Question 28 of 750

Data Destruction and Disposal →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Large-Scale On-Site Data Destruction: HDDs and SSDs

This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of data destruction and disposal. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.

A company is decommissioning a data center and must destroy 1000 HDDs and 200 SSDs. The policy mandates that all data be destroyed on-site and that the drives be rendered physically unusable. Which combination of methods is most efficient?

A
Degauss all drives and then recycle them.
Why wrong: Degaussing does not physically destroy SSDs, and it does not render drives physically unusable as required.
B
Use a hard drive shredder to shred all drives.
A shredder physically destroys both HDDs and SSDs, meeting the requirement for on-site physical destruction efficiently.
C
Overwrite all drives with a three-pass wipe.
Why wrong: Overwriting 1200 drives would be extremely time-consuming and does not physically destroy the drives.
D
Use a degausser for HDDs and a secure erase for SSDs.
Why wrong: This method does not physically destroy the drives; it only destroys data, and degaussing does not work on SSDs.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Quick Answer

The answer is to use a hard drive shredder to shred all drives, as this is the only method that efficiently handles both HDDs and SSDs in a large-scale on-site data destruction scenario. A shredder physically destroys the platters and memory chips, rendering the drives unusable and ensuring data cannot be recovered, which satisfies the policy requirement for physical destruction. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this question tests your understanding that degaussing works only on magnetic HDDs and does not physically destroy the drive, while overwriting is far too time-consuming for 1200 units. A common trap is assuming degaussing works for SSDs—it does not, because SSDs use flash memory, not magnetic platters. Remember the memory tip: “Shred for speed, degauss for HDDs only, and never overwrite at scale.”

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

✓

Use a hard drive shredder to shred all drives.

Option B is correct because shredding physically destroys both HDDs and SSDs in a single pass, meeting the policy requirement for on-site destruction and rendering drives physically unusable. Degaussing is ineffective for SSDs due to their flash memory, and overwriting is too slow for 1000 drives and also ineffective for SSDs with TRIM or wear-leveling. Shredding is the most efficient method for mixed media at scale.

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.

✗
Degauss all drives and then recycle them.
Why it's wrong here
Degaussing does not physically destroy SSDs, and it does not render drives physically unusable as required.
✓
Use a hard drive shredder to shred all drives.
Why this is correct
A shredder physically destroys both HDDs and SSDs, meeting the requirement for on-site physical destruction efficiently.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Overwrite all drives with a three-pass wipe.
Why it's wrong here
Overwriting 1200 drives would be extremely time-consuming and does not physically destroy the drives.
✗
Use a degausser for HDDs and a secure erase for SSDs.
Why it's wrong here
This method does not physically destroy the drives; it only destroys data, and degaussing does not work on SSDs.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

CompTIA A+ often tests the misconception that degaussing is a universal solution for all drive types, but candidates must remember that SSDs are immune to magnetic fields and require physical destruction or specialized methods like encryption key destruction.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Hard drive shredders physically cut drives into small pieces, typically reducing them to fragments smaller than 2 inches, which prevents any possibility of data recovery even with advanced forensic tools. For SSDs, physical destruction is critical because NAND flash cells can retain data even after logical erasure due to charge leakage or incomplete overwrites; shredding eliminates this risk entirely. In high-security environments like government or financial sectors, shredding is often preferred over degaussing or overwriting for mixed-media disposal because it provides a single, verifiable process.

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 practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 220-1202 question test?

Data Destruction and Disposal — This question tests Data Destruction and Disposal — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Use a hard drive shredder to shred all drives. — Option B is correct because shredding physically destroys both HDDs and SSDs in a single pass, meeting the policy requirement for on-site destruction and rendering drives physically unusable. Degaussing is ineffective for SSDs due to their flash memory, and overwriting is too slow for 1000 drives and also ineffective for SSDs with TRIM or wear-leveling. Shredding is the most efficient method for mixed media at scale.

What should I do if I get this 220-1202 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.

About these practice questions

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Same concept, more angles

2 more ways this is tested on 220-1202

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. A technician is decommissioning a RAID array of 10 hard drives that contained sensitive HR data. The company policy requires that data be destroyed without removing individual drives from the array. Which method is most appropriate?

hard

A.Remove each drive and use a hammer to break the platters.
✓ B.Use a degausser that can accommodate the entire array chassis.
C.Perform a secure erase on each drive via the RAID controller.
D.Reformat the array and reuse it for non-sensitive data.

Why B: The correct answer is to use a degausser designed for large media, which can destroy data on all drives simultaneously without disassembly. However, this may damage the RAID controller. Alternatively, a bulk eraser could be used. This question tests understanding of bulk destruction methods for RAID arrays.

Variation 2. A small business is retiring 20 old desktop PCs that contain sensitive customer data. The IT manager wants to ensure the data is unrecoverable before donating the computers to a local school. Which method should be used?

easy

A.Perform a standard format of each hard drive.
✓ B.Use a degausser on each hard drive.
C.Delete all files and empty the Recycle Bin.
D.Run a quick disk cleanup utility.

Why B: A degausser generates a strong magnetic field that disrupts the magnetic domains on a hard drive's platters, rendering all stored data permanently unrecoverable. This is the only method listed that meets the requirement for complete data destruction before donating the computers, as it physically alters the storage medium.

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This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.