220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician is supporting a clinic workstation. The immediate goal is to change Linux file ownership. Which tool, control, or procedure is the best fit?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse Windows administrative tools (like Local Users and Groups) with Linux commands, or assume that user management tools can also change file ownership, when in fact file ownership changes require a filesystem-level command like `chown`.
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
✓
chown
The `chown` command is the standard Linux utility for changing file ownership, including both user and group ownership. It directly modifies the file's metadata in the filesystem, making it the correct tool for this task.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Local Users and Groups
Why it's wrong here
Local Users and Groups is a Windows management snap-in (lusrmgr.msc) that administers local user accounts and group memberships, not file system metadata. It cannot change the owner or group attached to a file or directory, which is exactly what chown does on a Linux clinic workstation. Even if the workstation were Windows, this tool would not reassign NTFS ownership; that would require takeown or icacls, so it is irrelevant to the stated goal.
- ✓
chown
Why this is correct
The `chown` command directly modifies the user and group ownership of files, satisfying the immediate goal of changing Linux file ownership on the clinic workstation. Unlike `chmod`, which alters permissions (read/write/execute), `chown` specifically reassigns the owner and group attributes, making it the precise tool for this constraint.
- ✗
System Restore
Why it's wrong here
System Restore is a Windows recovery feature that rolls back system files, registry keys, and installed drivers to a previous restore point. It does not alter individual file ownership attributes, and it performs a system-wide state change rather than a targeted operation on a specific file or directory. On a Linux clinic workstation, System Restore does not even exist, so it cannot satisfy the requirement to change ownership via chown.
- ✗
Event Viewer
Why it's wrong here
Event Viewer is a Windows diagnostic console that displays logs for application, security, and system events, providing post-hoc troubleshooting information. It is read-only and has no capability to modify file ownership or any system state; it merely records what has already occurred. While it might be used to audit changes after the fact, it is not the tool to perform the immediate ownership change, especially on a Linux system where event logging is handled by syslog/journald.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
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Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
Key term
Metadata
Metadata is data that describes other data, providing context such as when a file was created, who created it, or its size.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician is supporting a remote worker laptop. The immediate goal is to change Linux file ownership. Which tool, control, or procedure is the best fit?
medium- A.Event Viewer
- ✓ B.chown
- C.System Restore
- D.Local Users and Groups
Why B: The chown command is the standard Linux utility for changing file ownership, allowing a technician to modify both the user and group owner of a file or directory. This directly meets the goal of altering ownership on a remote worker's Linux laptop, making it the correct tool for the task.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 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 220-1102 exam.