Chapter 5: System Software: Operating Systems and Utility Programs

TRUE/FALSE

1. When you issue the command for your computer to store a document on your hard drive, the
application software must make sure that such a drive exists.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: 178

2. In practice, the difference between system and application software is not always clear cut.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 178

3. Most operating systems today use a text-based user interface.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: 179

4. You press Ctrl+Alt+Insert to bring up the screen shown in the accompanying figure.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: 179

5. As you work on your computer, the operating system is in charge of managing system resources and
making them available to devices and programs when they are needed.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 180

6. Filename rules are the same in all operating systems.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: 181

7. File extensions should not be changed by the user because the operating system uses them to identify
the program that should be used to open the file.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 181

8. Using virtual memory is faster than just using RAM.

 ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: 184

9. There are two primary forms of DOS: PC-DOS and MS-DOS.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 188

10. There is still a large installed base of Windows XP users and Microsoft plans to support Windows XP
until 2014.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 189

11. Windows 98 was built from the ground up using a different kernel than the other versions of Windows.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: 189

12. Although Linux originally used a command line interface, most recent versions of Linux programs use
a graphical user interface.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 193

13. Large computer systems—such as high-end servers, mainframes, and supercomputers— sometimes
use operating systems designed solely for that type of system.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 198

14. Linux is increasingly being used with both mainframes and supercomputers.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 198

15. There are many stand-alone utility programs available as an alternative to the operating system’s utility
programs.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 198

16. Stand-alone utility programs are often available in a suite of related programs.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 198

17. Once a file management program is open, you can look at the folders and files stored on your PC.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 200

18. Files and folders deleted from removable media cannot be restored by any method.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: 201

19. File compression programs reduce the size of files so they take up less storage space on a storage
medium or can be transmitted faster over the Internet.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 203

20. Using the Save As option of the File menu before editing a document is a good idea, so you can return
to the original version, if needed.
 ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 203

MODIFIED TRUE/FALSE

1. Application software runs in the background at all times, making it possible for you to use your
computer. _________________________

ANS: F, System software

PTS: 1 REF: 177

2. In general, the operating system serves as an intermediary between the user and the computer.
_________________________

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 178

3. Most application systems today include the drivers needed for the most commonly used peripheral
devices. _________________________

ANS: F, operating systems

PTS: 1 REF: 180

4. If a device driver file is deleted, becomes corrupted, or has a conflict with another piece of software,
then the device will no longer work. _________________________

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 180

5. Folders can contain both files and other folders (called subfolders). _________________________

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 181

6. Memory leaping can cause your computer to run out of memory temporarily.
_________________________

ANS: F, Memory leaking

PTS: 1 REF: 183

7. The documents waiting to be printed are said to be in a(n) print queue, which designates the order the
documents will be printed. _________________________

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 184

8. The older DOS operating system and some versions of the UNIX and Linux operating systems use
a(n) graphical user interface. _________________________

ANS: F, command line interface

PTS: 1 REF: 185

9. Most operating systems today are designed for either 16-bit or 32-bit CPUs.
_________________________
 ANS: F, 32-bit or 64-bit

PTS: 1 REF: 186

10. There have been many different versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system over the last
several years. _________________________

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 188

11. In 1994, Microsoft announced that all versions of Windows after 3.11 would be full-fledged operating
systems instead of just application programs. _________________________

ANS: F, operating environments

PTS: 1 REF: 189

12. With Windows Explorer, use the Views button to change how the items in the right pane are displayed.
_________________________

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 200

13. Cleanup programs evaluate your system, looking for problems and making recommendations for
fixing any errors that are discovered. _________________________

ANS: F, Diagnostic

PTS: 1 REF: 202

14. Disk management programs diagnose and repair problems related to your hard drive.
_________________________

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: 202

15. Uninstall utilities are designed to delete temporary files (such as deleted files still in the Recycle Bin,
temporary Internet files, installation files, and so forth) in order to free up disk space.
_________________________

ANS: F, Cleanup

PTS: 1 REF: 202

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. System software is usually divided into two categories: operating system software and ____ programs.
a. planning system c. FAT system
b. utility d. background
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 177

2. ____ software consists of the operating system and utility programs that control a computer system
and allow you to use your computer.
a. Background c. Application
 b. Front-end d. System
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 177

3. ____ includes all the programs that allow a user to perform specific tasks on a computer, such as
writing a letter.
a. System software c. Application software
b. Utility programs d. Background programs
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 177

