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Microsoft Windows - An Introduction to MS Windows

Microsoft Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families, all of which are developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry.

With the examination point of view, there are quite a few Government exams which include Computer Awareness as a part of their syllabus, and MS Windows is an important topic from that prospect. 

To get the list of all major Government exams and information related to each of them, candidates can visit the linked article.

In this article, we shall discuss at length about the history and development of Windows along with all its versions till date, Windows operating system, applications and important commands. 

Furthermore, candidates looking for more study material related to the Computer Awareness preparation, are advised to check the links given below:

Introduction to Microsoft Windows

Brief introduction about MS Windows has been given in the table below, candidates must refer to this information:

What is Windows Operating System?

By definition, an Operating System is a group of several GUIs (Graphical User Interface) families, all of which are developed, sold and marketed by Microsoft. 

The latest version of Microsoft Operating System which is being widely used across the world is Windows 10. 

For conceptual clarity and understanding the context well, candidates are advised to check out the video given below:

assignment on windows operating system

History and Development of Windows

It was 1983 when work on “Interface Manager” was started by Microsoft but it was in November 1995, when the first Windows 1.0 was introduced. Later on, with developments in technology, the requirement of the people and increased demand for Graphical User Interface, Microsoft kept releasing revised versions of Operating Systems.

The image given below shows the different Microsoft Operating Systems along with the year in which they were introduced:

MS Windows - History & Development of Windows Operating System

Versions of Windows Operating System

Let us understand the different versions of Windows Operating System along with the features of each of them individually. 

1. Windows 1.0

  • It was released on November 20, 1985 
  • Pure Operating Environment
  • Used Graphical User Interface
  • Simple Graphics
  • Offered limited multi-tasking was expected to have a better future potential

2. Windows 2.0

  • It was released on December 9, 1987
  • 16-bit Graphic User Interface (GUI) based operating environment
  • Introduced Control Panel, and the first version of MS Word and Excel
  • Unlike Windows 1.0, it had the capacity to allow applications to overlap each other
  • It was also the last Windows OS which did not require a hard disk
  • Hardware played an important role

3. Windows 3.0

  • It was released in 1990
  • It was better at multitasking
  • Used 8086 microprocessors
  • It has both, conventional and extendable memory
  • First version of Windows to gather critical appreciation
  • Better memory/ storage

Note* – None of the above mentioned Windows was Operating Systems. They all came under the category of Windows, working based on a graphical operating environment. It was Windows 95, which was the first Operating System released by Microsoft.

4. Window 95

  • It was the first complete Operating System 
  • It was released on August 15, 1995
  • It merged MS-DOS and Windows products
  • It simplified plug and play features
  • Taskbar and Start menu was introduced with this Windows OS
  • Advanced from 16 bit GUI to 32 bit GUI
  • Long file names could be saved
  • Initially, computers with Windows 95 did not have Internet Explorer installed but by the release date of Windows 95, the first version of Internet Explorer was installed in the software
  • On December 31, 2001, Windows declared this version of OS outdated and ended its support for the same

5. Windows 98

  • It was released to manufacturing on May 15, 1998
  • It was a 16 bit and 32 bit product based on MS DOS
  • It was not an entirely new version but just a tuned-up version to Windows 95
  • Internet Explorer 4.01 was released along with this Windows version
  • It did not support USB printers or mass storage devices 
  • An update to this version “Windows SE” was released in 1999

6. Windows 2000

  • It was officially released on February 17, 2000. However, its manufacturing had begun in late 1999
  • A core set of features was followed for manufacturing Windows 2000 but 4 different editions, targeting different sectors of the market were released. These included: Server, Professional, Advanced Server and Datacenter Server
  • It was considered as one of the most secure OS ever
  • A local disk manager was introduced with these Windows
  • Multilingual User Interface – it supported many different languages

7. Windows XP

  • While the manufacturing started on August 24, 2001, the official product was released on October 25, 2001
  • Advanced portable PC support
  • Automatic wireless connection support
  • Fast start-up
  • Better Graphical User Interface (GUI)
  • Help and support centre

8. Windows Vista

  • It was released on January 30, 2007
  • It had an upgraded version of Graphical User Interface
  • It was the first operating system to use DVD-ROM for installation

9. Windows 7

  • It was released on October 22, 2009
  • A large number of new features were introduced
  • Redesigned Windows shell with an updated taskbar
  • Incremental upgrade to the Windows line
  • Libraries were added in the file management system
  • A few features from the past Windows were removed
  • Extended hardware support

10. Windows 8

  • It was released for retail on October 26, 2012
  • Optimisations for touch-based
  • Installed in new devices like Laptops, Mobile phones, tablets, etc.
  • Increased integration with cloud services
  • Windows Store service for software distribution
  • Task manager had been redesigned
  • New security features were introduced
  • Online Applications could be directly downloaded

11. Windows 10

  • It was released on July 29, 2015
  • Addresses shortcomings in the user interface first introduced with Windows 8
  • A virtual desktop system
  • It had the ability to run windows store apps within windows on the desktop rather than in the full-screen mode
  • Included new icons
  • To reduce storage shortcomings, Windows 10 automatically compresses the file size

Candidates looking forward to preparing themselves for the upcoming competitive exams can check out the links given below and solve more and more questions to ace the examination:

Applications in Windows

There are all kinds of applications which are available at the Windows store and people can easily access them and download them for their personal or professional usage.

Given below is a list of such application available on Windows:

  • Web Browsers
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Reader
  • Media Players
  • Audio/ Video Chatting Apps
  • Maps & Calendar and this list goes on

Aspirants must note that questions from Computer Knowledge may also be asked as a part of the General Awareness section. So, the preparation must be done accordingly.

Apart from the Computer Awareness section, there are various other sections which are a part of the competitive exam syllabus. Given below are the links for the same:

List of Important Commands for Windows

Since Computers run over a set of commands which are entered in the form of input, which with the advancement of Operating Systems can be entered through various Hardware devices.

Given below are a few important MS-DOS Windows commands for the reference of candidates:

Mostly the above-mentioned commands are not directly used by the user but are entered into the computer through a hardware device.

All the information given above in this article will help aspirants know more about the History and development of Windows and Operating System and questions from this topic may be asked in the upcoming examinations, so preparation must be done accordingly. 

Candidates can also check the difference between hardware and software at the linked article. 

Furthermore, there are various other difference between articles which will help candidates learn more about the different computer-based terms/programs/devices, etc. Given below are few such important links:

  • Difference Between Search Engine and Web Browser
  • Difference Between RAM and ROM
  • Difference Between MS Excel and MS Word
  • Difference Between IPV4 and IPV 6
  • Difference Between Firewall and Antivirus
  • Difference Between WWW and Internet
  • Difference Between Notepad and WordPad
  • Difference Between Virus and Malware

Sample MS Windows Questions and Answers

Computer Knowledge is an integral part of the exam syllabus for various Government sector jobs. It is important for candidates to have an idea to the type of questions which may be asked in this section.

Thus, given below are a few sample questions based on Microsoft Windows, in the same format as asked in various competitive exams. Aspirants can refer to these and apprehend the question pattern and types.

Q 1. In which year was Windows 8 released?

Answer: (3) 2012

Q 2. What is the full form of ‘U’ in ‘GUI’?

  • Utilisation

Answer: (3) User

Q 3.  What is the maximum size of a word document created in Windows?

Answer: (5) 32 MB

Q 4. What are the total number of function keys on a keyboard?

Answer: (4) 12

Q 5. Which of the following does not have a start button?

  • Windows Vista
  • Windows 8.1

Answer: (4) Windows 8

All these questions are for reference purpose. Candidates must be well prepared to excel in this section as though the questions are basic, they may be confusing.

To get a proper Preparation Strategy for Competitive Exams , aspirants can visit the linked article.

For any further information related to the competitive exams 2023, candidates can get all the required assistance at BYJU’S.

Government Exam 2023

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  • Engineering Mathematics
  • Discrete Mathematics
  • Operating System
  • Computer Networks
  • Digital Logic and Design
  • C Programming
  • Data Structures
  • Theory of Computation
  • Compiler Design
  • Computer Org and Architecture
  • Introduction of Operating System - Set 1
  • Functions of Operating System
  • Types of Operating Systems
  • Need and Functions of Operating Systems
  • Introduction of Process Management
  • States of a Process in Operating Systems
  • CPU Scheduling in Operating Systems
  • Preemptive and Non-Preemptive Scheduling
  • Starvation and Aging in Operating Systems
  • Introduction of System Call
  • Difference between User Level thread and Kernel Level thread
  • Introduction of Process Synchronization
  • Critical Section in Synchronization
  • Inter Process Communication (IPC)
  • Semaphores in Process Synchronization
  • Mutex vs Semaphore
  • Deadlock, Starvation, and Livelock
  • Introduction of Deadlock in Operating System
  • Resource Allocation Graph (RAG) in Operating System
  • Banker's Algorithm in Operating System
  • Memory Allocation Techniques | Mapping Virtual Addresses to Physical Addresses
  • Paging in Operating System
  • Page Table Entries in Page Table
  • Inverted Page Table in Operating System
  • Segmentation in Operating System

Introduction of Operating System – Set 1

An operating system acts as an intermediary between the user of a computer and computer hardware. The purpose of an operating system is to provide an environment in which a user can execute programs conveniently and efficiently. 

