System Software : Operating System Utilities

1
Chapter 6

• System Software Operating System Utilities

2
System / Application Software

• System Consists of the background programs
  that allow you to use your computer. These
  programs enable the computer to start up and run
  application software.
• Application Allows the user to perform certain
  tasks on a computer.

3
Operating System

• A computers operating system is the collection
  of programs that manage and coordinate the
  activities of the computer system. Functions of
  the operating system include

4
Functions of an OS

• Booting the Computer and Configuring Devices
• Interfacing with Users
• Managing and Monitoring Resources and Jobs
• File Management
• Security

5
PC/Windows Benefits of the Windows Operating
Systems

• A computers operating system is the collection
  of programs that manage and coordinate the
  activities of the computer system. Functions of
  the operating system include
• Multitasking
• Sharing (uses the Windows Clipboard)
• Graphic User Interface
• Customization

6
File Management Programs

• DISKS A computer stores information on disks.
  The disk inside the computer is called the HARD
  DISK. A portable disk that you can carry around
  is called a FLOPPY DISK. COMPACT DISKS and ZIP
  DISKS are additional disk storage mediums.  
• DRIVES To access each of these disks, a computer
  must have a specialized DRIVE. The terms Disks
  and drives are often used interchangeably, but
  realize that disks are the actual surface that
  STORES the information and drives are the
  hardware devices that actually read the
  information on the disks.

7

• FILES  A collection of data or information
  that has a name, called the filename. Almost
  all information stored in a computer must be
  in a file. There are many different types of
  files data files, text files , program files,
  directory files, and so on. Different types of
  files store different types of information. For
  example, program files store programs, whereas
  text files store text. The basic unit of storage
  on a computer is a FILE.
• FOLDERS Files are further organized into
  FOLDERS, also called subdirectories, for
  organization. Like a file cabinet- The root
  directory is the main directory/folder of a disk.
  Folders and files are organized into a
  hierarchical structure. Through the FAT, folders
  and directories maintain bookkeeping information
  about files that are, figuratively speaking,
  beneath them. You can think of a directory/folder
  as a drawer in a file cabinet that contains files
  and perhaps other sub folders. The terms folders
  and directories are synonymous.

8
File Extensions View Options

• Windows recognizes file types based on the
  three-character file extension following the file
  name.
• A filename extension or filename suffix is an
  extra set of (usually) alphanumeric characters
  that is appended to the end of a filename to
  allow computer users (as well as various pieces
  of software on the computer system) to quickly
  determine the type of data stored in the file. It
  is one of several popular methods for
  distinguishing between file formats.

9
View

• Setting view options to see file Types. 
• From Explorer or My Computer Tools Folder
  Options View Tab

10
Formatting

• Before a disk can be used for storage, it must be
  formatted
• When you format a disk, the operating system
  erases all bookkeeping information on the disk,
  tests the disk to make sure all sectors are
  reliable, marks bad sectors (that is, those that
  are scratched), and creates internal address
  tables that it later uses to locate information.
  You must format a disk before you can use
  it. Difference between formatting deleting.
  Deleting the files are still really there. Most
  disks, both floppy and hard, are sold
  pre-formatted.

11
FAT

• Formatting the disk and divides it into tracks,
  sectors, and clusters. The disks file directory
  called FAT (File Allocation Table) keeps track of
  the contents of the disk so files can be
  retrieved (by filename) at a later time.

12
Sectors Visual

• Hard disks are usually divided into 512-byte
  sectors. The FAT acts like a librarian and keeps
  a record of where data is stored on the hard
  disk.  The File system groups sectors together to
  form clusters. All file systems use this general
  method of partitioning but they differ on how it
  is done.  
• This difference is what sets one File system
  apart from another in terms of how hard disk
  space is used economically.  
• When you save a file to the hard disk, the File
  system stores the file across a number of
  clusters. If a cluster is not completely occupied
  by the file, the disk becomes fragmented

13
Disk Defrag Utility Pg. 247

• Refers to the condition of a disk in which files
  are divided into pieces scattered around the
  disk. Fragmentation occurs naturally when you use
  a disk frequently, creating, deleting, and
  modifying files. At some point, the operating
  system needs to store parts of a file in
  noncontiguous clusters. This is entirely
  invisible to users, but it can slow down the
  speed at which data is accessed because the disk
  drive must search through different parts of the
  disk to put together a single file.
• In DOS 6.0 and later systems, you can defragment
  a disk with the DEFRAG command. You can also buy
  software utilities, called disk optimizers or
  defragmenters, that defragment a disk.

14
(No Transcript)