220-1102 Question 683
Single answerAffected systems/impactA help desk technician receives several tickets within 10 minutes. Users in accounting report that they can open local applications, but they cannot access the company's shared folders or reach the internal payroll web app. At the same time, users in sales say their cloud-based CRM and internet browsing still work normally. Which issue should the technician identify first as the most likely affected system/impact?
- A
A failure of the internal network resource or server segment used by accounting
- B
A company-wide internet outage affecting all departments equally
- C
A malware outbreak that has encrypted every workstation in the organization
- D
A power failure in the entire office building
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question focuses on assessing affected systems and business impact, a core troubleshooting skill in A+ Core 2. The technician should first determine scope: one user, one department, one application, or the entire organization. In this scenario, the symptoms point to a problem affecting internal resources used by accounting rather than a global outage. Shared folders and an internal web app failing together suggest an issue with an internal server, file server, application server, authentication path, VLAN, subnet, or routing segment tied to that department. CompTIA troubleshooting best practices emphasize identifying the problem by gathering information, determining scope, and noting what is and is not affected before taking action. That prevents unnecessary escalation and helps prioritize the actual business impact.
- A. Correct.
Correct. The scenario shows a limited impact: accounting users can still use local applications, which indicates their PCs are functioning, and sales users can still access internet-based services. The common failure point is likely an internal resource, server, VLAN, subnet, or network path specifically used by accounting to reach shared folders and the internal payroll application. Identifying affected systems and scope is a key first step in troubleshooting because it helps isolate whether the issue is local, departmental, or organization-wide.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. If there were a company-wide internet outage, sales users would not be able to browse the web or access their cloud CRM. The scenario specifically states those services are still working, which rules out an equal impact across all departments.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A ransomware or widespread malware outbreak would typically cause broader symptoms, such as inaccessible local files, system instability, ransom messages, or failures across many departments. Here, users can still run local applications, and the issue is limited to certain internal resources. This distractor reflects the common mistake of assuming any widespread ticket burst must be malware.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A full building power failure would affect workstations, switches, access points, and likely users' ability to run any applications at all. Because users are actively using their PCs and some services remain available, a total power loss is inconsistent with the reported symptoms.