Apple Certified Support Professional Practice Test

The correct choice is defined by the allowed boot media settings, which govern the specific external devices from which a Mac can boot. When a Mac is powered on, it typically looks for a startup disk defined in its preferences. However, in certain scenarios, such as when troubleshooting or performing installations, the ability to boot from external media becomes essential.

Allowed boot media settings encompass various types of connections and media, including USB drives, DVDs, and network sources, among others. These settings ensure that the system recognizes and prioritizes the external media as a viable option during the boot sequence, allowing for flexibility in system recovery or maintenance tasks.

Other factors such as network preferences, user account configurations, and system management settings may influence various operating aspects of a Mac but do not directly dictate how the system boots from external devices. Understanding allowed boot media settings is crucial for tasks such as starting from a recovery partition or installing a fresh operating system, making this knowledge beneficial for effective Mac management.