types of software and interrupts

System software is software essential for the operation of the computer system.

Utility software is software designed to help maintain, enhance and troubleshoot/repair a computer system.

Defragmentation is the process of grouping fragmented files back together in order to improve access speed.

False. Lossy compression physically removes data from the original file, so it cannot be recreated.

Encryption is the process of scrambling data using an algorithm from plain-text into cipher-text to make it unreadable to users without the master key.

The purpose of task manager is to allow users to monitor system resources in order to help troubleshoot potential problems.

Application software is software chosen by a user to help them carry out a specific task.

True. System software gives users a platform to run applications and carry out tasks.

The three common categories of application software are productivity, communication, and entertainment.

System software is essential for the operation of the computer system, while application software is chosen by users to carry out specific tasks.

An operating system is software that provides an interface between the user and the hardware in a computer system.

File management is a process carried out by the operating system creating, organising, manipulating and accessing files and folders on a computer system.

Interrupt handling is the process of managing events that require the immediate attention of the central processing unit.

False. A Command Line Interface (CLI) is more commonly used by advanced users.

Peripheral management is a process carried out by the operating system managing the way peripherals (hardware) interact with software.

A device driver is a piece of software used to control a piece of hardware.

Multitasking is a process made possible by the OS simultaneously managing system resources to give a user the perception of being able to use multiple programs at the same time.

True. The operating system provides a platform on which application software can run.

User management is a process carried out by the operating system enabling different users to log onto a computer and maintain individual settings.

The four types of user interfaces are:

Firmware is software embedded directly into the hardware of a device to make it function.

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is firmware that handles the initial process of booting up a computer.

The purpose of firmware is to translate between the hardware and the software.

False. Application software communicates with the operating system, which then interacts with the hardware.

A bootstrap loader contains the initial boot-up instructions that a computer explores in ROM when turned on.

A stack is a reserved area in RAM where the contents of CPU registers are copied during an interrupt.

False. Firmware is embedded in the hardware, typically stored in ROM or flash memory.

After the start-up process is complete, instructions are sent to RAM to be processed by the operating system.

Firmware provides the initial instructions for booting up the computer and communicating with hardware, while the operating system takes over once the start-up process is complete.

An interrupt is a signal for the CPU to stop what it is currently doing and do something else as a higher priority.

An interrupt service routine is an area that holds instructions that will need to be fetched, decoded and executed to complete the commands of the interrupt.

The two types of interrupts are hardware interrupts and software interrupts.

False. The contents of CPU registers are copied to a reserved area in RAM called a stack during an interrupt.

A hardware interrupt is an interrupt caused by a hardware device, such as a hardware failure or user input.

A software interrupt is an interrupt that occurs when an application stops or requests services from the operating system.

The purpose of the stack in interrupt handling is to save the contents of CPU registers for later retrieval when the interrupt is complete.

True. Interrupts allow for multitasking in a computer system.

An example of a hardware interrupt is moving the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard.

An example of a software interrupt is a program not responding or a division by zero error.