220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user is unable to launch a legacy application after upgrading to Windows 10. The application was working fine in Windows 7. The technician has set the compatibility mode to Windows 7, but the application still fails to start. Which additional step should the technician try to resolve the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume manually setting compatibility mode is sufficient, but the CompTIA exam tests that the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter can identify and apply additional fixes (like running as administrator or disabling full-screen optimizations) that manual settings alone may miss.
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
✓
Run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter
The Program Compatibility Troubleshooter (C) is the correct next step because it automates the detection of compatibility issues, applies recommended fixes (such as setting the correct compatibility mode, disabling display scaling, or running as administrator), and can override manual settings that may be incomplete. Since the manual compatibility mode setting failed, the troubleshooter can identify additional underlying problems like deprecated API calls or missing runtime components that prevent the legacy application from launching.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Perform a clean installation of Windows 10
Why it's wrong here
Perform a clean installation of Windows 10 would completely wipe the system, removing all applications, settings, and personal files. It does not address the fundamental incompatibility between the legacy application and Windows 10's architecture or API changes. Even a fresh installation of the legacy app on a clean Windows 10 system would likely still fail unless compatibility settings are applied.
- ✗
Uninstall and reinstall the application
Why it's wrong here
Uninstalling and reinstalling the application simply replaces the same binaries and registry entries; it does not alter how Windows 10 intercepts or emulates legacy API calls. This approach only helps if the original installation was corrupted, but it is ineffective for compatibility issues caused by OS-level changes. You would still need to manually set compatibility options or use the troubleshooter afterward.
- ✓
Run the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter
Why this is correct
The Program Compatibility Troubleshooter is the correct first step because it automatically scans the application, prompts you to select symptoms (like errors or the correct OS version), and then applies the necessary compatibility settings, such as running in Windows 7 mode, enabling reduced color mode, or running as administrator. It leverages the Windows AppCompat toolkit to create a shim that reroutes legacy API calls to supported equivalents, directly addressing the root cause without risking data loss.
- ✗
Update the graphics driver to the latest version
Why it's wrong here
Updating the graphics driver to the latest version only addresses GPU-related rendering or driver instability, not application compatibility at the OS API level. A legacy application might fail due to incompatible system calls, missing DLLs, or deprecated functions that have nothing to do with the graphics stack. Even with a perfect driver, the application would still encounter the same compatibility barriers unless explicitly told to run with older Windows settings.
Visual reference
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Related to this question
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Troubleshoot: Network Issues from OS
Key term
Compatibility mode
Compatibility mode is a software setting that allows a program or operating system designed for an older version of Windows to run on a newer version by mimicking the older environment.
Key term
API
An API is a set of rules that allows software applications to communicate and exchange data with each other.
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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.