UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2018/2019
EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREES OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
APPLIED COMPUTING /SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT/INFORMATION
SECURITY AND FORENCIS
BAC 1105/BISF 1105/BSD 1106: INSTALLATION AND CUSTOMIZATION
FULL TIME/ PART TIME
ORDINARY EXAMINATIONS
DATE: DECEMBER, 2018 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question One & ANY OTHER TWO questions.
QUESTION ONE [30 MARKS]
a) Describe each of the following types of hard disk interfaces:
i) IDE (2 Marks)
ii) SATA (2 Marks)
b) Discuss any FOUR factors that one should consider before purchasing software (4 Marks)
c) i) Explain FOUR reasons why we should maintain computers (4 Marks)
ii) State THREE computer hardware maintenance practices. (3 Marks)
b) Discuss TWO causes of ‘out of memory’ error in relation to computers. (2 Marks)
c) Differentiate between a surge protector and a UPS (2 Marks)
d) Define the term malware as used in computer. Describe any FOUR ways of preventing
computer malware. (5 Marks)
e) Peter replaced a printer cartridge with a new one, but the printer produced distorted printouts.
Explain three possible causes for this problem (6 Marks)
QUESTION TWO [20 MARKS]
a) What is computer Motherboard? List any TWO components attached to it. (3 Marks)
b) Mary intends to use a USB port instead of a parallel port to connect peripheral devices on her
computer. Outline any FOUR advantages of USB port that could be influencing her choice
(4 Marks)
c) Differentiate between on-board devices and peripheral devices giving TWO examples for each
case. (4 Marks)
d) i) Define the term software and mention TWO main categories of software. (3 Marks)
ii) State and explain THREE ways of fixing software problems in a computer. (6 Marks)
QUESTION THREE [20 MARKS]
a) Define the following terms and give an example:
i) System software (2 Marks)
ii) Utility software (2 Marks)
iii) Application software (2 Marks)
b) State and explain FOUR factors that one should consider before purchasing a laptop
(4 Marks)
c) Explain the use of the following types of computer ports: (5 Marks)
i) VGA port
ii) Ethernet port
iii) DVI port
iv) FireWire port
v) PS/2 port
d) Philomena recently noted that some critical documents in her computer were encrypted and
she was forced to pay a certain fee through the Internet to decrypt her files
Required:
i) Identify this type of attack (1 Mark)
ii) Outline any FOUR possible causes for the attack (4 Marks)
QUESTION FOUR [20 MARKS]
a) What is the boot order? Briefly Explain (2 Marks)
b) Explain the process and implication of setting the boot order (4 Marks)
c) Explain the function of each of the following keys during POST process in a computer
system:
i) Esc (2 Marks)
ii) F10 (2 Marks)
iii) F12 (2 Marks)
d) Computer technicians experience several challenges when carrying out routine maintenance.
Outline any FOUR challenges that can be experienced (4 Marks)
e) Explain what is BIOS and describe any THREE kinds of BIOS. (4 Marks)
QUESTION FIVE [20 MARKS]
a) Briefly explain the difference between a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a CommandLine Interface-based operating system. (2 Marks)
b) While trying to use MS DOS you encounter the COPY and XCOPY commands. Clearly
explain when the use of these commands is appropriate. (2 Marks)
c) Explain the difference between installing an operating system and installing an Office
production suite such as MS Office. (6 Marks)
d) What do the following shortcuts or combination keys do while working on a Windowsbased system?
i) Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow Key (2 Marks)
ii) Windows Key + L (2 Marks)
iii) Ctrl + Alt + Del (2 Marks)
iv) Alt + F4 (2 Marks)
e) Write a simple batch file that will create INST_CUST as a sub-directory in your Desktop
folder, then create TIZI as sub-directory in INST_CUST. After this, copy word document
files from Documents to TIZI (2 Marks)
