System software Flashcards
what is system software
software that is designed to run and maintain a computer system
what are the 2 parts of system software
operating system
utility software
what 6 functions of the operating system
communicated with internal and external hardware
provides user interface
provides a platform for applications to run on
allows multitasking
file management
disk management
user management
what is a device driver
allows software to communicate with hardware
what are 2 types of user interface
GUI
CLI
MUI
natural language interface
what is a pro of GUI
easy to use and learn
what is a con of GUI’s
resource heavy
what is a con of a CLI
hard to learn and complex
what is a pro of CLI
efficient and powerful
what are 4 utility software
defragmentation
compression
encryption
anti-malware
firewall
what is defragmentation software and how is it used
files are stored on the hard disk in available spaces, so when files are moved or deleted lots of small gaps between data on the hard drive start to appear. the OS will then fill up these smaller gaps with other bits of data which means that over time the disk becomes fragmented and unorganised. defrag software reorganises the hard drive so that similar data is stored together
what is compression software
software that reduces the size of a file
what does encryption software do
scrambles data to stop third parties from accessing it.
