System software Flashcards

Software designed to run and maintain a computer system, including the operating system and utility programs.

System software that manages hardware and software resources and provides services for application software.

Includes managing hardware, providing a user interface, managing applications, and handling security.

The part of the operating system that allows users to interact with the computer, such as graphical user interfaces (GUIs) or command-line interfaces (CLIs).

The process of managing the computer's memory, including allocating and freeing up memory for applications.

The control of external devices like printers, keyboards, and monitors by the operating system.

The organisation, storage, retrieval, and manipulation of data files by the operating system.

The operating system's ability to manage user accounts, including login credentials and permissions.

System software designed to help maintain or optimise the computer system, such as antivirus software or disk defragmenters.

Includes encryption software, defragmentation tools, backup software, and compression tools.

Utility software that secures data by converting it into a coded format to prevent unauthorised access.

Utility software that reorganises fragmented data on a hard drive to improve performance.

Utility software that creates copies of data to prevent loss in case of system failure.

Utility software that reduces the size of files to save storage space or make them easier to transfer.

A text-based user interface where users type commands to interact with the operating system.

A visual user interface that uses windows, icons, and menus to allow users to interact with the computer.

The ability of an operating system to run multiple applications simultaneously by sharing CPU time.

Software that allows the operating system to communicate with hardware devices, such as printers or graphics cards.

Operating systems where the source code is freely available for modification, such as Linux.