easyMultiple Choice
220-1102 Practice Question: A helpdesk technician is assisting a user who is…
A helpdesk technician is assisting a user who is unable to find a file named 'notes.txt' they saved earlier. The user is in their home directory. Which command will search the entire filesystem for this file?
⚠ Common exam trap
The exam often tests the distinction between `find` and `locate`, where candidates mistakenly choose `locate` for a real-time search without considering that the database may not be current, or they confuse the starting directory argument (e.g., `~` vs. `/`).
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
✓
find / -name notes.txt
The `find / -name notes.txt` command starts at the root directory (`/`) and recursively searches the entire filesystem for a file named exactly 'notes.txt'. The `-name` option performs a case-sensitive match on the filename, and the starting point `/` ensures all mounted filesystems are included.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
locate notes.txt
Why it's wrong here
This command relies on a database that may not be up-to-date, so it might not find a recently saved file.
- ✗
grep notes.txt /
Why it's wrong here
grep is used to search within file contents, not to find filenames; this would not work as intended.
- ✗
find ~ -name notes.txt
Why it's wrong here
This searches only the user's home directory, not the entire filesystem as required.
- ✓
find / -name notes.txt
Why this is correct
This searches the entire filesystem from root, making it the correct command for a full system search.
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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.