220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 workstation that fails to boot, displaying the error 'Boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible.' The technician suspects the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is corrupted. The technician boots from a Windows 10 installation media and opens Command Prompt from the Repair options. Which command should the technician run to rebuild the BCD?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse `bootrec /rebuildbcd` with `bcdedit /export` or `sfc /scannow`, mistakenly thinking that exporting or scanning system files can fix a corrupted boot configuration database.
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 /rebuildbcd
The `bootrec /rebuildbcd` command scans all drives for Windows installations and prompts the user to add them to a new Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store, effectively rebuilding a corrupted BCD. This directly addresses the 'Boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible' error caused by BCD corruption. The other options either export the existing BCD (which is useless if corrupted), check file system integrity, or scan system files—none of which rebuild the BCD store.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Why this is correct
This command, executed from the Windows Recovery Environment command prompt, scans all disks for compatible Windows installations and gives you the option to add them to a newly constructed Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. If the original BCD is missing, corrupted, or contains invalid entries, this rebuild directly addresses the boot failure. It does not modify the file system or system files, making it the targeted fix for BCD-related boot issues.
- ✗
bcdedit /export
Why it's wrong here
The bcdedit /export command only creates a backup copy of the current BCD store to a designated file; it performs no validation or repair of the existing boot configuration. While useful for preserving a known-good configuration before changes, it cannot rebuild a damaged store or restore boot capability. A corrupt BCD requires reconstruction, not a snapshot export.
- ✗
sfc /scannow
Why it's wrong here
System File Checker scans and restores protected operating system files, such as DLLs and kernel files, but it does not inspect or modify the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) database. Since the BCD lives outside the normal file-protection scope, sfc cannot detect or fix a corrupt boot configuration. Thus, running sfc /scannow would not resolve a workstation that fails to boot due to BCD corruption.
- ✗
chkdsk /f
Why it's wrong here
chkdsk /f verifies the integrity of the NTFS file system and attempts to repair logical disk errors, including bad sectors and inconsistent file metadata. However, the BCD is a separate database stored in a special partition or file, not a typical file that file-system checking would remediate. While disk errors can cause boot problems, chkdsk will leave BCD corruption untouched and therefore won't solve this specific issue.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
System Restore Points
Key term
Integrity
Integrity is the assurance that data has not been altered or tampered with in an unauthorized way, preserving its accuracy and consistency from source to destination.
Key term
Command Prompt
Command Prompt is a text-based interface in Windows that lets you type commands to perform tasks like managing files, troubleshooting networks, or launching programs.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A Windows 10 workstation fails to boot and displays a 'Recovery' screen with no advanced options visible. The technician boots from installation media and opens a Command Prompt. Which command-line utility should be used to rebuild the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store?
medium- ✓ A.bootrec
- B.bcdedit
- C.sfc
- D.chkdsk
Why A: When a Windows 10 workstation fails to boot and displays a 'Recovery' screen with no advanced options, the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store is often corrupted or missing. Booting from installation media and opening a Command Prompt allows the technician to use the `bootrec` utility, specifically the `bootrec /rebuildbcd` command, which scans all disks for Windows installations and rebuilds the BCD store from scratch. This is the correct tool because it directly addresses BCD corruption without requiring manual editing or additional system files.
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.