How does an operating system help users organise their files?

The operating system provides a hierarchy of folders, also called directories. A user can move a file between folders or rename it.

What are file permissions?

File permissions are settings that control who may open, change or delete a file. The operating system checks the permissions whenever a file is accessed.

What is process management?

Process management is the operating system sharing the CPU between the programs that are running. The operating system decides which process runs next and for how long.

Edexcel GCSE Computer Science 1CP2

Computational Thinking

Topic overview Decomposition, abstraction and subprograms Algorithms, flowcharts and pseudocode Operators and trace tables Logic errors, test data and efficiency Searching and sorting algorithms Truth tables

Data

Topic overview Binary, states and unsigned integers Two's complement Binary addition, overflow and shifts Hexadecimal ASCII and the limits of binary representation Bitmap images Sound sampling Storage units, file sizes and compression

Computers

Topic overview Von Neumann architecture and the fetch-decode-execute cycle Secondary storage: magnetic, optical and solid state Embedded systems Operating systems Utility software and robust software Low-level and high-level languages and translators

Networks

Topic overview LANs, WANs and the structure of the internet Wired and wireless connectivity and network speed Network protocols The four-layer TCP/IP model Bus, star and mesh topologies Network security and protection

Issues and Impact

Topic overview Environmental impact of digital devices Personal data: privacy, ownership and consent Artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics Intellectual property: copyright, patents, trademarks and licences Malware, hacking and social engineering Protecting digital systems and data

Problem Solving with Programming

Topic overview Readable code, debugging and testing Selection and loops in Python Data types, conversion, variables and constants String handling Lists, two-dimensional lists and records Keyboard input, screen output and CSV files Validation and authentication in Python Operators, functions and variable scope Turtle graphics

Computers

Operating systems

3 things to know
Paper 1

Overview

The purpose of an operating system, file, process, peripheral and user management, device drivers, file permissions, multitasking on one core, and the user interface.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What is the purpose of an operating system?

Key term

Why would a computer be hard to use without an operating system?

Key term

What is file management?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is the purpose of an operating system?
Model answer
An operating system manages the computer's hardware and software resources. The operating system gives applications a platform to run on and gives the user an interface.
2
Why would a computer be hard to use without an operating system?
Model answer
Every program would have to control the hardware directly. The user would have no simple way to start programs or find files.
3
What is file management?
Model answer
File management is the operating system organising how files are named, stored and found on secondary storage. The operating system records where each file's data sits on the disk.
4
How does an operating system help users organise their files?
Model answer
The operating system provides a hierarchy of folders, also called directories. A user can move a file between folders or rename it.
5
What are file permissions?
Model answer
File permissions are settings that control who may open, change or delete a file. The operating system checks the permissions whenever a file is accessed.
6
What is process management?
Model answer
Process management is the operating system sharing the CPU between the programs that are running. The operating system decides which process runs next and for how long.

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