Chapter 9
220-1002 Practice Exam C
Let’s turn up the heat a bit more. The previous 220-1002 exam was the intermediate test. This third and final test could be considered an advanced practice test. A large percentage of the questions have a higher difficulty rating. Be ready for questions with longer, more in-depth scenarios and more complex answers.
If you haven’t taken a break already, I suggest taking one between exams. If you just completed the second exam, give yourself a half hour or so before you begin this one. If you didn’t score 90 percent or higher on exam B, go back and study; then retake exam B until you pass with 90 percent or higher.
Write down your answers and check them against the Quick-Check Answer Key, which immediately follows the exam. After the answer key, you will find the explanations for all of the answers. Good luck!
Practice Questions
1. You work as a technician for an organization that has a custom web-based application that is used for the monitoring of networking devices. While using a web browser to access the application, you press F12, and within the js folder, you see the following code:
$(function() {
// Attach collapsible behavior to select options
(function()
{
var selects = $('select[data-toggle="collapse"]');
Which of the following script types is being used?
A. Python
B. PowerShell
C. Bash
D. JavaScript
E. Visual Basic Script
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 234
2. Viruses have been detected and removed on a customer’s computer several times during the course of several weeks. Which of the following methods will best help prevent future occurrences?
A. Delete temporary files, cookies, and browser history.
B. Defragment the hard drive.
C. Install antivirus software that uses manual updates.
D. Discuss safer web browsing habits with the customer.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 234
3. Which of the following sends an invitation by email asking for help?
A. Remote Desktop Connection
B. Service call
C. VNC
D. Remote Assistance
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 234
4. When you are performing a clean installation, which of the following is the default location for the system files of Windows?
A. C:Windows
B. C:WindowsSystem32Config
C. C:WindowsSystem32
D. C:System Files
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 235
5. You are required to set up a remote backup solution for music and photos stored on an Android tablet. The files cannot be stored at any company location. Which technology should be used?
A. iCloud
B. Google Cloud
C. Microsoft OneDrive
D. Local NAS device
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 235
6. You have been contracted to repair a computer at an organization that has strict rules about information leaving the premises. While troubleshooting the computer, you determine that the computer should be taken offsite to complete the repair. Which of the following should you do next?
A. Get authorization from your manager.
B. Delete proprietary information before leaving the building.
C. Check corporate policies for guidance.
D. Remove the HDD and send the computer for repair.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 235
7. You need to copy and paste information from a web page, but you want to remove all formatting so that it can be pasted cleanly into Word. Which program should be used as an intermediary?
A. CMD
B. Excel
C. Notepad
D. MMC
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 235
8. A computer is responding slowly, and the Windows Task Manager shows that spoolsv.exe is using 95 percent of system resources. Which of the following is most likely the cause of this problem?
A. Windows Update is running.
B. A virus infection has occurred.
C. Hyper-Threading has been disabled.
D. The printing subsystem.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 236
9. Which of the following descriptions classifies the protocol IMAP?
A. A protocol that allows real-time messaging
B. An email protocol that allows users to selectively download messages
C. An email protocol that allows users to send but not to receive messages
D. A protocol that authenticates users who are sending email
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 236
10. From which of the following locations could you disable a hardware component on a laptop in Windows?
A. Device Manager
B. Task Manager
C. File Explorer
D. Services console
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 236
11. Which command-line tool in Windows finds all of the unsigned drivers in the computer?
A. Sigverif
B. Dxdiag
C. Ping
D. Msconfig
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 236
12. Users are reporting to you that a Windows feature asks them for confirmation before running certain applications or when making system changes. What is the name of this Windows feature, and where should you direct users to turn the functionality off?
A. Security Center; it can be turned off in the Services console window.
B. User Account Control; it can be turned off under Security in the Control Panel.
C. Windows Defender Firewall; it can be turned off under System Properties.
D. User Account Control; it can be turned off under User Accounts in the Control Panel.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 237
13. James is a LAN administrator in charge of printers. Which of the following should he check first when a Windows user is trying to print a document and gets the error message “Print sub-system not available”?
A. Correct printer driver is installed.
B. Printer has been added.
C. Spooler service is running.
D. Printer has power from the jack.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 237
14. Your manager’s Windows computer locks up after the graphical user interface starts to load. However, the computer will boot in Safe Mode. When you access the Event Viewer, you see an entry stating that a driver failed. Which of the following steps will help you further diagnose the problem?
A. Running sigverif
B. Enabling Boot Logging and then in Safe Mode analyzing the ntbtlog.txt file
C. Disabling Driver Signature Enforcement
D. Accessing Debugging Mode
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 237
15. Which of the following commands is used to fix errors on the system disk?
A. robocopy
B. tracert /w
C. diskpart
D. chkdsk /F
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 238
16. You are troubleshooting a computer that has a web browser issue. The end user says that multiple browser pages open by themselves when surfing the Internet. Also, you observe that the computer is running slowly. Which of the following actions should you perform first?
A. Install anti-malware software.
B. Update antivirus definitions.
C. Reboot the computer.
D. Enable a pop-up blocker.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 238
17. A new program is crashing and causing the computer to lock up. What is the best location to check for further information about the cause of the crash?
A. System log
B. Security log
C. Application log
D. Setup log
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 238
18. You are tasked with disabling services from starting on a Windows PC. Which command should be run to bring up a window to make these changes?
A. SFC
B. Chkdsk
C. Msconfig
D. Gpupdate
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 238
19. In Windows, which of the following folders might be stored in a hidden partition by default?
A. Boot
B. Windows
C. Documents and Settings
D. Bootmgr
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 238
20. One of your customers has a wireless network that is secured with WEP. The customer wants to improve data encryption so that the transmission of data has less of a chance of being compromised. Which of the following statements best describes the recommended course of action?
A. Reconfigure the network to use WPA2.
B. Use MAC address filtering.
C. Modify the WEP key every week.
D. Disable the SSID broadcast.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 239
21. Which of the following commands is used to display hidden files?
A. dir /o
B. dir /a
C. dir /d
D. dir /?
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 239
22. After you install a new video card, the PC loads Windows and continuously reboots. Which of the following statements best describes the first course of action?
A. Go into Safe Mode.
B. Run Chkdsk.
C. Run Msconfig.
D. Check the System log.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 239
23. Which of the following statements best describes how to prepare a mobile device in case it is stolen or lost? (Select the three best answers.)
A. Disable Bluetooth.
B. Configure remote backup.
C. Enable Wi-Fi encryption.
D. Enable GPS.
E. Enable Wi-Fi tethering.
F. Configure a pattern screenlock.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 239
24. Two coworkers share the same file inside a folder. User A works on the file, makes changes, and saves the file. User B then works on the file, makes changes, and saves the file as well. The next time User A attempts to open the file, she receives an access denied error. Which of the following statements best describes the most likely cause of this error message?
A. The NTFS permissions were changed on the file to allow only execute.
B. The file was set with the system and hidden attributes.
C. The file was set to read only by the Accounts Receivable administrator.
D. The file was moved before being modified and then moved back to the share.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 240
25. In Windows, which of the following commands should be used to verify that a previous system shutdown was completed successfully?
A. Ipconfig
B. Chkntfs
C. Chkdsk
D. SFC
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 240
26. Which of the following are the best answers for securing a data center? (Select the two best answers.)
A. Bollard
B. Badge reader
C. Cable lock
D. USB-based hardware token
E. Biometric lock
F. Privacy shades
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 240
27. Which of the following is the best Windows utility to use if an administrator wants to perform administrative tasks that integrate scripts over a network?
A. PowerShell
B. Command Prompt
C. Command-line
D. Bash
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 240
28. Which of the following can be used to kill a running process?
A. Task Manager
B. Computer Management
C. Control Panel
D. Tasklist
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 241
29. Which of the following file systems is suited specifically for USB flash drives?
A. FAT32
B. exFAT
C. NTFS
D. ext4
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 241
30. A program has been detected collecting information such as the computer name and IP address and sending that information to a specific IP address on the Internet. Which kind of threat is this an example of?
A. Spyware
B. Virus
C. Rootkit
D. Spam
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 241
31. You are required to stop the Windows Defender Firewall service. Which of the following best describes how to accomplish this? (Select the three best answers.)