4. The ____ boots the computer, launches application software programs, and ensures that all actions
requested by a user are valid and processed in an orderly fashion.
a. startup c. driver
b. operating system d. registry
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 178

5. A computer’s ____ is a collection of programs that manage and coordinate the activities taking place
within a computer system.
a. database system c. application system
b. storage system d. operating system
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 178

6. The means by which an operating system or any other program interacts with the user is called the
____.
a. user login c. program front-end
b. programming interface d. user interface
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 179

7. Small programs called ____ are used to communicate with peripheral devices, such as monitors,
printers, and scanners.
a. interfaces c. drivers
b. utilities d. managers
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 180

8. An important task that the operating system performs is ____, which keeps track of the files stored on
a computer so that they can be retrieved when needed.
a. disk management c. file listing
b. file management d. file recovery
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 180

9. Filenames typically include a ____ at the end of the filename.

a. file extension c. file subname
b. file subscript d. file attachment
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 181

10. Most operating systems have security features available, such as an integrated ____ to protect against
unauthorized access via the Internet.
a. router c. hub
b. firewall d. modem
 ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 182

11. Most operating systems have security features available, such as an option to automatically download
and install ____ from the operating system’s manufacturer on a regular basis.
a. security walls c. security patches
b. device patches d. device drivers
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 182

12. ____ refers to the ability of an operating system to work with more than one program at one time.
a. Multidimensional c. Polyprogramming
b. Multiprogramming d. Multitasking
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 182

13. All programs and data located in RAM are divided into fixed-length ____ or variable-length segments,
depending on the operating system being used.
a. pies c. pages
b. sectors d. cylinders
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 183

14. ____ memory allows you to use more memory than is physically available on your computer.
a. Shared c. Multithreading
b. Virtual d. Buffer
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 184

15. A ____ is an area in RAM or on the hard drive designated to hold input and output on their way in or
out of the system.
a. segment c. page
b. buffer d. sector
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 184

16. With a ____, as shown in the accompanying figure, icons, buttons, menus, and other objects are
selected with the mouse to issue commands to the PC.
a. graphical user interface c. desktop
b. command line interface d. command-driven interface
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 185

17. During the 1980s and early 1990s, ____ was the dominant operating system for microcomputers.
a. Mac OS c. Linux
b. DOS (Disk Operating System) d. desktop operating system
 ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 188

18. In DOS, the command ____ displays the files and folders in the current location.
a. CD c. DIR
b. FORMAT d. COPY
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 188

19. One of the most obvious initial changes in Windows Vista is the ____ interface.
a. Leopard c. Aero
b. Android d. Symbian
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 189

20. The most recent version of Windows is Windows ____.

a. Leopard c. 7
b. XP d. Vista
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 190

21. ____ is the proprietary operating system for computers made by Apple Corporation.
a. Linux c. Mac OS
b. Solaris d. Unix
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 192

22. ____ was originally developed in the late 1960s at AT&T Bell Laboratories as an operating system for
midrange servers.
a. Linux c. Solaris
b. UNIX d. Mac OS X
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 193

23. In addition to personal operating systems and server operating systems, there are also mobile operating
systems and ____.
a. embedded operating systems c. virtual operating systems
b. high-performance operating systems d. storage operating systems
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 194

24. Commercial Linux distributions, such as those available from ____ and Novell, come with
maintenance and support materials.
a. Red Hat c. Cisco
b. .NET Framework d. Adobe
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 194

25. ____ is a family of operating systems based on Windows that is designed primarily for consumer and
industrial devices that are not personal computers.
a. Windows Vista c. Windows Server 2003
b. Windows Embedded d. Windows Mobile
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 196

26. ____ is a Linux-based operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance.
a. Android c. Mac OS X
 b. UNIX d. Vista
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 196

27. ____ is the version of Windows designed for mobile phones.

a. Windows Embedded c. Windows Mobile
b. Windows Vista d. Windows Server 2003
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 196

28. ____ is the most widely used mobile operating system worldwide.
a. Mac OS c. Windows Mobile
b. Palm OS d. Symbian OS
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 197

29. The file management program incorporated into Windows is ____.

a. StuffIt c. Windows Explorer
b. WinZip d. Disk Cleanup
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 198

30. To restore a file or folder deleted from your computer’s hard drive, open your computer’s ____ and
restore the file to its original location.
a. Recycle Bin c. System Restore program
b. Windows Explorer d. Recycle Menu
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 201

