CompTIA A+ Core 2 Certification Exam 220-1202 Practice Test 1

The process starts with confirming symptoms so the technician isn't chasing an unrelated issue, then isolates the system to stop further spread, disables System Restore so it doesn't preserve an infected restore point, removes the malware, and finishes by re-enabling System Restore and educating the user on prevention. Skipping quarantine or System Restore steps can allow reinfection.

RDP is built for full graphical remote desktop sessions to Windows systems, SSH provides secure encrypted command-line access most commonly used with Linux/Unix servers, VNC is platform-agnostic graphical screen sharing across different operating systems, and WinRM enables remote PowerShell management of other Windows machines. Matching the tool to its primary use avoids confusing WinRM with RDP.

Credit card numbers fall under regulated payment card information, and government-issued ID numbers fall under personally identifiable information, both carrying specific legal handling and disclosure requirements. Open-source licensing, acceptable use policy, and NDA categories describe different kinds of agreements and don't apply to this exposed customer data.

Disconnecting the power cable before opening the case removes the risk of electrical shock or short-circuiting components and should happen regardless of what other precautions, like an ESD strap, are also used. Safety goggles are more relevant to handling toner or batteries, and thermal paste or firmware updates happen later in the process.

The 3-2-1 backup rule specifies three total copies of data, on two different media types, with one copy kept off-site, directly matching the requirement described. This is distinct from rotation schemes like Grandfather-Father-Son, which define how long backups are retained rather than the copy/media/location requirement.

Detailed, clear progress notes that record each step taken and its result give future technicians the full troubleshooting history, supporting quick diagnosis if the issue returns. Recording only the final resolution loses that history, and severity or device information fields serve different purposes.

A full-screen alert urging the user to call a phone number, especially when the company's actual verified antivirus shows no detections, is a classic scareware pattern designed to pressure a user into calling a fraudulent line or installing further malware. The scenario explicitly rules out an expired or malfunctioning antivirus, and a BSOD looks and behaves very differently from a browser-based warning page.

A changed browser homepage combined with search-result redirection, affecting only the browser, is characteristic of a browser hijacker or malicious extension rather than a system-wide issue. A system-wide DNS misconfiguration would typically affect all network applications, not just the browser, and NIC drivers or drive health are unrelated.

A recently sideloaded or unofficial application is a common source of adware-driven pop-ups and unauthorized background data usage, so checking installed apps and reviewing per-app data/permissions directly targets the reported symptoms. Wallpaper, autorotate, and call log settings are unrelated to ad injection or data usage.

Since Bluetooth works fine with another device, the car, and other wireless features are unaffected, the issue is isolated to the earbuds' specific pairing, so re-pairing or clearing stored Bluetooth pairing data is the most direct first step. A factory reset is excessive for a single-device pairing issue, and Wi-Fi/SIM are unrelated to Bluetooth.

PC2's low-memory warning despite available free RAM at the moment it's checked points to a memory leak, where a process gradually consumes more memory than it releases; Task Manager may not catch the exact spike. PC1's case, resolved by closing applications, points to simply running too many tasks for the installed RAM, a different cause. A failing PSU would not cause a memory warning.

A BSOD caused by a faulty driver or failing hardware component logs a critical stop error and can be configured to automatically restart the system, matching the repeated reboot pattern described. A misbehaving startup application typically causes slowness rather than automatic reboots, and an expired antivirus subscription does not cause system restarts.

A default administrator password is the single highest-risk item, since anyone who knows or guesses the manufacturer's default credentials can take full control of the router, including its UPnP and firewall settings. Disabling UPnP is a good follow-up step, but changing the admin password first prevents an attacker from simply re-enabling it.

exFAT is natively readable and writable by Windows and Linux without extra software, making it well suited for a USB drive that moves between different OS types. NTFS write support on Linux typically needs an extra driver, and ext4 is native to Linux, not Windows.

Vishing is voice-based phishing conducted over a phone call, where the attacker uses collected personal details to appear credible and pressure the target into revealing sensitive information. Shoulder surfing involves visually observing someone entering credentials, tailgating involves physically following someone into a secure area, and dumpster diving involves retrieving discarded information.

A rootkit embeds itself at a low system level and actively conceals its own presence, files, and processes from the OS and standard detection tools, matching the described self-hiding behavior. Adware displays unwanted ads, a keylogger records keystrokes, and spyware collects information, but neither is defined primarily by active self-concealment from the OS.

WPA3 is the current wireless security standard and pairs with AES for strong encryption. TKIP is an older, weaker encryption method associated with WPA/WPA2 that is being phased out, WEP is deprecated and easily broken, and WPA2 is not the protocol being rolled out in this scenario.

When accessing a resource over the network, Windows applies the most restrictive permission between the share permission and the NTFS permission. Here the share permission, Read, is more restrictive than the NTFS permission, Modify, so Read is the effective access level.

An access control vestibule, a small interlocking two-door space, only allows one verified person through at a time, directly preventing tailgating. A badge reader alone doesn't stop a second person from following through an open door, and motion sensors and video surveillance only detect or record an event after it happens.

Rendering software with a VRAM requirement needs a dedicated graphics card with that amount of dedicated video memory; integrated graphics typically borrow shared system RAM and often can't meet a dedicated VRAM specification. CPU bitness, storage space, and license type are valid considerations generally but don't address the VRAM requirement stated.

Windows uses the network location profile, Public versus Private/domain, to determine whether file and printer sharing and network discovery are exposed. Setting the coffee shop connection to Public hides shared resources while the office network stays discoverable. Disabling the firewall removes protection rather than controlling discovery.

Choose what closing the lid does, found in Power Options, controls the specific action taken when the lid closes and can be set to Do nothing so the system keeps running. Fast startup affects boot speed, USB selective suspend affects USB device power, and Hibernate is a separate sleep state.

The System File Checker command sfc /scannow scans protected system files and repairs corrupted ones from a cached copy. This is different from chkdsk, which checks disk integrity, and diskpart, which manages partitions.

The Startup tab in Task Manager lists applications configured to launch at login and lets a technician disable them individually without removing the software. Disk Cleanup frees storage space, Event Viewer reviews logs, and Local Users and Groups manages accounts.

Windows 11 Pro supports domain join and BitLocker at a lower cost than Enterprise or Pro for Workstations, both of which add features intended for larger organizations or high-end hardware not required here. Windows 11 Home supports neither domain join nor BitLocker.