Basic Desktop Support Questions

1. What is the role of a Desktop Support Engineer?

A Desktop Support Engineer installs, configures, and troubleshoots hardware and
software issues on desktops, laptops, and related devices. They also provide support for
OS, networks, printers, and applications.
2. Which operating systems are you comfortable working with?
I have experience with Windows (7, 8, 10, 11), macOS, and some Linux distributions like
Ubuntu and CentOS.
3. What are the steps to troubleshoot a slow computer?
o Check for background processes
o Run antivirus scan
o Clear temporary files
o Check RAM and CPU usage
o Disable startup programs
o Update drivers and OS
4. What would you do if a user cannot log in to their PC?
o Check network connection
o Verify correct username and password
o Check for locked or disabled account in Active Directory
o Restart the computer
o Log in with administrator account to troubleshoot further
5. What is BSOD and how do you handle it?
BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) is a system crash screen in Windows due to
hardware/software failure. I would:
o Note the error code
o Check recent hardware/software changes
o Run memory and disk checks
o Boot into Safe Mode for further analysis

Hardware and Peripherals

6. How do you troubleshoot a printer that is not printing?

o Check printer power and connections
o Verify it's set as default
o Clear print queue
o Restart Print Spooler service
o Reinstall printer drivers
7. How to map a network printer?
Go to Devices and Printers → Add Printer → Choose network printer → Install drivers if
needed.
8. What would you do if the monitor is showing no display?
o Check power and cable connections
o Try a different monitor or cable
 o Test with another PC
o Check for faulty graphics card or RAM
9. How do you replace a faulty hard drive in a desktop?
o Power off and unplug the system
o Remove case and old drive
o Install new hard drive and connect SATA/power cables
o Format and install OS
10. What is the POST process?
Power-On Self-Test (POST) checks hardware functionality before OS loads. If it fails, it
often emits beep codes.

Operating System & Software Issues

11. How do you install a fresh copy of Windows 10?

 Boot from installation media

 Select language & region
 Format partition
 Install OS and drivers

12. How do you troubleshoot application crashes?

 Check logs in Event Viewer

 Update the application
 Reinstall it
 Check system compatibility

13. What is Safe Mode?

A diagnostic mode in Windows that loads only essential drivers. It's useful for
troubleshooting driver/software issues.
14. How do you uninstall a stubborn software?

 Use Control Panel → Programs

 Use a third-party uninstaller (e.g., Revo)
 Remove leftover files and registry entries

15. How to recover a deleted file?

 Check Recycle Bin

 Use File History or System Restore
 Use recovery tools like Recuva
 Networking and Remote Support

16. How do you check if a computer is connected to the network?

 Use ping or ipconfig

 Check network icon and cable/Wi-Fi
 Look into Network and Sharing Center

17. What is IP address?

An IP address uniquely identifies a device on a network. It can be static or dynamic.
18. What is the difference between IP address and MAC address?
IP is logical and changeable; MAC is physical and unique to network interfaces.
19. How do you troubleshoot no internet access?

 Ping gateway and DNS

 Check physical connections
 Restart router
 Release/Renew IP

20. What tools do you use for remote desktop support?

 Remote Desktop Connection (RDP)

 TeamViewer
 AnyDesk
 VNC
 Remote Assistance

User Accounts and Permissions

21. How do you reset a Windows user password?

 Use "net user" command in CMD (Admin)

 Via Computer Management → Local Users
 Use Active Directory if domain joined

22. What is UAC in Windows?

User Account Control prevents unauthorized changes by prompting for admin approval.
23. What are NTFS permissions?
NTFS allows fine-grained file/folder permission settings such as Full Control, Modify,
Read & Execute.
24. How do you give a user admin rights?

 Go to User Accounts → Change account type → Administrator

 Or add to "Administrators" group via lusrmgr.msc
25. What is the difference between local and domain user accounts?
Local accounts exist only on the computer. Domain accounts are managed centrally via
Active Directory.

Scenario-Based / Behavioral Questions

26. What do you do when a non-technical user can’t explain the issue properly?
I ask guiding questions, request screenshots or remote access, and check logs to
replicate the issue.
27. How do you prioritize multiple support tickets?
Based on urgency and impact—e.g., system-wide issues take priority over individual user
problems.
28. Describe a time you handled a difficult user.
[Use STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Example: User was frustrated due to
data loss; I recovered files using backup, remained calm, and educated them on
preventive steps.]
29. What steps do you take when a system is infected with malware?

