21/01/2023 Alexander Baxter

Module 1 Units 4 & 5 Review Questions

What is the registry and how

does it
distinguish Windows and
Linux?
Module 1 Unit 4
1. What is the registry and how does it distinguish Windows and Linux?
The windows registry is a database that Windows devices use to store information required to
configure and change the system settings of the device. These settings can be altered via various
management interfaces and the registry is constantly referenced by the device during operation.
The registry does not need to distinguish between Windows and Linux, as Linux devices do not
use a registry. Instead they store their information in a text-based file system, allowing users to configure
the device by modifying said text files.

2. What term is used to describe terminating a process that is not responding to user input?
When a program is not responding to user input, it is referred to as a freeze or a hang of the
program. The term often used to terminate the process is ‘killing the process’.

3. Why might you use the Services snap-in to manage background processes rather than Task
Manager?
A service or administrative snap-in is a part of the default computer management program that
is used to configure a separate sub-system of the OS. While the task manager is useful for starting and
terminating programs or processes, these snap-ins allow you to configure the properties of said
processes along with starting or stopping them, making them more suitable for managing background
processes.

4. The Task Scheduler allows you to run a process automatically in Windows. What is a widely-used
Linux equivalent?
The widely-used Linux equivalent to the Windows task scheduler is a utility known as cron.

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

 While in most circumstances the OS is left to manage system memory, the OS can supplement
RAM by paging it directly to the disk. This is known as a pagefile (and sometimes virtual memory) and is
usually user-configurable.

6. What two things are configured on a disk to make storage space on the disk available to the
Windows OS?
Firstly are partitions, which allow for a single disk drive to be divided or split into separate
different logical areas, allowing the OS to access each one separately as their own drive and use them
accordingly. For an OS to use a disk in the first place, the disk must have at least one partition.
Secondly these partitions must be formatted with an appropriate file system, which allows the
OS to read files from the drive and write new ones to the drive.
Windows also contains a Disk Management GUI which is used to format storage devices and
manage a disk’s partitions directly by user input.

7. What is a CLI?
A CLI, or Command Line Interface, is a type of shell used as an alternative means of configuring
an application or the OS itself instead of a GUI. It allows the user to input various scripts or commands,
in which a command is inputted, the CLI executes the command, displays any necessary output, and then
returns to prompting the user to input another command.

8. What protection feature in Windows is designed to prevent a script or software from making
unauthorized changes to the OS configuration?
For devices with multiple users, the User Access Control, or UAC, is used to limit the permissions
of certain user’s accounts. The owner is usually the only one given express permission to authorize
scripts and software to make direct changes to the OS. All of the other users of the device are allocated
their own username and password to authenticate which account they are using, so the OS can restrict
that user’s privileges accordingly.

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

This statement is false, as standard users may change their own password by themselves,
especially in the case of potential security breaches of their account using said password, but they may
not change the passwords of anyone else.
However, my own research has shown 2 times where this is not the case on Windows systems.
Firstly, in Windows 7 the administrative user was able to prevent users from altering their password by
navigating in the following way: Computer  Local Users and Groups  Users  Properties  User
cannot change password. Secondly, in Windows 10 there is a policy in the password policies GP where
new users may be unable to change their password for a few days after newly creating it.
Module 1 Unit 5

1. 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?
The other piece of advice to give is to determine if anything has changed, whether it be a
configuration change within the device or something as simple as physically moving a desktop around a
room. The thing or things that changed may seem unrelated, but that does not mean it isn’t the root
cause.

2. You have asked a senior manager to authorize your plan of action for resolving a fault in a software
application. What name is given to the process you are following?
This is a process known as escalating the problem, in which a less experienced staff member
approaches someone more experienced than them in their company or help desk to aid them in solving
the problem or to pass it off to someone with more knowledge and experience. Usually staff that utilize
this process are divided into three tiers: tier 1 consists of staff who perform classification and run simple
tests, tier 2 consists of staff with higher experience and more allocated time to solve the problem, and
tier 3 consists of certified computer specialists who often have many years in troubleshooting.

3. You are setting up a new computer, but it doesn't seem to be working. Should you check anything or
contact the manufacturer?
It is highly advised that before contacting the manufacturer you should attempt to resolve the
issue yourself, however you should only attempt solutions that are within your expertise and experience.
For example, checking all cables to make sure they are not loose. You should also check the setup or
maintenance guide included with the computer or access the vendor’s website on another device to find
common issues and fixes. If none of this works, you should contact either your business’s help desk, the
computer manufacturer, or the software vendor.

4. Your computer locks up periodically and feels hot to the touch. Could these things be related?
These things could easily be related, as if your computer feels hot to the touch that could mean
it is overheating. If a computer is overheating, it can encounter many serious issues such as becoming
unstable, shutting down suddenly or randomly, or your computer may even suffer component damage.
In this case, you should make sure the environment your computer is in is stable and attempt to clean
your computer vents and fans.

5. What crucial piece of information would you need when trying to locate support information about
a computer system on the manufacturer's website?
 The crucial piece of information required to locate support information about your computer
system is the model number or service code. You will then be able to enter this number/code on the
manufacturer’s website to locate all relevant information on your device.

6. 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?
A support contract in the context of IT is a formal agreement between two individuals or parties
in which one party will provide IT support in return of payment. If you do not have one of these
agreements, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, PC and hardware vendors all have an available
support form to be filled in on their website so you can find or receive the information you require.
There are also many community forums which aren’t tied to any vendor in particular, but can provide
advice, support, and discussions that can aid in solving your problem. Software vendors also have entire
support websites, such as Microsoft’s at support.microsoft.com that have solution centers for each of
their products. Lastly, there are many troubleshooting articles and useful links you can find on the
internet to help as well.

7. 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?
In order to better your search results and narrow them down to what you’re actually looking for,
there are two things you can do when typing in your search engine. Firstly, you can use uncommon or
specific words that directly relate to your issue at hand, allowing the search engine to find more specific
and tailored results. Secondly, you can search for an phrase by typing it in quotation marks in your search
bar, meaning only websites containing that exact phrase will be displayed as results.

8. 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?
There are two methods that can work in place of a search tool. The first is an advanced search
form, where you can input specific words, languages, website, and file type to name a few in order to
find exact phrasing on a website. Secondly, you can use a function known as :operator, where you input
the phrase you’re looking for followed by the website domain with a colon separating these two inputs.
You can also use the quotation mark method mentioned in the previous question, but while it
can find exact phrases it will not be able to only display the website you are looking for.