31. ____ are utility programs that search for documents and other files on a user’s hard drives.
a. Search tools c. Search engines
b. Tool boxes d. Tool programs
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 201

32. Rearranging the data on the hard drive so all files are stored in contiguous locations is called ____.
a. disk defragmentation c. disk backup
b. file compression d. disk cleanup
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 202

33. Creating a(n) ____ means making a duplicate copy of important files so that when a problem occurs,
you can restore those files using the backup copy.
a. mirror c. index
b. backup d. hidden file
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 203

34. ____ can protect against someone accessing your PC via the Internet.
a. Mirrors c. Firewalls
b. Antispam software d. Modems
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 204

35. A ____ is a software program that is designed to cause damage to the computer system or perform
some other malicious act.
a. firewall c. spyware
 b. utility program d. computer virus
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 204

Case-Based Critical Thinking Questions

Case 5-1
Janet is studying operating systems as part of her Understanding Computers 101 class. After learning
about the different types of operating systems, she realizes that she uses a number of them in her daily
life.

36. All the computers in Janet’s school computer lab have the newest version of Windows installed, which
is ____.
a. Windows Vista c. Windows XP
b. Windows Solaris d. Windows 7
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 190 TOP: Critical Thinking

37. Janet has an Apple computer at home. The operating system of that computer is ____.
a. Windows Vista c. Windows Embedded
b. Solaris d. Mac OS
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 192 TOP: Critical Thinking

Case-Based Critical Thinking Questions

Case 5-2
Dean has been using computers for some time now, but he is unfamiliar with a number of utility
programs. In order to better maintain his computer, he decides to ask his coworker Andrea for advice
on basic utility programs.

38. Andrea tells Dean that he should periodically perform ____ on his computer to optimize the hard drive
so that it works more efficiently. This process works by rearranging the data on the hard drive so all
files are stored in contiguous locations.
a. disk defragmentation c. disk cleanup
b. file compression d. backup
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 202 TOP: Critical Thinking

39. Andrea advises Dean to remove unnecessary programs from his computer by using a(n) ____ utility.
a. delete c. remove
b. uninstall d. cleanup
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 202 TOP: Critical Thinking

40. Another thing that Andrea tells Dean is that it is very important for him to ____ all of his important
data on a regular basis to protect against data loss in the case of a problem with the computer. He can
use a(n) ____ utility to do this.
a. cleanup c. compress
b. defragment d. backup
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 203 TOP: Critical Thinking

COMPLETION
1. One of the principal roles of every ____________________ is to translate user instructions into a form
the computer can understand.

ANS: operating system

PTS: 1 REF: 179

2. During the boot process, the essential portion, or core, of the operating system (called the
____________________) is loaded into memory.

ANS: kernel

PTS: 1 REF: 179

3. In Windows, certain system configuration information is stored in the ____________________ files.

ANS: registry

PTS: 1 REF: 179

4. ____________________ routines in the operating system determine the order in which jobs are carried
out, as well as which commands get executed first if the user is working with more than one program
at one time or if the computer supports multiple users.

ANS: Scheduling

PTS: 1 REF: 180

5. Device drivers usually need to be updated or reinstalled after you ____________________ your
operating system to a newer version or after you buy a new computer.

ANS: upgrade

PTS: 1 REF: 180

6. One memory management technique frequently used by operating systems is ____________________,

which uses a portion of the computer’s hard drive as additional RAM.

ANS: virtual memory

PTS: 1 REF: 183

7. The process of placing items in a buffer so they can be retrieved by the appropriate device when
needed is called ____________________.

ANS: spooling

PTS: 1 REF: 184

8. DOS traditionally used a command line interface, although newer versions of DOS support a(n)
____________________ interface.

ANS: menu-driven
 PTS: 1 REF: 188

9. As shown in the accompanying figure, Windows users can still issue ____________________
commands via the Command Prompt.

ANS: DOS

PTS: 1 REF: 188

10. To make it easier to use and manage all of your connected devices, Windows 7 includes a new
____________________.

ANS: Device Stage

PTS: 1 REF: 191

11. ____________________ is based on the UNIX operating system and originally set the standard for
graphical user interfaces.

ANS: Mac OS

PTS: 1 REF: 192

12. ____________________ is an operating system developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991 when he was a
student at the University of Helsinki in Finland.

ANS: Linux

PTS: 1 REF: 193

13. In the past few years, ____________________ has grown from an operating system used primarily by
computer techies who disliked Microsoft to a widely accepted operating system with strong support
from mainstream companies.

