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Prepare infrastructure for devices →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct answer is that it reduces the CPU priority of scheduled scans to minimize performance impact. This setting, found within the Microsoft Defender scheduled scan CPU priority in Intune security baseline, directly controls the ‘Scan only if computer is on and in use’ policy for Microsoft Defender Antivirus. When enabled, it throttles the scanning process by lowering its CPU priority, ensuring that background scans do not compete with the user’s active foreground tasks, thereby preserving system responsiveness during work hours. On the Microsoft 365 Endpoint Administrator MD-102 exam, this question tests your understanding of how security baselines balance protection with user experience—a common trap is confusing this with disabling scans entirely or affecting scan frequency. Remember, the goal is not to stop scanning, but to make it less intrusive. A useful memory tip: think of it as “priority parking” for the CPU—Defender’s scan gets a lower priority spot so the user’s work stays in the fast lane.

MD-102 Prepare infrastructure for devices Practice Question

This MD-102 practice question tests your understanding of prepare infrastructure for devices. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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

{
  "displayName": "Windows 10 Security Baseline",
  "settings": [
    {
      "settingInstance": {
        "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.deviceManagementConfigurationSettingInstance",
        "settingDefinitionId": "device_vendor_msft_policy_config_windowsdefender_scan_enablelowcpupriority",
        "settingInstanceTemplateReference": null,
        "choiceSettingInstance": {
          "choiceSettingValue": {
            "value": "device_vendor_msft_policy_config_windowsdefender_scan_enablelowcpupriority_1",
            "children": []
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Refer to the exhibit. A Microsoft Intune security baseline is configured for Windows 10 devices. What is the effect of this setting?

Question 1mediummultiple choice
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Exhibit

{
  "displayName": "Windows 10 Security Baseline",
  "settings": [
    {
      "settingInstance": {
        "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.deviceManagementConfigurationSettingInstance",
        "settingDefinitionId": "device_vendor_msft_policy_config_windowsdefender_scan_enablelowcpupriority",
        "settingInstanceTemplateReference": null,
        "choiceSettingInstance": {
          "choiceSettingValue": {
            "value": "device_vendor_msft_policy_config_windowsdefender_scan_enablelowcpupriority_1",
            "children": []
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

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

✓

It reduces the CPU priority of scheduled scans to minimize performance impact.

This setting in the Microsoft Intune security baseline for Windows 10 configures the 'Scan only if computer is on and in use' policy for Microsoft Defender Antivirus. When enabled, it reduces the CPU priority of scheduled scans to minimize performance impact on the user's active workload, ensuring that background scanning does not interfere with foreground tasks.

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.

  • ✗

    It requires a reboot for the setting to take effect.

    Why it's wrong here

    No reboot is required for this policy setting.

  • ✗

    It enables real-time protection for scheduled scans.

    Why it's wrong here

    Real-time protection is separate from scheduled scans.

  • ✗

    It disables scheduled scans when the device is in use.

    Why it's wrong here

    The setting does not disable scans; it reduces CPU priority.

  • ✓

    It reduces the CPU priority of scheduled scans to minimize performance impact.

    Why this is correct

    Enabling low CPU priority ensures scans run at lower priority, reducing impact on user tasks.

    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 confuse 'reducing CPU priority' with 'disabling the scan' or 'requiring a reboot', leading them to select options that describe more drastic or unrelated behaviors rather than the subtle performance tuning this setting actually performs.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, this policy corresponds to the Windows Defender registry value 'DisableCatchupQuickScan' and the 'ScanPriority' setting, which adjusts the thread priority of the Microsoft Defender Antivirus scanning process (MsMpEng.exe) to 'BelowNormal' or 'Low' when the device is in use. This is part of the 'Performance' category in the security baseline and is critical for maintaining user productivity on devices with limited CPU resources, such as older hardware or virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments.

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

An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.

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 MD-102 question test?

Prepare infrastructure for devices — This question tests Prepare infrastructure for devices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: It reduces the CPU priority of scheduled scans to minimize performance impact. — This setting in the Microsoft Intune security baseline for Windows 10 configures the 'Scan only if computer is on and in use' policy for Microsoft Defender Antivirus. When enabled, it reduces the CPU priority of scheduled scans to minimize performance impact on the user's active workload, ensuring that background scanning does not interfere with foreground tasks.

What should I do if I get this MD-102 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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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026

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This MD-102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 MD-102 exam.