CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1001) — Question 120

A user's personal laptop has been behaving erratically for the past month. Today, however, the user cannot perform any work on the laptop, as the device locks up immediately after logging on. Believing the issue to be a malware infection, a technician takes the laptop back to the workbench for additional tests and diagnostics. A full-system malware scan returns inconclusive results. The user reports only new software installations have been made to the laptop.
Following best practice methodologies, which of the following should the technician perform NEXT to resolve the problem?

Answer options

• A. Uninstall the new software applications
• B. Document the findings and report them to the user
• C. Do a full backup of the system data
• D. Perform a format and System Restore

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is C, as performing a full backup of the system data ensures that any important files are saved before further troubleshooting. Uninstalling the new software (A) may not address the underlying issue, while documenting findings (B) is important but not a direct resolution step. Performing a format and System Restore (D) could lead to data loss and should be considered only after backing up the data.