A. In Performance Monitor
B. With the net stop mpssvc command
C. Within Msconfig
D. Within the Task Manager
E. In System Information
F. With Gpedit.exe
G. In Services.msc
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 241
32. You spill a chemical on your hands. It does not appear to be life threatening. Which of the following statements best describes the recommended course of action?
A. Call 911.
B. Call the building supervisor.
C. Consult the MSDS for the chemical.
D. Ignore it.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 242
33. Which command allows a user to change a file’s permissions in Linux?
A. Chown
B. Passwd
C. Ls
D. Chmod
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 242
34. While you are working on a computer at a customer’s home, the customer informs you that he needs to leave for about 10 minutes and that his eight-year-old son can help you with anything if you need it. Which of the following statements best describes the recommended course of action??
A. Tell the customer to get back home as soon as possible.
B. Tell the customer that you are not responsible for the child.
C. Tell the customer that an adult must be home while you work.
D. Tell the customer that the child must be removed.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 242
35. You want a cloud provider that will offer you service which is quickly scalable. Which of the following should be requested when you contact potential cloud providers?
A. Measured services
B. Rapid elasticity
C. On-demand service
D. Resource pooling
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 242
36. You have been asked to recommend an anti-malware program for a home user. However, the user does not want to pay for a license. Which of the following should you suggest?
A. Personal license
B. Corporate license
C. Open license
D. Enterprise license
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 242
37. A customer experiences a server crash. When you arrive, the manager is upset about this problem. Which of the following statements best describes the recommended course of action?
A. Stay calm and do the job as efficiently as possible.
B. Take the customer out for a cup of coffee.
C. Avoid the customer and get the job done quickly.
D. Refer the customer to your supervisor.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 243
38. Which type of web server is designed to resolve hostnames to IP addresses?
A. DHCP server
B. Web server
C. Proxy server
D. DNS server
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 243
39. As you are servicing a manager’s PC at your company, you run across a list of names of employees who are supposedly about to be let go from the company. Some of these people are coworkers. Which of the following statements best describes the recommended course of action?
A. Shred the list.
B. Act as if you never saw the list.
C. In secret, tell everyone who was on the list.
D. Yell at the manager for having that list out.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 243
40. Which macOS utility is most like Windows’ “end task” feature?
A. Time Machine
B. Finder
C. Taskkill
D. Force quit
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 243
41. Which of the following statements best describes how to reduce the chance of ESD? (Select the three best answers.)
A. Use an antistatic strap.
B. Use an antistatic mat.
C. Raise the temperature.
D. Raise the humidity.
E. Lower the humidity.
F. Work in a carpeted area.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 244
42. While you explain a technical concept to a customer, which of the following statements best describes the recommended course of action?
A. Recommend a training class.
B. Sit next to the customer.
C. Use acronyms so that the customer feels comfortable about your knowledge.
D. Tell the customer to read the manual.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 244
43. You are viewing the contents of an ipconfig /all on a Windows computer. You see the name dpro42.com toward the beginning of the results. Which type of network is this Windows computer most likely a part of?
A. Workgroup
B. Homegroup
C. Domain
D. VPN
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 244
44. Which of the following should be used to clean a monitor’s screen when you are not sure how to do so?
A. Isopropyl alcohol
B. Mild detergent
C. Water
D. Boric acid
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 244
45. You are required to register an ActiveX control in the Command Prompt. Which utility should be used?
A. Regsvr32
B. Regedit.exe
C. MMC
D. MSTSC
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 244
46. As part of the risk management of your company, you have been tasked with backing up three physical servers on a daily basis. These backups will be stored to a NAS device on the LAN. Which of the following can you do to make sure the backup will work if needed?
A. Create alerts to let the administrators know when backups fail.
B. Set up scripts that will automatically rerun failed backup jobs.
C. Store copies of the backups offsite at a data center.
D. Frequently restore the servers from the backup files and test them.
E. Configure the backups to restore to VMs for rapid recovery.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 245
47. You have an Intel Core i7 system with a UEFI-enabled motherboard. Which of the following types of hard drive partitioning schemes should be selected when installing Windows?
A. MBR
B. FAT32
C. Dynamic drive
D. GPT
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 245
48. Which of the following statements best describes the recommended course of action to take prior to attempting to remediate infected Windows systems of malware?
A. Educate the end user.
B. Disable System Restore.
C. Schedule scans.
D. Update the anti-malware program.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 245
49. A customer’s mobile device cannot connect to Wi-Fi. According to the customer, it was working fine yesterday. Troubleshoot! Which of the following statements best describes the recommended course of action? (Select the three best answers.)
A. Power cycle the device.
B. Re-pair the device.
C. Perform a hard reset.
D. Forget the Wi-Fi network.
E. Check if the correct SSID was entered.
F. Change the IP address.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 246
50. Which of the following utilities enables a Windows user to edit a file offline and then automatically update the changes when the user returns to the office?
A. Sync Center
B. Windows Aero
C. Windows Defender
D. HomeGroup
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 246
51. A help desk phone support technician is finding it difficult to understand the customer due to a heavy accent. Which of the following statements best describes the first course of action the technician should take to help the customer resolve the problem?
A. Repeat the problem back to the customer.
B. Have the customer call back at a later time.
C. Ask the customer to not speak with an accent.
D. Tell the customer that her accent is preventing the problem from being solved.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 246
52. Which of the following relies on PPTP to create a secure tunnel?
A. WWAN
B. 4G LTE
C. VPN
D. WLAN
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 247
53. Which of the following will occur if %temp% is executed from Run?
A. Applications located in the %temp% folder will be executed.
B. The operating system’s temporary folder will be opened.
C. The current user’s temporary folder will be opened.
D. Applications will be deleted in the %temp% folder.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 247
54. Which group is best to assign to a home user to prevent software installation?
A. Administrators
B. Power users
C. Remote Desktop users
D. Users
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 247
55. A Windows PC is not booting correctly. You need to locate bad sectors and recover information. Which command is best?
A. chkdsk C: /R
B. chkdsk C: /F
C. chkdsk C: /C
D. chkdsk C: /I
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 247
56. One of your coworkers has a smartphone that contains PII. Because the data is required for use and is valuable, the coworker cannot have the phone automatically wiped if it is lost or stolen. Which of the following is the best way to secure the device?
A. Passcode
B. Swipe
C. PIN
D. Fingerprint
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 247
57. Where can a user’s Desktop folder be found in Windows by default?
A. C:Users\%username%desktop
B. C:Documents and Settings\%username%desktop
C. C:System Volume Information\%username%desktop
D. C:UsersSystem32\%username%desktop
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 248
58. A user who is part of a workgroup reports that she cannot print to a new printer. Everyone else in the workgroup can print to the new printer, and the user can still automatically send print jobs to the old printer. Which of the following statements describes how to remedy the problem? (Select the two best answers.)
A. Add the new printer to the user’s computer.
B. Clear the print queue on the new printer.
C. Change the user’s password and permissions.
D. Set the new printer as the default printer.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 248
59. Your organization has an Active Directory domain. One of the users, Bill, should not have read access to a folder named Accounting. The Accounting folder is shared on a network server, on a partition formatted as NTFS. Which of the following statements best describes how to stop Bill from having read access to the folder without impacting any other users on the network?
A. Remove Bill from all domain groups that have access to the Accounting folder.
B. Deny read access to the Accounting folder for Bill through local access security.
C. Deny read access to the Accounting folder for any group that Bill is a member of.
D. Deny read access to the Accounting folder for Bill through shared access security.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 248
60. Examine the following figure. Then answer the question that follows.
Which portion of Computer Management is displayed in the figure?
A. Event Viewer
B. Disk Management
C. Gparted
D. DiskPart
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 248
61. Which of the following is the best Windows utility to back up important system settings without requiring external storage?
A. Msconfig
B. Task Manager
C. System Protection
D. Robocopy
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 248
62. Your boss wants to encrypt a hard drive that will store critical data. Your boss needs to be able to drag and drop folders onto the volume and have them encrypted in real time. Which encryption technique should you suggest?
A. BitLocker
B. PKI
C. TPM
D. Kerberos
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 249
63. Your boss asks you to troubleshoot a computer with a virus. Which of the following statements best describes the first step you should take to remedy the problem?
