Software & Operating Systems
🔒 Log in to trackSystem vs application vs utility software, what an OS does, Windows features, and file systems. Classification (odd-one-out) questions are the most frequent pattern here.
One page per subtopic: detailed notes, every question type, formulas, tricks and practice sets.
Every formula on one printable page, grouped by subtopic.
4 exam-level questions worked step by step.
63 questions — untimed practice or a timed test with analysis.
Track record in the exam
Test difficulty mix (63 questions)
Question patterns exams keep repeating
Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.
Odd one out: system, utility or application
very commonA list mixes software types and asks which one is different.
System software runs the machine (OS, drivers).
Utility maintains it (antivirus). Application does your work (Word).
Disk Defragmenter, Antivirus, MS Excel, Disk Cleanup. Which one is different?
Disk Defragmenter maintains the computer (utility)
Antivirus and Disk Cleanup also maintain it
MS Excel does the user's work
Answer: MS Excel
Types of operating systems
common"Which OS responds within a fixed deadline?"
Fixed deadline = real-time. Time slices = time-sharing.
Many programs in memory = multiprogramming.
Which type of OS gives a response within a fixed deadline?
A late answer is a failure here
Examples: missile control, pacemaker
The name has the word real-time
Answer: Real-time OS (RTOS)
Booting
occasional"Restarting the computer without switching off is called ___"
Order: POST → boot loader → kernel → login.
Cold boot = from power off. Warm boot = restart.
Restarting a running computer using the Restart option is called:
Cold boot starts from power off
Here the power stays on
That is called a restart
Answer: Warm booting
File system limits
occasional"Why can't a big movie be copied to a pen drive?"
FAT32 has a 4 GB limit for one file.
exFAT and NTFS have no such small limit.
A 6 GB movie file will not copy to a FAT32 pen drive. Why?
FAT32 allows at most 4 GB per file
The movie is 6 GB
6 GB is more than 4 GB
Answer: FAT32 4 GB file-size limit
Windows tools
common"Which tool lists installed hardware and drivers?"
Task Manager = running programs, CPU, RAM.
Device Manager = hardware and drivers. Disk Cleanup = junk files.
Which Windows tool lists installed hardware with its driver status?
Task Manager shows running programs
Disk Cleanup removes junk files
Hardware and drivers are listed in another tool
Answer: Device Manager
Android, iOS and Windows basics
occasional"Android is based on which kernel?" or "match the OS to its maker".
Android = Google, Linux kernel. iOS = Apple.
Windows = Microsoft. Linux = open source.
The Android operating system is built on which kernel?
Android is made by Google
It is built on an open-source kernel
That kernel is also used in Linux
Answer: Linux kernel