220-1102 Question 76
Single answer1.4 Given a scenario, use Microsoft Windows operating system features and tools.A user reports that a Windows 10 workstation has become noticeably slow during startup and throughout the day. Applications eventually open, but the system is sluggish even when no major programs appear to be running. You suspect a nonessential application is consuming excessive CPU and memory and may also be launching automatically at sign-in. Which Windows tool should you use FIRST to identify the offending process and review whether it is configured to start automatically?
- A
Task Manager
- B
Disk Management
- C
Device Manager
- D
Services
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best first choice is Task Manager because the scenario requires two things: identifying a process that is using excessive system resources and checking whether it launches automatically at sign-in. Task Manager directly supports both tasks through the Processes tab and the Startup tab in Windows 10. This aligns with Microsoft best practices for initial troubleshooting of performance and startup issues before moving to more specialized tools. If further analysis were needed, a technician might then move to Resource Monitor, Services, or Event Viewer, but Task Manager is the most appropriate first response for this scenario.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Task Manager is the best first tool in this scenario because it allows a technician to view active processes and sort by CPU, memory, disk, and network usage to identify what is consuming resources. It also includes the Startup tab, which shows applications configured to launch at sign-in and their startup impact. This makes it the most efficient built-in Windows tool for both parts of the problem described.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Disk Management is used to create, delete, extend, shrink, and format partitions and volumes. It is not designed to identify high-CPU or high-memory processes, and it does not manage startup applications. A candidate might choose this if they assume 'slow' always points to storage issues, but the scenario specifically points to resource consumption and startup behavior.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Device Manager is used to view and manage hardware devices, drivers, and hardware status. While driver problems can affect performance, Device Manager does not show which user-mode applications are consuming CPU or memory, nor does it display standard startup application impact. This is a plausible distractor because hardware issues can cause slowness, but it is not the best first step here.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Services can be used to manage background services and their startup types, but it does not provide the most practical first view for identifying a resource-heavy process in a general slowdown scenario. In addition, many startup applications are not managed as services. A technician might use Services later if the issue is narrowed to a service, but Task Manager is the better initial tool.