Windows XP Pro Professional Standards & Competencies 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A technician must configure Windows XP Pro so that the screen locks automatically after inactivity. Which method enforces this via policy?
- Group Policy: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Display > Screen Saver settings with password protection (Correct answer)
- Setting the screensaver manually in Display Properties only
- Editing HKLM\SOFTWARE\Screensaver
- Using Task Scheduler to run lock.exe
Correct answer: Group Policy: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Display > Screen Saver settings with password protection
Group Policy can enforce screensaver timeout and password requirement, preventing users from disabling the setting.
Question 2: What does the Windows XP Pro Software Restriction Policy 'Disallowed' default level accomplish?
- Prevents all software from running unless explicitly allowed by rules (Correct answer)
- Blocks only unsigned executables
- Disables only .bat and .cmd files
- Restricts software in the Temp folder only
Correct answer: Prevents all software from running unless explicitly allowed by rules
Setting the default to Disallowed creates a whitelist environment where only explicitly permitted software can execute.
Question 3: A technician must log off a remote user stuck on a Windows XP Pro terminal session without disrupting others. Which tool is used?
- Remote Desktop Services Manager or Task Manager on the remote machine (Correct answer)
- Net session /delete on the local machine
- Shutdown /l /m \\remotemachine
- Restart the Server service
Correct answer: Remote Desktop Services Manager or Task Manager on the remote machine
Terminal Services Manager (or Task Manager's Users tab via Remote Desktop) allows forcibly logging off a specific user session.
Question 4: Which Windows XP Pro Audit Policy setting should be enabled to detect unauthorized attempts to read sensitive files?
- Audit Object Access (Correct answer)
- Audit Account Logon Events
- Audit Policy Change
- Audit Privilege Use
Correct answer: Audit Object Access
Audit Object Access, combined with NTFS auditing on specific files or folders, logs read and write attempts in the Security Log.
Question 5: A Windows XP Pro workstation must be added to a domain. What prerequisite must be verified before joining?
- The machine has network connectivity to a domain controller and DNS is resolving the domain correctly (Correct answer)
- The machine has a static IP address
- The local Administrator password must be blank
- The machine must be in a workgroup named DOMAIN
Correct answer: The machine has network connectivity to a domain controller and DNS is resolving the domain correctly
Domain joining requires the workstation to reach a domain controller and correctly resolve the domain name via DNS.
Question 6: A professional must maintain a chain of custody for a Windows XP Pro machine involved in an investigation. What should NOT be done?
- Boot the system and run cleanup tools to prepare it for forensic analysis (Correct answer)
- Document the system's physical state with photos before touching it
- Create a bit-for-bit forensic image of the drive
- Record the system's date/time and running processes before shutdown
Correct answer: Boot the system and run cleanup tools to prepare it for forensic analysis
Running any software on a suspected machine alters data and breaks the chain of custody; forensic imaging must occur first.
Question 7: Which Windows XP Pro command-line utility displays all active network connections and listening ports, helping identify suspicious activity?
- netstat -an (Correct answer)
- ipconfig /all
- nbtstat -n
- net view
Correct answer: netstat -an
Netstat -an lists all TCP and UDP connections with port numbers and states without performing DNS resolution.
Windows XP Pro Professional Standards & Competencies 4
A technician must configure Windows XP Pro so that the screen locks automatically after inactivity.
Which method enforces this via policy?