Topic 4:

Operating Systems and

File Management
Semester 1 - 2022
  Operating System Activities
Section A:  User Interfaces
Operating  The Boot Process
Systems Basics

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  An operating system is a type of system software that acts as the
master controller for all activities that take place within a
computer system

Operating
Systems
Activities

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Operating
Systems
Activities

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  Multitasking provides process and memory management services
that allow two or more tasks, jobs, or programs to run
simultaneously
Operating  Within a single program, multithreading allows multiple parts, or
threads, to run simultaneously
Systems  When multiple programs are running, the OS should prevent a
Activities memory leak—a situation in which instructions and data from one
area of memory overflow into memory allocated to another
program

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  Operating System Categories
 Single-user operating system
Operating  Multiuser operating system
Systems  Server operating system
 Desktop operating system
Activities  Handheld operating system

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  Microsoft Windows offers its users controls to do the
following activities:

Operating 
Launch programs
Manage files
Systems  Get help
Activities  Customize the user interface
 Configure equipment

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Operating
Systems
Activities

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  The combination of hardware and software that helps people and
computers communicate with each other

User Interfaces

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User Interfaces

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  Buttons, menu bars, toolbars, taskbars, and Ribbons

User Interfaces

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  Menus, submenus, and dialog boxes

User Interfaces

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  During the boot process, the operating system kernel is
loaded into RAM
 The kernel provides essential operating system services
The Boot
 Your computer’s small bootstrap program is built into
Process special ROM circuitry housed in the computer’s system
unit

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The Boot
Process

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  Microsoft Windows
Section B:  Mac OS
Today’s  UNIX and Linux

Operating  DOS
 Handheld and Tablet Operating Systems
Systems

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Microsoft
Windows

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Mac OS

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Mac OS

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 Popular virtual machine software such as VMware and Parallels
Desktop can run on most computers with Intel
microprocessors, including Intel Macs, PCs, and generic Linux
computers

Mac OS

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  The UNIX operating system was developed in 1969 at
AT&T’s Bell Labs
 Dependable in multiuser environments
 Linux is an operating system distributed along with its
Unix and Linux source code under the terms of a GPL (General Public
License)
 A Linux distribution is a download that contains the Linux
kernel, system utilities, applications, and an installation
routine

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Unix and Linux

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  Disk Operating System
 First operating system that many used

DOS

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Handheld and
Tablet
Operating
Systems

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  File Names and Extensions
Section C:  File Directories and Folders

File Basics  File Formats

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  You must adhere to file-naming conventions when
saving files
 Maximum length
Filename and  Prohibited characters
 No reserved words
Extensions  Case sensitivity
 File extensions provide clues to the file contents

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  To designate a file’s location, you must first specify the
device where the file is stored
 The main hard disk usually is referred to as drive C
 A disk partition is a section of hard disk drive that is
treated as a separate storage unit
 Partitions can be assigned drive letters
File Directories  Partitions are not the same as folders
and Folders

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  An operating system maintains a directory for each
storage disk, CD, DVD, BD, or USB flash drive
 Root directory
 Subdirectory
 Depicted as folders

File Directories  A computer’s file location is defined by a file

specification, or path
and Folders

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  A file format refers to the organization and layout of
data that is stored in a file
 The format of a file usually includes a header, data, and
possibly an end-of-file marker
File Formats  A file header is a section of data at the beginning of a file that
contains information about a file
 A file extension does not really define the format of a
file

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  A software application can open files that exist in its native file
format, plus several additional file formats

File Formats

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File Formats

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  Application-based File Management
 File Management Utilities
Section D:  File Management Metaphors
File  Windows Explorer

Management  File Management Tips

 Physical File Storage

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  Applications generally provide a way to open files and save them
in a specific folder on a designated storage device

Application –
Based File
Management

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Application –
Based File
Management

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  File management utilities show you the files stored on your disks
and help you work with them

File
Management
Utilities

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  Storage metaphors help you visualize and mentally
File organize the files on your disks and other storage
Management devices
 Logical storage models
Metaphors

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Windows
Explorer

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  Windows Explorer helps you manipulate files and
folders in the following ways:
 Rename
 Copy
Widows  Move
 Delete
Explorer
 Windows offers a set of preconfigured personal folders,
such as My Documents and My Music, for storing your
personal data files

