220-1102 Operating Systems 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.

• ✓

  System Configuration (msconfig)

  Why this is correct

  This is the graphical tool designed for configuring boot options on a running Windows 10 system. On the Boot tab, you can select the operating system, check Safe Boot, and choose Minimal (Safe Mode) or Network (Safe Mode with Networking), then click OK to apply the change. It edits the boot configuration data (BCD) store automatically, and you can revert by unchecking Safe Boot next time you run msconfig. This is the standard, user-friendly method recommended by Microsoft for toggling Safe Mode for the next reboot.

• ✗

  Registry Editor (regedit)

  Why it's wrong here

  Although boot configuration is stored in the BCD store and accessible via the registry hive (e.g., HKLM\BCD00000000), manually editing these entries is error-prone and unsupported for this purpose. The registry contains raw binary data that, if modified incorrectly, can prevent Windows from starting, and there is no simple, safe way to set a one-time Safe Mode boot via regedit. Even though you can use bcdedit from an elevated command prompt to achieve the same result, regedit itself does not offer a user-friendly or reliable mechanism for toggling Safe Mode. Therefore, it is not the recommended graphical tool for this task.

• ✗

  Command Prompt (cmd)

  Why it's wrong here

  While you can launch bcdedit from an elevated Command Prompt to set the boot configuration (e.g., bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal) to enable Safe Mode, this requires typing a specific command and later reverting it; it is not a graphical interface. Additionally, a mistake in the command syntax or forgetting to reset the safeboot option will cause the system to continue booting into Safe Mode indefinitely. For an exam scenario seeking the quick graphical tool, Command Prompt is a command-line alternative, not the intended answer, even though it is a valid functional method.

• ✗

  Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

  Why it's wrong here

  WinRE is a separate recovery environment used when Windows cannot boot normally, accessible via Shift+Restart or from installation media. It includes tools like Startup Repair and Command Prompt, but it does not allow you to 'configure a Windows 10 workstation to boot into safe mode' from within the running OS; rather, you boot into WinRE first and then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings to trigger a Safe Mode restart. This is a reactive troubleshooting path, whereas the question implies configuring the next boot from a station where you have control of the system. Thus, it is not the tool for this specific task, but it is a fallback when the system fails to boot.

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