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NE > ch.4 > Flashcards

ch.4 Flashcards

1
Q

System software

A

Consists of all the programs that enable
the computer and its peripheral devices to
function smoothly

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2
Q

system software divided into two main categories:

A
  • The operating system
  • System utilities (utility programs)
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3
Q

System utilities (utility programs)

A

Provides various maintenance
functions

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4
Q

operating system five basic
functions

A

o Starts the computer
o Manages applications
o Manages memory
o Handles input and output
device messages
o Provides a user interface
for communication

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5
Q

Starting the computer

A

o Loading— to transfer something from a
storage device, such as the hard disk , to
memory.
o Booting—loading the OS into RAM
* Cold boot: Starting computer when it
has not yet been turned on
* Warm boot: Restarting a computer that
is already on
WARM Boots are often necessary after installing
new software or after an application crashes or
stops working.

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6
Q

six steps of Booting system

A

1- BIOS is loaded
2- power on self-test is completed
3- operating system is loaded
4- system configuration is completed
5- system utilities is loaded
6- user is authenticated

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7
Q

Step 1: Activate the BIOS and
Setup Program

A

o BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) instructions
provide the computer with descriptions of the internal
equipment
* Bios is encoded on ROM (read-only memory)
* Does not control external devices
o Adjustable energy settings
o Setup program
* Includes settings that control computer hardware
* Do not alter—making incorrect changes to a BIOS
device will cause the system not to boot

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8
Q

In the BIOS UI, a user can:

A

*configure hardware
*set the system clock
*enable or disable system components
*select which devices are eligible to be a potential
boot device
*set various password prompts, such as a password
for securing access to the BIOS UI functions itself
and preventing malicious users from booting the
system from unauthorized peripheral devices.

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9
Q

tep 2: Initiate the PowerOn Self-Test

A

o Power-on self-test (POST)—to confirm
that both the computer and its peripheral
devices are working properly
o If the POST fails:
* A beep will sound.
* An error message will appear on the
monitor.
* The computer will stop.

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10
Q

Step 3: Load the Operating
System

A

o BIOS
* Looks for the operating system
* Loads the kernel into memory— the central
part of the operating system that starts
applications, manages devices and memory,
and performs other essential functions.
o The operating system loads the system
configuration information.

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11
Q

Step 4: Configure the System

A

o Operating system
* Checks the registry
oDatabase that stores information about
software and peripherals choices, for
configuration information
* Checks the configuration for drivers
o Utility programs containing instructions for
the proper functioning of peripheral devices.
* Automatically detects plug-and-play (PnP)
devices
* Checks for conflicts between devices
* Installs and loads needed drivers

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12
Q

Step 5: Load System Utilities

A

o Antivirus software
o Speaker volume control
o Power management options

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13
Q

Step 6: Authenticate a User

A

o Verifies authorized users
* Enter an authentication/login user name
and password
o Profile—a record of a specific user’s
preferences for the desktop theme, icons, and
menu styles
o Account—for multiuser computer systems each
user has an account
* Consists of user name, password, and
storage space
* Created by server/computer administrator

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14
Q

Managing applications

A

o Single-tasking operating systems—run
only one application at a time
o Multitasking operating systems—permit
more than one application to run at the same
time
* The foreground application is the active
one.
* Background applications appear inactive.
o Preemptive multitasking—ensures all
applications have fair access to the CPU

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15
Q

Managing memory

A

o Buffer
* Area that holds data and instructions
temporarily
* Makes programs run faster
o RAM memory functions as the buffer.
o OS gives each program a portion of RAM
memory and keeps them from interfering
with each other.
o Virtual memory—uses portion of hard disk to
extend RAM
* Pages—units of fixed size, contain program
instructions and data
* When RAM is full, copies of pages are
temporarily stored in a swap file, a special
hard disk file.
* Transferring files between RAM and the hard
disk—paging
o Adding more RAM—best way to improve computer
performance:
* Paging slows computer.
* Accessing data from hard disk is slower than
accessing from RAM.
o Windows Vista and Windows 7 come with Windows
ReadyBoost
* Allows allocation of space on removable memory
devices such as USBs that can be used to increase
the size of RAM
* Better performance than hard disk virtual memory
because accessing files on flash memory is quicker
than accessing the hard drive

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16
Q

Coordinating tasks

A

o Device drivers—enable communication
between computer and devices
o Interrupts—signals created by input and
output devices
* Notify the OS when actions are taken

17
Q

Providing the user interface

A

The part of the OS that you
see and interact with and by which users and
programs communicate with each other.

