hardMultiple Choice
220-1202 Practice Question: During a forensic investigation, a technician…
During a forensic investigation, a technician needs to recover files that a user deleted from their Mac's internal SSD several days ago. The Trash has been emptied. Which macOS feature or tool should be attempted first to recover these files?
⚠ Common exam trap
The exam often tests the misconception that a built-in utility like Disk Utility First Aid can recover deleted files, when in fact it only repairs volume metadata and has no file recovery capability.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Restore from a Time Machine backup
Time Machine is the built-in macOS backup feature that automatically creates incremental backups of the system. If a Time Machine backup was made before the files were deleted, the user can browse the backup timeline and restore the deleted files directly, even after the Trash has been emptied. This is the simplest and most reliable first step because it does not require specialized tools or risk overwriting data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use the Terminal command 'fs_usage' to locate the deleted files
Why it's wrong here
fs_usage reports live filesystem and system-call activity in real time; it holds no index of previously deleted files, so it cannot locate data removed days ago. It is tempting because it is a genuine Terminal-based filesystem diagnostic, and would be correct for tracing which process is currently accessing or modifying files.
- ✓
Restore from a Time Machine backup
Why this is correct
Time Machine preserves earlier snapshots of the SSD's contents, so a backup taken before deletion still holds the files. On APFS SSDs, TRIM typically erases deleted blocks quickly, making file-carving recovery tools unreliable; restoring from backup is therefore the most dependable first attempt.
- ✗
Run Disk Utility First Aid on the SSD
Why it's wrong here
First Aid verifies and repairs filesystem structures and volume metadata; it does not scan unallocated space for deleted file content. It is tempting because First Aid is the standard macOS remedy for a misbehaving volume, and would be correct if the SSD had directory corruption or mount errors rather than emptied Trash.
- ✗
Use a third-party file recovery tool immediately
Why it's wrong here
Third-party recovery tools scan unallocated space, but on an internal SSD TRIM typically zeroes deleted blocks within seconds, so recovery is unlikely; the built-in APFS snapshot or Time Machine route should be attempted first. It is tempting because such tools are the standard answer for deleted files on spinning disks.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.