An operating system is software that manages computer hardware. The hardware must provide appropriate mechanisms to ensure the correct operation of the computer system and to prevent user programs from interfering with the proper operation of the system. A more common definition is that the operating system is the one program running at all times on the computer (usually called the kernel), with all else being application programs.

An operating system is concerned with the allocation of resources and services, such as memory, processors, devices, and information. The operating system correspondingly includes programs to manage these resources, such as a traffic controller, a scheduler, a memory management module, I/O programs, and a file system.

History of Operating System

The operating system has been evolving through the years. The following table shows the history of OS.  

Characteristics of Operating Systems

Let us now discuss some of the important characteristic features of operating systems:

  • Device Management: The operating system keeps track of all the devices. So, it is also called the Input/Output controller that decides which process gets the device, when, and for how much time.
  • File Management: It allocates and de-allocates the resources and also decides who gets the resource.
  • Job Accounting: It keeps track of time and resources used by various jobs or users.
  • Error-detecting Aids: These contain methods that include the production of dumps, traces, error messages, and other debugging and error-detecting methods.
  • Memory Management: It keeps track of the primary memory , like what part of it is in use by whom, or what part is not in use, etc. and It also allocates the memory when a process or program requests it.
  • Processor Management: It allocates the processor to a process and then de-allocates the processor when it is no longer required or the job is done.
  • Control on System Performance: It records the delays between the request for a service and the system.
  • Security: It prevents unauthorized access to programs and data using passwords or some kind of protection technique.
  • Convenience: An OS makes a computer more convenient to use.
  • Efficiency: An OS allows the computer system resources to be used efficiently.
  • Ability to Evolve: An OS should be constructed in such a way as to permit the effective development, testing, and introduction of new system functions at the same time without interfering with service.
  • Throughput: An OS should be constructed so that It can give maximum throughput (Number of tasks per unit time).

Functionalities of Operating System

  • Resource Management: When parallel accessing happens in the OS means when multiple users are accessing the system the OS works as Resource Manager, Its responsibility is to provide hardware to the user. It decreases the load in the system.
  • Process Management: It includes various tasks like scheduling and termination of the process. It is done with the help of CPU Scheduling algorithms .
  • Storage Management: The file system mechanism used for the management of the storage. NIFS , CIFS , CFS , NFS , etc. are some file systems. All the data is stored in various tracks of Hard disks that are all managed by the storage manager. It included Hard Disk .
  • Memory Management: Refers to the management of primary memory. The operating system has to keep track of how much memory has been used and by whom. It has to decide which process needs memory space and how much. OS also has to allocate and deallocate the memory space.
  • Security/Privacy Management: Privacy is also provided by the Operating system using passwords so that unauthorized applications can’t access programs or data. For example, Windows uses Kerberos authentication to prevent unauthorized access to data.

The process operating system as User Interface: 

  • System and application programs
  • Operating system

Every general-purpose computer consists of hardware, an operating system(s), system programs, and application programs. The hardware consists of memory, CPU, ALU, I/O devices, peripheral devices, and storage devices. The system program consists of compilers, loaders, editors, OS, etc. The application program consists of business programs and database programs. 

Conceptual View of Computer System

Conceptual View of Computer System

Every computer must have an operating system to run other programs. The operating system coordinates the use of the hardware among the various system programs and application programs for various users. It simply provides an environment within which other programs can do useful work. 

The operating system is a set of special programs that run on a computer system that allows it to work properly. It performs basic tasks such as recognizing input from the keyboard, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, sending output to the display screen, and controlling peripheral devices. 

Layered Design of Operating System

Os

Fig. Layered OS

The extended machine provides operations like context save, dispatching, swapping, and I/O initiation. The operating system layer is located on top of the extended machine layer. This arrangement considerably simplifies the coding and testing of OS modules by separating the algorithm of a function from the implementation of its primitive operations. It is now easier to test, debug, and modify an OS module than in a monolithic OS. We say that the lower layer provides an abstraction that is the extended machine. We call the operating system layer the top layer of the OS.

Purposes and Tasks of Operating Systems

Several tasks are performed by the Operating Systems and it also helps in serving a lot of purposes which are mentioned below. We will see how Operating System helps us in serving in a better way with the help of the task performed by it.

Purposes of an Operating System

  • It controls the allocation and use of the computing System’s resources among the various user and tasks.
  • It provides an interface between the computer hardware and the programmer that simplifies and makes it feasible for coding and debugging of application programs.

Tasks of an Operating System  

  • Provides the facilities to create and modify programs and data files using an editor.
  • Access to the compiler for translating the user program from high-level language to machine language.
  • Provide a loader program to move the compiled program code to the computer’s memory for execution.
  • Provide routines that handle the details of I/O programming.

I/O System Management

The module that keeps track of the status of devices is called the I/O traffic controller. Each I/O device has a device handler that resides in a separate process associated with that device.  The I/O subsystem consists of 

  • A memory Management component that includes buffering caching and spooling.
  • A general device driver interface.

Drivers for Specific Hardware Devices

Below mentioned are the drivers which are required for a specific Hardware Device. Here we discussed Assemblers, compilers, and interpreters, loaders.

The input to an assembler is an assembly language program. The output is an object program plus information that enables the loader to prepare the object program for execution. At one time, the computer programmer had at his disposal a basic machine that interpreted, through hardware, certain fundamental instructions. He would program this computer by writing a series of ones and Zeros (Machine language) and placing them into the memory of the machine. Examples of assembly languages include 

Compiler and Interpreter

The High-level languages – examples are C, C++, Java, Python, etc (around 300+ famous high-level languages) are processed by compilers and interpreters . A compiler is a program that accepts a source program in a “high-level language “and produces machine code in one go. Some of the compiled languages are FORTRAN, COBOL, C, C++, Rust, and Go. An interpreter is a program that does the same thing but converts high-level code to machine code line-by-line and not all at once. Examples of interpreted languages are 

A Loader is a routine that loads an object program and prepares it for execution. There are various loading schemes: absolute, relocating, and direct-linking. In general, the loader must load, relocate and link the object program. The loader is a program that places programs into memory and prepares them for execution. In a simple loading scheme, the assembler outputs the machine language translation of a program on a secondary device and a loader places it in the core. The loader places into memory the machine language version of the user’s program and transfers control to it. Since the loader program is much smaller than the assembler, those make more core available to the user’s program. 

Components of an Operating Systems

There are two basic components of an Operating System.

Shell is the outermost layer of the Operating System and it handles the interaction with the user. The main task of the Shell is the management of interaction between the User and OS. Shell provides better communication with the user and the Operating System Shell does it by giving proper input to the user it also interprets input for the OS and handles the output from the OS. It works as a way of communication between the User and the OS.

The kernel is one of the components of the Operating System which works as a core component. The rest of the components depends on Kernel for the supply of the important services that are provided by the Operating System. The kernel is the primary interface between the Operating system and Hardware.

Functions of Kernel

The following functions are to be performed by the Kernel.

  • It helps in controlling the System Calls.
  • It helps in I/O Management.
  • It helps in the management of applications, memory, etc.

Types of Kernel

There are four types of Kernel that are mentioned below.

  • Monolithic Kernel
  • Microkernel
  • Hybrid Kernel

For more, refer to Kernel in Operating System .

Difference Between 32-Bit and 64-Bit Operating Systems

The fundamental goals of operating system are:

  • Efficient use: Ensure efficient use of a computer’s resources.
  • User convenience: Provide convenient methods of using a computer system.
  • Non interference: Prevent interference in the activities of its users.
  • Efficient use:

An operating system must ensure efficient use of the fundamental computer system resources of memory, CPU, and I/O devices such as disks and printers. Poor efficiency can result if a program does not use a resource allocated to it. Efficient use of resources can be obtained by monitoring use of resources and performing corrective actions when necessary. However, monitoring use of resources increases the overhead, which lowers efficiency of use. In practice, operating systems that emphasize efficient use limit their overhead by either restricting their focus to efficiency of a few important resources, like the CPU and the memory, or by not monitoring the use of resources at all, and instead handling user programs and resources in a manner that guarantees high efficiency.

