An operating system is the software that runs behind the scenes on computers, governing various hardware components like memory, file systems, and input and output devices like keyboards, monitors printers, modems and keyboards. It also controls access to the central processor unit or CPU.
Multitasking is a term that allows multiple programs to run simultaneously on an OS. This is because the OS allocates resources from the system to a program, such as CPU and memory space during execution. It monitors how much memory and CPU time the program uses, and ensures it does not interfere with other applications that are using the same resources.
Operating systems keep track of where files are located and the state of their files on the computer’s disk. They create an imaginary directory structure, and store the location of each file, along with other metadata such as the date it was created or modified. Drivers allow an application to easily access the hardware of the computer. These drivers translate hardware’s proprietary language into a standard one that operating systems can be able to comprehend.
When an application must save a file, it switches to the operating kernel of the system. This is because the program can’t directly access the disk drive, which requires a driver in order to communicate with it. The operating system creates a logical request, and then converts it. Hardware is used according to the instructions.