for determining which software component prevents normal startup.
- ✗
Services.msc
Why it's wrong here
Services.msc provides granular control over individual Windows services, such as changing their startup type or stopping them, but it lacks msconfig's 'Hide all Microsoft services' and 'Disable all' batch operations. To isolate a problematic service with Services.msc, a technician would need to manually disable each suspicious service and reboot repeatedly, which is slow and less structured. It also does not address startup applications or one-time boot settings, making it a narrower tool than msconfig for whole-system isolation during a boot failure.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
TPM and Secure Boot
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
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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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.