ANS: Linux

PTS: 1 REF: 194

14. The mobile operating system designed for Apple mobile phones and mobile devices, such as the
iPhone 3G and the iPod Touch, is ____________________.

ANS: iPhone OS

PTS: 1 REF: 197

15. ____________________ is the operating system designed for Palm handheld devices.

ANS: Palm OS

PTS: 1 REF: 197

16. A(n) ____________________ is a type of software program that performs a specific task, usually
related to managing or maintaining the computer system.

ANS: utility program

PTS: 1 REF: 198

17. With Windows Explorer, click a drive or ____________________ icon in the left pane to display its
contents in the right pane.

ANS: folder

PTS: 1 REF: 200

18. There are special utility programs available to recover deleted files from ____________________
cards and drives, as long as you have not written anything to the card or drive since the files were
deleted.

ANS:
flash memory
USB flash

PTS: 1 REF: 201

19. ____________________ programs, such as the one shown in the accompanying figure, can be used
with both image and text files, though image files generally compress more efficiently.

ANS: File compression

PTS: 1 REF: 203

20. ____________________ is a software program installed without the user’s knowledge that secretly
collects information and sends it to an outside party via the user’s Internet connection.

ANS: Spyware

PTS: 1 REF: 204

ESSAY

1. Describe the functionality of an operating system.

ANS:
A computer’s operating system is a collection of programs that manage and coordinate the activities
taking place within the computer and it is the most critical piece of software installed on the computer.
The operating system boots the computer, launches application software, and ensures that all actions
requested by a user are valid and processed in an orderly fashion. For example, when you issue the
command for your computer to store a document on your hard drive, the operating system must
perform the following steps: 1) make sure that the specified hard drive exists, 2) verify that there is
adequate space on the hard drive to store the document and then store the document in that location,
and 3) update the hard drive’s directory with the filename and disk location for that file so that the
document can be retrieved again when needed. In addition to managing all of the resources associated
with your local computer, the operating system also facilitates connections to the Internet and other
networks.

PTS: 1 REF: 178 TOP: Critical Thinking

2. Explain multitasking with reference to an operating system.

ANS:
Multitasking refers to the ability of an operating system to have more than one program (also called a
task) open at one time. Without the ability to multitask, an operating system would require the user to
close one program before opening another program. Virtually all of today’s operating systems support
multitasking. Although multitasking enables a user to work with multiple programs at one time, a
single CPU core cannot execute more than one task at one time (unless Intel’s Hyper-Threading
Technology or another technology that allows a single core to function as two cores is used).
Consequently, the CPU rotates between processing tasks, but it works so quickly that to the user it
appears as though all programs are executing at the same time.

PTS: 1 REF: 182 TOP: Critical Thinking

3. Explain multithreading.

ANS:
A thread is a sequence of instructions within a program that is independent of other threads. Examples
might include spell checking, printing, and opening documents in a word processing program.
Operating systems that support multithreading have the ability to rotate between multiple threads
(similar to the way multitasking can rotate between multiple programs) so that processing is completed
faster and more efficiently, even though only one thread is executed by a single core at one time. An
exception to this is computers using Intel’s Hyper-Threading Technology, which allows more than one
thread to be executed by a single CPU core at one time. Most current operating systems support
multithreading.

PTS: 1 REF: 182 TOP: Critical Thinking

4. Compare graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with command line interfaces.

ANS:
 Most PC operating systems today use a graphical user interface (GUI). The older DOS operating
system and some versions of the UNIX and Linux operating systems use a command line interface,
although graphical versions of UNIX and Linux are available. With a command line interface,
commands to the computer are typed using the keyboard; graphical user interfaces allow the user to
issue commands by selecting icons, buttons, menu items, and other graphical objects with a mouse or
other pointing device.

PTS: 1 REF: 185 TOP: Critical Thinking

5. What is the purpose of uninstall utilities?

ANS:
As programs are used, temporary data is often created. When programs are uninstalled (removed from
the hard drive), this data and other remnants of that program can be left behind on the hard drive or in
system files unless an uninstall utility is used. If a user removes programs by deleting the program’s
folder (which is not the recommended method for removing programs), the extraneous data is left
behind, using up valuable disk space and, sometimes, slowing down the computer. Uninstall utilities
remove the programs along with related extraneous data, such as references to those programs in your
system files.

PTS: 1 REF: 202 TOP: Critical Thinking