SC-200 Practice Question: Arrange the steps to enable and configure…

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✓

  Download the sensor package, run the installer, enter the access key during installation, then verify the sensor status in the portal.

  Why this is correct

  This is the only valid sequence because the Microsoft Defender for Identity sensor package must be present on the machine before installation can begin. During the installer run, you supply the access key generated in the Defender portal, which binds the sensor to your workspace and enables authentication. Finally, verifying the sensor status in the portal confirms that the service is running, reporting, and properly configured for monitoring.

• ✗

  Run the installer, download the sensor package, enter the access key, then verify the sensor status.

  Why it's wrong here

  Attempting to run the installer before downloading the sensor package is impossible—the executable does not exist yet. Even if a cached copy were present, this order skips the prerequisite of having the correct version of the package on disk. The access key is also entered as part of the installation wizard, not as a separate later step, so this sequence misrepresents the required workflow and would result in an incomplete or failed deployment.

• ✗

  Enter the access key, download the sensor package, run the installer, then verify the sensor status.

  Why it's wrong here

  Entering the access key before downloading the package is nonsensical because the access key is only consumed by the installer during setup; it has no function on its own. You also cannot run the installer before the package is downloaded, and the sensor cannot verify its status until it has been installed and authenticated. This sequence reverses the logical dependency chain, making the key the starting point, which is incorrect.

• ✗

  Download the sensor package, run the installer, verify the sensor status, then enter the access key.

  Why it's wrong here

  The sensor status in the portal can only be verified after the sensor is installed and has established a connection with the Defender service. Entering the access key after verification is too late—the sensor would have already attempted to authenticate without a key, failing to register. This order incorrectly postpones the key entry, but the key must be supplied during installation, not after the sensor is already expected to report status.

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