hardMultiple Choice
FC0-U71 Practice Question: A small business uses a legacy desktop…
A small business uses a legacy desktop application for inventory management. The application was designed for Windows 7 and has not been updated. The company recently upgraded its workstations to Windows 10. Now, when employees try to run the inventory application, it either crashes immediately or displays errors about missing components. The company relies on this application daily and cannot afford downtime. The IT administrator has tried running the application in compatibility mode for Windows 7, but the crashes persist. There is no alternative application available, and the vendor is out of business. Which of the following is the BEST course of action to allow the business to continue using this application?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming compatibility mode is a universal fix for legacy software — candidates pick it or reinstallation because they sound like reasonable troubleshooting steps, but the question states compatibility mode already failed, forcing the virtualization answer.
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
✓
Set up a virtual machine running Windows 7 and install the application there.
A Type 2 hypervisor VM running Windows 7 provides a fully compatible OS environment where the legacy application's missing components (old .NET runtimes, VB6 libraries, registry entries) exist natively, bypassing the incompatibilities that compatibility mode cannot fix. Compatibility mode only shims a limited set of API calls and does not restore removed OS subsystems, so crashes persist. Virtualization isolates the legacy stack while keeping the Windows 10 host productive.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Contact the vendor for an updated version of the software.
Why it's wrong here
The vendor is out of business, so no updated release can be obtained; the stem explicitly rules this path out. Contacting a vendor for a patched build is correct when the software is still supported and under maintenance, not for abandoned legacy products.
- ✗
Hire a developer to rewrite the application for Windows 10.
Why it's wrong here
Rewriting the application demands source code, development time and testing, delivering no continuity for a daily-use tool the business cannot take offline. Application virtualisation or a compatible OS in a VM restores immediate operation; rewriting suits organisations with code access and a planned migration window.
- ✓
Set up a virtual machine running Windows 7 and install the application there.
Why this is correct
A Windows 7 virtual machine provides the legacy runtime and components the application requires, isolating it from Windows 10 incompatibilities. Compatibility mode cannot supply missing dependencies, and virtualisation keeps daily access without vendor support or application changes.
- ✗
Uninstall the application and reinstall it using the original installation media.
Why it's wrong here
Reinstalling from the original media reproduces the same Windows 7 dependencies that are already failing, since the missing components are OS-level, not corrupt installation files. Reinstallation is the right remedy for a damaged or misconfigured install on a supported operating system.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This FC0-U71 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 FC0-U71 exam.