220-1101 Question 275
Single answerBIOS/Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) settingsA technician installs Windows 11 on a new workstation using a USB installer. During setup, the installer reports that Windows cannot be installed to the selected NVMe drive because the system does not meet the installation requirements. The hardware is fully compatible, including a supported CPU and TPM 2.0 module on the motherboard. The technician suspects a firmware configuration issue. Which BIOS/UEFI setting should the technician change FIRST to most likely resolve the problem?
- A
Enable UEFI boot mode and disable Legacy/CSM support
- B
Disable Secure Boot to allow the installer to access the NVMe drive
- C
Increase the integrated GPU memory allocation
- D
Change the SATA controller from AHCI to IDE mode
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The most likely fix is to ensure the system is configured for native UEFI boot rather than Legacy BIOS/CSM. Windows 11 requires UEFI firmware and Secure Boot capability, and it is typically deployed to GPT-formatted drives. On many motherboards, enabling CSM can interfere with UEFI-only installation expectations, particularly when installing to NVMe storage. Best practice is to verify UEFI mode, TPM 2.0 availability, and Secure Boot capability in firmware before installation. Microsoft documentation for Windows 11 lists UEFI and Secure Boot capability among the platform requirements, and motherboard vendors commonly note that NVMe boot support is optimized in UEFI mode.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Windows 11 is designed to be installed in UEFI mode, and systems configured for Legacy BIOS/CSM can fail Windows 11 requirement checks or create installation issues related to boot mode and disk partition style. Disabling CSM/Legacy support and using native UEFI aligns the system with Windows 11 requirements and best practices, especially for NVMe boot devices and GPT partitioning.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Secure Boot is generally a Windows 11 requirement, not something that should be disabled to fix compliance issues. While Secure Boot can occasionally affect bootable media compatibility, it is not the first setting to change in this scenario, especially when the issue points to firmware mode rather than media trust.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Integrated GPU memory allocation affects video performance and available system RAM, not Windows 11 installation eligibility or NVMe installation support. This distractor reflects a misunderstanding of what firmware settings influence OS installation requirements.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. NVMe drives do not use the SATA controller mode, so changing AHCI to IDE would not address this issue. In fact, IDE is an outdated compatibility mode and is not appropriate for modern Windows installations. This option targets the common misconception that all storage devices are controlled through SATA mode settings.