The correct answer is to replace Disk 0 because the described symptoms—occasional freezing and data read errors—are classic failing system hard drive symptoms. When a disk labeled as the system drive begins to fail, it cannot reliably read or write data, causing the operating system to hang or produce read errors as it struggles to access critical boot and system files. On the CompTIA ITF+ FC0-U61 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between hardware failure and software issues; a common trap is to suggest running CHKDSK or updating drivers, but these only mask the problem on a physically failing drive. Remember that system-level freezes point to the system disk, not a secondary storage drive. A useful memory tip: if the system freezes, check the system disk first—think “System freeze, System drive.”
FC0-U61 Infrastructure Practice Question
This FC0-U61 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
Error Log:
[2025-01-15 14:32:10] Disk 0 - S.M.A.R.T. status: FAILURE PREDICTED
[2025-01-15 14:32:10] Disk 0 - Reallocated sector count: 45
[2025-01-15 14:32:10] Disk 1 - Status: OK
Refer to the exhibit. A system administrator notices that the computer occasionally freezes and data read errors occur. What should the administrator do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Replace Disk 0
Disk 0 is the system disk (as indicated by the 'System' label in the exhibit), and the described symptoms—occasional freezing and data read errors—are classic indicators of a failing hard drive. Replacing Disk 0 addresses the root cause because a failing system disk can cause intermittent read failures and system hangs. Running CHKDSK or updating drivers would only mask the problem temporarily, and replacing Disk 1 (a non-system disk) would not resolve system-level freezes.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Update the storage controller driver
Why it's wrong here
Drivers do not fix physical disk errors.
✗
Replace Disk 1
Why it's wrong here
Disk 1 is healthy and does not need replacement.
✗
Run CHKDSK on both disks
Why it's wrong here
CHKDSK can repair file system errors but not hardware failures.
✓
Replace Disk 0
Why this is correct
Disk 0 is predicted to fail and has reallocated sectors, so replacement is necessary.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume CHKDSK (Option C) can fix any disk issue, but it only addresses logical corruption, not physical failures, and they may overlook that the 'System' label on Disk 0 indicates it is the boot drive, making its failure the primary cause of system freezes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Hard drives develop bad sectors over time due to wear, and when the system disk has bad sectors, the OS may hang during read attempts as the disk controller retries or reallocates data. S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) attributes like Reallocated Sector Count or Current Pending Sector Count can predict such failures, but the exhibit does not show S.M.A.R.T. data. In a real-world scenario, a failing system disk often causes blue screens or boot failures, and immediate replacement is critical to prevent data loss.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Infrastructure — This question tests Infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Replace Disk 0 — Disk 0 is the system disk (as indicated by the 'System' label in the exhibit), and the described symptoms—occasional freezing and data read errors—are classic indicators of a failing hard drive. Replacing Disk 0 addresses the root cause because a failing system disk can cause intermittent read failures and system hangs. Running CHKDSK or updating drivers would only mask the problem temporarily, and replacing Disk 1 (a non-system disk) would not resolve system-level freezes.
What should I do if I get this FC0-U61 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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