Operating Systems and Peripherals
This domain checks whether you understand what an operating system actually manages, how files are located and named, how drivers connect software to hardware, and the difference between the power states you use every day.
OS functions and types
- Manages processes, memory, files, devices and security, and provides the user interface.
- GUI (Windows, Ubuntu desktop) versus CLI (Command Prompt, bash).
- Single-user versus multi-user; real-time OS in embedded devices; Android is a Linux-based mobile OS.
- A file is located by its path: drive → folders → filename → extension. Extensions map to programs (.docx to Word, .xlsx to Excel).
- A driver translates OS instructions into signals the device understands; Plug and Play auto-detects and installs.
- Power states: shutdown clears RAM and closes apps; sleep keeps RAM powered for fast resume; hibernate writes RAM contents to disk and uses no power.
- Maintenance: Disk Cleanup, defragmentation (HDD only), updates, Task Manager to end frozen tasks.
Worked example
C:\Users\Asha\Documents\report.docx - drive C:, folder chain Users → Asha → Documents, filename report, extension .docx (Word document). The same file on Linux is /home/asha/Documents/report.docx, using forward slashes from a single root.
Traps that cost marks
- Defragmenting an SSD, which wears it out without benefit.
- Confusing hibernate with sleep (hibernate survives power loss, sleep does not).
- Deleting a desktop shortcut and believing the program is uninstalled.
- Thinking formatting only deletes files - it creates a new file system and recovery is not guaranteed.