220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A user reports that after rebooting their Windows 10 workstation, a mapped network drive (Z:) is no longer accessible. The technician verifies that the network share is available from other computers and that the user can access it manually by typing the UNC path. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1102 exam often tests the distinction between a drive being 'mapped' versus 'persistent' — candidates mistakenly assume that mapping a drive automatically makes it survive a reboot, but the 'Reconnect at sign-in' checkbox is required for persistence.
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
✓
The drive was mapped but the Reconnect at sign-in checkbox was not selected.
The mapped drive was configured without selecting the 'Reconnect at sign-in' checkbox, which means the mapping is not persistent across reboots. After a restart, the drive letter assignment is lost, so the user sees it as disconnected even though the network share itself is accessible via UNC path. This is the most common cause of a mapped drive disappearing after a reboot in Windows 10.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The drive was mapped but the Reconnect at sign-in checkbox was not selected.
Why this is correct
In Windows 10, when you map a network drive, the 'Reconnect at sign-in' checkbox controls whether Windows stores the mapping persistently in the registry and restores it at user logon. If the checkbox is left unchecked, the mapping is session-based, created via 'net use /persistent:no', and is discarded the moment the user logs off or the workstation reboots. Because the drive worked until the reboot, losing the mapping exactly at restart is the signature symptom of a non-persistent mapping, not any failure in SMB connectivity.
- ✗
The user's network profile is corrupted and needs to be recreated.
Why it's wrong here
A corrupted user network profile would typically present with far broader symptoms, such as inability to sign in, lost desktop settings, or application errors, because the entire NTUSER.DAT hive is damaged. The user can still manually connect to the network share, which proves that their profile is intact and capable of authenticating to the resource. A missing drive mapping only affects the session's drive letters, not the underlying profile integrity.
- ✗
Network discovery is turned off on the workstation.
Why it's wrong here
Network discovery relies on the WS-Discovery and SSDP protocols to advertise and list nearby devices in File Explorer's Network view. Turning it off only hides machines from that browsing list; it does not affect the ability to directly access a share via an absolute UNC path such as \\server\share, nor does it remove an existing mapped drive. Since the user can manually reach the share, the workstation's network discovery state is irrelevant to the drive letter disappearing after reboot.
- ✗
A firewall rule is blocking the SMB protocol.
Why it's wrong here
A firewall rule that blocks SMB (TCP port 445) would deny the underlying protocol itself, causing any connection to the share—whether via a mapped drive, net use command, or manual UNC path—to fail immediately with an error. The user's successful manual access before and after the reboot proves SMB traffic is flowing, which means a firewall rule cannot be responsible. The problem is limited to the mapping not being re-established, not to network-level transport.
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Key term
Mapped drive
A mapped drive is a shortcut that assigns a drive letter to a shared folder on a network, making it appear as if it is a local storage device on your computer.
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.
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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.