The operating system is the program that manages the underlying hardware inside computers. It distributes the amount of time each program has to run on the CPU, assigns disk storage space and protects the data from unauthorised access. It also acts as an interface between the software and hardware. This allows the program to communicate with a variety of hardware devices such as printers, Wi-Fi adapters, and hard disk drives.
A OS also allows multiple software processes running simultaneously on one processor. Multitasking is what this is called. It also allows the user to communicate directly with the computer via an GUI interface (graphical) or command line interface. The operating system can be a single application that runs in memory or a collection programs and libraries on the hard drive that are loaded into memory as needed.
Other important functions of an operating system include error detection. The system constantly monitors input and output in order to detect mistakes and prevent the occurrence of further problems. It is also responsible for the management of network connections as well as establishing security protocols to guard against access by unauthorized persons.
The OS also stores driver information for devices in a standard format www.myopendatablog.com/how-to-add-music-to-snapchat/ to make it easy to identify. It also installs and configures drivers when hardware is replaced. The OS can also translate high-level programming into machine code by using loaders and compilers. It is also able to move data on a disc when it detects bad sectors.