SK0-005 troubleshooting Practice Question
A server configured with RAID 5 has two failed drives. The array is offline and critical data is inaccessible. The administrator has replacement drives available. What should the administrator do to restore the data and array with minimal data loss?
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
✓
Replace both failed drives and restore from backup.
Option A is correct. RAID 5 can survive a single drive failure, but with two failed drives, the array is completely broken and cannot be rebuilt. Restoring from backup is the only reliable method to recover the data. Options B and C incorrectly assume the array can still rebuild, and option D would worsen data integrity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reconfigure the RAID to RAID 0 using the remaining good drives.
Why it's wrong here
Switching to RAID 0 would permanently lose any remaining recovery possibilities and does not help restore the original data.
- ✗
Replace both failed drives and initiate a full array rebuild.
Why it's wrong here
Without the original data or parity, initiating a rebuild will not work and may overwrite any remaining metadata.
- ✓
Replace both failed drives and restore from backup.
Why this is correct
Dual drive failure in RAID 5 results in data loss; restoration from backup is required to recover data, and then the array can be recreated.
- ✗
Replace one failed drive, allow rebuild, then replace the second.
Why it's wrong here
The array cannot rebuild with two failed drives because parity is insufficient to reconstruct the missing data.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Storage Management (RAID, SAN, NAS)
Key term
RAID Levels
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) levels are different configurations that combine multiple hard drives or SSDs to improve performance, reliability, or both.
Key term
RAID 5
RAID 5 is a disk array configuration that uses block-level striping with distributed parity to provide fault tolerance and good read performance while using storage space efficiently.
About these practice questions
One of 185 original SK0-005 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed July 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.