SK0-003 · Question #83
An administrator installs a driver, reboots the DC, and logs in to configure the NIC. Once the administrator opens the NIC properties, the server bluescreens and now will no longer boot into…
The correct answer is C. Boot into Safe Mode. When a server bluescreens and fails to boot after a driver installation, the immediate priority is to boot into a mode that allows troubleshooting or rolling back the problematic driver without loading it. Safe Mode is designed for this purpose, loading only essential drivers…
Question
An administrator installs a driver, reboots the DC, and logs in to configure the NIC. Once the administrator opens the NIC properties, the server bluescreens and now will no longer boot into Windows. Which of the following is the FIRST thing the administrator should do?
Options
- ABoot into Last Known Good Configuration.
- BReseat the NIC.
- CBoot into Safe Mode.
- DBoot into Directory Services Restore Mode.
How the community answered
(28 responses)- A7% (2)
- B4% (1)
- C79% (22)
- D11% (3)
Why each option
When a server bluescreens and fails to boot after a driver installation, the immediate priority is to boot into a mode that allows troubleshooting or rolling back the problematic driver without loading it. Safe Mode is designed for this purpose, loading only essential drivers and services.
Last Known Good Configuration might revert settings from the last successful boot, but it doesn't always guarantee a fix if the driver installation fundamentally corrupted system files, making Safe Mode a more direct troubleshooting step.
Reseating the NIC is a hardware troubleshooting step, but the problem description clearly points to a software-related driver issue given the sequence of events (driver install -> configure -> bluescreen).
Safe Mode loads Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services, which can prevent the problematic NIC driver from loading and crashing the system again. This allows the administrator to access the system, uninstall the faulty driver, or diagnose the issue without the system immediately bluescreening.
Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) is specifically for restoring Active Directory on a Domain Controller and does not provide general system troubleshooting capabilities for hardware or driver issues causing boot failures.
Concept tested: Troubleshooting boot failures after driver installation
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-client/windows-boot-options-and-recovery-environment-in-windows
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