A. Run a System Restore.
B. Identify the malware.
C. Roll back drivers.
D. Research malware types.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 249
64. User A is part of the Users Group on a Windows computer. User A attempts to access files on a UNC path: \serverfileshare. Fileshare has the following share permissions:
Administrators—Full Control
Users—Read Only
Guests—No Access
However, the directory on the hard drive where the share is located has the following permissions:
Administrators—Full Control
Users—Change
Guests—No Access
Which level of access will the account User A have?
A. Read Only
B. Change
C. Full Control
D. No Access
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 249
65. Your boss wants to implement BitLocker on yet a second laptop for traveling purposes. Which of the following should be performed before implementing BitLocker?
A. Enable TPM in the BIOS/UEFI.
B. Disable UAC.
C. Defrag the hard drive.
D. Convert the file system to NTFS.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 249
66. You need to edit a protected .dll file on a Windows 8.1 Pro PC, but you cannot find the file you are looking for in the System32 folder. Which of the following Control Panel utilities should you configure?
A. Display
B. System
C. Indexing Options
D. Folder Options
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 250
67. One of your customers has a defective disk. Which command can be used to extract readable information?
A. Recover
B. Replace
C. Convert
D. REM
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 250
68. You have been asked to load a copy of the company’s purchased software on a personal computer. Which of the following statements best describes the first step you should take to remedy the problem?
A. Verify that the install is allowed under the company’s licensing agreements.
B. Notify the company’s owner of the breach.
C. Advise the individual that downloading unlicensed software is illegal.
D. Leave the premises and call local law enforcement.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 250
69. Your friend is playing the latest first-person game on a PC, but the screen is pausing during game play. Your friend has a high-end graphics card and the maximum memory for the motherboard. Which of the following statements best describes how to remedy the problem?
A. Upgrade the drivers.
B. Reinstall the OS.
C. Replace the hard drive.
D. Reinstall the game.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 250
70. You have been asked to move data from one user’s laptop to another user’s laptop, each of which has EFS functioning. Which of the following statements best describes the first step you should take to remedy the problem?
A. Give the user of the second laptop administrator privileges.
B. Export the user’s certificate.
C. Disable networking.
D. Convert the partition to FAT32.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 251
71. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Authentication can be something a user knows, such as a smart card.
B. Authentication can be something a user is, such as a fingerprint.
C. Authentication can be something a user does, such as a PIN or password.
D. Authentication can be something a user has, such as signature.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 251
72. You are required to implement an organizational policy that states user passwords can’t be used twice in a row. Which of the following policies should be configured?
A. Minimum password length
B. Enforce password history
C. Minimum password age
D. Complexity requirements
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 251
73. You are working on a computer in which you just installed a new hard drive. The system already runs Windows. The new hard drive does not appear in Explorer. Which of the following statements best describes the next step you should take to ensure the drive will be recognized by the operating system?
A. Reboot the computer.
B. Initialize and format the hard drive in Disk Management.
C. Configure the drive in the BIOS/UEFI.
D. Assign a drive letter to the hard drive in Disk Management.
E. Set the drive to active.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 251
74. An attacker is constantly trying to hack into one of your customer’s SOHO networks. Which of the following statements best describes the easiest, most practical way to protect the network from intrusion?
A. Disable the SSID broadcast.
B. Install an antivirus server application.
C. Disconnect the Internet connection.
D. Install a firewall.
E. Install an IDS.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 252
75. One of the administrators recently moved a large chunk of data from one server to another. Now, several users are reporting they cannot access certain data shares and get the following error: Access Denied. The admin confirms that the users are in the proper security groups, but the users are still unable to access the shares. Which of the following are the most likely causes of the problem? (Select the two best answers.)
A. Denied permissions
B. User account time of day restriction
C. Mapped drives
D. Administrative share permissions
E. Disabled proxy settings
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 252
76. Which command in the Linux terminal enables you to find out information about a wireless network adapter?
A. Ipconfig
B. Regedit
C. Apt-get
D. Iwconfig
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 252
77. You have a Windows computer for which you wish to write a batch file. You want the batch file to turn off the computer after a certain amount of time. Which main command should be run in the batch file?
A. Taskkill
B. Down
C. Kill
D. Shutdown
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 253
78. Which switch of the Robocopy command copies subdirectories but skips empty ones?
A. /E
B. /B
C. /S
D. /DCOPY:T
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 253
79. Which of the following are components of dealing with prohibited content? (Select the three best answers.)
A. First response
B. Maintaining a positive attitude
C. Preserving data
D. Creating a chain of custody
E. Avoiding distraction
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 253
80. You are designing the environmental controls for a server room that contains several servers and other network devices. Which of the following statements best describes the role of an HVAC system in this environment? (Select the two best answers.)
A. It shields equipment from EMI.
B. It provides isolation in case of a fire.
C. It provides an appropriate ambient temperature.
D. It maintains appropriate humidity levels.
E. It vents fumes from the server room.
Quick Answer: 233
Detailed Answer: 253
Quick-Check Answer Key
1. D
2. D
3. D
4. C
5. B
6. C
7. C
8. D
9. B
10. A
11. A
12. D
13. C
14. B
15. D
16. A
17. C
18. C
19. A
20. A
21. B
22. A
23. B, D, F
24. D
25. B
26. B, E
27. A
28. A
29. B
30. A
31. B, D, G
32. C
33. D
34. C
35. B
36. C
37. A
38. D
39. B
40. D
41. A, B, D
42. B
43. C
44. C
45. A
46. A
47. D
48. B
49. A, D, E
50. A
51. A
52. C
53. C
54. D
55. A
56. D
57. A
58. A, D
59. D
60. B
61. C
62. A
63. B
64. A
65. A
66. D
67. A
68. A
69. A
70. B
71. B
72. B
73. B
74. D
75. A, C
76. D
77. D
78. C
79. A, C, D
80. C, D
Answers and Explanations
1. Answer: D
Explanation: The snippet of code shown is an example of JavaScript. When you press F12 in a web browser, it displays the code used by the web page. This often includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. For this question, you don’t even need to look at the code because the question states that you are looking in the js folder, which is short for JavaScript. However, you could also tell by the code. For example, $(function() is a jQuery, an easier way of using JavaScript. Also, var is commonly used in JavaScript; it is a statement that declares a variable. In this example, a table or other data structure is “collapsible,” which means it can be shrunk into a smaller space. So this question might seem complex, but it really isn’t. Remember, .js is normally associated with JavaScript.
Incorrect answers: As for the others, .py is associated with Python; .ps1 is associated with PowerShell; .sh is associated with Bash and the Terminal (Linux/Unix); and .vbs is associated with Visual Basic Script (or VBscript).
2. Answer: D
Explanation: Because this situation happens often, you should school the user on safer web browsing habits such as being very careful when clicking on links brought up by search engines, not clicking on pop-up windows, and being conservative about the websites that are accessed. Also, the browser can be updated, add-ons can be installed to the web browser for increased protection, phishing filters can be enabled, and so on.
Incorrect answers: Deleting temporary files won’t stop the user from visiting the same websites that probably caused the problem in the first place. Defragmenting the hard drive will help the drive and the OS perform better but won’t help in the malware department. The computer should have an antivirus solution or, better yet, an anti-malware solution, but it should be set to update automatically every day.
3. Answer: D
Explanation: Connections can be made by sending Remote Assistance invitations by email (Outlook or other email client) or Easy Connect. These invitations could be to ask for help or to offer help. This approach is often implemented in help desk scenarios in which a user invites a technician to take control of his computer so that it can be repaired. It’s effectively a virtual service call. The technician doesn’t need to come physically to the user’s desk but instead connects remotely.
Incorrect answers: You can also take control of a computer without an invitation (and if you are an administrator or a user with permissions); this can be done only if the computer to be controlled has the Remote Desktop feature turned on. Virtual network computing (VNC) is similar to Remote Desktop; it enables control of a computer remotely. Several third-party VNC companies offer free software. Microsoft doesn’t refer to its software as VNC though. Collectively, the client software is also referred to as either Remote Desktop or Microsoft Terminal Services Client (MSTSC). Mstsc.exe is the executable that can also be used in the Command Prompt.
