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1. Name of Module : Operating System
4. Module Summary
At the end of the module, students should be able to define what is operating system and also
know the function of an operating system
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Activity 1: System Software
System software consists of programmes that control the operations of the computer and its
devices. System software serves as the interface between the user, the application software
and the computer hardware.
a. Operating System
b. Utility Programmes
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(b) Utility Programmes
• Utility programme allows user to perform maintenance-type tasks.
• It has been integrated into most major operating systems such as format,
check and defragment disks
• Other examples of utility programmes are antivirus and file compression
programmes
1. Starting a computer
The first function of an operating system is to start the
computer. When we start a computer, it loads the
operating system into the computer's memory. This
process is called booting. Booting means to load and
initialize the operating system on a computer machine. It
can happen in two ways: warm boot or cold boot.
• WARM BOOT
A warm boot means restarting a computer that is already on.It normally
happens after installing a new software or hardware or after an
application crashes or stops working.
• COLD BOOT
A cold boot means starting a computer that is already off. It happens
when we turn on a computer that has been completely powered off.
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2. Providing a user interface
From the user's perspective, the most important function of an operating system, is
providing the user interface. This function controls how the user enters data and
instruction and how information is displayed.
Command-Line Menu-Driven G
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4. Managing memory
Operating system is also responsible for managing memory such as:
5. Configuring Devices
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Acitivity 3: The Differences Between Dos And Windows Display
DOS Windows
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Activity 4: OS Interface Environment
• Graphical User Interface is an interface that combines text, graphic and icons to make
software easier to be used. It I s also called ‘user-friendly’.
• It allows you to interact with the software using menus and visual images such as
buttons, icons and other graphical objects to issue commands
• It controls how you enter data and how the screen displays information
• The icons that are used represent computer resources such as files, programs and
network communication