ACT Technical Support & Troubleshooting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A user's Mac displays a spinning beachball frequently during normal tasks. After ruling out insufficient RAM, what is the NEXT most likely cause to investigate?
- Slow or failing storage drive (Correct answer)
- Outdated display drivers
- Incorrect display resolution
- Bluetooth interference
Correct answer: Slow or failing storage drive
A slow or failing storage drive causes I/O wait that manifests as frequent spinning beachball cursors.
Question 2: Which macOS utility allows a trainer to view real-time CPU, memory, disk, and network usage to diagnose performance issues?
- Console
- Activity Monitor (Correct answer)
- System Information
- Disk Utility
Correct answer: Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor provides real-time graphs and process-level data for CPU, memory, disk, and network on macOS.
Question 3: A user reports that their MacBook Pro charges intermittently when using a USB-C cable. What should be checked FIRST?
- Replace the battery
- Inspect the USB-C port for debris and reset SMC (Correct answer)
- Reinstall macOS
- Update the firmware
Correct answer: Inspect the USB-C port for debris and reset SMC
Debris in the USB-C port can cause intermittent charging, and an SMC reset resolves power management anomalies.
Question 4: After a macOS upgrade, a third-party app crashes on launch with an error about an incompatible kernel extension. What is the appropriate resolution?
- Reinstall the app in Safe Mode
- Contact the app developer for an updated version compatible with the new OS (Correct answer)
- Disable SIP permanently
- Downgrade macOS
Correct answer: Contact the app developer for an updated version compatible with the new OS
Kernel extension compatibility is the responsibility of the developer, and an updated app version is the proper fix.
Question 5: A user cannot connect to a specific Wi-Fi network on their Mac while other devices connect successfully. After confirming correct credentials, what is the NEXT troubleshooting step?
- Reset NVRAM
- Delete the stored network keychain entry and rejoin (Correct answer)
- Replace the AirPort card
- Disable IPv6
Correct answer: Delete the stored network keychain entry and rejoin
A corrupted or outdated keychain entry for a Wi-Fi network can prevent successful authentication even with correct credentials.
Question 6: Which log file or tool in macOS should a trainer use to investigate application crashes and generate crash reports?
- Terminal syslog
- Console app (crash reports in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports) (Correct answer)
- Disk Utility First Aid
- Migration Assistant
Correct answer: Console app (crash reports in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports)
Crash reports are stored in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports and are viewable in the Console app for detailed analysis.
Question 7: A student's iPad will not restore in Finder because it is stuck in a loop and not recognized. Which mode should the trainer instruct the student to enter?
- Recovery Mode (DFU) (Correct answer)
- Airplane Mode
- Guided Access Mode
- Single-User Mode
Correct answer: Recovery Mode (DFU)
DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode allows the deepest level of restore when Recovery Mode alone is insufficient or the device is looping.
ACT Technical Support & Troubleshooting 2
A user's Mac displays a spinning beachball frequently during normal tasks.
After ruling out insufficient RAM, what is the NEXT most likely cause to investigate?