5.5.8 Practice Questions File Systems

What is required to control access to the file system using file and folder permissions on a Windows-based computer?

NTFS-formatted partition Explanation File permissions are only available under Windows for files on a partition formatted with NTFS, not FAT32. The Encrypting File Service (EFS) with Windows encrypts individual files. The Ext4 file system is used on Linux systems.

If you want to boot from a hard drive, what must it have?

Active partition Explanation The active partition contains the boot sector, which is required to load an operating system. An extended partition is a partition type on a basic disk. An extended partition can exist, but is not required to boot.

Which partition type identifies the partition as one that holds the boot loader program used to start the operating system?

Active Explanation The active partition identifies which partition holds the boot loader code. When the system starts, it looks in the volume boot record (VBR) of the active partition to identify the location of the boot loader code. The system partition is the partition that holds the operating system files. This might be the same as the active partition, but can be different. A primary partition is a partition type on a basic disk. An active partition must be a primary partition, but there can be additional non-active primary partitions on a disk. An extended partition is a partition type that is subdivided into logical drives. The extended partition cannot be the active partition.

Which of the following is true about primary partitions?

The active partition must be a primary partition. Explanation A primary partition is a partition type used on basic disks. The active partition must be a primary partition. Each physical disk can have up to four primary partitions, or three primary partitions and one extended partition. Logical drives are defined within an extended partition.

You have added two new hard disks to a Windows computer. The disks are configured as basic disks. Which of the following could be configured on these disks?

Primary partitions Extended partitions with logical drives. Explanation Basic disks use primary and extended partitions. Each physical disk can have up to four primary partitions, or three primary partitions and one extended partition. Logical drives are defined within an extended partition. The extended partition can be divided into multiple logical drives. Dynamic disks support volumes that use discontiguous disk space. Simple volumes contain disk space from a single hard disk (both contiguous or discontiguous space). Spanned volumes contain disk space from multiple hard disks, grouped together into a single logical volume. Striped volumes use equal partition sizes on two disks to create a volume. Data is divided and saved to each disk.

You have an extra disk on your system that has three primary partitions and an extended partition with two logical drives. You want to convert the partitions to simple volumes, preferably without losing any data. What should you do?

Upgrade the disk to a dynamic disk. Explanation When you upgrade a basic disk to a dynamic disk, existing partitions are converted to simple volumes. You can convert the disk without deleting partitions or losing any data. Use the convert command to change the file system from FAT32 to NTFS. The partition table type (either MBR or GPT) does not affect the partition or volume type.

Which of the following is a command line utility that can be used to create, format, and manage partitions and volumes?

DiskPart Explanation DiskPart is the command line utility you can use to create, format, and manage partitions, and volumes. Disk Management is the graphical utlity you would use to do the same partition and volume creation, formatting, and management tasks you can do with DiskPart. DiskMan does not exist. Format is a command line utility used for formatting disks for use with Windows. CHDSK is used to find and fix errors on disks, volumes, and files.

You want to set up a Windows system to also be able to boot to Linux. To be able to dual boot, the system needs a partition on which to install Linux. You don’t have an extra hard disk that can be used for the Linux partition. The existing disk has no unpartitioned space available, but it has about 300 GB of free space.

Which disk management operation can you perform on the disk to use some of the free space for the Linux partition?

Shrink the primary partition Explanation You can decrease the space used by primary partitions and logical drives by shrinking them into adjacent, contiguous space on the same disk. For example, if you discover that you need an additional partition but do not have additional disk, you shrink the existing partition from the end of the volume to create new unallocated space that can then be used for a new partition.

Support up to 128 volumes.

Dynamic Disks

Use primary and extended.

Basic Disks

Supported by all operating systems.

Basic Disks

Support volumes that use discontiguous disk space.

Dynamic Disks

Store partitioning information in a hidden database on all such disks in the system.

Dynamic Disks.

Only support volumes made up of contiguous disk space.

Basic Disks

Explanation

Basic disks include the following characteristics: Use primary and extended partitions. Supported by all operating systems. Only support volumes made up of contiguous disk space. Dynamic disks include the following characteristics: Support up to 128 volumes. Support volumes that use discontiguous disk space. Store partitioning information in a hidden database on all such disks in the system.

Which of the following conditions would prevent you from using GUID Partition Table (GPT) when setting up a disk drive?

You’re updating the drive to boot Windows 7 on a computer that uses traditional BIOS. Explanation If you need the drive to boot Windows and the computer uses traditional BIOS (not UEFI), you need to set up the drive with MBR. A GPT drive can: Be basic or dynamic. Set up to boot 64-bit Windows 7 on a UEFI-based computer. Be used to create up to 128 partitions.