4. Answer: C
Explanation: The default folder location for Windows system files is C:WindowsSystem32—that is, if C: is the drive being installed to (which is the default). You might also see this referred to as X:\%windir%System32 or simply \%windir%System32. The X: is a variable meaning whichever volume is installed to. %windir% is a variable referring to the name of the main installation folder (usually Windows). %windir% is also expressed sometimes as %systemroot%.
Incorrect answers: C:Windows is the systemroot, where the OS is installed (though it also inhabits subfolders). C:WindowsSystem32Config is the folder where the Registry hives are stored. There is no C:System Files folder, unless you were to create it yourself.
5. Answer: B
Explanation: You would use the Google Cloud solution so that files can be backed up to a location outside the company. This backup—or full synchronization method—is great for Android-based smartphones or tablets as well as Google Chromebooks. Several other third-party solutions are available as well.
Incorrect answers: iCloud is the Apple solution for file backup, apps, and so on. Microsoft OneDrive has the same types of features in a variety of solutions. Though there is some crossover between cloud platforms, generally Android users would back up to the Google Cloud. A company-based local network-attached storage (NAS) device would go against what you have been asked to do in the scenario. If the NAS were on the Internet or part of a cloud, that would be a different story.
6. Answer: C
Explanation: You should check the company’s policies and procedures first (or inquire with a compliance officer). If there is confidential or proprietary information that should not leave the premises (under normal circumstances), the company guidelines should define what to do in a repair situation.
Incorrect answers: If the computer ultimately does have to leave the premises, you will probably have to obtain authorization and signatures from one or more people who work at the company; this goes beyond your manager, who works at your company, not the company you have been contracted to help. You should never delete any information from computers that you work on unless, of course, doing so is required as part of a hard drive scrub or hard drive replacement, and the data has been backed up. Removing the hard drive is not enough; there could be data elsewhere in the computer. Also, repairing a system without a hard drive can, in many cases, prove to be difficult.
7. Answer: C
Explanation: Use Notepad. This text-based editor applies virtually no formatting. Text and other information can be copied from a web page, pasted to a Notepad document, and then copied again and pasted into Word; all formatting is removed. Notepad (and third-party tools such as Notepad++) can also be used for scripting and web page development.
Incorrect answers: CMD, or more specifically cmd.exe, is the executable that opens the Microsoft Command Prompt. Excel is a program by Microsoft that enables you to create and modify spreadsheets. The MMC is the Microsoft Management Console. It is a utility in Windows that enables you to work with several console windows within the same program; it saves the last place you were working.
8. Answer: D
Explanation: The printing subsystem is most likely failing for one of a variety of reasons. The first solution is to terminate spoolsv.exe (which is the Print Spooler service) in the Task Manager or in the Command Prompt with the taskkill command. Then restart the computer. If that approach doesn’t work, the system may have to be repaired, restored, or modified in the Registry (which could be an in-depth process). It is also possible that a virus has compromised the system. There are viruses that are also called spoolsv.exe; a quick sweep of the system folders with AV software should uncover this...hopefully.
Incorrect answers: If Windows Update was running, it should not take up that many resources—not nearly so. FYI, the executable for that is wuauclt.exe. Hyper-Threading can be disabled in the BIOS/UEFI on some systems. This should have no effect on the system’s ability to multitask, though, and multiple processes should be able to run simultaneously without a problem.
9. Answer: B
Explanation: IMAP is the Internet Message Access Protocol, which allows an email client to access email on a remote mail server. Generally, the email client software leaves the messages on the server until the user specifically deletes them. So, the user can selectively download messages. This allows multiple users to manage the same mailbox.
Incorrect answers: Real-time messaging can be accomplished by using instant messaging and chat programs. IMAP, like POP3, allows users to download or receive messages, but it does not send messages; a protocol such as SMTP would be used to send mail. IMAP, like POP3, authenticates the user, but again not for sending email—just when receiving email.
10. Answer: A
Explanation: Use the Device Manager to disable a component in Windows, regardless of whether it is a laptop or a PC. When you disable a device, a down arrow appears over the icon of the device, next to the name.
Incorrect answers: Use the Task Manager to analyze basic system performance and stop processes. Use File Explorer to view folders, files, and other computers. Use the Services console (services.msc) to stop and start and modify the startup type of services.
11. Answer: A
Explanation: The sigverif.exe tool can be used to check for unsigned drivers within your Windows operating system. Unsigned drivers are those that have not been verified by Microsoft. If you receive error messages and are troubleshooting, run this command from the Run prompt. When the check is finished, unsigned drivers are displayed. This list is also stored in a file called sigverif.txt within the %windir% (%systemroot%).
Incorrect answers: The dxdiag command is the executable for the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. It is used to test the functionality of audio and video devices. Ping is used to test whether or not another host is on the network. Msconfig (the Microsoft System Configuration Utility) is a tool used to troubleshoot the startup process of Windows.
12. Answer: D
Explanation: User Account Control (UAC) is the portion of Windows that asks for confirmation of administrative rights before allowing a user to make system changes or run certain applications. It can be disabled within the User Accounts applet within the Control Panel by clicking the Change User Account Control Settings link. But beware; only users who have administrative rights should even be permitted to turn off this setting. UAC can be further configured in the Group Policy Editor and in the Registry Editor. For more information about how UAC works, see the following link:
Incorrect answers: UAC is not turned off in the Security Center or with the Windows Defender Firewall. It has separate functionality that is built into Control Panel > User Accounts. It cannot be turned off as a service in the Services console window (services.msc), though there is a related service called the Application Information service (using the service name appinfo), which deals with the usage of additional administrative privileges.
13. Answer: C
Explanation: If a “print sub-system not available” message or similar message appears, it most likely means the spooler has stalled. You can turn it back on within the Services section of Computer Management or by issuing the command net start spooler at the Command Prompt.
Incorrect answers: If the wrong printer driver was installed, either the user would get a message stating that the printer is not available, or the document would print but the information would be garbled. If the printer was not added, the user would not be able to print any documents to any printers and therefore should not get an error message. If the printer was not getting power, the user would most likely get a message stating that the printer is not available.
14. Answer: B
Explanation: Boot Logging can be enabled from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) in Startup Settings or in the Windows Advanced Boot Options menu. After this option is enabled, the system automatically creates a file called ntbtlog.txt. Afterward, you can access the system by booting into Safe Mode, once again from the recovery environment.
Incorrect answers: Sigverif is a program that can be run in Windows that verifies whether drivers have been signed by Microsoft. Disabling Driver Signature Enforcement is another Startup Settings (WinRE) option; you might use this to help fix the issue but not to diagnose the problem. Debugging Mode is another option. In this scenario you don’t necessarily need to debug the system, but rather you should repair the individual driver that failed to load.
15. Answer: D
Explanation: Chkdsk /F allows you to fix errors on a disk. It does not fix all errors, but it checks for disk integrity, bad sectors, and similar issues.
Incorrect answers: Robocopy copies files and directory trees. Tracert /w analyzes the path to another computer with a specific timeout per reply. Diskpart is the command-line tool that enables you to make changes to the operating system’s partition table.
16. Answer: A
Explanation: The first thing you should do is install anti-malware software. It would be surprising if the computer doesn’t have any, but it happens.
Incorrect answers: This could be a virus issue or other malware issue; you wouldn’t know until you investigate further. So, anti-malware is a better solution than just antivirus. After installing the software, you should scan the system for malware, update that software, and then reboot the computer. Use the CompTIA A+ malware removal process to aid in this process. A pop-up blocker is good for ads, but not necessarily for full pages that open by themselves. Plus, because the system is running slowly, the problem appears to be more than just pop-ups and is probably malware related.
17. Answer: C
Explanation: The Application log is the location for all events concerning Windows applications and third-party programs.
Incorrect answers: The System log contains information about drivers, system files, and stop errors, but not application crashes. The Security log contains information regarding auditing events. The Setup log stores information of events that occurred during the installation of Windows.
18. Answer: C
Explanation: Msconfig is the only option listed where you can disable services. The key in the question is the phrase “bring up a window.” Msconfig runs in a window, whereas the rest of the answers run as text on the command line. Msconfig can also be used to modify how the system boots. (The Services console window can also be used to disable services, as well as start and stop them.)
Incorrect answers: SFC is the System File Checker; it scans the integrity of protected system files and repairs problems if necessary and if possible. Contrast this with chkdsk, which can locate and repair errors on the disk, but not within system files. GPUpdate can update user and computer policy settings on the local computer or on remote computers.
