FC0-U71 Applications and Software Practice Question
A user is choosing a backup strategy for a laptop that contains important documents. The user wants copies of files stored in a second location and wants to be able to restore an earlier version of a file that was accidentally modified. Which TWO actions should the user perform? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating any file maintenance or space-saving activity, such as Disk Cleanup or compression, as a form of backup.
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
✓
Copy important files to an external USB drive regularly.
A sound backup strategy needs both a second copy in a different location and the ability to recover earlier file versions. Copying to an external USB drive provides redundancy, while File History automatically maintains versioned backups on a separate drive. Maintenance tasks such as Disk Cleanup and defragmentation do not create backups, and a ZIP archive on the same drive offers neither off-device protection nor version history.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files from the system drive.
Why it's wrong here
Disk Cleanup deletes temporary and unnecessary files to free space; it does not create backup copies or preserve file versions. Running it could even remove cached data the user might want, and it offers no restoration capability. It is a maintenance tool, not a backup mechanism, so it does not meet either requirement.
- ✓
Copy important files to an external USB drive regularly.
Why this is correct
Copying files to an external USB drive creates a second copy in a separate location, satisfying the requirement for redundancy. If the laptop fails or files are deleted, the external copy can be used for restoration. Regular copying also preserves older versions until they are overwritten, supporting recovery of earlier file states.
- ✓
Enable File History in Windows to back up files to another drive.
Why this is correct
File History automatically keeps multiple versions of files in the Documents, Pictures, and other libraries, writing them to a separate drive. This directly enables restoring an earlier version that was accidentally modified. It also stores copies in a second location, fulfilling both stated goals of the backup strategy.
- ✗
Defragment the hard drive to improve file access speed.
Why it's wrong here
Defragmentation rearranges file fragments on a disk to improve performance, but it produces no additional copy of the data. If the drive fails, all files, including defragmented ones, are lost. It also does not retain previous versions of files, so it fails both the second-location and version-restoration requirements.
- ✗
Create a compressed ZIP archive of the files on the same drive.
Why it's wrong here
A ZIP archive on the same drive is still stored in the same location, so a drive failure destroys both the original and the archive. It also captures only the current state, not multiple earlier versions. Compression saves space but does not provide the off-device redundancy or version history the user needs.
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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
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