220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician needs to deploy a custom Windows 10 image to several computers with identical hardware. The technician has configured the reference computer with all required applications and settings. Which built-in tool should be used to prepare the image for deployment by removing hardware-specific information?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse Sysprep with System Configuration (msconfig) because both are system preparation tools, but Sysprep is specifically designed for image generalization and deployment, while msconfig only modifies boot and service settings.
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
✓
Sysprep
Sysprep (System Preparation Tool) is the correct built-in utility for generalizing a Windows 10 image by removing hardware-specific information such as driver caches, security identifiers (SIDs), and computer names. This ensures the image can be deployed to multiple computers with identical hardware without conflicts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disk Management
Why it's wrong here
Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) is a storage administration tool for creating, resizing, and formatting partitions and assigning drive letters. It operates strictly on volumes and disks, and it lacks any mechanism to modify the Windows registry or system state that contains hardware-specific drivers and identifiers. Because it cannot generalize an operating system instance, it cannot produce an image suitable for deployment across multiple computers.
- ✗
System Configuration (msconfig)
Why it's wrong here
System Configuration (msconfig) is a boot and startup troubleshooting utility that lets you select safe boot modes, disable services, and launch startup items. It only modifies the Boot Configuration Data and service/startup states; it does not strip the installation of its hardware abstraction layer or unique security identifiers. As a result, msconfig cannot reset Windows 10 to a generalized state for imaging.
- ✓
Sysprep
Why this is correct
Sysprep is the correct tool for generalizing a custom Windows 10 image because it removes hardware-specific drivers and computer-specific security identifiers (SIDs), then prepares the OS to run the Windows Welcome (OOBE) process on first boot. Running Sysprep with the /generalize and /oobe switches cleans the system of unique data and resets activation, making the captured image safe to clone to many computers. This is a required step before using DISM or any imaging tool to deploy a custom installation to multiple systems.
- ✗
Windows Memory Diagnostic
Why it's wrong here
Windows Memory Diagnostic is a low-level utility that boots the system into a specialized diagnostic mode to test physical RAM for errors and faults. It does not touch the Windows installation, registry, drivers, or user profiles, and it has no capability to modify the OS image. Since its sole purpose is memory validation, it cannot be used to prepare a Windows 10 image for deployment.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
macOS System Preferences and Settings
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
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.
About these practice questions
This 220-1102 question is part of Courseiva's 925-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.