19. Answer: A
Explanation: The Boot folder can be located in a hidden partition (100 MB in size), by default, which is separate from the C: drive.
Incorrect answers: The Windows folder is the place where the operating system is installed; it is also known by the variable %systemroot% or %WINDIR% and is located in the C: drive by default. Documents and Settings is also located in C: by default. Bootmgr is the Windows Boot Manager, which is the Windows loader program; it is a file, not a folder.
20. Answer: A
Explanation: The best solution is to upgrade the wireless network from WEP to at least WPA2. WEP is a deprecated wireless encryption protocol and should be updated to a newer and more powerful protocol if at all possible. If this is not possible, it would be wise to use a strong WEP key and modify it often.
Incorrect answers: MAC address filtering does not increase the level of data encryption, but it does filter out unwanted computers when they attempt to connect to the wireless access point. Disabling the SSID broadcast deters new computers from making initial connections to the wireless access point.
21. Answer: B
Explanation: Dir /a can be used to display hidden files. Specifically, dir /ah can be used to show hidden files only.
Incorrect answers: Dir /o deals with various sort orders of files—for example, alphabetical. Dir /d sorts files by column in wide format, and dir /? displays the help file for the dir command.
22. Answer: A
Explanation: Try accessing Safe Mode first and see if the problem continues. It probably won’t, and you will need to roll back the driver and locate, download, and install the correct one. Remember to get your drivers from the manufacturer’s website, and don’t forget to download the correct driver for your particular operating system.
Incorrect answers: Chkdsk checks the integrity of files and fixes them if necessary. Msconfig is used to boot the computer in different ways. Although you normally could select Safe Boot in msconfig, it is not possible in this scenario because the system won’t boot into Windows properly. You could check the System log while in Safe Mode, but it won’t explain much except that the system shut down improperly and rebooted continuously.
23. Answers: B, D, and F
Explanation: First, you should configure some kind of remote backup. This way, if the device is compromised, you have the confidential data backed up outside of the device at another location. The other half of this solution (not mentioned in the answers) is remote wipe. When you are positive that the device is stolen or lost, and you know the data was backed up at some point, trigger a remote wipe to remove all data from the device. Second, enable GPS on the device so that it can be tracked if it is lost or stolen. Third, configure a screenlock of some sort, be it a pattern that is drawn on the display, a PIN, or a password. A strong password is usually the best form of screenlock and the hardest to crack.
Incorrect answers: It doesn’t make a difference how Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are configured. They won’t help protect confidential data in the case of theft. Instead of Wi-Fi encryption, a mobile device should be prepared with a file encryption or full drive encryption tool.
24. Answer: D
Explanation: Most likely User B moved the file to another location outside of the current partition, made the changes (which is possible since User B is the one who moved it), and then moved it back to the original location. Whenever a file is moved to another partition or volume, the file takes on the permissions of the parent folder. However, if the file had been moved within the volume, the permissions would have been retained. Tricky. Remember this: If the file is moved within the same volume, it retains permissions, so the permissions don’t change. But if a file is moved to another volume, it takes on the permissions of the folder it is moved into. As for copying, the file’s copy always takes on the permissions of the parent regardless of where that copy is placed.
Incorrect answers: If NTFS permissions were changed to allow execute, User A should have been able to open the file. If the file was set with the hidden attribute, User A should not have been able to see the file. Accounts Receivable might or might not set a file to read-only. However, User A should still be able to open the file, but in read-only mode.
25. Answer: B
Explanation: Chkntfs can check to see whether a previous system shutdown completed successfully. This command must be run in elevated mode to function properly. Generally, you would check this on the system drive (for example, C:). If the drive is okay and the system did complete the shutdown successfully, you’ll get a message such as “C: is not dirty.” Otherwise, you’ll get a message telling of the error.
Incorrect answers: Chkdsk checks the integrity of the disk. Ipconfig displays the configuration of your network adapters. SFC scans the integrity of all protected system files and can replace them with the correct versions if necessary.
26. Answers: B and E
Explanation: The badge reader and biometric lock are the best of the listed answers (although all kinds of other security methods are possible). This scenario is an example of multifactor authentication (MFA). An RFID-based badge reader relies on something a person has, and the biometric lock system relies on something the user is. MFA systems are more secure because they layer the security.
Incorrect answers: A bollard is a physical obstacle, often seen in parking lots; it is used to block cars from driving onto a sidewalk or into a building. Cable locks are a good idea for servers and other equipment in a server room or data center, but they don’t secure the data center itself. A USB token is used for authentication to a computer, but not to the data center. Privacy (window) shades work well for blocking people from seeing what is inside a room, but don’t do much to actually secure the room. Plus, I haven’t seen too many windows in the data centers and server rooms I have worked in!
27. Answer: A
Explanation: The Windows PowerShell is the best of the listed Windows utilities that enables administrators to perform administrative tasks that integrate scripts and executables and can be run over a network. For even more power and flexibility, use the PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (PowerShell ISE).
Incorrect answers: The Command Prompt is the basic version of a command line in Windows. It is not as functional as the PowerShell. Command line is a generic term that refers to any command-line interpreting program regardless of the OS used. Bash is the shell used by Linux/Unix; for example, in Ubuntu Linux, you would access it from the Terminal.
28. Answer: A
Explanation: The Task Manager can end (or “kill”) a running process. It is also used to end applications that lock up, and it analyzes the performance of the system.
Incorrect answers: Computer Management is the main configuration console window; it contains the Device Manager, Event Viewer, and Services, among other things. The Control Panel lists all of the configuration applets available in Windows, such as Power Options, User Accounts, and Windows Defender Firewall. Tasklist is a command in Windows that displays a list of the running processes. To kill a process in the Command Prompt, first find out the name of the process and/or process ID (PID) with tasklist and then use the taskkill command to end the process.
29. Answer: B
Explanation: exFAT (also known as FAT64) is suited specifically for USB flash drives and many other mobile storage solutions. It is the successor to FAT32 and can format media that is larger than 32 GB with a single partition.
Incorrect answers: Older file systems such as FAT32 are very limited as to the partition size. NTFS can be a good solution for USB flash drives, but exFAT was developed specifically for USB flash drives and is the better solution if you have an operating system that supports it. Ext4 is a commonly used file system in Linux-based systems.
30. Answer: A
Explanation: Spyware is a type of malicious software that is usually downloaded unwittingly by a user or is installed by third-party software. It collects information about the user and the user’s computer without the user’s consent.
Incorrect answers: A virus is code that runs on the computer without the user’s knowledge; it infects a computer when the code is accessed and executed. A rootkit is software designed to gain administrator-level control over a computer system without being detected. Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging systems such as email.
31. Answers: B, D, and G
Explanation: You can stop a service in a variety of ways. The easiest and most common is to go to the Services console window. You can do this by typing services.msc at the Run prompt. You can also stop services in the Task Manager by accessing the Services tab and right-clicking the service in question. But in the Task Manager you have to know the executable name of the service. The name of the Windows Firewall service is mpssvc. So, the third way (of the listed answers) is to use the net stop mpssvc command in the Command Prompt.
Incorrect answers: Performance Monitor, System Information, and Gpedit do not allow you to stop services.
32. Answer: C
Explanation: If the chemical spill is not life threatening, consult the material safety data sheet (MSDS) to determine the proper first aid (if any).
Incorrect answers: If it is an emergency, call 911. If you cannot get access to the MSDS, contact the facilities department of your organization or try your building supervisor. Never ignore a chemical spill. Take action before it becomes a problem.
33. Answer: D
Explanation: The chmod command allows a user to modify file and folder permissions at the Linux command line.
Incorrect answers: The chown command allows a user to change the ownership settings of a file. Passwd enables a user to change the password in the command line. Ls displays the contents of a directory in Linux. These commands can also be used in macOS.
34. Answer: C
Explanation: Whenever you’re working in someone’s home, make sure that an adult is available.
Incorrect answers: You cannot take on the type of responsibility for watching a child; there could be legal consequences. Plus, there is no point in discussing the matter. Most companies have policies that simply state the terms of your visit to a customer. It is not your responsibility to watch over children, nor should any company agree to have its consultants do this. If the person insists on leaving, and you can pack up your things before that happens, do so, and then call your supervisor to inform him or her of the event.