2. User convenience:

In the early days of computing, user convenience was synonymous with bare necessity—the mere ability to execute a program written in a higher level language was considered adequate. Experience with early operating systems led to demands for better service, which in those days meant only fast response to a user request. Other facets of user convenience evolved with the use of computers in new fields. Early operating systems had command-line interfaces, which required a user to type in a command and specify values of its parameters. Users needed substantial training to learn use of the commands, which was acceptable because most users were scientists or computer professionals. However, simpler interfaces were needed to facilitate use of computers by new classes of users. Hence graphical user interfaces (GUIs) were evolved. These interfaces used icons on a screen to represent programs and files and interpreted mouse clicks on the icons and associated menus as commands concerning them. In many ways, this move can be compared to the spread of car driving skills in the first half of the twentieth century. Over a period of time, driving became less of a specialty and more of a skill that could be acquired with limited training and experience.

3. Non interference:

A computer user can face different kinds of interference in his computational activities. Execution of his program can be disrupted by actions of other persons, or the OS services which he wishes to use can be disrupted in a similar manner. The OS prevents such interference by allocating resources for exclusive use of programs and OS services, and preventing illegal accesses to resources. Another form of interference concerns programs and data stored in user files.

Advantages of Operating System

  • It helps in managing the data present in the device i.e. Memory Management.
  • It helps in making the best use of computer hardware. 
  • It helps in maintaining the security of the device.
  • It helps different applications in running them efficiently.

Disadvantages of Operating System

  • Operating Systems can be difficult for someone to use.
  • Some OS are expensive and they require heavy maintenance.
  • Operating Systems can come under threat if used by hackers.

FAQs on Operating Systems

Q.1: explain operating system..

The operating system can be explained as the intermediate, which works between the user and the system hardware so that the user can get a nice experience while using a system. Without an Operating system, there will be a lot of difficulties can be faced by the user while running a system.

Q.2: What are the types of operating Systems?

The types of Operating systems are listed below. Batch Operating System Multi-Programming System Multi-Processing System Multi-Tasking Operating System Time-Sharing Operating System Distributed Operating System Network Operating System Real-Time Operating System

Q.3: What is the importance of an Operating System?

The operating system is one of the most important parts of a Computer System. Without an Operating System, the system will not be able to work. As Operating System works as an interpreter between the user and the hardware part, which helps in the smooth functioning of the system.

Q.4: What is an OS Structure?

Operating System structure is basically the model in which the system works. The structure of the operating system should be user-friendly, such that if any user having less knowledge about the system comes then he/she will not face any difficulties while running the system.

Q.5: What do you mean by a process in Operating System?

A process can be simply defined as the instance of a computer. The process always includes the program code and its operations both. The process also includes the threads running in the computer system. It can be a single thread or a multiple thread.

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4.3: Assignment- Using Windows

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Assignment Objective

This assignment gives you practice using what you have learned about your operating system.

  • Download the assignment instructions Windows Assignment using Windows 8 (.doc) OR MAC OS Assignment (.docx) as well as the file you will use in the assignment – Daily Reminders.docx , and use Windows 8 or your MAC operating system to create the folders and files that meet the criteria listed.
  • Submit the completed assignment using the link above and indicate in the comments section which operating system you used to complete the assignment. You will need to upload the following file as an attachment by clicking the submission link above:
  • Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts Windows Assignment. Authored by : Jim Shannon. Provided by : Extended Learning Institute of Northern Virginia Community College. Located at : http://www.nvcc.edu/eli/index.html . License : CC BY: Attribution

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Computer Basics  - Understanding Operating Systems

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Computer Basics: Understanding Operating Systems

Lesson 8: understanding operating systems.

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What is an operating system?

An operating system is the most important software that runs on a computer. It manages the computer's memory and processes , as well as all of its software and hardware . It also allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer's language. Without an operating system, a computer is useless .

Watch the video below to learn more about operating systems.

Looking for the old version of this video? You can still view it here .

The operating system's job

Your computer's operating system ( OS ) manages all of the software and hardware on the computer. Most of the time, there are several different computer programs running at the same time, and they all need to access your computer's central processing unit (CPU) , memory , and storage . The operating system coordinates all of this to make sure each program gets what it needs.

Types of operating systems

Operating systems usually come pre-loaded on any computer you buy. Most people use the operating system that comes with their computer, but it's possible to upgrade or even change operating systems. The three most common operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows , macOS , and Linux .

Modern operating systems use a graphical user interface , or GUI (pronounced gooey ). A GUI lets you use your mouse to click icons , buttons , and menus , and everything is clearly displayed on the screen using a combination of graphics and text .

showing a graphical user interface example

Each operating system's GUI has a different look and feel, so if you switch to a different operating system it may seem unfamiliar at first. However, modern operating systems are designed to be easy to use , and most of the basic principles are the same.

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft created the Windows operating system in the mid-1980s. There have been many different versions of Windows, but the most recent ones are Windows 10 (released in 2015), Windows 8 (2012), Windows 7 (2009), and Windows Vista (2007). Windows comes pre-loaded on most new PCs, which helps to make it the most popular operating system in the world.

viewing a windows operating system

Check out our tutorials on Windows Basics and specific Windows versions for more information.

macOS (previously called OS X ) is a line of operating systems created by Apple. It comes preloaded on all Macintosh computers, or Macs. Some of the specific versions include Mojave (released in 2018), High Sierra (2017), and  Sierra (2016).

According to StatCounter Global Stats , macOS users account for less than 10% of global operating systems—much lower than the percentage of Windows users (more than 80% ). One reason for this is that Apple computers tend to be more expensive. However, many people do prefer the look and feel of macOS over Windows.

viewing a mac operating system

Check out our macOS Basics tutorial for more information.

Linux (pronounced LINN-ux ) is a family of open-source operating systems, which means they can be modified and distributed by anyone around the world. This is different from proprietary software like Windows, which can only be modified by the company that owns it. The advantages of Linux are that it is free , and there are many different distributions —or versions—you can choose from.

According to StatCounter Global Stats , Linux users account for less than 2% of global operating systems. However, most servers run Linux because it's relatively easy to customize.

To learn more about different distributions of Linux, visit the Ubuntu , Linux Mint , and Fedora websites, or refer to our Linux Resources . For a more comprehensive list, you can visit MakeUseOf's list of The Best Linux Distributions .

Operating systems for mobile devices

The operating systems we've been talking about so far were designed to run on desktop and laptop computers. Mobile devices such as phones , tablet computers , and MP3 players are different from desktop and laptop computers, so they run operating systems that are designed specifically for mobile devices. Examples of mobile operating systems include Apple iOS and Google Android . In the screenshot below, you can see iOS running on an iPad.

viewing operating systems for mobile devices

Operating systems for mobile devices generally aren't as fully featured as those made for desktop and laptop computers, and they aren't able to run all of the same software. However, you can still do a lot of things with them, like watch movies, browse the Web, manage your calendar, and play games.

To learn more about mobile operating systems, check out our Mobile Devices tutorials.

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assignment on windows operating system

Windows 11: A new era for the PC begins today

  • Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer

Today marks an exciting milestone in the history of Windows. As the day becomes October 5 in each time zone around the world, availability of Windows 11 begins through a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 PCs and on new PCs pre-installed with Windows 11 that can be purchased beginning today .

Windows is a driving force for innovation. It’s an enduring platform for each one of us to create. And its home for over a billion people to do their jobs, live their dreams and connect with the people they love.

We’re pumped to be launching Windows 11; the entire user experience brings you closer to what you love, empowers you to produce and inspires you to create. Windows 11 provides a sense of calm and openness. It gives you a place that feels like home. It’s secure and everything is designed to be centered around you.

To fully understand the magic of Windows 11 you must get it in your hands. The gorgeous graphics, sounds and animations of Windows 11 along with the innovative and beautiful hardware from our partners and Surface provides an experience like none other.

There’s never been a better time to buy a PC  

As we look to next year and beyond, whether it’s to work, create, connect, learn or play, the PC will continue to play a relevant and lasting role in our lives.

Throughout the month of September, we’ve seen some amazing new Windows 11 devices announced from our partners at ASUS , HP and Lenovo , and from the Surface team. Acer, Dell, Samsung and other partners will also be releasing new Windows 11 devices soon. Each one of our partners is critical to bringing Windows 11 to life. No other ecosystem has the breadth and scale that the Windows ecosystem does to meet the needs of people whether they’re creators, developers, students and educators, business and gamers at every price point and in every form factor.

Here’s how you can get Windows 11:

  • Purchase a new PC pre-installed with Windows 11 by visiting Windows.com or your local retailer
  • Purchase a Windows 10 PC that’s eligible for the free upgrade by visiting Windows.com or your local retailer
  • Use the PC Health Check app to check if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade
  • If you’re interested in learning more about the Windows 11 upgrade roll out approach, visit this Windows Blog post

We’re proud to offer Windows 11 on the widest array of choice in devices, form factors and silicon from our valued partners at Acer, AMD, ASUS, Dell, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Samsung and Surface.

