220-1102 Question 284
Single answerRAM requirementsA technician is preparing several office laptops for an upgrade from Windows 10 Pro 64-bit to Windows 11 Pro. One laptop has a 64-bit compatible CPU, TPM 2.0 enabled, Secure Boot enabled, and 3 GB of installed RAM. The user only runs Microsoft 365 apps, a web browser, and a VPN client. Which action should the technician take FIRST to meet the operating system's RAM requirement?
- A
Upgrade the laptop to at least 4 GB of RAM before attempting the Windows 11 installation
- B
Proceed with the installation because 3 GB of RAM is sufficient for light office use
- C
Enable virtual memory in Windows 10 so the system meets the Windows 11 memory requirement
- D
Install a 32-bit edition of Windows 11 to reduce the RAM requirement
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question tests the ability to apply minimum operating system requirements in a real deployment scenario. For Windows 11, Microsoft lists 4 GB of RAM as the minimum memory requirement, along with other prerequisites such as a compatible 64-bit processor, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot capability. Because the laptop has only 3 GB of installed RAM, the technician must address that hardware shortfall before installation. Best practice is to verify hardware against the vendor's official requirements before beginning an OS upgrade, rather than assuming a light-duty user profile or virtual memory setting can compensate for insufficient physical RAM.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Windows 11 requires a minimum of 4 GB of system memory. Even if the user's workload is light, the device does not currently meet the minimum installation requirement with only 3 GB of RAM. The technician should upgrade the RAM first before proceeding.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Actual workload does not change the operating system's minimum installation requirement. Light use may affect performance expectations, but it does not allow installation below Microsoft's stated minimum RAM requirement.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Virtual memory uses storage as a supplement to RAM after the operating system is already running; it does not count as installed physical memory for operating system installation requirements. This is a common misconception when troubleshooting low-memory systems.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Windows 11 does not have a 32-bit edition for end users. In addition, the issue here is the documented minimum memory requirement, which is based on installed RAM, not switching to a 32-bit version.