220-1101 Question 277
Single answerUSB permissionsA technician connects a user's USB flash drive to a Windows 10 laptop to copy log files. The drive appears in File Explorer, and the user can open existing files, but every attempt to save a new file to the USB drive fails with an "Access denied" message. The same drive works normally on another company PC. Which action should the technician take FIRST to resolve the issue on the laptop?
- A
Check the USB drive for a physical write-protect switch and set it to allow writing
- B
Reformat the USB drive to NTFS so the laptop can apply proper permissions
- C
Disable BitLocker on the laptop so removable drives inherit local write access
- D
Update the laptop's USB chipset drivers to restore write permissions
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best first action is to check for hardware write protection on the removable media. In real-world A+ troubleshooting, technicians should begin with the least invasive and quickest checks before moving to destructive or broad system changes. A read-only USB device that is otherwise detected properly often indicates write protection rather than a Windows permission problem. Microsoft troubleshooting guidance for removable storage errors commonly distinguishes between file-system issues, encryption, and media write protection, and industry best practice is to verify physical locks or adapter switches before reformatting, changing security settings, or updating drivers.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Many USB flash drives and SD-card adapters include a physical write-protect switch. If enabled, Windows can detect the device and allow read access while blocking writes, which commonly appears to the user as an access or write-protection error. Because the drive works on another PC, the technician should first verify the most direct and least disruptive cause before making software changes.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Reformatting is destructive and not an appropriate first step, especially when the device is readable and known to work on another system. Also, changing the file system does not address a hardware write-protection setting. Reformatting should only be considered after confirming backups and ruling out simpler causes.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. BitLocker can protect removable drives with BitLocker To Go, but BitLocker on the laptop itself does not normally cause a standard USB flash drive to become read-only in File Explorer. Disabling disk encryption would be unnecessary and introduces security risk without addressing the likely issue.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. USB chipset or controller drivers affect device detection, stability, and performance, but they do not typically create a condition where a specific flash drive is readable yet blocked from writes due to permissions. This option reflects a common troubleshooting mistake of updating drivers before checking simple physical causes.