Check out some of the incredible new PCs that have recently been introduced:

  • The eco-friendly Acer Aspire Vero features post-consumer recycled plastic throughout the chassis and keyboard, 100% recyclable packaging and up to IntelCore i7
  • The ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED , a powerful laptop that can handle complex CAD models, 3D product design or high-resolution video editing
  • The HP ENVY 34 All-in-One Desktop PC is made for creators by creators, with an incredible ultra-wide 5K display that brings to life Windows 11 Snap Layouts to easily view multiple apps side by side, along with the world’s first detachable magnetic camera with 16 MP binning technology for collaboration where and how you want it.
  • The  Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Carbon also offers Wi-Fi 6 and an infrared (IR) camera with an electrical shutter switch so you can take advantage of the hands-free Windows Hello
  • Surface Laptop Studio , a fresh take on our powerhouse laptop, featuring a new ultra-durable Dynamic Woven Hinge, allowing it to transition from one mode to another seamlessly
  • And be sure to follow the Windows Experience Blog for more exciting announcements coming soon

Now, we’d also like to share some of the highlights of this release with you.

Bringing you closer to what you love

Windows 11 brings you closer to what you love and is designed with you at the center.

Windows 11 Start screen

From the new Start menu and Taskbar, to each sound, font and icon you see, the team thought through every pixel and detail to bring you a more modern, fresh and beautiful experience. With Start at the center you have quick access to the content and apps you care about and through the power of the cloud and Microsoft 365 (sold separately) you can see recent files you’ve been working on regardless of which device you were using, even if it was an Android or iOS device.

Windows 11 Widget

To get you closer to the content and information you care about we’re introducing Widgets, a new personalized feed powered by AI and the web. Opening your personalized feed with a click or a swipe from the left is smooth and seamless as Widgets slides across your screen like a sheet of glass. Whether it’s glancing at your day through Outlook calendar and To-Do list integrations, catching up on the latest headlines or tomorrow’s weather forecast, or viewing your favorite OneDrive photo memories, Widgets bring everything you love to your fingertips.

Chat from Microsoft Teams

Chat from Microsoft Teams is a new experience that helps bring you closer to the people you care about. With a simple click you can use a personal account to chat, voice or video call with your friends, family and other contacts regardless of the device or platform they’re on – Windows, Mac, Android or iOS. Microsoft Teams isn’t just for people with smart devices; your friends and family can join the conversation via SMS text messaging. Plus, you can open the full Microsoft Teams experience directly from Chat to bring your plans to life with event scheduling, quick polls, file sharing and more.

Father and daughter sitting on the floor enjoying what's on their laptop computer

The new Microsoft Store on Windows brings you closer to your favorite apps and entertainment—all in one place. The Microsoft Store on Windows not only brings you more apps than ever before; we’re also making it easier to search and discover new content with curated stories and collections. New apps are available today in the Microsoft Store on Windows , such as Canva, Disney+, Zoom, the Epic Game Store and so much more. To learn more about what’s new in the Microsoft Store, visit this blog post .

Empowering your productivity and inspiring your creativity

Windows 11 features powerful new experiences that empower your productivity and inspire your creativity.

We’re all multitasking more than ever on our PCs, from multiple monitors and browser tabs to editing documents in Word or PowerPoint. With Windows 11, we’re making it easier to focus and stay in your flow with Snap Layouts and Groups, and Desktops.

Shopping experience on Windows 11

Snap Layouts and Groups offer a more powerful way to multitask and optimize your screen real estate in a way that is visually clean. With new three-column layouts for larger screens, it has never been easier to have all the content you need at your fingertips perfectly arranged.

With Desktops you can create individual Desktops that display different sets of apps to help you stay organized and focused, like making separate spaces in your home, and you can even customize each Desktop with its own name and wallpaper.

Contrast themes in Windows 11

Accessibility was considered from the start in the development of Windows 11, with inclusive design reviews of new and redesigned features. We’re proud that Windows 11 is the most inclusively designed version of Windows, built with and for people with disabilities. Windows 11 offers familiar assistive technologies like Narrator, Magnifier, Closed Captions and Windows Speech Recognition to support people across the disability spectrum. To learn more about accessibility in Windows 11 visit this blog post .

We’ve improved the experiences for touch in Windows 11 when you’re using a tablet without a keyboard. You’ll see more space between the icons in the Taskbar, adding bigger touch targets and subtle visual cues to make resizing and moving windows easier, as well as adding gestures. We’ve also enabled haptics with Windows 11 to make using your pen even more immersive – allowing you to hear and feel the vibrations as you click through and edit or sketch. Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately) is a great example of haptics in action.

With as much time as we’re all spending on our PCs, sometimes you might want to type on your PC with your voice. We’re excited to introduce new enhancements in voice typing on Windows 11. Now, with voice typing your PC recognizes what you say, even automatically punctuating sentences for you.

For developers, Windows 11 offers new tools and resources

With Windows 11, we endeavored to make Windows a more open platform. We thought about the development process and what tools and capabilities you need to create amazing apps. We built Windows 11 with developers in mind. You can create and build apps using the tools, frameworks and languages that you know and love. We’re also embracing all your apps and will work to make them feel at home on Windows. Visit this blog post to learn more about our advancements for developers.

Windows 11 is built for gaming

Windows 11 was made for gaming, with innovative new features that can take your PC gaming experience to the next level. If your PC has an HDR capable display, Auto HDR will automatically upgrade over 1000 DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games to high dynamic range, rendering a much wider range of colors and brightness. We also believe that player choice is important, so Windows 11 includes the ability to turn Auto HDR on or off on a per-game basis.

Windows 11 also includes support for DirectStorage, a feature we first introduced on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. When paired with an NVMe solid state drive and DirectX 12 GPU, games that implement DirectStorage can benefit from reduced load times and render more detailed and expansive game worlds.

Game Pass content on Windows 11

Windows 11 also includes the Xbox app built right in. Through the Xbox app you can browse, download and play over 100 high-quality PC games with Game Pass for PC (membership sold separately). And this October kicks off the three biggest months in Xbox history with incredible game launches including Age of Empires IV on Oct. 28, Forza Horizon 5 on Nov. 9 and Halo Infinite on Dec. 8. All three of these games will be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass for PC members on day one. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can also play 100+ Xbox console games on their PC without having to wait for a download, thanks to the power of Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) with the Xbox app.

Enabling the hybrid workforces and classrooms of tomorrow

Woman sipping a hot beverage while viewing what's on her laptop computer

Windows 11 is the operating system for hybrid work and learning. Through the rapid acceleration of digital transformation that we’ve seen over the last 19 months, it is critical for today’s organizations to be resilient and flexible. With the shift to hybrid work, where work is constantly changing, we understand the importance of an operating system that is flexible, consistent, secure and works how you work. That’s why Windows 11 is built on the consistent, compatible and familiar Windows 10 foundation that is easy for IT to manage. Beginning today, organizations can begin moving to Windows 11 on powerful PCs and through the cloud with Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop. To learn more about how Windows 11 can empower your hybrid workforce, please visit this Microsoft 365 blog post .

Windows 11 is designed for chip-to-cloud protection

As we continue on our journey, feedback from our customers and the industry is so important to helping us shape a Windows that our customers love. To that end, we conducted a survey of Security Decision Makers in the U.S. from a range of industries and found that 75% of security decision makers, VP and above, feel that the move to hybrid work leaves their organization more vulnerable to security threats. This last year has proven that security needs to be built in from the hardware up, the chip to the cloud. In fact, 80% of respondents feel that software alone is not enough protection from emerging threats. Windows 11 was designed with security in mind to meet the challenges we will face in this new work environment and beyond. You can read more on our Security blog .

A new era for the PC begins today

We are grateful to our entire ecosystem of partners who have played important roles in helping us prepare to get Windows 11 into the hands of our customers around the world. From OEM and app partners, to silicon, to retail, to our Windows Insiders, a launch of this global scale could not be achieved without them.

On behalf of the entire team, we are pumped to bring you Windows 11, the Windows that brings you closer to what you love.

We look forward to seeing the dreams and ideas you bring to life with Windows 11. This is just the beginning.

Features and app availability may vary by region.

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How to Install Windows 10

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was written by Stan Kats and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA . Stan Kats is the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology & cybersecurity solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan has over 7 years of cybersecurity experience, holding senior positions in information security at General Motors, AIG, and Aramark over his career. Stan received a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,103,614 times.

Want to install a fresh version of Windows 10 on your PC? If you're running another operating system or setting up a new PC, you can easily install Windows 10 from an installation disc or USB flash drive . Upgrading from an earlier version like Windows 7 or 8.1 is even easier—no flash drive or DVD required! This wikiHow article will walk you through installing or upgrading to Windows 10 on any PC.

Creating an Installation Disc or Drive

Step 1 Connect a blank USB flash drive or insert a blank writable DVD.

  • If you already have Windows 10 installed on the PC and just want to reinstall it, it'll be easiest to reinstall it from within Windows 10 instead of creating installation media.
  • If you want to upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you won't need to create an installation disc or drive. However, you will need to follow most of this method to start the upgrade.

