Operating System and File Management
Operating System and File Management
This domain tests the operating system as a resource manager and the rules of file storage. Expect questions on OS functions, GUI and CLI, multitasking and time-sharing, file attributes, directory trees, absolute and relative paths, and safe file operations.
Core rules
- An OS manages the processor, main memory, input/output devices, files and security, and provides a user interface.
- GUI uses windows, icons and pointers; CLI accepts typed commands and is precise but less forgiving.
- A file has a name and usually an extension. Common attributes are read-only, hidden, system and archive.
- A directory tree starts at the root. An absolute path starts at the root or drive; a relative path starts at the current folder.
- Copying creates a duplicate; moving changes location; renaming changes the name but not the content format.
- Formatting prepares a storage volume and can erase existing data.
Worked example
Consider the path D:\CHSE\VOC\UNIT2\NOTES.TXT. The drive is D:, the root contains CHSE, then VOC, then UNIT2, and the file is NOTES with extension .TXT. This is an absolute path because it starts at the drive. If the current folder is D:\CHSE, the relative path is VOC\UNIT2\NOTES.TXT. The reasoning is that the current folder supplies the missing beginning of the path.
Traps
Do not assume deleted files always go to the Recycle Bin; removable drives and Shift+Delete can bypass it. Changing an extension does not convert the file format. Save updates the current file, while Save As creates a new name or location. Do not confuse a folder with a drive, and remember that a relative path depends on the current directory.