Table of Contents
Functions of Disk Operating System (DOS)
An operating system is a set of computer programs that coordinate all activities between computer hardware devices. It is the first program loaded into a computer by a boot program and remains in memory at all times. The basic functions of a disk operating system are:
- Booting up Computer
- Configure Hardware
- Provide User Interface
- Using System Resources
- File Management
Booting up Computer
The process of starting or restarting a computer is known as booting. There are two types of booting – cold boot and warm boot. Cold boot is when you turn on a computer that has been completely shut down and warm boot is used to restart or restart a computer.
Configure Hardware
Disk operating system helps in configuring and operating basic computer hardware such as various peripheral devices such as mouse, keyboard and printer. For example, configuring the printer to print and use it.
Provide User Interface
The user interacts with the software through the interface of the operating system. There are two main types of user interfaces: the command line and a graphical user interface (GUI).
Disk Operating System (DOS) with command line interface, allows the user to interact with the operating system by typing commands to perform specific tasks.
Using System Resources
The Disk Operating System (DOS) also handles the sharing and management of system resources such as the computer’s memory and central processing unit (CPU) by various applications or peripheral devices. The operating system makes sure that each application gets the resources it needs to work at full functionality.
File Management
The Disk Operating System (DOS) also handles the organization and tracking of files and directories stored on a computer disk. File management systems allow the user to perform tasks such as creating files and directories, renaming files, copying and moving files, and deleting files. Disk operating systems keep track of the file system on a disk through the File Allocation Table (FAT).