Hardware Peripheral Management - Managing

the device drives, Inputs, Outputs, Queues

Operating Systems and bu ers

File Management - Opening, Creating,
Operating Systems are designed to establish
Deleting, Renaming and many more functions
communication between the user and the
Multitasking - OS would share the hardware
computer
resources with each of the processes
Functions of a typical operating system -
Management of User Accounts - OS would
Providing HCI
allow multiple users where each individually
Multitasking
customize their account.
Memory Management
Running of Applications
Managing les
The computer starts its OS (booting up the
fi
Management of user accounts
computer) through the bootstrap loader.
Hardware management
The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) tells the
Platform for running application software
computer the location of the OS in the
WIMP - Windows, Icons, Menu and Pointing
storage.
Devices
BIOS is often referred to as the rmware
Advantages and Disadvantages of CLI and GUI
Interrupts
Signal that causes the operating system to
stop what it’s doing and service a task
Ensures important tasks are dealt on priority
basis
Can be a software or a hardware interrupt

Can be generated by peripherals like

keyboard & mouse

Di erent interrupts have di erent levels of

Source: Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Computer priority

Science - Second Edition (Hodder Education) After interrupt is dealt with previous process
continues
Memory Management - Manages the RAM and
the HDD/SSD during the execution of
programs
Security Management - Providing security
features such as Anti-Virus, System updates
Programming
and so on
Languages,
Translators and IDEs
 Computers can only understand machine Executes a high-language program a
code therefore translators are needed statement at a time
High-Level Languages No executable le of machine code produced

Easier to read and understand as the One high-level language program statement

language is closer to human language may require several machine code

Easier to write in a shorter time instructions to be executed

Easier to debug at the development stage Interpreted programs cannot be used without

Easier to maintain once in use interpreter

Low-Level Languages Used when program is being developed

Assembler
Refer to machine code
Binary instructions that the computer Translates a low-level language program into

understands machine code

Executable le of machine code produced
One low-level language translated into one
machine code instructions
Can be used without assembler
Used for general use

Integrated Development Environments

Source: Cambridge IGCSE and O Level
(IDEs)
Computer Science - Second Edition (Hodder
An IDE would usually have these features -
Education)
Code Editor
Assembly Language
Translator
Few programmers use assembly language to -
Debugger
Make use of special hardware
Error Reports
Write code that doesn’t take up much
Auto-Completion and Auto-Correction
space
Auto-Documenter
Write code that runs very quickly
Pretty Printing
Translators
Compiler

Translates a program written in high-level

language into machine code SOFTWARE

Used without compiler
Executable le of machine code produced Types of Softwares:
One high-level language translated into 1. System Software e.g. Operating System,

several machine code instructions Utility programs and device drivers

Used for general use 2. Application Software e.g. spreadsheet, word

Interpreter processor etc.

System Software: Utility programs: Software that manage,

these are a set of programs which control and maintain, and control computer resources by

manage operations of hardware carrying out speci c tasks, such as virus

gives a platform for other softwares to run checking, disk repair and analysis, le

it is required to allow hardware and software management, and security.

to run without problems Application Software:

provides a human computer interface (HCI) to Word Processor: Software used for
the user manipulating text documents including

controls the allocation and usage of hardware creating, editing, and formatting text with
resources tools for copying, deleting, spell-checking, and

Application Software: importing images.

allows a user to perform speci c tasks using Spreadsheet: Organizes and manipulates

the computer’s resources numerical data using a grid of lettered

may be a single program (for example, columns and numbered rows, with each cell

NotePad) or a suite of programs (for example, identi ed using a unique combination of

Microsoft O ce) columns and rows. It can carry out

user can execute the software as and when calculations using formulas, produce graphs,

they require and is mostly not automatic and do modeling and "what if" calculations.

