Chapter 5 (Operating System)

Chapter 5 (Operating System)

1. Operating System controls almost all functions. Within this chapter you are gonna learn about, functions and terminology related to the windows 7, windows Vista and windows XP operating system

2. Introduction

3. Terms

   • To understand the capabilities of an operating system, it is important to first understand some basic terms. The following terms are often used when describing operating systems:
     • Multi-user - Two or more users have individual accounts that allow them to work with programs and peripheral devices at the same time.
     • Multitasking - The computer is capable of operating multiple applications at the same time.
     • Multiprocessing - The operating system can support two or more CPUs.
     • Multithreading - A program can be broken into smaller parts that are loaded as needed by the operating system. Multithreading allows different parts of a program to be run at the same time.

4. Regardless of the size and complexity of the computer and the operating system, all operating systems perform the same four basic functions:

   • Control hardware access, Manage files and folders, Provide a user interface and Manage applications
     • Hardware Access
       • The OS manages the interaction between applications and the hardware. To access and communicate with each hardware component, the OS uses a program called a device driver.
     • File and Folder Management
       • The OS creates a file structure on the hard disk drive to store data. A file is a block of related data that is given a single name and treated as a single unit. Program and data files are grouped together in a directory