ACSP Hardware Diagnostics and Apple Support Tools 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the 'Memory Pressure' graph in Activity Monitor indicate?
- How efficiently the system is using available RAM (Correct answer)
- The number of running processes consuming memory
- The total amount of virtual memory used
- The swap file size written to disk
Correct 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.
Question 2: What is the purpose of running 'First Aid' in Disk Utility?
- Check and repair the volume's file system structure (Correct answer)
- Erase and reformat the disk
- Create a disk image backup
- Securely erase free space on the disk
Correct 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.
Question 3: How do you reset the SMC on an Intel Mac with a non-removable battery?
- Press Shift+Control+Option+Power simultaneously for 10 seconds while plugged in (Correct answer)
- Hold the power button for 10 seconds
- Remove and reconnect the AC adapter three times
- Boot into Recovery Mode and select Reset SMC
Correct 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.
Question 4: Where are kernel panic reports saved in macOS for diagnostic review?
- /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ (Correct answer)
- /var/log/panic.log
- ~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/
- /private/var/db/diagnostics/
Correct 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.
Question 5: What does a flashing question mark folder displayed at Mac startup indicate?
- macOS cannot locate a valid startup disk (Correct answer)
- FileVault encryption is incomplete
- The firmware needs an update
- A RAM module failure was detected
Correct 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.
Question 6: Which Terminal command displays hardware specifications including model name, CPU, RAM, and serial number?
- system_profiler SPHardwareDataType (Correct answer)
- diskutil info /
- ioreg -l
- sw_vers
Correct answer: system_profiler SPHardwareDataType
Running `system_profiler SPHardwareDataType` outputs key hardware details in Terminal, including model identifier, chip type, total RAM, and serial number.
ACSP Hardware Diagnostics and Apple Support Tools 2
What does the 'Memory Pressure' graph in Activity Monitor indicate?