Chapter 2 - Operating Systems

Question 1

What is an Operating System?

Answer 1

Software that provides a computer user with a file system structure and with a means of communicating with the computer hardware, such as Windows

Question 2

What is the name of the core of any operating system?

Answer 2

Kernel

Question 3

What is multitasking on an OS?

Answer 3

The ability of the operating system to support two or more programs running at the same time

Question 4

What is preemptive multitasking?

Answer 4

Also known as time splicing. It is the process which allows multiple programs to share control of the operating system

Question 5

What is Cooperative Multitasking?

Answer 5

One program dominates the operating system but will allow another program to run while it is idle

Question 6

What is it called when data and parts of a program can be shared between two or more CPU’s or 2 cores on a CPU?

Answer 6

Multithreading

Question 7

What is the Command Line Interface used for?

Answer 7

to issue text commands to a computer

Question 8

What is a GUI?

Answer 8

A graphical user interface, allows the user to perform functions by selecting on-screen icons rather than using text commands. Both windows and Mac use GUI’s

Question 9

What is the basic File System Structure, and what are the components?

Answer 9

File - A program or a collection of data that forms a single unit. Directory - A folder containing other programs (files) or other folders (subdirectory) Subdirectory - Any folder or directory within another folder

Question 10

What is a root directory?

Answer 10

The directory at the top of the storage. For example a Hard Drive (C:)

Question 11

What is used to identify the location of a specific file?

Answer 11

A pathname

Question 12

What is the method of organizing files on a storage device?

Answer 12

The file system

Question 13

What does any file system maintain?

Answer 13

A file table of all areas on the disk, tracking what areas are used and what areas are not.

Question 14

What is in a configuration file?

Answer 14

Information such as the amount of memory and the type of video adapter present in the system

Question 15

What is a registry?

Answer 15

A database that stores configuration information

Question 16

What is a file extension?

Answer 16

Was used by DOS standards on older OS’s, denoting what type of file it is, like “.exe”. Today extensions are not necessary but do help identify what the file type is.

Question 17

On Windows 8, what is the name of a shortcut on the Metro screen?

Answer 17

A tile

Question 18

What is Cmd.exe?

Answer 18

Command Interpreter, a text based program that uses Internal Commands to make commands on a computer

Question 19

What is an Internal Command?

Answer 19

Commands who’s required software to run is within the program running it.

Question 20

What is an External Command?

Answer 20

Commands issued by software that executes another program to perform an action

Question 21

What is the name of the Command Interpreter used by Microsoft?

Answer 21

the Command Prompt

Question 22

What are complete software programs that run when the file name is entered at the command prompt?

Answer 22

Executable files

Question 23

What is Windows Aero?

Answer 23

An enhanced user interface, that which is more sophisticated than the user interfaces of OS’s prior to Vista. Most noticeable feature makes the borders of windows transparent.

Question 24

What is Encryption?

Answer 24

The process of rendering the contents of a file unreadable by people other than those who are allowed to read it

Question 25

Today Rainmeter is a program that you can install on your computer that can have calenders, news feeds, hardware monitoring, weather, or just plain aesthetically pleasing enhancements. What program that was included on Vista and 7, but not Windows 8, is close to this?

Answer 25

Gadgets

Question 26

Why is it necessary to have a monitor with at least a 1366x768 Screen Resolution?

Answer 26

Windows 8 features snap mode, placing 2 windows side by side for duality in viewing

Question 27

What is PAE?

Answer 27

Physical Address Extension, a processor feature that allows a 32-bit OS to access more than 4 GB of RAM

Question 28

What is the difference between a cold boot and a warm boot?

Answer 28

A cold boot, or a hard boot, is when you use the power switch to turn the computer on, whereas a warm boot is when software is used to restart the computer.

Question 29

What is POST?

Answer 29

Power-on self-test, a diagnostic program that is initiated when electrical power is applied to the computer system. Checks the system to make sure all hardware components are working properly.

Question 30

What is a bootstrap program?

Answer 30

A short program that runs the POST from the BIOS, searches for the Master Boot Record, loads basic files and then lets the OS finish the boot

Question 31

What is UEFI?

Answer 31

The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface is a modern approach to the BIOS system and an enhancement to the boot process. After the POST is completed, UEFI gives control to a built-in boot manager program rather than the MBR.

Question 32

What is Dual-Boot?

Answer 32

When 2 operating systems have formatted partitions on the same hard drive allowing the user to choose which OS to boot

Question 33

What is the name for a system with more than 2 operating systems?

Answer 33

A multiple-boot system

Question 34

What is the name for a Computer that has special software to execute 2 OS's at once?

Answer 34

A virtual machine

Question 35

What is cloud computing?

Answer 35

Accessing a shared pool of resources and specialized servers over the internet. This can be found with services like E-mail, IM's, or in a server that stores data like the cloud.

Question 36

What are apps in a mobile sense?

Answer 36

Small software applications that allow the user to access the larger software application on the cloud server

Question 37

What is a "thin client"

Answer 37

A computer that is running its software primarily off of the cloud server

Question 38

What is it called when software applications are provided through the cloud?

Answer 38

Virtualization

Question 39

What is application software?

Answer 39

End-User Software, produced for a designated purpose, such as the programs in the Microsoft Office Suite

Question 40

What is a small package of programs that allow proper communication between the computer and a peripheral device?

Answer 40

A Software Driver

Question 41

What is a software patch?

Answer 41

A fix for operating systems and application software that have already been released. Can also update security when a program or OS has a backdoor found

Question 42

What is the term for the error that is found in programs?

Answer 42

A bug (The term is attributed to Harvard Universities Mark II Calculator in 1947, where Harvard technical team found a moth between points, and Rear Admiral Grace Hopper commented, "a bug being found" in the system.)