easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
FC0-U71 Practice Question: That their computer is running slowly and the…
A user reports that their computer is running slowly and the hard drive activity light is constantly on. The technician checks Task Manager and sees that disk usage is at 100%. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often associate 100% disk usage with malware or a failing drive, overlooking the classic symptom of insufficient RAM causing excessive paging to the page file.
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
✓
Insufficient RAM causing the system to use the hard drive as virtual memory excessively
When RAM is insufficient, the operating system compensates by using a portion of the hard drive as virtual memory (the page file). This causes constant swapping of data between RAM and the disk, resulting in 100% disk usage and a continuously active hard drive light. Task Manager would show high disk usage even if the CPU and memory percentages appear moderate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Malware infection that is encrypting files in the background
Why it's wrong here
Malware might cause high CPU but not specifically disk usage at 100%.
- ✓
Insufficient RAM causing the system to use the hard drive as virtual memory excessively
Why this is correct
High disk usage with constant activity often indicates insufficient RAM causing excessive paging.
- ✗
A failing hard drive that needs to be replaced immediately
Why it's wrong here
A failing drive would typically show errors or bad sectors, not necessarily constant 100% disk usage.
- ✗
The hard drive is almost full and needs to be defragmented
Why it's wrong here
A full drive does not cause 100% disk time; defragmentation is not the issue.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.