220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician is deploying several new Windows 10 workstations. The company policy requires that all workstations be joined to the on-premises Active Directory domain. The technician successfully joins one workstation to the domain, but when trying to join a second workstation, the option to join a domain is missing. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume the issue is network-related (DNS or connectivity) because domain join frequently fails due to DNS misconfiguration, but the question specifically states the option to join a domain is missing, not that the join fails.
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 workstation is running Windows 10 Home instead of Pro.
Windows 10 Home edition lacks the Domain Join feature, which is only available in Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions. When the technician attempts to join a second workstation to the on-premises Active Directory domain, the missing option indicates that the workstation is running Windows 10 Home, as it does not include the necessary client components (e.g., the ability to authenticate via Kerberos or change the computer's primary DNS suffix) to participate in a domain.
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 workstation is running Windows 10 Home instead of Pro.
Why this is correct
The domain-join feature requires a Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition. Windows 10 Home omits the ability to connect to an on-premises Active Directory domain entirely; the 'Access work or school' settings page lacks the 'Join a domain' button, so even when all network and DNS requirements are satisfied, the option is not presented. This is an edition-based limitation, not a configuration error.
- ✗
The workstation is not connected to the network.
Why it's wrong here
The domain join option appears in the System UI regardless of current network connectivity. If the workstation were offline, the user could still open 'Access work or school' and click 'Connect,' only receiving an error when the system attempts to locate the domain controller. The missing button is therefore not explained (or resolved) by plugging in a network cable.
- ✗
The user account does not have local administrator privileges.
Why it's wrong here
Local administrative privileges are required to perform the actual domain join, but they do not affect the presence of the option in the graphical interface. A standard user can navigate to the settings and attempt a join, only to be blocked by a UAC prompt or an authentication failure. Since the option is visible even to unprivileged accounts, its absence points to a different root cause.
- ✗
The DNS server is not configured correctly.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect DNS configuration prevents the client from resolving the SRV (service location) records needed to find a domain controller, but the Join to a Domain button is still displayed on the Settings page. The user could initiate the join and then receive a 'domain cannot be found' error. Therefore, fixing DNS is something a technician might do to make the join succeed, yet it does not make the join option materialize.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Upgrade Paths and Edition Compatibility
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
DNS
DNS is the system that translates human-friendly domain names like example.com into machine-readable IP addresses so computers can find each other on a network.
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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.