220-1102 Operational Procedures Practice Question
A company is disposing of several old desktop computers that are still in working condition. The hard drives have been sanitized using a degausser, and the computers will be sold to a refurbisher. Which of the following should the technician do with the original Windows 10 license stickers attached to the cases before releasing the equipment?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume degaussing or data destruction invalidates the license, or that OEM stickers can be moved to other computers like retail licenses, when in fact OEM licenses are permanently bound to the original hardware and cannot be transferred.
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
✓
Leave the stickers on the cases so the refurbisher can reuse the licenses with the machines.
The Windows 10 license is tied to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) sticker, which is a non-transferable, single-use license that legally stays with the machine. Since the hard drives have been degaussed (rendering data unrecoverable), the refurbisher can reuse the OEM license with the same hardware, as it is already embedded in the system BIOS or attached to the case. Removing or destroying the stickers would violate the OEM licensing agreement and prevent the refurbisher from legally activating Windows on those machines.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Remove the stickers and destroy them to prevent unauthorized use.
Why it's wrong here
The OEM license is permanently bound to the original hardware, and the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker is the tangible proof of that license. Destroying the sticker does not prevent unauthorized use because the license itself cannot be transferred or reused; it merely removes the legal documentation that the machine is properly licensed. This would leave the refurbisher unable to prove the OS is legitimate, exposing them and the buyer to non-compliance and potential legal penalties.
- ✓
Leave the stickers on the cases so the refurbisher can reuse the licenses with the machines.
Why this is correct
OEM Windows licenses are legally non-transferable to other computers, but they are explicitly designed to be transferred together with the original hardware on which they were first installed. The COA sticker, which serves as the license proof, must remain affixed to the computer case so that the refurbisher can reinstall and sell the machines with a legally licensed Windows environment. This preserves the residual value of the systems and complies with Microsoft's OEM licensing terms for refurbished devices.
- ✗
Sell the computers without an operating system and recycle the license stickers.
Why it's wrong here
Selling the computers without an OS and recycling the COA stickers is misguided because the OEM license cannot be detached from the hardware; the sticker is the only evidence that the machine has a valid software license. Without it, the computers are effectively unlicensed, significantly lowering their resale value and creating a false impression that the OS was never purchased. Since the license travels with the hardware, there is no reason to strip the stickers, and doing so violates the spirit of the OEM agreement.
- ✗
Remove the stickers and transfer them to other company computers that need licensing.
Why it's wrong here
OEM licenses are strictly bound to the specific machine they originally shipped with, and the COA sticker is not a transferable token that can be moved to another device. Attempting to relocate the stickers to different company computers would not legitimize those systems; rather, it would constitute an unauthorized use of software in violation of Microsoft's licensing terms. This practice is both legally unsound and administratively pointless, as the stickers would provide false proof of licensing on hardware they were never intended for.
Go deeper
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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.
Key term
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is a company that produces hardware components or complete systems that are sold under another company's brand name.
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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.