1.5 system software

Question 1

system software

Answer 1

software that manages the computer. Usually supplied with a computer

Question 2

operating systems

Answer 2

-specialised software that communicates with computer hardware to allow other programs to run.
-The most common operating systems are Windows, Linux, Unix, MacOS, and iOS

Question 3

user interface

Answer 3

allows a user to interact with a computer - e.g. input devices and software

Question 4

memory management

Answer 4

-the process of the operating system deciding what should be in memory at any given time.
-responsible for loading data and programs into and out of memory when required

Question 5

multitasking

Answer 5

running multiple applications simultaneously by giving each one a slice of processor time

Question 6

peripheral management

Answer 6

the management of connected input/output devices such as a mouse, keyboard, webcam, speaker ,scanner, printer etc.

Question 7

driver

Answer 7

translates operating system commands into hardware-specific commands - e.g. a printer driver tells the printer how to print a document

Question 8

user management

Answer 8

-allows different people to log into the same computer with a username and password
-remembers personal settings
-manages file access

Question 9

file management

Answer 9

-access permissions for files (read and write).
-opening files in programs.
-moving, deleting and renaming files
-presenting a folder structure to the user

Question 10

utility software

Answer 10

-a program that performs a specific task relating to the operation of the computer - e.g. backup, virus scan, compression, defragmentation

Question 11

encryption software

Answer 11

-turns plaintext data into unreadable ciphertext data using a key.
-protects data from being read by hackers

Question 12

defragmentation software

Answer 12

-files being deleted overtime creates gaps on a hard disk. New files fill the gaps but may need more space than the gap provides, resulting in fragments being spread across the disk.
-defragmentation puts files fragments and free space back together in contiguous space, improving access speeds

Question 13

data compression software

Answer 13

-reduces the size of a file so it takes up less disk space and is quicker to download over the internet.
-compressed files must be extracted before they can be read