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220-1102 Practice Question: After installing a new application, a user…
After installing a new application, a user reports that their default web browser keeps changing to a different one without their consent. Which Windows feature can you use to prevent applications from changing file associations and default programs?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that Default Programs in Control Panel can lock associations, but it only provides a manual interface for setting them without any enforcement mechanism against application changes.
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
✓
Local Group Policy Editor
The Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) allows administrators to configure the 'Set a default associations configuration file' policy under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer. When enabled, this policy prevents applications from changing file associations and default programs by locking the association file, overriding any user or application changes. This is the correct tool for enforcing system-wide control over default programs in Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Programs and Features
Why it's wrong here
Programs and Features is primarily designed for managing the installation lifecycle of software, allowing users to uninstall, change, or repair applications. It provides no functionality for setting, let alone enforcing, default application associations for file types or protocols. Its scope is limited to the installed programs themselves, not the system-wide policies governing how those programs interact with file types.
- ✗
Default Programs (Control Panel)
Why it's wrong here
The Default Programs utility within the Control Panel, or its modern equivalent in the Settings app, allows users to manually select which application opens specific file types or handles certain protocols. While it enables a user to establish their preferred defaults, it lacks any administrative enforcement mechanism. Consequently, other applications can still prompt the user to change defaults, or even programmatically re-register themselves, overriding the user's initial selection.
- ✓
Local Group Policy Editor
Why this is correct
The Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) provides administrative control to enforce system-wide settings, including default application associations. By configuring the 'Set a default associations configuration file' policy, an administrator can specify an XML file that dictates precise file type and protocol handlers. This policy then actively prevents users or newly installed applications from altering these defined associations, ensuring consistent behavior across the system.
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Registry Editor
Why it's wrong here
Using Registry Editor to manually alter `HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT` or `UserChoice` keys could theoretically lock a browser association, but it lacks the enforcement mechanism of the Settings app’s "Default Programs" interface. Windows 10/11 actively resets such registry overrides when a new application invokes the `IApplicationAssociationRegistration` API to claim defaults. It is tempting because Registry Editor offers direct, low-level control over file-type mappings, and would be correct for auditing current associations or scripting bulk changes in an offline environment, but it cannot prevent a program from programmatically re-registering itself.
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Windows Editions and Features
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.