220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 workstation that is experiencing frequent application crashes and system instability. The user wants to preserve personal files (documents, pictures) but remove all installed applications and revert system settings to default. Which built-in Windows 10 recovery option should the technician choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'Keep my files' with 'System Restore' or 'Remove everything,' not realizing that 'Keep my files' specifically removes applications and resets settings while preserving user data, which is exactly what the scenario requires.
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
✓
Reset this PC - Keep my files
Reset this PC - Keep my files is the correct choice because it reinstalls Windows 10 while preserving user data in the %USERPROFILE% folders (Documents, Pictures, etc.), but removes all installed applications and resets system settings to default. This matches the user's requirement to keep personal files while eliminating application crashes and system instability caused by third-party software or corrupted settings.
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 Restore
Why it's wrong here
System Restore uses point-in-time snapshots to revert only protected system files, drivers, the registry, and certain Windows settings. It does not perform a clean reinstall or comprehensively remove every user-installed application; many apps and their residual data remain, and settings are only returned to a prior restore point rather than a default clean state. This selective rollback cannot satisfy the user's request to strip all applications and reset all settings while preserving personal files.
- ✓
Reset this PC - Keep my files
Why this is correct
Reset this PC - Keep my files reinstalls a fresh copy of Windows 10 through the Windows Recovery Environment or the built-in recovery partition, preserving only the user's profile folders (Documents, Pictures, Desktop, etc.). All Win32 and UWP applications, drivers, and system/user settings are removed and replaced with defaults, while personal files are temporarily staged and restored after the OS image is applied. This exactly matches the user's requirement: a clean OS with all applications gone but documents and pictures intact.
- ✗
Reset this PC - Remove everything
Why it's wrong here
Reset this PC - Remove everything also reinstalls Windows 10, but it additionally deletes all user profiles, personal data, accounts, and files from the system drive, with an optional cleanup step that overwrites the drive to hinder data recovery. Since the user explicitly wants to keep their documents and pictures, this option would cause permanent data loss, making it an overly destructive choice even though it does reset applications and settings as requested.
- ✗
Startup Repair
Why it's wrong here
Startup Repair is a Windows Recovery Environment tool focused exclusively on boot-failure diagnostics and remediation, such as rebuilding the Boot Configuration Database, repairing the MBR or boot sector, and restoring critical boot-related system files. It does not reinstall the operating system, uninstall applications, reset user settings, or alter the installed application inventory in any meaningful way. Therefore, it is entirely unsuited to a scenario that calls for removing all applications while retaining personal files.
Go deeper
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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.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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