220-1102 Question 507
Single answerOS updatesA small accounting office uses Windows 10 Pro PCs. After this month's cumulative Windows update was installed, one workstation began blue-screening during startup. The user says the PC worked normally earlier that morning before the update and no hardware changes were made. You can boot the system into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), but normal startup fails consistently. Which action should the technician take FIRST to restore the system with the least risk to user data?
- A
Use WinRE to uninstall the latest quality update
- B
Reset this PC and choose to keep personal files
- C
Perform a clean installation of Windows 10 from USB media
- D
Update the system BIOS to the latest version before attempting any rollback
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question focuses on choosing the most appropriate recovery action after an OS update causes startup failure. In Windows 10, the Windows Recovery Environment includes options such as 'Uninstall latest quality update' and 'Uninstall latest feature update.' A cumulative monthly patch is a quality update, so removing it is the most targeted and least disruptive first step. Best practice in endpoint support is to use the least invasive method that addresses the most likely cause. Microsoft recovery guidance for Windows supports using WinRE to uninstall recent updates when a device cannot boot properly after an update. More disruptive options like Reset this PC or a clean install should be considered only after rollback and other repair options have been unsuccessful.
- A. Correct.
Correct. If a system becomes unstable immediately after a Windows cumulative update, the least invasive first step is to remove the most recent quality update from WinRE. This directly addresses the likely cause while preserving installed applications and user data. In a real support workflow, rolling back the specific update that introduced the issue is preferable before using broader recovery methods.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. 'Reset this PC' is more disruptive than uninstalling the problematic update. Although the 'keep personal files' option may preserve user data, it can remove applications and require significant reconfiguration. It is not the best first action when there is a clear indication that the latest OS update triggered the startup failure.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A clean installation is the most destructive option listed and should be reserved for situations where repair and rollback methods fail. It would require reinstalling applications and restoring data, making it inappropriate as the first response to a known post-update issue.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Updating the BIOS is not the first step for a machine that started failing immediately after a Windows quality update, especially when there were no hardware changes and the timing strongly points to the OS update. BIOS updates carry some risk and should be performed only when there is a documented need, not as a generic troubleshooting step for a bad Windows update.