 Isolate system from network

 Run antivirus/malware scan
 Remove threats manually or using tools
 Restore from backup if needed

30. How do you keep documentation for support issues?

I maintain issue logs, screenshots, steps to reproduce/fix, and update knowledge base
for repeated issues.

Technical Tools & Utilities

31. What is msconfig used for?

To configure startup services, boot options, and troubleshoot performance issues.
32. What is Event Viewer?
A Windows tool to check logs for application, system, and security events.
33. How do you use Task Manager to troubleshoot performance?
Monitor CPU, RAM, disk, and network usage. Identify resource-heavy apps.
34. What is Device Manager?
A tool for managing drivers and checking hardware status.
35. How to update or rollback a driver?

 Go to Device Manager → Right-click device → Update/Roll Back Driver

 General IT Knowledge

36. What is Active Directory?

A Microsoft service for managing users, computers, and policies in a domain
environment.
37. What is DHCP?
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol automatically assigns IP addresses to devices.
38. What is DNS and how does it work?
DNS translates domain names to IP addresses for browser communication.
39. What is Group Policy?
A feature in AD to manage user and computer settings centrally (e.g., disable USB,
enforce password policy).
40. What is SCCM?
System Center Configuration Manager is used for software deployment, patch
management, and system monitoring.

Backup, Updates & Security

41. How do you back up a system?

 Use File History or Backup and Restore

 Third-party tools like Acronis
 Cloud solutions like OneDrive

42. What is a system restore point?

A saved state of the system to revert back in case of issues.
43. How do you install Windows updates manually?

 Go to Settings → Update & Security → Check for Updates

 Or download from Microsoft Update Catalog

44. How do you disable USB ports for security?

 Use Group Policy

 Disable from BIOS
 Use registry edits

45. How do you ensure antivirus is working?

 Check update status

 Run test scans
 Use EICAR test file

Application Support & Ticketing

46. How do you troubleshoot MS Outlook not opening?

 Start in Safe Mode

 Repair PST file using ScanPST
 Disable Add-ins
 Recreate profile

47. What is a ticketing system?

A system used to log, track, and resolve support requests (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira,
Freshdesk).
48. How do you close a ticket professionally?

 Confirm issue is resolved

 Document the resolution
 Follow up with the user
 Close with user’s confirmation

49. What is Remote Desktop and how is it enabled?

 A tool to access a system remotely.

 Enable via: System → Remote settings → Allow remote connections

50. Why should we hire you for a desktop support role?

I have hands-on experience with Windows OS, hardware troubleshooting, user support,
and remote tools. I’m efficient, a good communicator, and patient with users.

Basic Operating System Concepts

1. What is an Operating System?

An OS is system software that acts as an interface between hardware and users,
managing resources and providing services for application programs.
2. What are the types of operating systems?
o Batch OS
o Time-sharing OS
o Distributed OS
o Real-Time OS
o Network OS
o Mobile OS
3. What are the main functions of an OS?
o Process management
o Memory management
o File system management
o Device management
 o Security and access control
o User interface
4. What is a kernel?
The kernel is the core part of the OS that directly interacts with the hardware and
manages system resources.
5. What is the difference between monolithic and microkernel?
o Monolithic: All OS services run in kernel space (e.g., Linux).
o Microkernel: Minimal services in kernel, others in user space (e.g., QNX, Minix).

Processes and Threads

6. What is a process?
A process is an instance of a program in execution. It includes code, data, registers, and
program counter.
7. What is the difference between process and thread?
o Process: Independent execution unit with separate memory.
o Thread: Lightweight process that shares memory with other threads in the same
process.
8. What are the different states of a process?
o New
o Ready
o Running
o Waiting (Blocked)
o Terminated
9. What is context switching?
The process of storing and restoring the state of a CPU so that multiple processes can
share a single CPU resource.
10. What is a process control block (PCB)?
A data structure used by the OS to store information about a process such as its state,
program counter, registers, and memory limits.

Scheduling and Management

11. What is CPU scheduling?

The process of deciding which process in the ready queue should be executed next.
12. What are popular CPU scheduling algorithms?