Step 2 Make sure you...

  • If you don't have a product key or you're installing Windows 10 on a new hard drive, make sure you've linked your Windows 10 digital license to your Microsoft account before you start the installation. [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source Head to Settings > Update & Security > Activation from the current installation—if the activation status says Windows is activated with a digital license, click Add an account and follow the on-screen instructions to link your Microsoft account.
  • If you're upgrading from an earlier version and your PC qualifies for a free upgrade, you won't need a product key.

Step 3 Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10%20....

  • Click Yes when prompted to allow the installer to run.

Step 6 Click Accept to accept the license.

  • If you're updating your PC from an earlier version of Windows, select Upgrade this PC now instead, and then follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows 10. You're done!

Step 8 Select your preferences and click Next.

  • If you're not sure about the architecture, you can choose Both from the menu.

Step 9 Choose an installation type and click Next.

  • Flash drive: Select your flash drive from the list, click Next , and wait for the installation files to install. When the process is complete, click Finish .
  • DVD/ISO: Click Save to save the ISO file to your computer—it may take a while because the file is large and has to be downloaded. Once downloaded, you'll see a progress screen that monitors the download. When the download is complete, click Open DVD burner on the "Burn the ISO file to a DVD" screen, select your DVD burner, and then click Burn to create your DVD.

Booting from Windows 10 Installation Media

Step 1 Connect your Windows 10 installation media.

  • Windows 8.1 or 10: From Windows, open Settings , select Update & Recovery or Update & Security , and go to Recovery > Restart now > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart .
  • Acer and Asus: F2 or Del
  • Dell: F2 or F12
  • HP: ESC or F10
  • Lenovo: F1, F2, or Fn + F2
  • Lenovo ThinkPads: Enter + F1.
  • Microsoft Surface Tablets: Press and hold the volume-up button.
  • Samsung and Toshiba: F2
  • Sony: F1, F2, or F3

Step 3 Go to the Boot tab.

  • The Boot tab may instead say Boot Options or Boot Order , depending on your computer's manufacturer.

Step 4 Select a device from which to boot.

  • For a USB flash drive , select the Removable Devices option.
  • For a disc installation , select the CD-ROM Drive or Optical Drive option.

Step 5 Press the + key until your boot option is first.

  • On some computers, you'll instead press one of the function keys (e.g., F5 or the arrow keys to navigate an option up to the top of the menu. The key will be listed on the right side of the screen.

Step 6 Save your settings.

Installing Windows 10

Step 1 Click Next when prompted.

  • If you've already installed Windows 10 on this PC and were signed in with your Microsoft account, your key should be linked to your account. When prompted, just sign in with your Microsoft account and Windows will locate your key. [6] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
  • If you've changed hardware in the PC, such as replacing the motherboard, you can activate Windows after installing by going to Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Troubleshoot > I changed hardware on this device recently . Sign in with your Microsoft account when prompted, choose This is the device I'm using right now , and then click Activate .

Step 4 Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows 10.

  • If you're upgrading from an earlier version of Windows, you'll be asked if you want to upgrade the current operating system or do a custom install. If you choose Upgrade , you'll preserve existing apps and files.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • If you don't enter a Windows 10 activation key when prompted to do so, you'll receive a free trial of Windows 10. After the trial ends, you'll be prompted to purchase and enter an activation key. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

assignment on windows operating system

You Might Also Like

Upgrade to Windows 10

  • ↑ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10%20
  • ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activate-windows-c39005d4-95ee-b91e-b399-2820fda32227
  • ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reactivating-windows-after-a-hardware-change-2c0e962a-f04c-145b-6ead-fb3fc72b6665#ID0EBD=Windows_10
  • ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/install-windows-from-a-usb-flash-drive?view=windows-11
  • ↑ https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-install-windows-10

About This Article

Stan Kats

1. Insert your installation DVD or drive. 2. Restart the PC. 3. Select the option to boot from the media. 4. Select your language preferences and click Next . 5. Click Install Now . 6. Enter your product key and click Next . 7. Accept the terms. 8. Follow the on-screen instructions. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Last Updated on April 17, 2023 by Prepbytes

assignment on windows operating system

The Windows Operating System (OS) is one of the most popular and widely used operating systems in the world. Developed by Microsoft Corporation, Windows Operating System has become the go-to choice for both personal and business computing. In this article, we will explore the various features of the Windows Operating System, different versions, important commands in the Windows Operating System, and the key differences between Linux and Windows Operating Systems. So, without any further delay, let us move on to our next section.

What is Windows Operating System?

Windows Operating System (OS) is a graphical user interface (GUI) based operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation. It is designed to provide users with a user-friendly interface to interact with their computers. The first version of the Windows Operating System was introduced in 1985, and since then, it has undergone many updates and upgrades. Windows Operating System is compatible with a wide range of hardware and software applications, making it a popular choice for both personal and business computing. It has a built-in security system to protect the computer from malware and viruses and provides a comprehensive file management system that makes it easy for users to organize and access their files. Windows Operating System also allows users to run multiple applications simultaneously, making it easy to work on multiple tasks at the same time.

Features of Windows Operating System

Here are some features of the Windows Operating System:

  • Control Panel: The control Panel is a centralized location within Windows where users can manage various system settings, including security and privacy, display, hardware and sound, and programs. It provides users with access to a range of tools and settings, making it easy to customize the Windows experience.
  • Internet Browser: An Internet Browser is a software application that allows users to access and browse the Internet. Windows provides a built-in internet browser called Microsoft Edge, which includes features such as tabbed browsing, search suggestions, and web notes.
  • File Explorer: File Explorer is a file management tool that allows users to browse, open, and manage files and folders on their computers. It provides a user-friendly interface for users to view and manage files and includes features such as search, copy, move, and delete.
  • Taskbar: Taskbar is a horizontal bar that appears at the bottom of the Windows desktop. It provides quick access to frequently used applications and displays open windows and programs. The taskbar also includes system icons such as volume, network, and battery status.
  • Microsoft Paint: Microsoft Paint is a graphics editing software that allows users to create and edit images. It provides users with basic drawing tools such as a pencil, brush, and eraser, and allows users to add shapes, text, and images to their designs.
  • Start Menu: Start Menu is a menu that appears when users click the Start button on the Windows taskbar. It provides access to frequently used applications, settings, and files, and includes a search bar that allows users to quickly find files and applications.
  • Task Manager: Task Manager is a system tool that allows users to view and manage running applications and processes. It provides users with information about CPU and memory usage and allows users to end unresponsive programs and processes.
  • Disk Cleanup: Disk Cleanup is a system tool that allows users to free up space on their hard drives by removing unnecessary files and data. It scans the system for temporary files, cache, and other unnecessary data, and provides users with the option to remove them.
  • Cortana: Cortana is a virtual assistant software that allows users to interact with their computers using voice commands. It provides users with access to information, and reminders, and can perform tasks such as sending emails and setting reminders.

Various Versions of Windows Operating System

Here are some of the major versions of the Windows Operating System:

Windows 1.0: This was the first version of the Windows Operating System, released in 1985. It was a graphical user interface (GUI) for MS-DOS and included features such as a calculator, calendar, and notepad.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 2.0: This version was released in 1987, and introduced features such as support for VGA graphics, keyboard shortcuts, and improved memory management.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 3.0: This version was released in 1990, and was the first widely successful version of the Windows Operating System. It introduced features such as Program Manager, and File Manager, and improved support for graphics and multimedia.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 95: This version was released in 1995, and was a major milestone for Windows. It introduced the Start menu, taskbar, and support for plug-and-play devices. It also included the Internet Explorer web browser.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 98: This version was released in 1998, and included improvements to the Start menu and taskbar, as well as support for USB devices.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 2000: This version was released in 2000, and was designed for business use. It included features such as Active Directory, improved network support, and support for the NTFS file system.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows XP: This version was released in 2001, and was a major overhaul of the Windows interface. It introduced a new visual style, improved performance, and support for wireless networks.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows Vista: This version was released in 2006, and included a new interface called Aero, as well as improved security features.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 7: This version was released in 2009, and included improvements to the Start menu, taskbar, and Aero interface. It also introduced new features such as Jump Lists and Libraries.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 8: This version was released in 2012, and was designed for touchscreens and tablets. It introduced the Start screen, as well as new apps and features such as Charms and Snap.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 10: This version was released in 2015. It includes a redesigned Start menu, support for virtual desktops, and new apps and features such as Cortana and the Edge browser.

assignment on windows operating system

Windows 11: It is the latest version of the Windows operating system, released by Microsoft in October 2021. It builds upon the foundation of Windows 10, with a focus on enhancing the user experience and improving performance and security.

assignment on windows operating system

Each version of the Windows Operating System has brought new features, improvements, and changes.

