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Software Troubleshooting — A+ Core 2 practice questions

Domain 3 of the CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1102) exam. 175 questions on this domain in the full bank — here are four free samples with answers and explanations.

Question 1 · Difficulty 2/5

Which Windows symptom is characterized by a full-screen blue display containing a stop code, indicating a fatal system error that halts the operating system? (Select the best answer.)
  1. Low-memory warning
  2. Blue screen of death (BSOD)
  3. Slow profile load
  4. System instability
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Blue screen of death (BSOD)
A blue screen of death (BSOD) is the full-screen blue error display Windows presents when the kernel encounters a fatal, unrecoverable error, and it always includes a stop code identifying the failure. A low-memory warning is a pop-up notification that RAM or virtual memory is nearly exhausted, not a kernel halt. A slow profile load describes delayed desktop presentation at login, not a crash. System instability is a broad term covering random freezes or application failures, but it does not specifically describe the blue stop-code screen.

Question 2 · Difficulty 3/5

A user reports that every morning when they log in to their Windows 10 workstation, they see their desktop wallpaper immediately but must wait three to four minutes before their mapped network drives, Start menu shortcuts, and default printer appear. Once available, the computer runs normally for the rest of the day. Which symptom best describes this situation? (Select the best answer.)
  1. Sluggish performance
  2. Services not starting
  3. Slow profile load
  4. Boot problems
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Slow profile load
A slow profile load describes an abnormal delay after logon during which the user's profile settings, mapped drives, printers, and personalization data take an excessive amount of time to apply, matching the scenario exactly. Sluggish performance refers to the overall system running slowly throughout use, not just at logon. Services not starting would typically prevent specific features from functioning at all rather than delaying their appearance. Boot problems occur before the logon screen is even presented, not after the user has already authenticated and seen the desktop.

Question 3 · Difficulty 3/5

After a user connects several USB hubs and additional USB peripherals to a Windows 10 workstation, Device Manager begins displaying yellow warning icons on some of the USB devices and generating alert messages indicating that the controller has insufficient resources. Which Windows symptom does this represent? (Select the best answer.)
  1. Low-memory warning
  2. USB controller resource warning
  3. System instability
  4. Application crashing
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

USB controller resource warning
A USB controller resource warning occurs when the USB host controller runs out of bandwidth, IRQ allocations, or power capacity to serve all connected devices, which is exactly what Device Manager reports with these yellow warning icons after adding multiple hubs and peripherals. A low-memory warning relates to RAM or virtual memory exhaustion and appears as an operating system notification balloon, not a Device Manager hardware alert. System instability is a broader classification of erratic behavior and is not the specific named symptom for USB resource conflicts. Application crashing refers to individual programs terminating abnormally, which is not what is described in the scenario.

Question 4 · Difficulty 2/5

A Windows 10 workstation displays the message 'No bootable device found' immediately after the POST screen and never reaches the Windows loading screen. Which symptom category does this represent? (Select the best answer.)
  1. Low-memory warning
  2. No OS found
  3. Blue screen of death (BSOD)
  4. System instability
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

No OS found
The message 'No bootable device found' before Windows begins loading is the classic presentation of the 'no OS found' symptom, where the firmware cannot locate a valid boot partition or boot manager. A low-memory warning occurs within a running Windows session when available RAM is exhausted. A BSOD displays a stop code after Windows has already begun loading and encounters a fatal error. System instability refers to random crashes or hangs within a running OS session, not a failure to start the boot process at all.

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