WJEC GCSE Computer Science Software and operating systems overview quiz quiz

The operating system

A web browser

A disk defragmenter

Antivirus software

To run and manage the computer and provide a platform for other software

To let the user write documents

To edit photos and videos

To play games

Writing a spreadsheet for the user

Designing a website

Managing memory and processes

Editing a video file

It has many cores running in parallel

Each program runs on its own processor

Applications take turns automatically without the OS

The OS rapidly switches between processes

Organises files and folders on storage and handles saving and opening

Allocates RAM to running programs

Controls the printer through a driver

Checks passwords at login

Software that performs user tasks like writing letters

System software that maintains, manages and protects the computer

The binary instructions the CPU runs

A type of input device

Reduces the size of files

Reorganises files on a hard disk

Detects, quarantines and removes malware

Backs up files to the cloud

Deletes unused files to free space

Encrypts the disk for security

Compresses files to save space

Reorganises scattered file parts so each file is stored together

It lets data be restored if the originals are lost or damaged

It makes the processor faster

It increases the screen resolution

It translates programs into machine code

They are easier for people to read than high-level languages

They are close to the hardware and can be fast and efficient

They never need translating

They are always portable across all processors

An English-like high-level language

A mnemonic-based assembly language

The binary instructions the CPU executes directly

A type of utility program

Translates the whole program at once into an executable

Translates and runs the program one statement at a time

Runs only assembly language

Stores the program in RAM

It produces a separate executable file

It translates and runs code one statement at a time

It only works with machine code

It compiles the whole program before running

A compiler

An interpreter

A defragmenter

An assembler

It runs the finished program faster than a compiler

It hides all errors until the end

It runs line by line and stops at the first error, aiding debugging

It removes the need to write code

System software runs the machine; application software does the user's tasks

Application software runs the hardware directly

System software performs all user tasks

Only one of them is actually required