List of Commands for Windows Operating System

Below is the list of some important commands for the Windows Operating System:

  • cd: This command is used to change the current directory. For example, you can use "cd Documents" to change to the Documents directory.
  • cls: This command is used to clear the screen of any text or commands that were previously entered.
  • dir: This command is used to display a list of files and directories in the current directory.
  • move: This command is used to move a file from one location to another.
  • ipconfig: This command displays the current network configuration of your computer, including the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.
  • ping: This command is used to test the connection between your computer and another device on the network. It sends packets of data to the device and measures the response time.
  • nslookup: This command is used to query the Domain Name System (DNS) to retrieve information about a specific domain or hostname.
  • tracert: This command is used to trace the path that data takes from your computer to another device on the network. It shows the routers and other devices that the data passes through.
  • sfc: This command scans and repairs system files that have been corrupted or modified.
  • attrib: This command is used to change the attributes of a file or directory, such as read-only or hidden.
  • copy: This command is used to copy files and directories from one location to another.
  • find: This command is used to search for a specific string of text within a file.
  • del: This command is used to delete a file or directory.

Difference between Linux and Windows Operating System

Here is a table comparing some of the key differences between Linux and Windows operating systems:

Conclusion In conclusion, the Windows operating system has evolved over the years to become one of the most widely used operating systems in the world, with a range of features and functionalities that cater to the needs of different users. From its intuitive graphical user interface to its command-line interface, Windows offers a variety of options for users to interact with the system.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Windows Operating System:

Q1: What is the purpose of Windows Task Manager in the Windows Operating System? Answer: The purpose of Windows Task Manager in the Windows Operating System is to provide users with information about running processes and applications on their system. It allows users to monitor system performance and can be used to end unresponsive programs and processes.

Q2: What is the Windows Registry in Windows Operating System? Answer: The Windows Registry is a database that stores settings and configurations for the Windows Operating System. It includes information about user accounts, software applications, system settings, and hardware configurations.

Q3: What is Windows Defender in Windows Operating System? Answer: Windows Defender is a built-in antivirus software that provides protection against malware and viruses. It is included with Windows 10 and is available for download on other versions of the Windows Operating System.

Q4: What is the purpose of Disk Cleanup in the Windows Operating System? Answer: The purpose of Disk Cleanup in the Windows Operating System is to free up space on your hard drive by removing unnecessary files and data. It scans the system for temporary files, cache, and other unnecessary data, and provides users with the option to remove them.

Q5: Can I use multiple users accounts on Windows Operating System? Answer: Yes, you can use multiple user accounts on Windows Operating System. You can create separate user accounts for each user, and each user can have their own settings and preferences.

Q6: What is the difference between Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro? Answer: Windows 10 Home is designed for home users and includes basic features such as Windows Defender, Cortana, and the Start menu. Windows 10 Pro is designed for business users and includes additional features such as Remote Desktop, BitLocker, and Hyper-V.

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What is Operating System? Explain Types of OS, Features and Examples

Lawrence Williams

What is an Operating System?

An Operating System (OS) is a software that acts as an interface between computer hardware components and the user. Every computer system must have at least one operating system to run other programs. Applications like Browsers, MS Office, Notepad Games, etc., need some environment to run and perform its tasks.

The OS helps you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer’s language. It is not possible for the user to use any computer or mobile device without having an operating system.

Introduction to Operating System

History Of OS

  • Operating systems were first developed in the late 1950s to manage tape storage
  • The General Motors Research Lab implemented the first OS in the early 1950s for their IBM 701
  • In the mid-1960s, operating systems started to use disks
  • In the late 1960s, the first version of the Unix OS was developed
  • The first OS built by Microsoft was DOS. It was built in 1981 by purchasing the 86-DOS software from a Seattle company
  • The present-day popular OS Windows first came to existence in 1985 when a GUI was created and paired with MS-DOS.

Examples of Operating System with Market Share

Operating System with Market Share

Following are the Operating System examples with the latest Market Share

Types of Operating System (OS)

Following are the popular types of OS (Operating System):

Batch Operating System

  • Multitasking/Time Sharing OS
  • Multiprocessing OS
  • Real Time OS
  • Distributed OS

Some computer processes are very lengthy and time-consuming. To speed the same process, a job with a similar type of needs are batched together and run as a group.

The user of a batch operating system never directly interacts with the computer. In this type of OS, every user prepares his or her job on an offline device like a punch card and submit it to the computer operator.

Multi-Tasking/Time-sharing Operating systems

Time-sharing operating system enables people located at a different terminal(shell) to use a single computer system at the same time. The processor time (CPU) which is shared among multiple users is termed as time sharing.

Real time OS

A real time operating system time interval to process and respond to inputs is very small. Examples: Military Software Systems, Space Software Systems are the Real time OS example.

Distributed Operating System

Distributed systems use many processors located in different machines to provide very fast computation to its users.

Network Operating System

Network Operating System runs on a server. It provides the capability to serve to manage data, user, groups, security, application, and other networking functions.

Mobile operating systems are those OS which is especially that are designed to power smartphones, tablets, and wearables devices.

Some most famous mobile operating systems are Android and iOS, but others include BlackBerry, Web, and watchOS.

Functions of Operating System

Some typical operating system functions may include managing memory, files, processes, I/O system & devices, security, etc.

Below are the main functions of Operating System:

Functions of Operating System

In an operating system software performs each of the function:

  • Process management : Process management helps OS to create and delete processes. It also provides mechanisms for synchronization and communication among processes.
  • Memory management: Memory management module performs the task of allocation and de-allocation of memory space to programs in need of this resources.
  • File management : It manages all the file-related activities such as organization storage, retrieval, naming, sharing, and protection of files.
  • Device Management : Device management keeps tracks of all devices. This module also responsible for this task is known as the I/O controller. It also performs the task of allocation and de-allocation of the devices.
  • I/O System Management: One of the main objects of any OS is to hide the peculiarities of that hardware devices from the user.
  • Secondary-Storage Management : Systems have several levels of storage which includes primary storage, secondary storage, and cache storage. Instructions and data must be stored in primary storage or cache so that a running program can reference it.
  • Security : Security module protects the data and information of a computer system against malware threat and authorized access.
  • Command interpretation : This module is interpreting commands given by the and acting system resources to process that commands.
  • Networking: A distributed system is a group of processors which do not share memory, hardware devices, or a clock. The processors communicate with one another through the network.
  • Job accounting : Keeping track of time & resource used by various job and users.
  • Communication management : Coordination and assignment of compilers, interpreters, and another software resource of the various users of the computer systems.

Features of Operating System (OS)

Here is a list important features of OS:

  • Protected and supervisor mode
  • Allows disk access and file systems Device drivers Networking Security
  • Program Execution
  • Memory management Virtual Memory Multitasking
  • Handling I/O operations
  • Manipulation of the file system
  • Error Detection and handling
  • Resource allocation
  • Information and Resource Protection

Features of Operating System

Advantage of Operating System

  • Allows you to hide details of hardware by creating an abstraction
  • Easy to use with a GUI
  • Offers an environment in which a user may execute programs/applications
  • The operating system must make sure that the computer system convenient to use
  • Operating System acts as an intermediary among applications and the hardware components
  • It provides the computer system resources with easy to use format
  • Acts as an intermediator between all hardware’s and software’s of the system

Disadvantages of Operating System

  • If any issue occurs in OS, you may lose all the contents which have been stored in your system
  • Operating system’s software is quite expensive for small size organization which adds burden on them. Example Windows
  • It is never entirely secure as a threat can occur at any time

What is Kernel in Operating System?

The kernel is the central component of a computer operating systems. The only job performed by the kernel is to the manage the communication between the software and the hardware. A Kernel is at the nucleus of a computer. It makes the communication between the hardware and software possible. While the Kernel is the innermost part of an operating system, a shell is the outermost one.

Kernel in Operating System

Features of Kernel

  • Low-level scheduling of processes
  • Inter-process communication
  • Process synchronization
  • Context switching

Types of Kernel

There are many types of kernels that exists, but among them, the two most popular kernels are:

1. Monolithic

A monolithic kernel is a single code or block of the program. It provides all the required services offered by the operating system. It is a simplistic design which creates a distinct communication layer between the hardware and software.

2. Microkernels

Microkernel manages all system resources. In this type of kernel, services are implemented in different address space. The user services are stored in user address space, and kernel services are stored under kernel address space. So, it helps to reduce the size of both the kernel and operating system.