Database: Software used to organize, analyze,

Examples
and manipulate data consisting of one or
System Software:
more tables that hold records and elds.
Compiler: Translates high-level language into
Provides the ability to query and report on
machine code, allowing for direct use by a
data, as well as add, delete, and modify
computer to perform tasks without re-
records in a table.
compilation.
Control and Measuring Software: A program
Linker: Combines object les produced by a
designed to interface with sensors and allow a
compiler into a single program, allowing for
computer or microprocessor to measure
the use of separately written code modules in
physical quantities and control applications by
the nal program.
comparing sensor data with stored data and
Device driver: Software that enables hardware
altering process parameters accordingly.
devices to communicate with a computer's
Apps: A type of software designed to run on
operating system, without which a device like
mobile phones or tablets, which are
a printer would be unable to work.
downloaded from an "App Store" and range
Operating system: Software that manages
from games to sophisticated software such as
basic computer functions such as
phone banking. Common examples include
input/output operations, program loading and
video and music streaming, GPS, and camera
running, and security management, making
facilities.
computers more user-friendly.
 Photo and Video Editing Software: Software Heuristic checking is used to identify possible
that allows users to manipulate digital viruses that are not yet on the database.
photographs or videos, including changing Infected les are put into quarantine for
color, brightness, contrast, applying lters and automatic deletion or for the user to decide.
other enhancements, and creating transitions Anti-virus software must be kept up to date as
between clips. new viruses are constantly discovered.
Graphics Manipulation Software: Software Full system scans should be carried out

that allows the manipulation of bitmap and regularly to detect dormant viruses.

vector images, with bitmap graphics editors Disk Defragmenting Software

changing pixels to produce a di erent image, Defragmentation software is used to
while vector graphics editors manipulate lines, rearrange the blocks of data on a hard disk
curves, and text to alter the stored image as drive (HDD) to store les in contiguous
required. sectors, reducing head movements and
improving data access time.
As an HDD becomes full, blocks used for les
become scattered all over the disk surface,
Utility Software making it slower to retrieve data as the HDD

read-write head needs several movements to

Computer users have access to utility
nd the data.
programs as part of system software
When a le is deleted or extended, the vacant
Utility programs can be initiated by the user or
sectors are not lled up straight away by new
run in the background without user input
data, causing the les to become more
Common utility programs include virus
scattered throughout the disk surfaces.
checkers, defragmentation software, disk
A disk defragmenter rearranges the blocks of
analysis and repair tools, le compression and
data to store les in contiguous sectors
management software, backup software,
wherever possible, allowing for faster data
security tools, and screensavers.
access and retrieval.
Virus Checker / Anti Virus
The defragmentation process can free up
software previously occupied sectors and leave some
Virus checkers or anti-virus software are
tracks empty.
important for protecting computers from
Backup Software
malware.
Backup software is a utility software that helps
They should be kept up to date and run in the
in creating and managing backup copies of
background to maintain their e ectiveness.
data les and programs.
Anti-virus software checks les before they
Manual backups using memory sticks or
are run or loaded and compares possible
portable hard drives are good practices, but
viruses against a database of known viruses.
 using operating system backup utilities is also Some screensavers activate useful
recommended. background tasks like virus scans and
Backup utilities allow scheduling backups and distributed computing applications.
only backup les if changes have been made Device Drivers
to them. Device drivers translate data into a format
For total security, there could be three that can be understood by the hardware
versions of a le: the current version stored device they are associated with.
on the internal HDD/SSD, a locally backed-up Without the appropriate device driver, a
copy on a portable SSD, and a remote backup hardware device cannot work with a computer
on cloud storage. and may not be recognised by the operating
Security Software system.
Security software is a utility software that USB device drivers contain descriptors, which
manages access control, user accounts, and include a vendor id (VID), product id (PID) and
links to other utilities such as virus and unique serial number that allow the operating

spyware checkers. system to identify the device.

It also protects network interfaces using Serial numbers must be unique to avoid
rewalls to prevent unauthorized access. confusion if two di erent devices with the
Security software uses encryption and same serial number were plugged into a
decryption to ensure intercepted data is computer at the same time.

unreadable without a decryption key.

It oversees software updates to verify
legitimate sources and prevent malicious

software from installing.

Access control and user accounts use IDs and

passwords to secure user data and prevent
unauthorized access.

Screensavers
Screensavers display moving and still images
on the monitor screen after a period of
computer inactivity.

They were originally developed to protect CRT

monitors from 'phosphor burn'.

Screensavers are now mostly used for
customizing a device and as a part of
computer security system.
They are used to automatically log out the
user after a certain period of inactivity.