220-1102 Question 817
Single answerApplication integrationA small accounting firm recently deployed Microsoft 365 Apps on several Windows 11 PCs. Users report that when they click an email address in Google Chrome, nothing happens, and when they open a PDF invoice from File Explorer, it opens in a browser instead of Adobe Acrobat. The office manager wants Outlook to open for email links and Adobe Acrobat to open PDF files on all affected PCs. Which action should the technician take first to resolve both issues with the least disruption?
- A
Configure default apps in Windows so the MAILTO protocol is associated with Outlook and .pdf files are associated with Adobe Acrobat
- B
Reinstall Google Chrome and set it as the default browser on all affected PCs
- C
Run a full malware scan because browser hijacking is the most likely cause of application launch failures
- D
Disable User Account Control so users can choose which application opens each file type without prompts
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question tests practical understanding of application integration in Windows, specifically how installed applications interact with file types and URI protocols. In A+ Core 2, technicians are expected to know that integration issues often involve default apps, file associations, and protocol handlers rather than application reinstallation or unrelated system changes. For this scenario, Outlook must be associated with the MAILTO protocol so clicking an email address launches the mail client, and Adobe Acrobat must be associated with .pdf so PDF documents open in the intended application. Microsoft documents management of default apps in Windows Settings, including assignment by file type and by link type/protocol. This is the most appropriate first step because it directly addresses both symptoms while minimizing user disruption.
- A. Correct.
Correct. This scenario is about application integration through file associations and protocol handlers in Windows. The MAILTO protocol determines which application opens email links, and the .pdf file association determines which application opens PDF documents. Setting Outlook as the default app for email-related links and Adobe Acrobat as the default for PDF files is the direct, least disruptive fix. In Windows 10 and Windows 11, this is managed through Default apps settings, where administrators or users can assign applications by file type, link type, or app defaults.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Reinstalling Chrome does not address the core issue, because Chrome is only the application from which the email link is being clicked. The behavior of opening an email client from a link depends on the Windows MAILTO protocol association, not on reinstalling the browser. Likewise, PDF files opening from File Explorer are controlled by file association settings, not by whether Chrome is reinstalled.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Malware can sometimes alter associations, but the scenario does not provide evidence of compromise such as pop-ups, redirects, unknown applications, or security alerts. Jumping straight to malware remediation is not the least disruptive or most likely first step. A technician should first verify and correct application integration settings before escalating to security troubleshooting.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. User Account Control is unrelated to file association and protocol-handler configuration. Disabling UAC would reduce system security and would not properly fix how Windows maps email links or PDF files to applications. This option reflects a common misconception that security prompts are the reason an application does not open, when the actual problem is default-app configuration.