Question 131 of 144
SK0-005 server-administration Practice Question
A medium-sized business runs a critical internal application on a single physical server running Windows Server 2019. The application is memory-intensive, often using up to 24 GB out of 32 GB RAM during peak hours. Over the past week, the server has experienced three unexpected reboots, each occurring during peak load. The server is not part of a cluster, and all data is stored on local disks. You have checked the Windows System event log and found Event ID 41 (Kernel-Power) indicating an unexpected shutdown. There are no related critical errors in the Application log. You have also reviewed the server's firmware logs and found multiple corrected memory errors (ECC) over the last month, with an increase in frequency just before each crash. The server is under warranty, and the hardware vendor's diagnostic tools report a failing memory module in DIMM slot A1. The vendor has recommended replacing the faulty DIMM immediately. However, the server is currently processing critical end-of-quarter financial reports that cannot be interrupted for at least 6 hours. Which of the following is the BEST course of action to minimize risk of data loss and downtime until a planned maintenance window?
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
✓
Inform management of the criticality, request emergency approval for immediate maintenance, and if denied, ensure current backups are verified and monitor the server closely for any signs of degradation until the maintenance window.
Option D is correct because it follows proper change management: informing stakeholders, seeking emergency approval if needed, and mitigating risk by verifying backups and monitoring. Option A is wrong because immediately shutting down would interrupt critical processing and potential data loss, without management approval. Option B is wrong because Windows Memory Diagnostic is a boot-time tool and cannot effectively isolate memory regions to avoid crashes on a running production system. Option C is wrong because the server has already crashed, indicating uncorrectable errors; continuing without action risks data corruption and further unplanned outages.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to try to isolate the memory region and prevent the application from using it.
Why it's wrong here
Windows Memory Diagnostic runs at boot and cannot dynamically restrict physical memory usage; the system would still attempt to use the faulty DIMM, risking another crash.
- ✗
Continue running the server as is, as ECC memory can correct errors and the server will only crash if errors are uncorrectable; the risk is low.
Why it's wrong here
The server has already experienced crashes, proving that uncorrectable errors have occurred. Relying solely on ECC is dangerous as it can lead to data corruption and additional unplanned downtime.
- ✗
Immediately shut down the server, replace the faulty DIMM, and restart.
Why it's wrong here
This action would abruptly halt the financial report processing, potentially causing data loss and missing the deadline, without following proper change control.
- ✓
Inform management of the criticality, request emergency approval for immediate maintenance, and if denied, ensure current backups are verified and monitor the server closely for any signs of degradation until the maintenance window.
Why this is correct
This approach balances operational risk and business continuity: it escalates appropriately, validates backups to protect data, and maintains monitoring to catch further issues early.
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Last reviewed: Jul 26, 2026
This SK0-005 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 SK0-005 exam.
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