Difference between Firmware and Operating System

Below are the Key Differences between Firmware and Operating System:

Difference between 32-Bit and 64-Bit Operating System

Below are the Key Differences between 32-Bit and 64-Bit Operating System :

  • What is OS (Operating System definition) and its Types: An operating system is a software which acts as an interface between the end user and computer hardware. Different categories of Operating System in computer and other devices are: Batch Operating System, Multitasking/Time Sharing OS, Multiprocessing OS, Real Time OS, Distributed OS, Network OS & Mobile OS
  • Personal Computer Operating Systems were first developed in the late 1950s to manage tape storage
  • Explain Operating System working: OS works as an intermediate between the user and computer. It helps the user to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer’s language.
  • The kernel is the central component of a computer operating systems. The only job performed by the kernel is to the manage the communication between the software and the hardware
  • Two most popular kernels are Monolithic and MicroKernels
  • Process, Device, File, I/O, Secondary-Storage, Memory management are various functions of an Operating System
  • Round Robin Scheduling Algorithm with Example
  • Process Synchronization: Critical Section Problem in OS
  • Process Scheduling in OS: Long, Medium, Short Term Scheduler
  • Priority Scheduling Algorithm: Preemptive, Non-Preemptive EXAMPLE
  • Memory Management in OS: Contiguous, Swapping, Fragmentation
  • Shortest Job First (SJF): Preemptive, Non-Preemptive Example
  • Virtual Memory in OS: What is, Demand Paging, Advantages
  • SSD vs HDD: What is the Difference Between SSD and HDD
  • Contests & Events
  • Interview prep

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Features of Windows Operating System

assignment on windows operating system

Introduction

Operating system or OS is basically a software environment that acts as an interface between you and your computer hardware components. OS is a programming framework that allows the users to interact with the various computer applications and their related functions without knowing the computer language. The features of the windows operating system allow it to perform the activities like accessing software, showing commands on the screen, analyzing records, printing documents, and many more. 

features of windows operating system

OS makes sure that the multiple tasks of the user do not mix up with each other and it also provides security from all kinds of unwanted access and also prevents unauthorized access. Microsoft created Windows, a graphical operating system. It lets users view and save files, run applications, play games, watch videos, as well as connect to the internet. It was made available for both personal and professional use. Microsoft released the initial version as version 1.0. On November 10, 1983, it was published for both home computers and professional functions of Windows. It was later available on a variety of Windows versions.

Top Features provided by the Windows Operating System(OS)

Below are mentioned some of the most crucial and notable features of the Windows operating system:

  • Control Panel
  • File Explorer
  • Internet Browser
  • Disk Cleanup
  • Hardware Requirements
  • Search and Organization
  • Compatibility

Let us read about them in detail.

1. Control Panel

A Control panel is a feature of the Windows operating system that contains many tools that help in configuring and managing the computer's resources. For e.g., the control panel provides the settings for audio, video, mouse, keyboard, network connections, date and time, installed applications, etc. which the user can change as per his/her need.

It is used to display the files and folders which are on the computer. It is also known as Windows Explorer . It gives the user the ability to browse data on the hard drive, SSD, and other inserted removable disks. It allows the user to manage the content according to their preference, such as a user can delete or rename a file and search and transfer data.

3. File Explorer

It is used to display the files and folders which are on the computer. It is also known as Windows Explorer. It gives users the ability to browse data on the hard drive, SSD, and other inserted removable disks. It allows the user to manage the content according to their preference such as a user can delete or rename a file, and search and transfer data.

4. Internet Browser

One of the major use of computers is to access the web/internet . Therefore, an internet browser is very necessary to search for anything, view pages, do online shopping, play games, etc. There is a pre-installed internet browser available in the Windows operating system. From Windows 10 onwards, the Edge internet browser is the default browser, while earlier internet explorer used to be the default browser.

5. Disk Cleanup

One of the major tasks of an operating system is to perform cleanup operations. Disk Cleanup is a feature of the Windows operating system that is used to free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files or temporary files no longer required. It helps increase the system's performance and boosts storage space to download programs and documents. We can open disk cleanup by using the following steps:

  • Open the file explorer using Window + E
  • Right-click on any of the disk drives and click on the properties option from the drop-down menu.
  • Click on the Disk Cleanup option.

Aside from the incompatibilities and other concerns that many users had with Vista , one of the most obvious was performance — it simply felt too slow in comparison to XP, even on high-end hardware. Windows 7 feels more quick and sprightly, and Microsoft spent a lot of time and effort perfecting the Start Menu reaction. Microsoft has also identified the need for enhanced desktop responsiveness, which creates the appearance that the machine is responding to the user and that the user is in charge – something that Vista frequently lacked.

7. Hardware Requirements

Vista has a reputation for making even the most powerful hardware appear mundane. Windows 7, on the other hand, will function smoothly on older systems, making the switch from Windows XP easier. Microsoft is promoting Windows 7 for netbooks as well. This could be a modern alternative for Windows XP, which has resurfaced as the preferred operating system for netbooks, displacing Linux. The disadvantage is that Windows 7 Starter Edition, as it will be known, will only allow three applications to run at once.

8. Search and Organization

One of the nicest features of Windows 7 is the upgraded search function, which now competes with Mac OS X's Spotlight in terms of speed and ease of use. Typing 'mouse', for example, will bring up the mouse option in the control panel, while typing a word will display it and divide it into files, directories, and apps nicely. The concept of Libraries is also introduced, which expands on the 'My Documents' concept. The various Libraries, such as Documents and Pictures, will monitor multiple locations that you can add yourself, allowing you to maintain everything in one location.

9. Compatibility

Simply put, compatibility with Windows 7 will be significantly superior to that of Vista. Many programs used by people and businesses on Windows XP did not work right away and required upgrades, but with Windows 7, practically all Vista-compatible applications should still work.

10. Taskbar

At first sight, the taskbar appears to have remained largely unchanged since Vista. That is not the case, and it is far more potent. Microsoft is now putting its aero technology to its full potential. Taskbar icons are now larger by default, and objects are grouped together rather than labeled with clunky text. A stack will appear on the taskbar if you have many Word documents or Windows Explorer windows open. When you move your cursor over the program, each Window will appear as a thumbnail. When you hover your mouse over each thumbnail, it will become visible, while all other open windows will vanish save for their outlines. Each document or window can be closed immediately from the thumbnail, or it can be brought to the front by clicking on it. A small arrow to the right of programs like Word in the Start menu now extends to show a list of recent documents, which may be pinned to keep one on the list permanently. The above points make the taskbar a significant feature of the windows operating system

Two new authentication methods tailored for touchscreens, the addition of antivirus capabilities to Windows Defender Smart Screen filtering, and support for the "Secure Boot" functionality on UEFI systems to protect against malware infecting the boot process are among the new security features in Windows. Parents may monitor and regulate their children's actions on a device using activity reports and safety restrictions, thanks to Family Safety's parental controls. The new "Refresh" and "Reset" functionalities in Windows 8 also allow for integrated system recovery, including system recovery from a USB device. The first security patches for Windows 8 will be delivered on November 13, 2012, and would include three changes that Microsoft judged "important."

12. Interface

The user interface of Windows has undergone substantial improvements, many of which are focused on improving the experience on tablet PCs and other touchscreen devices. The new user interface is based on Microsoft's Metro design language, and it features a Start screen similar to that of Windows Phone for opening apps. The Start screen shows a customizable grid of tiles that link to a variety of apps and desktop programs, some of which can display continually updated information and content via "live tiles." Apps can be snapped to the side of a screen as a type of multitasking. A new simplified and touch-optimized settings program called "PC Preferences" is utilized alongside the classic Control Panel for basic configuration and user settings.

assignment on windows operating system

Historical background of the Windows operating system

The Windows operating system, developed by Microsoft was introduced in 1985 with Windows 1.0. It evolved through various versions, including the widely used Windows 95, Windows XP, and Windows 7. Windows 10, introduced in 2015, marked a shift towards a continuous update model. Windows has played a pivotal role in personal computing, offering graphical interfaces, multitasking, and user-friendly features. Over the years, Microsoft's Windows has become a dominant force in the operating system market, powering countless computers globally.

Advantages of Windows Operating System

The following are the advantages of Microsoft Windows :

  • User-friendly interface for easy navigation  
  • Wide range of compatible software and applications  
  • Extensive hardware support for various devices  
  • Regular updates and security patches for improved performance  
  • Familiarity, as it's a widely used operating system  

Disadvantages Of Windows Operating System

The following are the disadvantages of Microsoft Windows :

  • Prone to malware and viruses, requiring frequent security measures  
  • Can be resource-intensive, leading to slower performance on older hardware  
  • The cost associated with licensing for certain versions  
  • Limited customization compared to some other operating systems  
  • Occasional compatibility issues with certain software and hardware

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the latest version of the windows operating system.

The most recent major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system, Windows 11, was made available in October 2021. For any Windows 10 devices that meet the new Windows 11 system requirements, it is a free upgrade to its predecessor, Windows 10 (2015).

How reliable is the Windows operating system?

The Windows operating system is generally considered to be reliable, especially in its more recent versions. However, like any software, occasional issues may occur, but Microsoft regularly releases updates and fixes to improve its performance and security.

How many versions of the Windows operating system are available?

There are several versions of the Windows operating system available, with the most recent ones being Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft periodically releases new versions and updates to enhance features and address user feedback.

