Operating systems are the software that runs behind the scenes on computers, governing various hardware components such as memory as well as file systems and input/output devices such as keyboards, monitors, printers, and modems. It also controls access to the central processing unit, or CPU.
Multitasking is a term that allows multiple programs to run simultaneously on an OS. This is because the OS assigns system resources to the program, for instance memory space and CPU, during execution. It keeps track of the program’s use of these resources and ensures that the program doesn’t interfere with other programs that are using these same resources.
Operating systems keep track of the location of files and the status of each file on the computer’s disk. They create a virtual directories and save metadata, such as the date of creation or modification. Drivers let an application effortlessly connect to the hardware on the computer. The drivers translate the hardware’s proprietary language into a standard one that operating systems can recognize.
If an application has to save the file, it connects to the operating kernel of the system. This is because the application can’t directly access the drive, which requires a driver to communicate with it. The operating system then creates and converts the request for data into a rational operation, and the hardware is utilized according to the instructions.