35. Answer: B
Explanation: Rapid elasticity means that the service can be scalable at need and can grow in real time with your company’s growth.
Incorrect answers: In measured services, the provider monitors the services rendered so that the provider can properly bill the customer. On-demand service simply means that users can get cloud connectivity at any time, 24/7. Resource pooling is the grouping of servers and infrastructure for use by multiple customers but in a way that is on demand and scalable. All of these terms are interconnected, and a customer should be concerned with all of them.
36. Answer: C
Explanation: An open license means that the software can be downloaded and used for free.
Incorrect answers: Often, anti-malware suites offer advanced versions of the software for a fee. At that point, it would become a personal license. Corporate and Enterprise licenses are not for home users; they are often bulk discount licensing for multiple seats.
37. Answer: A
Explanation: Stay calm and do the job as efficiently as possible. There isn’t much you can do when a customer is upset except fix the problem.
Incorrect answers: I’d be interested to see what would happen if a person asked the owner of the server out for a cup of coffee, but I’m pretty sure the reaction would be negative. You don’t want to avoid the customer, but you don’t have to engage in anything except fixing the problem. You should refer the customer to your supervisor only if the person gets in the way of you doing your work.
38. Answer: D
Explanation: A Domain Name System (DNS) server is designed to translate hostnames (such as dprocomputer.com) to their corresponding IP addresses (for example, 65.18.242.1).
Incorrect answers: A DHCP server is used to automatically assign IP addresses and client-side DNS settings to client computers. A web server houses websites for people to access on the Internet (or intranet or extranet). A proxy server is a go-between server that has several functions, the primary of which is to cache HTTP or FTP information for clients on the network (as well as secure derivatives of those: HTTPS, SFTP, and so on).
39. Answer: B
Explanation: There isn’t much you can do in a situation like this, especially if you already saw what was printed on the document. The best thing is to ignore it and act as if it never happened. It’s not your place to take action based on a document that is lying around. Without intense scrutiny, it is hard to know exactly what a document is. The purported list might be real, but it might not be. It isn’t your call to make. However, before working at a customer site, you should ask that all confidential materials be removed before you begin work. If something is left out in plain sight, you could let a manager know that there could be confidential data lying around.
Incorrect answers: Technicians must be security-minded. Any documents owned by the company and printed by another user are not your property or your concern; they should not be handled or shredded. It could be a bad situation, but the right course of action is to not discuss it. As mentioned, the list could be real, or it could be a draft or a prank; either way, telling everyone about it could cost you your job. It is, however, something that you could bring up to a member of Human Resources, if necessary. Yelling is never a recommended course of action at the office. Save that for construction zones, demolition derbies, and heavy metal bands; or just avoid it altogether.
40. Answer: D
Explanation: The force quit option in Apple’s macOS is most like the “end task” feature in the Windows Task Manager. It helps when an application is not functioning as intended and is either frozen or intermittently slows down the system.
Incorrect answers: Time Machine is the macOS backup utility, similar to Windows File History and Windows System Restore. Finder is the macOS file and application exploration tool, similar to the Windows File Explorer. Taskkill is actually a Windows command, but it does the same thing as the end task feature in the Task Manager—only it does it in the Command Prompt.
41. Answers: A, B, and D
Explanation: To reduce the chance of electrostatic discharge (ESD), use an antistatic wrist strap and mat. If connected properly, they become suitable methods of self-grounding. Also, consider raising the humidity. The more humidity there is, the less friction, and ultimately, less ESD.
Incorrect answers: Raising the temperature has no effect. Lowering the humidity increases the chances of ESD. Working in a carpeted area also increases the chance of ESD; try to work in a noncarpeted area. You should also touch the chassis of the computer before handling any components (a basic example of self-grounding). In addition, place components in antistatic bags when they are not in use.
42. Answer: B
Explanation: Make the customer truly feel comfortable by sitting down next to her and taking the time to explain the technical concept from a simple and concise point of view. The less jargon, the better.
Incorrect answers: Recommending a training class is tantamount to dismissing the customer off-hand. Telling the customer to read the manual is just downright rude. I know, I say this often to you; however, you are a tech, so reading the manual is what you do. The customer is not supposed to be super-technically oriented. The acronym RTM should be kept within technical circles!
43. Answer: C
Explanation: If you see the name dpro42.com toward the beginning of the results of an ipconfig /all command, the computer is most likely a part of the dpro42.com domain. This would be listed in the Primary DNS Suffix entry, which is usually directly after the Host Name entry. The .com is the giveaway. Some kind of DNS extension (such as .com or .net) is necessary when you have a domain.
Incorrect answers: If the computer were simply part of a workgroup or homegroup, the Primary DNS Suffix entry would be left blank (by default). If the computer was connected to a VPN, you would see IP configuration details for a “Tunnel adapter” connection farther down the list of results of the ipconfig /all.
44. Answer: C
Explanation: If you are not sure about what to clean a screen with, use water. Water will most likely not damage the screen.
Incorrect answers: However, if the user manual for the monitor calls for it, you might see that you can use a half-and-half mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol. Do not use detergents on a screen; they are okay for the outside of a computer case but not the display. And boric acid could be quite dangerous.
45. Answer: A
Explanation: The regsvr32 command is used to register and unregister ActiveX controls and Dynamic-Link Libraries (DLLs). For example, to register the Sample ActiveX control, you would type regsvr32 sample.ocx.
Incorrect answers: Regedit.exe opens the Registry Editor, allowing you to perform just about any configuration you can imagine in Windows, from the simple to the mega-complex. The MMC is the Microsoft Management Console; it is a blank console window that you can use to work with multiple other console windows simultaneously (for example, Computer Management and the Local Security Policy). MSTSC is the Command Prompt version of Remote Desktop Connection in Windows.
46. Answer: A
Explanation: The best option here is to create alerts to let any and all administrators know if a backup failure occurs. These alerts would either be created at the network-attached storage (NAS) device or at the individual servers to be backed up. If an admin receives an alert, that person will know to either rerun the backup or (more likely) fix the backup task and then run it. One of the issues here is that you might not know if a backup fails—without the alerts, that is.
Incorrect answers: Setting up scripts is a good idea for the backup processes themselves, but you first need to be alerted to an issue before you can script a rerun of the failed backup jobs. In this case, the backups are being stored to a NAS device locally (on the LAN), so they are not being stored offsite. You should always test a backup the first time it runs and periodically afterwards; however, frequent restoration tests are very time-consuming, not to mention hardware-intensive to the NAS device. Restoring to a VM is a good way to test, but it’s not a good way to ensure rapid recovery, nor is it where the backups are supposed to be restored to; the question says “physical servers.”
47. Answer: D
Explanation: If your system’s motherboard is equipped with a UEFI BIOS, you should definitely take advantage of the GUID Partitioning Table (GPT). It is superior to Master Boot Record (MBR) technology. It allows for up to 128 partitions, is not limited to the 2-TB maximum partition size of MBR, and stores multiple copies of itself on the system.
Incorrect answers: As mentioned, MBR is inferior to GPT and should be avoided; however, you might service older systems that require it. FAT32 is not really a partitioning scheme, but rather a type of file system—and an older one at that. NTFS or exFAT is preferable. A dynamic drive is a drive in Windows that has been upgraded from basic; it allows a user to change the size of the volumes on the drive.
48. Answer: B
Explanation: You should disable System Restore on Windows systems just before attempting to remediate the system of malware. This is step 3 of the CompTIA A+ best practices/procedure for malware removal. The entire procedure is as follows:
1. Identify malware symptoms.
2. Quarantine infected system.
3. Disable System Restore (in Windows).
4. Remediate infected systems.
a. Update anti-malware software.
b. Scan and removal techniques (safe mode, pre-installation environment).
5. Schedule scans and run updates.
6. Enable System Restore and create restore point (in Windows).
7. Educate end user.
Incorrect answers: As you can see, the rest of the answers listed in the question come after (or during) “remediate infected systems.”
49. Answers: A, D, and E
Explanation: If a mobile device cannot connect to the network, you should attempt to power cycle the device, forget and reconnect to the Wi-Fi network, and check if the correct SSID was entered in the first place. Perhaps the #1 method would be to power cycle Wi-Fi (not listed in the answers).
