The operating system regulates the operations and resources of the computer by controlling the access to the central processor unit (CPU), memory, file storage and input/output devices. It performs tasks such as scheduling resource use to avoid conflicts and interference between processes, regulating the structure and contents of files in nonprimary storage media, and determining which programs can use hardware components such as disc drives or Wi-Fi adapters. It also allows for users who are interactive to connect to the system with either using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) or a Command-Line Interface (CLI).

Process Management

The operating systems manages the start, stop, and resumption of applications. It decides which application should be executed first, how long the CPU can be used, and also when to end. It can also divide a program into multiple threads, allowing it to run in parallel on more than one processor. Each of these actions are controlled by a program in the operating system, referred to as a process block.

File management

Operating systems manage the structure and content of files stored in non-primary storage for data. They know where each bit of data within a file is and can move it between memory and storage when required. They can also map a virtual memory page into a physical memory page for faster access this process is known as Get the facts demand paging.

It also interacts with computer hardware via drivers and other interfacing software. If, for instance, an application wishes to make use of specific hardware, like a WiFi adaptor, then the operating system will provide the driver and let it access the hardware. This lets the programmer avoid writing a piece code for each adapter disk drive or other kind of hardware.