220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 workstation that experiences intermittent blue screen errors with the stop code 'DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL'. The technician has updated all drivers, run memory diagnostics with no errors, and verified system files are intact. The errors occur randomly when the computer is idle, but never when it is under heavy load. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume all blue screens are caused by overheating or faulty hardware, but the specific combination of 'idle-only' crashes and the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL stop code is a classic indicator of a power management driver bug.
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
✓
A driver that is incompatible with the system's power management features.
The DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL stop code indicates that a driver attempted to access a memory address at an improper interrupt request level (IRQL). The fact that errors occur only when the system is idle, not under load, strongly points to a driver that is incompatible with power management features (e.g., modern standby, PCIe ASPM, or C-states). When idle, the system lowers power states, and a faulty driver may attempt to access memory or hardware that has been powered down, causing the IRQL violation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A driver that is incompatible with the system's power management features.
Why this is correct
A driver that mishandles power management is the correct explanation. When the Windows 10 system idles, the kernel transitions devices and processors to lower power states, and a driver that does not correctly implement its power-management callbacks (such as IRP_MN_SET_POWER) may attempt to access pageable memory at an elevated IRQL, triggering an IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL stop error. This explains why the crash occurs specifically during idle periods rather than under load or at startup.
- ✗
Overheating of the CPU due to a failing fan.
Why it's wrong here
Overheating due to a failing fan is unlikely because thermal failures typically surface when the CPU is under heavy sustained load—when clock speeds and voltage raise heat generation far above idle levels. During idle, the CPU's power draw is minimal, so even a compromised fan can usually sustain safe temperatures, meaning a system that crashes only when idle would not match a thermal-throttling or thermal-shutdown scenario.
- ✗
Insufficient power from the power supply unit (PSU).
Why it's wrong here
An insufficient PSU is also improbable for this symptom, as power-supply problems generally manifest at peak current draw—for example, during gaming or stress testing when the GPU and CPU demand maximum power. At idle, the system's current draw is very low, and a weak or failing PSU is unlikely to cause voltage droop or instability under such minimal load; thus it would not explain crashes limited to idle periods.
- ✗
A corrupted Windows registry that affects driver loading.
Why it's wrong here
A corrupted Windows registry affecting driver loading is not the issue, because registry problems that prevent a driver from loading produce errors at boot or during the initial driver initialization, not hours later when the system idles. The technician's verification of system file integrity also suggests the core OS files are intact; moreover, a registry corruption would not selectively cause a crash in response to power-state transitions, so this does not align with the observed pattern.
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Key term
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
PCI Express (PCIe) is a high-speed expansion bus standard that connects internal hardware components like graphics cards, SSDs, and network adapters to a computer's motherboard.
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.
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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.