System Software:

System Software:

1. Programs that are designed to maintain or operate a computer system.

   • Operating Systems: allows users to manage a computer's hardware.
     • Single user OS - only for 1 user. No option to customise user interface for different users (Ex: Household appliances)
       • Network OS - Have additional functionality (Ex: Sending requests to server when users log in, Ensures users cannot use each other's files, Provides access to network storage and shared resources)
     • Memory Management
     • Resource Management
     • Security: Authentication, Firewalls...
     • Print Spooling : process for keeping pages queued in order for printing.

2. Utility Software: Configuration and maintenance tasks

   • Backups
   • Defragmentation: - reorder fragments of data so that they are stored as close to each other as possible
   • Compression Utilities:- Reduce the original size of a file.
   • Formatting: - Prepares storage media for their first use. If already used, formatting will make all data on the disk unreadable (except by specialist tools)