Hardware Diagnostics and Apple Support Tools Flashcards
6 cards from real ACSP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Hardware Diagnostics and Apple Support Tools flashcards as text
What does the 'Memory Pressure' graph in Activity Monitor indicate?
Answer: How efficiently the system is using available RAM
Memory Pressure shows RAM efficiency: green means memory is available, yellow means increasing demand, and red indicates critical pressure requiring attention.
What is the purpose of running 'First Aid' in Disk Utility?
Answer: Check and repair the volume's file system structure
First Aid verifies the disk's file system structure for errors and repairs them when possible, resolving issues like directory corruption.
How do you reset the SMC on an Intel Mac with a non-removable battery?
Answer: Press Shift+Control+Option+Power simultaneously for 10 seconds while plugged in
On Intel Macs with built-in batteries, the SMC reset involves pressing Shift+Control+Option along with the power button for 10 seconds while connected to AC power.
Where are kernel panic reports saved in macOS for diagnostic review?
Answer: /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/
Kernel panic reports are saved as .panic files in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ and contain stack traces that help diagnose system crashes.
What does a flashing question mark folder displayed at Mac startup indicate?
Answer: macOS cannot locate a valid startup disk
A flashing question mark folder means macOS cannot find a bootable system volume, which may indicate a disconnected, corrupted, or erased startup drive.
Which Terminal command displays hardware specifications including model name, CPU, RAM, and serial number?
Answer: system_profiler SPHardwareDataType
Running `system_profiler SPHardwareDataType` outputs key hardware details in Terminal, including model identifier, chip type, total RAM, and serial number.