Incorrect answers: Re-pairing has to do with Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi. Re-pairing means that you remove the paired Bluetooth device, and then reconnect it again. A hard reset wipes the device of its data and returns it to factory condition. This is a very last resort; there are plenty of other things you can try before that. Changing the IP address is possible but usually not necessary because most mobile devices obtain their IP addresses dynamically.
50. Answer: A
Explanation: The Sync Center is a Windows feature that enables you to keep information synchronized between your computer and network servers. You can still access the files and modify them even if you don’t have physical access to the server; in this case they are modified “offline” and are synchronized automatically when you return to the network. Some mobile devices are also compatible with Sync Center. The Sync Center can be configured within the Control Panel.
Incorrect answers: Windows Aero is a premium visual experience included in some versions of Windows 7. Windows Defender is the free Microsoft anti-malware program. HomeGroup is meant to quickly and easily share printers and media between Windows computers in a home network but was abandoned by Microsoft in Windows 10 (starting with version 1803).
51. Answer: A
Explanation: The technician should repeat the problem back to the customer to make sure that everyone is talking about the same thing and that both parties understand each other. Always clarify.
Incorrect answers: Having the customer call back later is just delaying the problem. Asking a person with an accent to stop speaking with an accent is like telling a dog to stop wagging its tail; it is probably futile. A technician needs to be culturally sensitive. If you seriously cannot understand the customer even after attempting to listen several times and repeating the problem back, you will have to get someone else involved who can help you or attempt to communicate with the person through email.
52. Answer: C
Explanation: Virtual private networks (VPNs) rely on a tunneling protocol such as Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) to create a secure connection between a network and a remote computer or group of computers. The preferred method for Windows clients is to use Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2). You might also make use of a RADIUS server for authentication or use an always-on VPN solution such as OpenVPN.
Incorrect answers: WWAN is another name for cellular Internet access. 4G LTE is a wireless cellular service used over large geographic areas; most phones use this standard in the United States and many other countries. WLAN is the wireless LAN that is created when you implement a wireless access point or create an ad hoc network of devices.
53. Answer: C
Explanation: Entering %temp% at the Run prompt displays a folder with the current user’s temporary files. For example, in Windows this would show: C:Users\%username%AppDataLocalTemp folder.
Incorrect answers: Nothing will be added, changed, or deleted. The folder will simply be displayed in a Windows Explorer or File Explorer window. The operating system’s temporary folder is located at C:WindowsTemp.
54. Answer: D
Explanation: The standard user cannot install software or make changes to the system without knowing an administrative login.
Incorrect answers: Administrators have full control over a system. Power users (way back in the Windows XP days) were able to install programs and device drivers but are found in newer versions of Windows only for backward compatibility with older applications. Remote Desktop users can remote into other machines to control them from another location.
55. Answer: A
Explanation: Chkdsk /R locates bad sectors and recovers the information from them.
Incorrect answers: /F fixes errors but doesn’t locate bad sectors and recover the information from them. /C and /I skip certain checks of the volume (in this case C:), which ultimately reduces the time it takes to check the volume.
56. Answer: D
Explanation: Of the listed answers, a fingerprint is the best way to secure the smartphone. If the smartphone is lost or stolen, another person would have a difficult time unlocking the device (though not impossible). For a device that cannot be remote wiped (for various reasons), the best alternatives are the use of biometric authentication, in combination with a strong password (for MFA); plus encryption.
Incorrect answers: Passcodes and PINs can be cracked; doing so just takes time. Even a lengthy and complex password can be cracked given enough time.
57. Answer: A
Explanation: Every user profile gets a Desktop folder by default. This folder is located within the user profile folder, which is shown in the answer as a variable %username%.
Incorrect answers: In a standard Windows 10, 8, or 7 configuration, the Documents and Settings and System Volume Information folders are hidden and access is denied. Historically, the no-longer-supported Windows XP used Documents and Settings as the main user folder, but newer versions of Windows changed that by creating a junction from that folder to the Users folder. Now the Documents and Settings folder is protected, but you have limited access to the Users folder. The System32 folder is inside the Windows folder, not the Users folder.
58. Answers: A and D
Explanation: If a user cannot print to a brand-new printer, yet everyone else can print to it, you should check whether the printer is installed on that user’s computer and if it is set as the default printer.
Incorrect answers: If the printer has not yet been installed, there will be no print queue to clear. However, if the printer has been installed, the next thing to check would be whether the print queue has failed. You could also check the Print Spooler. If the user was able to print to an older printer that was also shared by other users in the workgroup, you should not have to change the user’s password or permissions.
59. Answer: D
Explanation: The best option in this scenario would be to deny read access to the Accounting folder for Bill through shared access security.
Incorrect answers: You would not use local access security because the folder is shared from a network server within your Active Directory domain. Also, if you remove Bill from all domain groups that have access to the accounting folder, Bill will probably lose access to other folders as well. If you deny read access to the accounting folder for any group that Bill is a member of, you will probably impact other users on the network negatively.
60. Answer: B
Explanation: The Disk Management component of Computer Management is displayed in the figure. You can tell because it shows each disk and the volumes within each disk.
Incorrect answers: The Event Viewer houses log information for the system, applications, and security auditing events. Gparted is a partitioning tool used with Linux. DiskPart is the command-line tool used to create and modify partitions on the hard drive.
61. Answer: C
Explanation: System Protection is a feature that creates and saves data about the computer’s system files and settings. It does this by creating restore points. You access it by going to the System Properties dialog box and clicking the System Protection tab. External storage is not necessary for these restore points; they are automatically stored in the system volume.
Incorrect answers: Msconfig is used to modify the way Windows boots and the services that are loaded at startup. The Task Manager is used to view system performance, enable/disable applications, stop services, and kill processes. Robocopy is an advanced file copy tool that can be used to copy entire directory trees of data, but it doesn’t copy settings.
62. Answer: A
Explanation: BitLocker is a type of whole-disk encryption, or WDE. It encrypts all of the contents that are created on it or copied to it in real time. It requires a trusted platform module (TPM) on the motherboard or an encrypted USB flash drive. Only select editions of Windows support BitLocker when used in this manner. Other lesser versions of Windows are compatible with BitLocker To Go for reading encrypted documents from USB flash drives.
Incorrect answers: A PKI is a public key infrastructure, which is an entire system of technologies and users dealing with encryption. The TPM can be required for this scenario, but it is not the encryption itself. Kerberos is an authentication protocol.
63. Answer: B
Explanation: The first thing you should do is identify the malware. (By the way, if the computer is on the network, disconnect it first.) Then you can research that malware and any possible cures by searching the Internet and accessing your AV provider’s website.
Incorrect answers: Rolling back drivers should not be necessary, especially if you find it necessary to run a System Restore at some point. Remember your best practices procedure for malware removal!
64. Answer: A
Explanation: User A will end up having the Read Only level of access to the share. Generally, a user gets the more restrictive level of access. The only thing that is different between the share’s permissions and the parent directory’s permissions is the level of control for the Users group. Normally, a share will obtain its permissions from the parent folder—that is, unless that option is unchecked in the properties of the folder. Then the folder can be reconfigured for whatever permissions an admin wants to set for it. That must be what happened in this scenario.
Incorrect answers: Administrators get Full Control access to almost everything by default. And Guests get No Access to just about everything by default. So the only possibilities for this question are Change and Read Only. Again, in general, the typical Standard user account receives the more restrictive level of permissions.
65. Answer: A
Explanation: Before implementing the BitLocker solution in Windows, you should enable the trusted platform module (TPM) in the BIOS. This is the chip on the motherboard that includes the encryption code.
Incorrect answers: UAC is User Account Control, a separate security option in Windows that checks whether users have administrative permissions before allowing them to carry out administrative tasks. Defragmenting the hard drive is not necessary, but it can’t hurt to at least analyze the drive and see if it needs to be defragged. Defragging a drive that requires it can increase performance. BitLocker works on FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT partitions, so you do not need to convert the file system.
66. Answer: D
Explanation: Use the Folder Options utility in the Control Panel of Windows 8.1. From there, you go to the View tab and then deselect the check box labeled “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).” You might also deselect the “Hide extensions for known file types” check box to see which ones are .dll files. Note that this utility was removed from the Windows 10 Control Panel. Instead, you can access it with File Explorer Options or from the File Explorer program by choosing View > Options > Change Folder and Search Options. Or you can go to Run and type control folders.
