Mixed Deck — All ACSP Topics Flashcards

Which macOS tool lets you view all running processes and their CPU/memory usage in a graphical interface?

Answer: Activity Monitor

Activity Monitor displays all running processes, their CPU, memory, energy, disk, and network usage in a graphical window, making it the primary tool for monitoring and managing processes on macOS.

A user reports that their external SSD is not appearing in Finder but shows up in Disk Utility. What is the most likely cause?

Answer: The volume is not mounted

When a drive appears in Disk Utility but not Finder, it typically means the volume exists but is unmounted and needs to be mounted manually.

Which protocol does AirDrop use to transfer files between Apple devices?

Answer: A combination of Bluetooth for discovery and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi for transfer

AirDrop uses Bluetooth to discover nearby devices and negotiate a connection, then switches to a direct peer-to-peer Wi-Fi link for the actual file transfer.

What does the 'sudo' command do in macOS Terminal?

Answer: Executes the following command with superuser (root) privileges

'sudo' (superuser do) runs the immediately following command with root privileges after authenticating with the current user's admin password. The elevated privilege applies only to that single command.

Where are system-wide macOS preference files (.plist) stored?

Answer: /Library/Preferences/

System-wide preference files are stored in /Library/Preferences/, while per-user preferences are stored in ~/Library/Preferences/.

Which command-line tool is used to manage Time Machine backups, list snapshots, and trigger manual backups from Terminal?

Answer: tmutil

tmutil is the command-line interface for Time Machine, allowing admins to start/stop backups, list snapshots, and manage backup destinations from Terminal.

Where are application bundles (.app files) stored for all users on a Mac versus only the current user?

Answer: /Applications/ for all users and ~/Applications/ for the current user only

Applications in /Applications/ are available to all users on the Mac. Applications installed in ~/Applications/ (the user's home folder Applications directory) are only available to that specific user.

What is the purpose of the 'Erase All Content and Settings' feature introduced for Mac?

Answer: It resets the Mac to factory state without requiring bootable media, similar to iPhone reset

'Erase All Content and Settings' (available on Apple Silicon and T2 Macs) wipes the Mac to factory defaults from within macOS, requiring no external media.

A technician uses `diskutil secureErase freespace 0 /dev/disk1s1` before reinstalling macOS. What does this command do?

Answer: Writes zeros to only the free (unused) space on the specified APFS volume

The `secureErase freespace 0` option writes a single pass of zeros only to the free space on the volume, not to areas with existing data.

A user is trying to run an application downloaded from the internet, but a macOS dialog appears stating, "'AppName' cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified." What is the underlying cause of this Gatekeeper warning?

Answer: The application has not been signed with an Apple Developer ID and/or notarized.

This specific Gatekeeper warning appears when a user tries to open an app that has not been signed by a registered Apple developer and notarized by Apple. Gatekeeper's default policy is to only allow apps from the App Store and identified developers to ensure they have been checked for malicious content. While compatibility, sandboxing, and user privileges are important, they are not the direct cause of this particular verification message.

What is the function of the 'plutil' command in macOS Terminal?

Answer: Check, convert, and lint property list (.plist) files

'plutil' (property list utility) can verify syntax, convert between plist formats (binary, XML, JSON), and extract or modify values in .plist configuration files used throughout macOS.

In modern versions of macOS, the startup disk is configured as an APFS volume group. This group consists of which two primary volumes?

Answer: A read-only System volume and a read-write Data volume.

Starting with macOS Catalina, the OS is installed on a dedicated, cryptographically sealed, read-only System volume. User data, apps, and settings are stored on a separate, read-write Data volume. These two volumes are linked together and presented to the user as a single, unified volume.

A user wants to print from their iPhone to a printer on their home Wi-Fi network. Which technology enables this without installing an app?

Answer: AirPrint

AirPrint is Apple's wireless printing protocol built into iOS and macOS that works with compatible printers over Wi-Fi without additional drivers or apps.

What is Migration Assistant used for in macOS?

Answer: Transfer user accounts, apps, settings, and files from another Mac, Time Machine backup, or Windows PC to a new Mac

Migration Assistant transfers user accounts, applications, settings, and files from an old Mac (via direct connection or Wi-Fi), a Time Machine backup, or a Windows PC to a new or freshly set-up Mac.

What is the function of the hidden '/private/var/vm/' directory on macOS?

Answer: It stores virtual memory swap files that macOS uses when physical RAM is full

The /private/var/vm/ directory contains macOS virtual memory swap files (swapfile0, swapfile1, etc.). When RAM is fully utilized, macOS writes less-used memory pages to these swap files on disk to free up physical RAM.

On a shared Mac used by multiple local accounts, a technician notices that only one user can unlock FileVault at startup. What should the technician do to allow a second user to unlock the disk?

Answer: Use `sysadminctl -secureTokenOn ` granting them a Secure Token

A user must have a Secure Token to be listed as a FileVault-enabled user; granting a Secure Token via sysadminctl enables them to unlock the volume at startup.

Which macOS tool collects comprehensive diagnostics — logs, crash reports, and system state — into a single archive for Apple Support?

Answer: sysdiagnose

The `sysdiagnose` tool gathers a wide range of diagnostic data into a compressed archive that can be submitted to Apple Support for analysis.

Which Mac resource displays network interface status in a dynamic list?

Answer: Network settings

Explanation: Network settings on a Mac display network interface status in a dynamic list. Continue to study resources related to the following learning objective: Troubleshoot network locations on a Mac when a network interface isn’t working.

Aileen’s iPad won’t charge. She’s using the original Apple power adapter and cable that came with it. Which troubleshooting step should you try to help Aileen?

Answer: Force restart her iPad.

Explanation: Forcing Aileen’s iPad to restart is an appropriate next troubleshooting step. Continue to study resources related to the following learning objective: Identify, isolate, and resolve battery issues with iPhone and iPad.

What is Touch ID on Mac and what security technology protects the fingerprint data?

Answer: Touch ID uses a capacitive fingerprint sensor; fingerprint data is processed and stored as a mathematical template in the Secure Enclave, never leaving the chip or being sent to Apple

Touch ID processes fingerprints in the Secure Enclave — a dedicated security processor isolated from the main CPU. Only a mathematical representation (not the raw fingerprint image) is stored, encrypted, in the Secure Enclave. This data never leaves the chip and is never shared with Apple or iCloud.