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Questions
Name and describe 3 functions of the operating system. (6 marks)
Any 3 pairs from:
Provide a user interface - give the user an easy way to interact with the computer
Memory management - allocate space in RAM to running programs and remove
them when they are closed
Peripheral management - to allow external connected devices to interact with a computer
User management - allows for the use of usernames and passwords
allowing for differing access levels
File management - Allows for folders and files to be created, edited and moved
Explain how computers appear to multitask. (2 marks)
The tasks that are in RAM share time on the processor (1) but as the processor does billions of things a second this is so quick that tasks appear to run simultaneously. (1)
Explain how encryption software works. (2 marks)
Encryption software takes plaintext files and converts them to ciphertext (1) using an algorithm. (1)
Explain what defragmentation software does including why it is needed. (3 marks)
As files are added and removed from a hard drive parts of the files can get split up. (1) Defragmentation gathers the parts of progams back together so they are stored in
contiguous blocks. (1) Because hard disks have to spin to find the next piece of data, having them in contiguous blocks makes it faster to access them. (1)
Explain what data compression is and give two examples of how it can be useful. (4 marks)
Data compression is using software to reduce the size of files. (1) Plus any two uses from:
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