 FCFS (First Come First Serve)

 SJF (Shortest Job First)
 Round Robin
 Priority Scheduling
 Multilevel Queue

13. What is throughput, turnaround time, and waiting time?

  Throughput: Number of processes completed per unit time
 Turnaround Time: Time from submission to completion
 Waiting Time: Total time a process waits in the ready queue

14. What is starvation in OS?

A condition where a low-priority process waits indefinitely because high-priority
processes keep executing.
15. What is aging in OS?
A technique to prevent starvation by gradually increasing the priority of waiting
processes.

Memory Management

16. What is virtual memory?

A memory management technique that gives an application the impression of having
contiguous memory using disk space.
17. What is paging?
A memory management scheme that avoids external fragmentation by dividing memory
into fixed-size blocks called pages.
18. What is segmentation?
A memory management scheme that divides the memory into variable-sized segments
based on logical divisions like code, data, stack.
19. What is thrashing?
Excessive paging activity that reduces CPU performance due to low RAM and high page
fault rates.
20. What is demand paging?
Pages are loaded into memory only when they are required, not in advance.

Deadlock and Concurrency

21. What is deadlock?

A situation where a group of processes is blocked because each process is holding a
resource and waiting for another.
22. What are the necessary conditions for deadlock?

 Mutual exclusion
 Hold and wait
 No preemption
 Circular wait

23. How can you prevent deadlock?

 Eliminate one of the four necessary conditions

 Use resource allocation graphs
  Apply Banker’s Algorithm

24. What is a semaphore?

A synchronization primitive used to control access to shared resources. It can be binary
(mutex) or counting.
25. What is a race condition?
A situation where multiple threads/processes access shared data and try to change it
concurrently, leading to unpredictable behavior.

File System and I/O Management

26. What is a file system?

A method used by the OS to store, retrieve, and organize data on storage devices.
27. What are common file systems used by OSes?

 Windows: NTFS, FAT32

 Linux: ext3, ext4, XFS
 macOS: APFS, HFS+

28. What is file fragmentation?

Occurs when a file is not stored in contiguous blocks, slowing down access speed.
29. What is a device driver?
A program that controls a specific hardware device attached to the system.
30. What is buffering in OS?
A technique to compensate for the speed mismatch between producer and consumer of
data (e.g., between CPU and printer).

Security and Protection

31. What are system calls?

Interfaces provided by the OS for user programs to request services from the kernel (e.g.,
open, read, write).
32. What are the types of system calls?

 Process Control
 File Management
 Device Management
 Information Maintenance
 Communication

33. What is user mode and kernel mode?

 User Mode: Limited access to system resources

 Kernel Mode: Full access to hardware and system resources
 34. What is access control in OS?
A mechanism that defines who can access what resources and at what level
(read/write/execute).
35. What is an interrupt?
A signal from hardware or software that temporarily halts the current process to attend
to a higher-priority task.

Linux/Unix Specific

36. What is the difference between Linux and Windows OS?

 Linux is open-source and Unix-based

 Windows is proprietary and user-friendly
 Linux uses package managers, Windows uses executables and installers

37. What is the init process in Linux?

The first process started after the kernel, responsible for initializing the system.
38. What is a shell in Linux?
A command-line interpreter that allows users to interact with the kernel.
39. Common Linux commands?

 ls, cd, pwd, top, ps, kill, chmod, chown, df, du

40. How do you check memory usage in Linux?

 free -m, top, htop, vmstat

Windows OS Specific

41. What is the Windows Registry?

A hierarchical database that stores low-level settings for the OS and installed
applications.
42. What is the purpose of Task Manager?
To monitor system performance and manage processes, applications, and services.
43. What is UAC (User Account Control)?
A Windows security feature that prevents unauthorized changes to the system.
44. What are services in Windows?
Background processes that run automatically and perform essential OS functions (e.g.,
Windows Update).
45. What is the Event Viewer used for?
To check logs related to system, security, and application events for troubleshooting.
Advanced & Theoretical

46. What is the difference between multiprocessing and multitasking?

 Multiprocessing: Multiple CPUs used

 Multitasking: One CPU handling multiple tasks concurrently

47. What is the difference between paging and segmentation?

 Paging: Fixed-size pages

 Segmentation: Variable-sized segments based on logical division

48. What is a hypervisor?

Software that enables virtualization by allowing multiple OSes to run on a single physical
machine (Type 1 & Type 2).
49. What is the booting process of an OS?

 BIOS/UEFI initializes hardware

 Bootloader loads OS
 Kernel loads
 init or systemd initializes user space

50. Why should we use a multi-user OS?

To allow multiple users to access the system concurrently, providing better resource
utilization and security.