The answer is Resource Monitor, which is the correct tool to diagnose high disk usage in Windows 10 when Task Manager shows 100% disk activity but low CPU and memory usage. Resource Monitor provides granular, real-time metrics such as disk queue length and average disk seconds per read or write, allowing you to pinpoint whether the disk is overwhelmed by I/O requests—a classic sign of a bottleneck where the queue length consistently exceeds two per spindle. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your ability to differentiate between built-in diagnostic tools; a common trap is choosing Task Manager alone, which only shows aggregate usage, or Performance Monitor, which is better for long-term logging. Remember that Resource Monitor (resmon.exe) is the go-to for immediate, per-process disk analysis. A helpful memory tip: think “Resmon reveals the real disk monster”—it uncovers which process is hogging the drive and whether the queue is too long.
220-1102 Windows OS Troubleshooting Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of windows os troubleshooting. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A small office user reports that their Windows 10 PC randomly freezes for 10-15 seconds, especially when opening large files. Task Manager shows high disk usage (100%) but low CPU and memory usage. Which built-in Windows tool should be used to diagnose the disk performance issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Resource Monitor to analyze disk activity and queue length.
Resource Monitor (resmon.exe) provides real-time metrics on disk activity, including disk queue length, average disk seconds per read/write, and per-process I/O. The user's symptom of 100% disk usage with low CPU/memory suggests a disk bottleneck; a consistently high queue length (above 2 per spindle) indicates the disk cannot keep up with I/O requests, which Resource Monitor can pinpoint directly.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Use Resource Monitor to analyze disk activity and queue length.
Why this is correct
Resource Monitor shows real-time disk I/O per process, helping pinpoint which process is causing high disk usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Run the Performance Monitor with a Data Collector Set for disk.
Why it's wrong here
Performance Monitor is more for long-term logging, not immediate diagnosis of a transient freeze.
✗
Check the Event Viewer for disk-related errors.
Why it's wrong here
Event Viewer logs errors but does not show real-time disk I/O performance.
✗
Defragment the hard drive using the Optimize Drives tool.
Why it's wrong here
Defragmentation helps with fragmentation, not with sudden high disk usage caused by a process.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the distinction between real-time diagnostic tools (Resource Monitor) and historical logging tools (Performance Monitor), leading candidates to choose Performance Monitor because it sounds more comprehensive, but it is not designed for live troubleshooting of an active bottleneck.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Event Viewer logs errors but does not show real-time disk I/O performance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Resource Monitor exposes the 'Average Disk Queue Length' counter, which represents the number of I/O requests waiting to be serviced. On a traditional HDD, a sustained queue length above 2 indicates saturation; on an SSD, even a queue length of 1 can cause latency due to controller overhead. In real-world scenarios, a single process like Windows Search Indexer or a misbehaving antivirus can spike queue length, and Resource Monitor's per-process I/O breakdown reveals the culprit immediately.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1202 question in full detail.
Windows OS Troubleshooting — This question tests Windows OS Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Resource Monitor to analyze disk activity and queue length. — Resource Monitor (resmon.exe) provides real-time metrics on disk activity, including disk queue length, average disk seconds per read/write, and per-process I/O. The user's symptom of 100% disk usage with low CPU/memory suggests a disk bottleneck; a consistently high queue length (above 2 per spindle) indicates the disk cannot keep up with I/O requests, which Resource Monitor can pinpoint directly.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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