CompTIA Updated 220-1102 Exam Questions and Answers by vihaan

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation:

The two best first steps are:

Perform a virus scan – Multiple users on a device increase the risk of malware, which can cause performance issues.

Check the startup programs – Unnecessary programs running at startup can slow down the system.

C. Back up the data – Important but not the first step for performance troubleshooting.

D. Disable the guest account – May prevent future unauthorized use but does not immediately fix the current issue.

E. Update the firmware – Firmware updates improve hardware stability but are unlikely to fix a sudden performance drop.

F. Reinstall the operating system – A last resort, as it erases data and takes significant time.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation:

The best way to recover from a ransomware attack is by restoring clean backups of the affected files. Ransomware encrypts files and demands a ransom for decryption, but paying the ransom is not recommended because it does not guarantee file recovery.

A. Antivirus – Incorrect. Antivirus software may detect and remove the ransomware, but it cannot decrypt the files.

C. Anti-malware – Incorrect. Anti-malware software helps prevent infection but cannot recover encrypted files.

D. Recovery mode – Incorrect. Recovery mode restores system files but does not recover user data from ransomware.

Best Practice:

Regularly back up critical data and store backups in offline or cloud-based solutions to prevent ransomware from encrypting them.

Rebooting the computer into safe mode (Option B) limits the processes and services that run, which can help in isolating and removing persistent malware that might be hiding in normal mode. Safe mode provides a cleaner environment to troubleshoot and remove malware.

Restoring from a backup (Option A) may work but should be considered after attempts to clean the infection.

Purchasing a new endpoint protection tool (Option C) is unnecessary at this stage since existing tools can be run in safe mode.

Using system recovery (Option D) could potentially remove the infection, but it's a more drastic step that may not be necessary yet.

CompTIA A+ Core 2 References:

3.3 - Best practices for malware removal, including booting into safe mode