Incorrect answers: The other Control Panel utilities do not apply here.
67. Answer: A
Explanation: The Recover command can recover readable information from a bad or defective disk. The disk should be attached (slaved) to a working computer to get back the data.
Incorrect answers: The Replace command replaces source and destination files but does not recover lost information. Convert changes a file system from FAT to NTFS without losing data. REM records comments in a batch file (.bat) or within config.sys, a root file not typically used in Windows.
68. Answer: A
Explanation: You should first verify that the installation is allowed under a company’s licensing agreement. It probably isn’t, but you should check first. Most organizations do not allow purchased software to be installed on an employee’s home computer. If doing so is against organization policy, you should notify your supervisor. There are many types of licenses that you should be aware of, including end-user licensing agreements (EULA), digital rights management (DRM), commercial and enterprise licenses (such as client access licenses or CALs), open source versus closed source (that is, Android versus iOS), personal licenses, and so on. Again, be sure to follow and incorporate corporate end-user policies and security best practices when it comes to these types of licenses.
Incorrect answers: You would notify your supervisor/manager, not the company owner, unless it was a very small company. Verify whether the license is valid or allowed before advising any individuals. Calling law enforcement is premature because you have not yet verified the nature and validity of the license.
69. Answer: A
Explanation: If you see video issues such as pausing during game play, upgrade the video drivers. Make sure that you download the latest video driver from the manufacturer’s website. Gamers cannot rely on Microsoft drivers.
Incorrect answers: Sometimes reinstalling a game is necessary but shouldn’t be in this scenario. Replacing the hard drive and reinstalling the OS are drastic and unnecessary measures for this problem.
70. Answer: B
Explanation: The first thing you should do is export the user’s certificate from the first laptop to the second laptop. You can do this by clicking Start and typing certmgr.msc in the Search box; then locate and export the correct Personal Certificate. The Certificates console window can also be added to an MMC. The Encrypting File System (EFS) is the standard single-file encryption method for Windows (if the version supports it).
Incorrect answers: Administrative privileges won’t help immediately because the encryption would still be in effect, but an administrator can deal with the importing and exporting of certificates from one computer to another, whereas a typical user cannot. Networking need not be disabled, and you aren’t sure which user is being referred to in the answers, but if the certificate has been exported, that user should be able to read the files. Partitions can be converted from FAT32 to NTFS but not vice versa.
71. Answer: B
Explanation: Authentication can be carried out by utilizing something a user is, such as a fingerprint; something a user knows, such as a password or PIN; something a user has, such as a smart card or token; and something a user does, such as writing a signature or speaking words.
Incorrect answers: A smart card is something the user has (a possession factor), not something the user knows. A PIN and a password are something the user knows (a knowledge factor), not something the user does. A signature is something the user does, not something the user has.
72. Answer: B
Explanation: You should configure the Enforce password history policy and set it to a number higher than zero. This way, when a user is prompted to change her password every 42 days (which is the default minimum password age), that user will not be able to use the same password. Password policies can be accessed in Windows within Local Security Policy window > Security Settings > Account Policies > Password Policy.
Incorrect answers: Minimum password length is the policy that states the fewest characters a password must contain. Eight is a decent setting, but to be full-on secure, many organizations require 15 minimum. There are several technical reasons for this, but the A+ exam does not go into that kind of depth. Complexity requirements policy, if enabled, forces a user to select a password that meets three of the following five categories: uppercase characters, lowercase characters, numbers, special characters (such as ! or #), and Unicode characters (not often implemented). As of 2017, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has leaned toward lengthy passwords as opposed to complex passwords.
73. Answer: B
Explanation: When you add a second drive to a system that already has Windows installed, you will probably have to initialize the drive and format it in the Disk Management utility.
Incorrect answers: Rebooting the computer does not help the system see the drive. You can configure the drive in the BIOS to a certain extent, but that won’t help Windows see the drive. When you format the drive, Disk Management asks you to assign a drive letter. You don’t need to set the drive to active because this drive does not have an OS to be booted to.
74. Answer: D
Explanation: The most practical way to prevent intrusion to the network is to install a firewall. In fact, if this is a SOHO network, chances are the network is controlled by a multifunction network device that already acts as a switch and a router and probably has built-in firewall technology; it just has to be enabled. Usually, these are enabled by default, but perhaps someone inadvertently disabled this feature, and that’s one of the reasons an attacker keeps trying to get into the network.
Incorrect answers: An intrusion-detection system (IDS) is usually more elaborate and costs more money, but it would help to prevent network intrusion. (Some devices combine IDS and firewall technologies, but usually not SOHO multifunction network devices.) Disabling the SSID helps to discourage the average user from accessing the wireless network, but any hacker worth his or her salt can get right past that; plus, the attacker could be trying to connect directly through the Internet connection. Antivirus software, regardless of where it is installed, does not repel attackers; it locates and quarantines malware. Disconnecting the Internet connection would work; the hacker wouldn’t be able to get in, but none of the employees would be able to use the Internet. Not a good compromise.
75. Answers: A and C
Explanation: The most likely reasons the users cannot connect are because of denied permissions and mapped drives. If the data was moved to another computer, the folders will inherit new permissions from the parent (by default). That will most likely eliminate the current user access. Also, the path to the share will change (again by default). Either the server name/IP address, the sharename, or both will be different when the data is moved to another server. So, to fix the problem, the user and group permissions will have to be modified for the new share, and new mapped drives will need to be configured.
Incorrect answers: There is no evidence that the time of day restrictions have been changed for any users. Administrative shares (such as C$) are for admins only; the users are not trying to access these shares in the scenario. Disabling proxy settings is done at the client computer. It might make sense if this happened to one system, but because multiple users are affected, it is unlikely.
76. Answer: D
Explanation: Use iwconfig (or ifconfig) to analyze a wireless network adapter in the Linux terminal. (Note that iwconfig does not work in macOS, but ifconfig does.) Also, as of the writing of this book, the ip a command can be used as well.
Incorrect answers: Ipconfig is a similar tool in Windows. Regedit is the executable that opens the Registry Editor in Windows. Apt-get is used for installing and uninstalling applications in the command line in Linux.
77. Answer: D
Explanation: Use the shutdown command. It works in the Command Prompt and also works programmatically within batch files (.bat) or beyond. To set a shutdown to occur after a specific time period, use the /t xxx switch.
Incorrect answers: Taskkill ends processes from the Command Prompt. Down is not a command in Windows, but it has been used by other operating system manufacturers to initiate a shutdown. Kill is the older Windows NT predecessor to the taskkill command.
78. Answer: C
Explanation: /S copies subdirectories but skips any empty ones.
Incorrect answers: /E copies all subdirectories, including empty ones. /B copies files in backup mode. /DCOPY:T also copies timestamps of files and folders.
79. Answers: A, C, and D
Explanation: When dealing with prohibited content, there will always be a first responder who is required to identify the issue, report through proper channels, and preserve data and possibly devices used. This person will be in charge of starting the documentation process, which includes maintaining a chain of custody, tracking evidence, and maintaining a chronological log of that evidence.
Incorrect answers: You should always maintain a positive attitude and avoid distractions, but those concepts concern professional behavior, not first response and prohibited content.
80. Answers: C and D
Explanation: The HVAC system’s primary responsibilities are to provide an appropriate ambient temperature for the equipment and to maintain appropriate humidity levels. This keeps the equipment from overheating and prevents electrostatic discharge (ESD).
Incorrect answers: HVAC equipment, by its very nature, is a producer of electromagnetic interference (EMI); it does not shield equipment from EMI—quite the reverse. HVAC equipment often needs to be shielded to reduce EMI after it is installed. Isolation can be provided by other methods such as the material used in the perimeter of the room. A separate ventilation system can be installed to vent fumes away from the server room; however, there shouldn’t be any fumes. Products that contain fumes should be stored in a separate and specially secured area. And if a fire were to occur, the sprinkler system or special hazards system should end that threat, eliminating any fumes that were a result of the fire.
That was a Lot of Fun!
That′s the end of Exam C, and that′s the last exam of the book. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If you scored 90 percent or higher on this 220-1002 practice exam, you are in pretty good shape. Now complete the book, and then access the companion website and my website for more content.