Operating systems

Question 1

What is the operating system?

Answer 1

The operating system is the link between the software and the hardware. It passes messages back and forth and carries out instructions from the software to the hardware.

Question 2

What does an operating system do?

Answer 2

File management - controls where data is saved and allows users to copy, rename, delete files and use folders.

Hardware management - loads programs, allocates resources to different programs, uses drivers to link specialist hardware (such as graphics)

Resource allocation - sends keyboard/mouse inputs to programs, as well as accessing other resources such as the printers and the hard disk drive.

Security - creates backups and access to files if there are multiple users.