220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 workstation that fails to boot, displaying the error 'Bootmgr is missing'. The technician has booted from a Windows 10 installation USB and selected 'Repair your computer'. Which tool should the technician use to repair the boot manager?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse sfc /scannow as a universal repair tool, but it cannot fix boot manager issues because it operates on the installed OS, not the boot environment.
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
✓
bootrec.exe
The 'Bootmgr is missing' error indicates that the Boot Manager (bootmgr) is corrupted or missing. The bootrec.exe tool, specifically the /fixboot and /rebuildbcd commands, is designed to repair the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) and restore the boot manager on Windows systems. This is the correct tool for this specific boot failure scenario.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
System File Checker (sfc /scannow)
Why it's wrong here
System File Checker (sfc /scannow) verifies the integrity of protected system files and replaces corrupted ones using cached copies in the WinSxS folder. It does not touch the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store, the boot sector, or the bootmgr, so it cannot repair a boot manager that is missing or corrupt. While sfc may fix boot failures caused by damaged system DLLs, it is ineffective for boot manager-level issues.
- ✓
bootrec.exe
Why this is correct
bootrec.exe is the Windows Recovery Environment command-line tool designed specifically to repair boot failures. Its /FixMbr rewrites the master boot record, /FixBoot writes a new boot sector, and /RebuildBcd scans for installed operating systems and reconstructs the BCD store. Running bootrec.exe from the recovery command prompt directly addresses corrupted boot manager components, making it the correct tool for a non-booting Windows 10 workstation.
- ✗
diskpart
Why it's wrong here
diskpart is a disk partitioning utility that manages disks, partitions, and volumes by creating, deleting, formatting, and assigning drive letters. It does not repair or rebuild boot components; it only alters the disk layout and partition metadata. Even if you use diskpart to mark a partition active or format a volume, it cannot restore a damaged BCD store or boot sector. Thus, it is not a solution for boot manager corruption.
- ✗
chkdsk
Why it's wrong here
chkdsk scans the file system for logical errors, bad sectors, and cross-linked files, and it can repair certain disk problems that prevent loading. It operates at the file system level and has no ability to inspect or repair the boot manager, boot sector, or BCD configuration. A boot failure caused by file system corruption might be resolved by chkdsk, but if the boot manager is the culprit, chkdsk will not help.
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Data Classification Levels
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.
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.
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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.