220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician needs to boot a Windows 10 PC from a USB flash drive to run a diagnostics tool. The USB drive is already inserted. Which key is commonly pressed during POST to access the boot menu?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse the key for entering the BIOS setup (F2 or Del) with the key for the one-time boot menu (F12), or they incorrectly associate F8 with boot device selection due to its historical use for Safe Mode in Windows 7 and earlier.
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
✓
F12
Pressing F12 during the POST (Power-On Self-Test) sequence on most modern Windows 10 PCs (especially from major OEMs like Dell, HP, and Lenovo) invokes the one-time boot menu. This allows the technician to select the USB flash drive as the boot device without changing the permanent BIOS/UEFI boot order, which is exactly what is needed to boot a diagnostics tool from the inserted USB drive.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
F2
Why it's wrong here
Pressing F2 during POST typically opens the BIOS/UEFI setup utility, where you can permanently change boot order, enable/disable devices, or configure hardware. It does not present a one-time boot device selection menu, so you would have to manually reorder devices and save settings just to boot from the USB flash drive for the diagnostic. The boot menu key is usually F12, not F2.
- ✗
F8
Why it's wrong here
In Windows 10, the F8 key no longer reliably invokes the Advanced Boot Options menu because the fast startup feature skips the traditional boot-time key handling. Even when it works, F8 loads the Windows Recovery Environment, which offers Safe Mode and recovery tools, not a firmware-level list of bootable devices. To choose a USB flash drive at boot, you need the firmware boot menu, which is controlled by a different key such as F12.
- ✓
F12
Why this is correct
F12 is the correct choice on many systems because it is the firmware hotkey that brings up a one-time boot menu, listing all available bootable devices such as the USB flash drive, hard drive, and optical drive. Selecting the USB drive from this menu is non-destructive and temporary, so it does not change the permanent boot order, making it ideal for running a standalone diagnostic tool on a Windows 10 PC. While the exact key varies by manufacturer, F12 is a widely supported standard for boot device selection.
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Del
Why it's wrong here
The Del key is a common entry point to the UEFI/BIOS setup utility, especially on desktop motherboards, where it gives access to firmware configuration but never directly shows a boot device selection dialog. Similar to F2, you would need to locate the boot order settings, move the USB flash drive to the top, save changes, and then revert the order after finishing the diagnostic. Because this modifies persistent settings instead of offering a one-time boot choice, it is not the appropriate key for booting a USB drive.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
PXE Boot and Windows Deployment Services
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.
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.