easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1202 Practice Question: A user calls the help desk saying that after…
A user calls the help desk saying that after upgrading to macOS Ventura, the 'Documents' folder in the sidebar keeps disappearing after every reboot. They need it to stay visible. Which macOS feature or tool should you use to fix this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the global 'Show Sidebar' toggle (which hides the entire sidebar) with the per-item visibility settings in Finder's preferences, leading them to choose the Terminal command or System Settings instead of the correct Finder-specific interface.
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
✓
Finder > Preferences > Sidebar
The visibility of folders like 'Documents' in the Finder sidebar is controlled directly through Finder's own preferences, not through global system settings. By opening Finder > Preferences > Sidebar, you can check the 'Documents' checkbox, which persists the folder's visibility across reboots. This setting is stored per-user in the Finder plist and is not affected by macOS upgrades.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
System Settings > Desktop & Dock
Why it's wrong here
This pane primarily manages the visual aesthetics and behavior of the macOS desktop environment, including wallpaper, screen savers, and the Dock's appearance and functionality. While it influences the overall user interface, it offers no controls for customizing the content or visibility of individual navigational items within the Finder's sidebar, which is a distinct application-specific setting.
- ✓
Finder > Preferences > Sidebar
Why this is correct
Within Finder, accessing its Preferences and navigating to the "Sidebar" tab presents a comprehensive list of categories and locations, such as Favorites, iCloud, Locations, and Tags. Users can precisely select which specific folders, devices, or network shares appear in the Finder's sidebar by checking or unchecking the corresponding boxes. This direct graphical interface is the intended and most straightforward method for enabling or disabling the visibility of individual items for quick access.
- ✗
Terminal command 'defaults write com.apple.finder ShowSidebar -bool true'
Why it's wrong here
This `defaults` command directly manipulates a preference file for the Finder application, specifically controlling the overall visibility of the *entire* sidebar pane, not individual folders within it. While it can toggle the sidebar's presence, it lacks the granularity to manage the display of specific items. Furthermore, it represents a command-line utility, which is not the standard or intuitive graphical user interface method expected for a typical user to adjust folder visibility.
- ✗
Spotlight Preferences
Why it's wrong here
Spotlight Preferences are dedicated to configuring the macOS search utility, allowing users to specify which categories of results appear in searches, define keyboard shortcuts, and manage privacy settings for indexed locations. These preferences solely govern the search functionality and its scope across the system. They have no direct influence over the visual presentation or persistence of specific folders within the Finder's navigational sidebar, which is a distinct interface element.
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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.