Deck · CompTIA A+

Software Troubleshooting (Core 2)

Windows, security, malware-removal, and mobile OS/app troubleshooting (Core 2 Domain 3, 23%).

92 cards · audited · SM-2 spaced repetition

Included with the full CompTIA A+ program — 9 decks, 800 cards.

Sample cards

A Windows PC crashes to a blue screen. What is the first piece of information you should record before rebooting?

The stop code (and any named file or driver) shown on the BSOD — it identifies the failure category and guides the rest of troubleshooting.

A PC began blue-screening immediately after a new video driver was installed. What is the most likely fix?

Boot into Safe Mode and roll back (or uninstall) the new video driver — the most recent change is the prime suspect.

Which built-in Windows tool tests for the faulty RAM that often causes random, varied BSOD stop codes?

Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe) — random stop codes that change each crash point to failing memory.

Where does Windows save crash details after a BSOD, and what can read them?

Minidump files in %SystemRoot%\Minidump; a debugger such as WinDbg can analyze them to identify the faulting driver.

A user reports their PC is sluggish. What is the first tool to open to identify the bottleneck?

Task Manager — the Performance and Processes tabs show whether CPU, memory, disk, or network is saturated and which process is responsible.

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Master software troubleshooting (core 2) — and the rest of CompTIA A+.

One program. 800 audited cards across 9 decks.