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Windows
Explorer

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  Use descriptive names
 Maintain file extensions
 Group similar files
File  Organize your folders from the top down
Management  Consider using default folders
Tips  Use Public folders for files you want to share
 Do not mix data files and program files

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  Don’t store files in the root directory
 Access files from the hard disk
File  Follow copyright rules
Management  Delete or archive files you no longer need

Tips  Be aware of storage locations

 Back up

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  The physical storage model describes what happens on
the disks and in the circuits
 Storage media must be formatted before it can store files
 The formatting process divides the disk into tracks and sectors

Physical File
Storage

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Physical File
Storage

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  The file system keeps track of the names and locations
of files
 NTFS
 Master File Table (MFT)

Physical File
Storage

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  Deleting a file changes the status of that file’s clusters
to empty and removes the file name from the index file
 The file’s data is still there
Physical File  File shredder software overwrites “empty” sectors with
random 1s and 0s
Storage  Files in the Windows Recycle Bin and similar utilities
can be undeleted

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  Fragmented files are stored in noncontiguous clusters and
decrease performance
 Defragmentation utilities rearrange files so that they are stored in
contiguous clusters

Physical File
Storage

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  Backup Basics
 File Copies
 Synchronization
Section E:  Windows Backup
Backup  Disk Images and Bare-metal Restore
Security  Virtual Machines
 Handheld Backup

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  A backup stores the files needed to recover data that’s been wiped
Backup Basics out by operator error, viruses, or hardware failures

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  Your backup schedule depends on how much data you
can afford to lose
 You should test your backup by trying to restore one
file
Backup Basics  The backup device you select depends on the value of
your data, your current equipment, and your budget
 Online backup services

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Backup Basics

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  Unique files are difficult to reproduce
 Manually copying and pasting requires you to select the files and
destination device each time

File Copies

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  Synchronization compares the content of files on two
devices and makes them the same
 A program called Time Machine supplied with Mac OS
Synchronization X is a good example of synchronization software
 Synchronizes every hour

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Synchronization

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Windows
Backup

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  A full backup makes a fresh copy of every file in the folders you’ve
specified for the backup
 A differential backup makes a backup of only those files that were
Windows added or changed since your last full backup session

Backup  An incremental backup makes a backup of the files that were

added or changed since the last backup—not necessarily the files
that changed from the last full backup

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Windows
Backup

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  Backup software includes modules for restoring files
 A boot disk is a removable storage medium containing the
operating system files needed to boot your computer without
accessing the hard disk
Windows
 A recovery disk (sometimes referred to as a recovery CD) is a
Backup bootable CD, DVD, or other media that contains a complete copy
of your computer’s hard disk as it existed when the computer was
new

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  The Windows Registry, or Registry as it is usually called, is an
important group of files used by the Windows operating system to
Windows store configuration information about all the devices and software
installed on a computer system
Backup  A restore point is a snapshot of your computer settings

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Windows
Backup

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Disk Images  Restoring a Windows computer usually entails several steps
 A bare-metal restore restores the computer in a single step
and
 A disk image is a bit-by-bit copy of the data from all sectors of a
Bare-Metal disk
Restore

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Disk Images
and
Bare-Metal
Restore

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Virtual
Machines

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  Handheld devices are usually backed up by synching them to a
desktop or notebook computer
 Synching is usually initiated by tethering your handheld device to
a full-size computer using a USB cable
Handheld  iPhones, iPods, and iPads synch with iTunes software, and you
have the option to encrypt the backup to prevent your data from
Backup exposure if your computer falls victim to an unauthorized intrusion
 Android devices generally do not include backup software, but
several backup apps are available

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Handheld
Backup

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Topic 4:
Completed!
Credit: Empowerment & Technology - WordPress.com

References:
Parsons J.J, O. D., 2011. New Perspective on Computer Concepts 2011, Comprehensive. 2011 ed. Boston:
Course Technology, Cengage Learning.
Parsons, O., 2013. New Perspective for Computer Concepts 2013 Brief. 2013 ed. Boston: Course Technology,
Cengage Learning.

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