Quick Answer
The answer is the Administrative Tools applet in Control Panel. This is correct because Administrative Tools serves as a centralized folder for advanced system utilities, and Event Viewer is one of the tools nested within it rather than being a standalone Control Panel icon. When you open Event Viewer from Administrative Tools, you can review Security logs to pinpoint unauthorized access events, such as failed or successful logon attempts, which is exactly what you need to determine when a breach occurred. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this question tests your knowledge of where system tools are logically organized in Windows—a common trap is to look for Event Viewer directly under System and Security or as a main category, but it is only accessible through Administrative Tools. A helpful memory tip is to think of Administrative Tools as the “toolbox” for advanced system management: if it’s not in the main Control Panel view, it’s likely inside this folder.
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of windows settings and control panel. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 security incident occurred where an unauthorized user accessed a workstation. You need to review the event logs to determine when the breach happened. Which Control Panel applet would you use to launch the Event Viewer?
System
Why wrong: System does not provide direct access to Event Viewer.
Security and Maintenance
Why wrong: Security and Maintenance shows summary alerts but does not launch Event Viewer directly.
Administrative Tools
Administrative Tools includes Event Viewer, Performance Monitor, and other system tools.
Device Manager
Why wrong: Device Manager manages hardware, not event logs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Administrative Tools
Administrative Tools is the Control Panel applet that provides access to advanced system tools, including Event Viewer. To investigate a security breach, you would open Administrative Tools and then launch Event Viewer to review security logs for unauthorized access events. This is the correct path because Event Viewer is not directly listed in the main Control Panel categories; it is nested within Administrative Tools.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
System
Why it's wrong here
System does not provide direct access to Event Viewer.
Security and Maintenance
Why it's wrong here
Security and Maintenance shows summary alerts but does not launch Event Viewer directly.
Administrative Tools
Why this is correct
Administrative Tools includes Event Viewer, Performance Monitor, and other system tools.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Device Manager
Why it's wrong here
Device Manager manages hardware, not event logs.
Common exam traps
CompTIA often tests the distinction between the Security and Maintenance applet (which shows security status but not logs) and Administrative Tools (which contains Event Viewer), leading candidates to mistakenly choose Security and Maintenance because of the word 'Security' in the name.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Security and Maintenance shows summary alerts but does not launch Event Viewer directly.
Detailed technical explanation
Event Viewer logs are stored in %SystemRoot%\System32\winevt\Logs as .evtx files, and the Event Viewer MMC snap-in (eventvwr.msc) can also be launched directly from the Run dialog. In a forensic investigation, the Security log (under Windows Logs) records audit success/failure events (Event ID 4625 for failed logons, 4624 for successful logons), which are critical for pinpointing the exact time of unauthorized access. Administrative Tools simply provides a centralized shortcut to this MMC console.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Windows Settings and Control Panel — This question tests Windows Settings and Control Panel — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Administrative Tools — Administrative Tools is the Control Panel applet that provides access to advanced system tools, including Event Viewer. To investigate a security breach, you would open Administrative Tools and then launch Event Viewer to review security logs for unauthorized access events. This is the correct path because Event Viewer is not directly listed in the main Control Panel categories; it is nested within Administrative Tools.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.
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