18
Q

user interface Allows the user to:

A
  • Start application programs
  • Manage storage devices
  • Safely shut down the computer
19
Q

Types of user interfaces

A

o Graphical user interface (GUI)
o Menu-driven user interface
o Command-line user interface

20
Q

o Graphical user interface (GUI)

A
  • Uses icons—small images that:
    oRepresent computer resources used to
    initiate actions
    oAppear on the desktop
  • Work area created after the OS loads into memory
  • Sidebar—invisible 1-inch vertical strip on the
    right side of the desktop, holds user designated
    gadgets
  • Programs you open will appear in the center of
    the desktop.
21
Q

Menu-driven user interface

A

Menu-driven user interface
* Provides text-based menus
* Displays available user options
Enables you to avoid memorizing keywords (such as
copy , paste) and syntax (a set of rules for entering
commands)

22
Q

Command-line user interface

A
  • Requires the user to type commands to instruct
    the OS to perform the desired actions
  • Uses complicated rules of syntax
23
Q

Three categories of operating
systems

A

o Stand-alone operating systems—used by single
users
o Server operating systems—used in client/server
network environments
o Embedded operating systems—found on ROM
chips in portable or dedicated devices

24
Q

Embedded Operating Systems

A

o Designed for specific applications
o Compact and efficient
o Eliminate many unneeded features of OSs
o Used in PDAs, cell phones, kitchen
appliances, point-of-sale devices, industrial
robots, etc.

25
Q

System utilities (utility
programs)

A

o Software programs—essential to effective
management of the computer system
o Perform tasks such as:
* Backing up files
* Providing antivirus protection
* Searching for and managing files
* Compressing files
* Providing accessibility utilities to
individuals with special needs

26
Q

Backup software

A

—copies
data found on the hard disk
to a backup device
o Full backups—include all files and
data
o Incremental backups—include
only those files changed or added
since the previous backup
o Drive imaging software—creates
a mirror image of the entire hard
driv

27
Q

Full Backup

A

Typically full backups are only done
once a week and are part of an overall
backup plan. Sometimes a full backup is
done after a major change of the data
on the disk, such as an operating system
upgrade or software install. The
relatively long intervals between
backups mean that if something goes
wrong, a lot of data is going to be
lost. That’s why it is wise to back up
data between full backups.

28
Q

Incremental Backup

A
  • Incremental backups also back up only the
    changed data, but they only back up the
    data that has changed since the last backup
  • If you do an incremental backup on
    Tuesday, you only back up the data that
    changed since the incremental backup on
    Monday. The result is a much smaller, faster
    backup. The characteristic of incremental
    backups is the shorter the time interval
    between backups, the less data to be backed
    up
29
Q

Searching for and managing files

A

o File manager—utility software that
organizes and manages data
* Copy files
* Determine how and where files are stored
* Delete files
o Search utility—enables you to locate files

30
Q

Scanning and defragmenting
disks

A

o Disk scanning programs—find and resolve disk file storage
problems
* Bad sector—irregularity on the disk’s surface that renders a
portion of the disk unable to store data reliably
o Disk cleanup utilities—remove unnecessary files to save space
o Fragmented disk—results from computer creating and erasing
files on hard disk
* Causes disk access to slow while system looks in several
locations to find all file segments
o Disk defragmentation programs—reorganize stored data in a
more efficient manner

31
Q

File compression utilities

A

o Decrease the size of files, resulting in faster
downloads
o Create archives by storing files in a special
format

32
Q

Accessibility
utilities

A

o Designed to make
computing easier for
individuals with
special needs
* Magnifier
* On-screen
keyboard
* Speech recognition
* Narrator

33
Q

Troubleshooting

A

o Keep a boot disk (emergency disk)—to
load the operating system for
emergencies
o Use the Windows Help and Support utility
o Shut down the system properly.
* Use correct procedure; don’t just turn
the power off.
* Put in sleep mode, a low-power state,
as an alternative.

34
Q

Safe mode

A

o Windows loads a
minimal set of
drivers known to
function correctly
o Use Control Panel to
discover devices that
are causing the
problem

35
Q

Reliability and Performance
Monitor

A

o Helps determine when system’s performance
began to degrade
o Gives details about events that may have
caused the problem

36
Q

Help and Support

A

o Available from Start menu
o Includes several ways to manage and maintain
the computer

NE (4 decks)

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