Study Guide Review Questions

Question 1

True or false? All types of computers use CPU and system memory.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

What type of computer is most likely to need peripheral devices?

Answer 2

Desktop computer/Personal Computer (PC) or a workstation. An All-in-one PC also uses peripheral devices, but it doesn’t need a separate monitor because the screen is built into the computer.

Question 3

What type of computer is best suited for using in a job where you have to make notes and be able to move around easily?

Answer 3

A tablet or smartphone or possibly a hybrid laptop/tablet. Notetaking is supported by a touchscreen-based device.

Question 4

Why don’t laptops make good servers?

Answer 4

There is no room for expansion and you are paying for components and design (maximum portability) you do not need.

Question 5

Why isn’t a smartphone a good tool for writing a report?

Answer 5

Touchscreen or mini keyboards are not optimized for writing lots of text, though it is possible to attach them as peripheral devices.

Question 6

What type(s) of IoT appliance are less likely to be controlled via a home automation hub?

Answer 6

Modern cars and medical devices are unlikely to interface via a hub. Home automation hubs link to kitchen and domestic appliances, streaming media players, and potentially security systems.

Question 7

What should you do before attempting to set up a new computer system?

Answer 7

make sure the environment is suitable and installation will be safe

Question 8

When setting up a desktop computer, what factors should you consider when deciding on the location of the system case?

Answer 8

you should consider the position of power outlets so the cables aren’t in the walkways and you have to ensure there is adequate airflow around the monitor system unit and larger peripherals

Question 9

What factors should you consider when positioning input and output devices?

Answer 9

ensure that it is not exerting strain on the back/neck, arm/wrist. ensure cables aren’t a trip hazard and avoid excessive glare from windows or lighting

Question 10

you have to sign into windows— does it matter if the caps lock light on the keyboard is activated?

Answer 10

yes, it’s case sensitive

Question 11

you have to open a word processing application, but you cannot see an icon on the desktop. What should you do?

Answer 11

Look for the shortcut in Start Menu or Start Screen- not all programs add shortcuts on the desktop.

Question 12

Your colleague has to run many applications at the same time and finds it difficult to know which icon to choose when switching between them. What alternative method could you suggest?

Answer 12

Press Alt+Tab- this shows previews of the window. Windows can also show previews of the window contents when pointing at the taskbar icon.

Question 13

Your Colleague is using a laptop and you notice that he laboriously clicks the mouse repeatedly to scroll through the document you are co-editing. What technique could he use to be more productive?

Answer 13

to scroll within a window, rotate the scroll wheel or drag your finger in the marked, scroll area of the touchpad

Question 14

What function of an operating system is performed by the “shell?”

Answer 14

to provide an interface between the user and the computer.

Question 15

What type of file in an OS is the main means of providing coordination of hardware components?

Answer 15

A driver (or device driver)

Question 16

What type of file in an OS is the main means of providing coordination of hardware components?

Answer 16

A driver (or device driver)

Question 17

What is an example of an open source operating system?

Answer 17

chromium, Linux and Android

Question 18

What type of computing device(s) is macOS designed for installation on?

Answer 18

desktop computers/workstations and laptops

Question 19

True or false? Windows 10 is the first 64-bit edition of Windows.

Answer 19

false— windows 10 is a version than edition and there have been 64 bit editions of windows versions since XP

Question 20

You have to open a file located on a network server. What should be your first step?

Answer 20

open the network object from the explorer and locate the server (computer) hosting the file

Question 21

What is the technical term for a web address?

Answer 21

URL (uniform resource locator. URI (uniform resource locator) is preferred in web standards docs but URL is widely known and used

Question 22

What key combination can you use to force the browser to ignore any locally cached files when refreshing a page?

Answer 22

CTRL+F5

Question 23

What is the registry and how does it distinguish Windows and Linux?

Answer 23

The registry in Windows is like a big, organized list that stores all the settings for your computer and its programs. In Linux, instead of one big list, it uses many small text files to keep settings for different things.

Question 24

What term is used to describe terminating a process that is not responding to user input?

Answer 24

“killing” the process

Question 25

Why might you use the Services snap-in to manage background processes rather than Task Manager?

Answer 25

Task Manager lets you turn programs or background services on and off. The Services tool, on the other hand, lets you change how these services work, like setting them to start automatically or manually, or adjusting other settings.

Question 26

The Task Scheduler allows you to run a process automatically in Windows. What is a widely-used Linux equivalent?

Answer 26

cron is the linux equivalent to tasks scheduler, which can run tasks or scripts at a particular time

Question 27

What part of the system memory setup is most user-configurable?

Answer 27

pagefile or virtual memory is user-configurable where disk space is used to supplement system RAM

Question 28

What two things are configured on a disk to make storage space on the disk available to the Windows OS?

Answer 28

at least one partition for the OS to use it
the partition must be formatted with a suitable file system

Question 29

What is a CLI?

Answer 29

command line interface is a shell that represents an alternative to configuring an OS

Question 30

What protection feature in Windows is designed to prevent a script or software from making unauthorized changes to the OS configuration?

Answer 30

user access control (UAC) means that a user has to authenticate their credentials or be prompted to a window that asks of their credentials before changes to the OS configuration is made

Question 31

What protection feature in Windows is designed to prevent a script or software from making unauthorized changes to the OS configuration?

Answer 31

user access control (UAC) means that a user has to authenticate their credentials or be prompted to a window that asks of their credentials before changes to the OS configuration is made

Question 32

True or false? A standard user cannot change their own password.

Answer 32

false, a user can change their own pws but not others

Question 33

You are advising a colleague about best practices when troubleshooting. You have identified the following techniques to use to identify a problem: gather information, duplicate the problem, question users, identify symptoms, and approach multiple problems individually. If you are following CompTIA’s troubleshooting model, what other piece of advice should you give?

Answer 33

Determine if anything has changed

Question 34

You are advising a colleague about best practices when troubleshooting. You have identified the following techniques to use to identify a problem: gather information, duplicate the problem, question users, identify symptoms, and approach multiple problems individually. If you are following CompTIA’s troubleshooting model, what other piece of advice should you give?

Answer 34

Determine if anything has changed

Question 35

You are setting up a new computer, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Should you check anything or contact the manufacturer?

Answer 35

double check you have connected the cables correctly (especially power)

Question 36

You are setting up a new computer, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Should you check anything or contact the manufacturer?

Answer 36

double check you have connected the cables correctly (especially power)

Question 37

Your computer locks up periodically and feels hot to the touch. Could these things be related?

Answer 37

yes and the first would be to clean the fan exhaust vents of dust

Question 38

What crucial piece of information would you need when trying to locate support information about a computer system on the manufacturer’s website?

Answer 38

the model # or service code

Question 39

If you do not have a support contract, what is likely to be the best option for obtaining advice about a problem with an application?

Answer 39

product support or community forum

Question 40

You are looking for content on a topic but your search is returning millions of matches that are not particularly helpful. What two methods could you use to get better search results?

Answer 40

use more search keywords (ideally with uncommon words) or search for an exact phrase by enclosing it in quotes

Question 41

You are looking for content on a topic but your search is returning millions of matches that are not particularly helpful. What two methods could you use to get better search results?

Answer 41

use more search keywords (ideally with uncommon words) or search for an exact phrase by enclosing it in quotes

Question 42

You want to find something on a particular website, but the site does not have a search tool. Could you use a general search engine, and if so, how?

Answer 42

you can use advanced search form or use the site: operator (‘certification site:comptia.org’)