220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician needs to upgrade a Windows 10 Pro workstation from version 1909 to version 22H2 while preserving all installed applications, user settings, and personal files. The technician has downloaded the Windows 10 22H2 ISO file and mounted it. Which option should the technician choose when running setup.exe from the mounted ISO?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse the 'Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)' option with an upgrade path, but it is actually a clean installation that erases all data, making it unsuitable for preserving applications and settings.
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
✓
B. Upgrade: Install Windows and keep personal files, apps, and settings.
The 'Upgrade: Install Windows and keep personal files, apps, and settings' option performs an in-place upgrade that preserves all installed applications, user settings, and personal files when moving from Windows 10 version 1909 to 22H2. This is the only choice that meets the requirement of retaining everything while upgrading the OS build.
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. Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
Why it's wrong here
This option launches the Windows Setup partition manager, letting you format, delete, or create partitions before installing a brand-new copy of Windows. Because it performs a clean installation, it removes all existing user profiles, installed drivers, applications, and personal files from the target partition. It can be used for a full system overhaul or when switching storage, but it cannot carry over any of your current environment, so it is not the intended upgrade path from Windows 10 1909 to a newer build.
- ✓
B. Upgrade: Install Windows and keep personal files, apps, and settings.
Why this is correct
This is the correct in-place upgrade method. Windows Setup's 'Upgrade' option invokes the Windows Update installation engine, which replaces core operating system files and updates the feature version while preserving user accounts, installed programs, desktop files, and most registry settings. It is the only choice that fulfills the requirement to upgrade from Windows 10 1909 to a later 2H release without data loss. The process is generally reboot-driven and creates a Windows.old folder for rollback within 10 days.
- ✗
C. Install Windows, keeping nothing.
Why it's wrong here
This option would trigger a fresh installation that deletes all partitions or wipes the drive, erasing your personal files, settings, and applications. It is the equivalent of a 'reset with nothing kept' approach and is meant for users who want a completely clean system, not for someone who needs to retain their working environment. Choosing this would effectively discard all user data and installed software, making it unacceptable as an upgrade path.
- ✗
D. Repair your computer (advanced).
Why it's wrong here
This branch leads to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), which provides troubleshooting tools such as Startup Repair, System Restore, Command Prompt, and boot management. It does not install a new Windows version or perform a feature update; instead, it attempts to fix existing boot or system-level failures. Since you are simply looking to update from Windows 10 1909 to a newer build, this advanced recovery menu is not relevant to the upgrade process.
Go deeper
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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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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways 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 technician needs to upgrade a Windows 10 Pro workstation from version 1809 to 22H2 while preserving all installed applications, user settings, and personal files. The technician has downloaded the Windows 10 22H2 ISO file. Which method should the technician use to perform this upgrade?
medium- A.Boot from the ISO and perform a clean installation
- ✓ B.Launch setup.exe from within Windows and choose 'Keep personal files and apps'
- C.Use DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) to apply the new image
- D.Create a new partition and install Windows 10 22H2 on it
Why B: Launching setup.exe from within the running Windows 10 environment and selecting 'Keep personal files and apps' performs an in-place upgrade. This method preserves all installed applications, user settings, and personal files while upgrading the OS from version 1809 to 22H2, which is exactly what the technician needs.
Variation 2. A technician needs to upgrade a Windows 10 Pro workstation from version 1909 to version 21H2 while preserving all installed applications and user settings. The technician has downloaded the Windows 10 21H2 ISO file. Which of the following methods should the technician use to perform the upgrade?
easy- A.Use the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB drive and boot from it, then choose 'Custom: Install Windows only'.
- ✓ B.Mount the ISO file and run setup.exe, then select 'Upgrade this PC now' and choose to keep personal files and apps.
- C.Use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to apply the image directly to the system drive.
- D.Connect the workstation to the internet and use the 'Reset this PC' feature with the 'Remove everything' option.
Why B: The correct method is to mount the ISO and run setup.exe, then choose 'Upgrade this PC now' and keep personal files and apps. This performs an in-place upgrade preserving all installed applications and user settings. Option A uses a custom clean install, which removes installed applications. Option C uses DISM to apply an image directly; this does not perform an in-place upgrade and does not preserve installed apps and settings. Option D uses Reset this PC with Remove everything, which also removes installed applications and user settings.
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.