System Software
- It consists of the programs that control or maintain the operations of the computer and its devices- Eg: Operating system (OS), utility programs
Operating System (OS)
- It is a set of programs containing instructions that work together to coordinate all the activities among computer hardware resources- Activities such as:
- Start and shut down a computer
- Provide a user interface
- Manage programs
- Manage memory
- Coordinate tasks
- Configure devices
- Establish an internet connection
- Monitor performance
- Provide utilities
- Automatically update
- Control a network
- Administer security
OS Functions
- Booting is the process of starting or restarting a computer- 2 types of booting:
- Cold boot - Turning on a computer that has been powered off completely
- Warm boot - Using the operating system to restart a computer
- A computer can start from a boot disk
- Boot disk is a removable digital data storage medium (CD-ROMs, USB flash drives, hard disks ) from which a computer can load and run an OS or utility program
- A recovery disc contains a few system files that will start the computer
- Recovery disc contains a backup of the original factory condition a computer as configured by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
- Recovery disk can also be created by an end-user which contains a favored condition of a computer
- An OS includes various shut down options:
- Sleep - This mode saves any open documents and programs to RAM, turns off all unneeded functions and then places the computer in a low-power state
- Hibernate - This mode saves any open documents and programs to a hard disk before removing power from the computer
- With graphical user interface (GUI), a user interacts with menus and visual images
- With command-line interface, a user uses the keyboard to enter data and instructions
- Ways an OS handles programs directly affects its productivity:
- Single use and multiuser
- Single tasking and multitasking
- Foreground and background
- Preemptive multitasking - It works on a time sharing feature, where each process may be allocated equal shares of computing resources
- Multiprocessing
- Virtual memory is a portion of a storage medium functioning as additional RAM
- Driver is a small program that tells the OS how to communicate with a specific device
- Plug & Play automatically configures new devices as you install them
- OS typically provide a means to establish internet connections
- Performance monitor is a program that assesses and reports information about various computer resources and devices
- OS often provide users with the capability of:
- Manage files
- Search for files
- View images
- Secure a computer
- Uninstall programs
- Clean up disks
- Defragment disks
- Diagnose problems
- Backup files and disks
- Setting up screen savers
- Some OS are designed to work with server on a network
- Server OS organizes and coordinates how multiple users access and share resources on a network
- A network administrator uses the server operating system to:
- Add and remove users, computers and other devices
- Install software and administer network security
- User ID identifies a specific user
- Password is a private combination of characters associated with the user name
Types of OS
Stand-Alone Operating System
- A complete OS that works on a desktop computer, notebook computer or mobile computing device- Windows 10 is Microsoft's fastest, most efficient OS to date and is available in multiple editions:
- Windows 10 Home
- Windows 10 Pro
- Windows 10 Enterprise
- Windows 10 Mobile
- Alarms & Clock
- Weather
- Voice Recorder
- Store
- Cortana
- Microsoft Edge
- Mac OS X is the latest version
- UNIX is a multitasking OS developed in the early 1970s
- Linux is an open-source, popular, multitasking UNIX-type OS
Server OS
- Windows Server 2008
- Linux
- Solaris
- Netware
- Virtualization is the practice of sharing or pooling computing resources
Embedded OS
- It resides on a ROM chip on a mobile device or consumer electronic device- Eg: Windows Embedded CE, Windows Phone, Palm OS, iOS, BlackBerry OS, Android, Embedded Linux, Symbian OS
Utility Programs
- It is a type of system software that allows a user to perform maintenance-type tasks- File manager is a utility that performs functions related to file management. It:
- Display a list of files
- Organise files in folders
- Copy, rename, delete, move and sort files & folders
- Create shortcuts
- Image viewer allows users to display, copy & print the contents of a graphics file
- Uninstaller removes a program, as well as any associated entries in the system files
- Disk cleanup utility searches for and removes unnecessary files, such as:
- Downloaded program files
- Temporary internet files
- deleted files
- Unused program files
- Backup utility allows users to copy files to another storage medium
- Restore utility reverses the process and returns backed up files to their original form
- Screen saver causes a display device's screen to show a moving image or blank screen if no activity occurs for a specified time
- Personal firewall detects and protects a personal computer from unauthorized intrusions
- Virus describes a potentially damaging computer program that affects a computer negatively
- Worm copies itself repeatedly in memory or over a network
- Torjan horse hides within or looks like a legitimate program
- Antivirus program protects a computer against viruses
- Spyware remover detects and deletes spyware and other similar programs
- Adware displays an online advertisement in a banner or pop-up window
- An adware remover is a program that detects and deletes adware
- Filters are programs that remove or block certain items from being displayed, such as:
- Web filtering software
- Anti-spam programs
- Phishing filters
- Pop-up blockers
- Compressing files frees up room on the storage media
- 2 types of compression:
- Lossy
- Lossless
- Compressed files sometimes are called zipped files
- Zipped files can be uncompressed
- Media player allows you to view images and animation, listen to audio and watch video files on your computer- Disc burning software writes text, graphics, audio and video files on a recordable or rewritable optical disc
- Personal computer maintenance utility identifies and fixes operating system problems, detects and repair disk problems and includes the capability of improving a computer's performance
No comments:
Post a Comment