220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician needs to deploy Windows 10 to several new laptops with different hardware configurations. The technician wants to create a custom image that includes company software and settings. Which tool should be used on the reference computer before capturing the image to ensure it can be deployed to different hardware?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse DISM's image-capturing capability with the generalization step, assuming DISM alone can prepare an image for different hardware, but DISM only captures the image after Sysprep has been run.
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 tool because it generalizes the Windows installation by removing hardware-specific drivers and security identifiers (SIDs), allowing the image to be deployed to different hardware configurations. Without Sysprep, the captured image would retain the reference computer's drivers and SID, causing boot failures or domain join issues on dissimilar hardware.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Sysprep
Why this is correct
Sysprep is the correct tool because its /generalize option strips all hardware-specific information from a Windows installation, including the HAL, Plug and Play device drivers, computer name, and security identifiers (SIDs). This makes the image hardware-independent so it can be deployed to laptops with different hardware configurations, and Windows will re-run an Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) on first boot. Without Sysprep, an image captured from one machine would carry over that machine's driver and SID pairing, causing conflicts or errors on dissimilar hardware.
- ✗
DISM
Why it's wrong here
DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is a command-line utility used to mount, capture, service, and manipulate Windows images (WIM, VHD, or VHDX) by adding drivers, language packs, or updates and checking component health. While DISM is often used to capture or apply a generalized image prepared with Sysprep, it does not itself generalize an installation — it does not remove SIDs, hardware drivers, or machine-specific configuration. Running DISM alone cannot make an installation hardware-independent, so it would be incorrect to select it as the tool to prepare Windows for deployment to different hardware.
- ✗
Windows PE
Why it's wrong here
Windows PE (WinPE) is a lightweight preinstallation and recovery environment that provides a bootstrap shell for running deployment tools such as Sysprep, DISM, and third-party imaging utilities during the Windows setup process. It is often used to boot a machine and apply an image, but it is not the component that generalizes the installation; WinPE does not alter or remove any machine-specific data from a captured Windows image. Its role is purely as a host environment, so it cannot make an image hardware-independent.
- ✗
Diskpart
Why it's wrong here
Diskpart is a text-mode command interpreter for managing disks, partitions, and volumes; it can create and format partitions, assign drive letters, mark partitions as active, and execute scripted disk layout operations. It is commonly used in deployment scripts to prepare the hard drive before applying a Windows image, but it has no interaction with the operating system's internal configuration and cannot modify or generalize Windows settings, drivers, or SIDs. Thus, Diskpart is entirely unrelated to making an image hardware-independent.
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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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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician is tasked with deploying a standard Windows 10 Pro image to multiple new laptops. The technician needs to ensure that each deployed system has a unique Security Identifier (SID) for proper network and security functionality. Which tool should the technician run on the reference computer before capturing the image?
medium- ✓ A.Sysprep with the /generalize option
- B.Diskpart
- C.bcdedit
- D.dism /capture-image
Why A: Sysprep with the /generalize option removes computer-specific information, including the Security Identifier (SID), from the Windows installation. This ensures that when the image is deployed to multiple laptops, each system generates a unique SID upon first boot, which is critical for proper network authentication and security functionality in a domain environment.
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.