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Module 1 challenge: Working with Files in Windows and Linux (Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User) Answers 2025

Question 1

Which of the following is a disadvantage of enabling file content searching on a computer running Windows?

  • ✅ It is a resource-intensive and time-consuming process.

  • ❌ It means you’re not able to modify files.

  • ❌ There are no disadvantages.

  • ❌ This option only allows you to search file titles.

🔹 Explanation:
File content searching in Windows allows you to search inside files for specific text or data, but it’s resource-heavy — using more CPU and memory, and it can slow down your computer while indexing.

Question 2

You accidentally created two folders called taxes. Both are empty. One is in /home/users and one in /home/users/documents. Which command should you use to delete the folder from the users folder?

  • ❌ rmdir /home/users/documents/taxes

  • ❌ rm /home/users/documents/taxes

  • ❌ rm /home/users/taxes

  • ✅ rmdir /home/users/taxes

🔹 Explanation:
The rmdir command is used to remove empty directories in Linux. Since /home/users/taxes is empty, rmdir /home/users/taxes is the correct command.

Question 3

Fill in the blank: Additional options included in a Linux command are also referred to as ___.

  • ✅ flags

  • ❌ filters

  • ❌ dashes

  • ❌ parameters

🔹 Explanation:
Flags (also called options or switches) modify how a command behaves. They usually start with a dash (e.g., ls -a lists all files including hidden ones).

Question 4

You are using Windows PowerShell in C:\Users. You want to copy C:\Users\documents and its contents to C:\Users\old. Which command could you use?

  • ❌ cp documents C:\Users\old\documents

  • ❌ cp documents C:\Users\old

  • ✅ cp documents C:\Users\old -Recurse

  • ❌ cp documents C:\Users\old\documents -Recurse -Verbose

🔹 Explanation:
The -Recurse flag allows PowerShell to copy all files and subfolders within a directory. So cp documents C:\Users\old -Recurse correctly copies everything under documents.

Question 5

You want to use the Windows GUI to delete the Pictures folder in C:\Users while in the Desktop directory. How do you delete it?

  • ✅ Navigate to This PC, then Local Disk (C:), then Users, and right-click the Pictures folder, and select Delete from the dropdown menu.

  • ❌ Right-click the Pictures folder and select Delete from the dropdown menu.

  • ❌ Double-click the Pictures folder, highlight its contents, and push the backspace key.

  • ❌ Navigate to Local Disk (C:), right-click the Pictures folder, and select Delete from the dropdown menu.

🔹 Explanation:
Using File Explorer, you can navigate through the folder structure (This PC → Local Disk (C:) → Users → Pictures) and right-click the folder to delete it.

Question 6

You are using Windows. The file blue.txt is stored in the folder colors, which is inside the Users directory on drive C:\. Which is the parent directory of blue.txt?

  • ❌ blue.txt

  • ✅ colors

  • ❌ users

  • ❌ C:\

🔹 Explanation:
The parent directory is the folder that directly contains the file. Here, colors contains blue.txt, so it’s the parent directory.

Question 7

You are in C:\Users\Julia\pictures\cats. Which commands could you use to navigate to your home directory: C:\Users\Julia? Select all that apply.

  • ❌ cd ~\Julia

  • ✅ cd ..\Julia

  • ✅ cd C:\Users\Julia

  • ✅ cd ~\

🔹 Explanation:

  • cd ..\Julia moves up one level (to pictures) and then to Julia.

  • cd C:\Users\Julia directly navigates using the full path.

  • cd ~\ moves to your home directory shortcut in PowerShell.

Question 8

You’re in C:\Users\Music in the Windows GUI. How do you navigate to C:\Users\Images? Select all that apply.

  • ✅ In File Explorer select This PC, select Local Disk (C:), select Users, and select Images

  • ❌ In File Explorer select Local Disk (C:), then select Images

  • ❌ In File Explorer select This PC, then select Images

  • ✅ In File Explorer select the up arrow (↑), then select Images

🔹 Explanation:
In Windows File Explorer, you can go up one directory (using ↑) or navigate manually through This PC → Local Disk (C:) → Users → Images.

Question 9

You want to determine whether your current Linux working directory contains any hidden files. Which command would you use?

  • ✅ ls -a

  • ❌ ls

  • ❌ ls -l

  • ❌ pwd

🔹 Explanation:
The -a flag with the ls command lists all files, including hidden ones (files starting with a dot “.” in Linux).

Question 10

Your current Linux working directory is /home/user/documents/IT_applications. It contains two empty folders: IT_cover_letters and IT_resumes. You want to delete both. Which command should you use?

  • ❌ mkdir IT_cover_letters IT_resumes

  • ✅ rmdir IT_cover_letters IT_resumes

  • ❌ touch IT_cover_letters IT_resumes

  • ❌ cat IT_cover_letters IT_resumes

🔹 Explanation:
The rmdir command removes empty directories. Since both folders are empty, rmdir IT_cover_letters IT_resumes will delete them successfully.

🧩 Summary:

  • File content search in Windows is resource-heavy.

  • Use rmdir for deleting empty folders in Linux.

  • Flags modify Linux commands.

  • PowerShell -Recurse copies folders with subfiles.

  • Parent directory = the folder directly containing a file.

  • Use cd .., cd ~, or absolute paths to navigate in PowerShell.

  • In GUI, navigate using This PC or the up arrow.

  • ls -a lists hidden files in Linux.

  • rmdir deletes empty Linux folders.

✅ Key takeaway:
File and folder management in Windows and Linux rely on understanding directory structures and command-line tools like cd, ls, and rmdir. Mastering these makes navigation and organization efficient across operating systems.