What are the 5 main features of an operating system?

  • Process Management: Handles running programs.
  • Memory Management: Allocates and deallocates memory for processes.
  • File System: Manages storage and organizes files.
  • Device Management: Controls hardware interactions.
  • User Interface: Enables user interaction.

What are the features of Windows NT operating system?

Windows NT, developed by Microsoft, boasts a secure architecture with preemptive multitasking, virtual memory, NTFS file system, device driver support, and a graphical user interface. It prioritizes stability and scalability, providing a robust foundation for various computing environments.

This article extensively discussed the features of Windows Operating Systems . We hope that this blog has helped you gain more knowledge regarding the added features the Windows operating system offers, check out our articles on  Coding Ninjas - Blogs .

After reading about Windows operating system, are you not feeling excited to read/explore more articles on the topic of operating systems? Don't worry; Coding Ninjas has you covered. To learn, about the functions of the operating system, why there is a  need for an operating system , and what are the  memory management techniques in an operating system. 

Recommended Readings:

  • Operating System
  • Functions of Operating System
  • Thrashing in OS
  • Advantages Of Operating System
  • Buddy System In OS
  • Addressing Modes of 8086
  • What is bios

You can also consider our  Operating System Course to give your career an edge over others. 

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Operating System Introduction

Operating system tutorial index.

An Operating System (OS) is a crucial interface that connects a computer user with the computer's hardware. Falling under the system software category, it handles essential tasks like file management, memory handling, process management, and managing peripheral devices such as disk drives, printers, and networking hardware. Popular Operating Systems include Linux, Windows, macOS (formerly OS X), Solaris, OS/400, and Chrome OS. Over the years, operating systems have evolved significantly, transitioning from simple command-line interfaces to complex, user-friendly graphical interfaces, accommodating open-source models like Linux and proprietary ones like Windows and macOS.

Features of Operating System

Here is a list of some significant functions of an Operating System, which is found common in almost all operating systems:

  • Resource management : OS allocates resources like memory, processor, and storage to different tasks. For instance, in multitasking environments, the OS decides how to assign memory to various applications.
  • Memory management : OS manages computer memory allocation and ensures that each program can access the memory it needs.
  • Process management : OS creates and manages processes and units of work the computer executes.
  • File management : OS manages files, organizes them, and grants access to different programs and users.
  • Security : OS includes security features to protect the computer from unauthorized access and viruses.
  • User interface : OS provides users with two interfaces to interact with the computer: a graphical user interface (GUI) and a command-line interface (CLI).
  • Networking : Many OSs include support for networking, allowing the computer to communicate and exchange data with other devices over a network, such as the internet or a local area network (LAN).
  • Device management : OS manages devices connected to the computer, such as printers, keyboards, and storage devices.
  • Power management : OS includes features to manage the computer's power usage and conserve energy when possible.
  • Software installation and updates : OS provides a mechanism for installing and updating software applications.

These are just a few examples of features commonly found in operating systems. The specific features of an operating system depend on the particular system and its intended use.

Objectives of Operating System

An operating system consists of unique programs that control the execution of software. The OS acts as an intermediary between applications and hardware components. OS has three main objectives. These are:

  • Convenience: Making the computer user-friendly, as seen in modern OS with intuitive graphical user interfaces.
  • Efficiency: It ensures efficient and easy utilization of system resources.
  • Ability to Develop : OSs are designed to facilitate the development, testing, and integration of new system functions without disrupting service.
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Online Free Samples

Operating System Assignment: Comparison Between Windows and Unix

Requirements

  • Demonstrate an understanding of Operating System concepts; processes, shared memory, concurrency file systems or performance processing
  • Demonstrate you are able to conduct scientific research
  • Demonstrate you are able to critically analyse several sources of information on a topic

Available research topics : You should focus on the topic that has the same number as the last number of your FAN;

  • Operating systems kernels: - Compare the organisational differences between Micro Kernels and Monolithic Kernels
  • File systems:- Compare the permissions models between UNIX file systems and Windows file systems
  • Processes: Compare the differences in process management algorithms for single CPU systems and SMP or multi-CPU systems
  • Memory management: Compare differences in memory allocation algorithms for single CPU systems and SMP or multi-CPU systems
  • Real time systems: Compare real time operating systems and discuss how they support real time processing.
  • Microprocessors: Discuss how voltage scaling and operating systems work together to function in low power scenarios such as in wearable devices.
  • Security: Compare the security available in mobile operating systems and identify which is most secure.
  • Performance: Explain why understanding worst case execution time is important and how is it calculated?
  • Efficiency: Explain how embedded operating systems are different from standard operating systems and how they help to improve performance in embedded systems.
  • Architecture: Compare 32 vs 64 bit operating systems. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each and what applications are each most suited for?

Introduction The operating systems Assignment critically analyzes the basic differences between the permissions and models of Windows and UNIX file systems. A file system typically refers to the mechanism of storing and retrieving data on a computer disk. UNIX and Windows operating systems implement their file systems in different ways. The aim of this operating systems Assignment is to discover the innate differences between these two operating systems in terms of the file systems management. For this purpose, the operating systems Assignment compares and contrasts the permissions of Windows and UNIX file systems in order to yield an in depth idea about their working procedures. Both the operating systems can conceptually handle a same set of files. However, significance difference lies in the file permission structure, models and management.

Windows File System Permission Model In Windows operating system, the FAT32 (File Allocation Table 32) file system stores data in chunks of 32 bits. The naming convention supported by FAT32 file system requires ASCII character set. The file name must start with a number or letter and does not support any special characters (. " / \ [ ] : ; | = ,). However, there are certain disadvantages in FAT32 file system such as fragmentation, lack of storage efficiency for larger disk partitions, and lack of fault tolerance.

In 1990s, Microsoft built a more reliable, secure and high performance file system called NTFS (New Technology File System). The common permissions in NTFS file system are, read, modify, change owner and delete. Setting the permission requires specifying the level of access for groups and users. NTFS permissions are same for local and network users and granted at the Windows log on (Perrin, 2011). Windows administrators provide access control for the files, folders, containers, and objects using the NTFS utility on the network. The ‘Security Descriptor’ is responsible for deciding what kind of access (read/ modify/ delete/ change owner) is allowed for individual users and group of users.

The standard permissions in NTFS include ‘full control’, ‘modify’, ‘read & execute’, ‘read’ and ‘write’. ‘Deny’ can be used to deny access to a folder or deny full control permission. However, in the later versions of NTFS, Microsoft has included certain advanced permissions that include the following:

Traverse folder/ Execute file: Allows navigating through folders to reach files even if there is no permission to access the traversed files.

List folder/ Read data: Allows viewing a list of contents and data files in a folder.

Read attributes: Allows viewing read-only and hidden attributes of a file or folder.

Read extended attributes: Allows viewing extended attributes

Create files/ Write data: Allows creating files within a folder, make changes, and overwrite existing content.

Create folders/ Append data: This permission allows creating folders within folders, make changes to the end of file. However, it does not allow overwriting or deleting data in a file.

Apart from these, the other advanced permissions are write attributes, write extended, delete, change permissions, read permissions, and take ownership (Morgan, 2017).

UNIX File System Permission Model UNIX file system deals with three core aspects such as user, groups, and ownership. UNIX operating system has files and directories in tree structure where the basic permissions are, read, write and execute. UNIX OS uses nine bits for specifying the access permission for a file, where each bit is marked by r (read), w (write) and x (execute). The UNIX file permissions depend on a simplified and abbreviated form of ACL (Access Control List) (Reynolds, 2014). The DAC (Discretionary Access Control) enables users to configure the level of access for the resources that they ‘own’.

Table 1: 9-bit permission model

In the 9-bit permission model, the permissions of files can be changed using the command ‘chmod’. Apart from that, the ‘setuid’ allows running executables with the permission of a file owner. The ‘setgid’ command is used as an equivalent of ‘setuid’ property of groups. The ‘Sticky bit’, when assigned to files and directories, prevents users from deleting (Doyle, 2011). For instance, ‘/tmp’ folder allows any user to store files. However, only the file owner has the access rights to delete or modify the file stored in ‘/tmp’. The ‘umask’ command defines the permissions to be masked when a file is created.

One example of the major limitation of the 9-bit permission model can be the command ‘setuid-root’. This command allows any ordinary users to perform administrative tasks. Moreover, the 9-bit permission model used by UNIX operating system has no fine-grained access control measures for the non-class users.

Comparison The initial design of UNIX operating system by AT&T included disk space at a premium and each file had three sets of permissions such as the access permissions for ‘everyone’, ‘the owning group’, and the ‘owning user’. The three types of permissions are typically read, write, and execute. The execute permission allows a user to run a binary program or a script.

There is a challenge in this scenario. If a second user needs write access to a particular file, then it is essential to create a new group allowing both the first and second users. This new group needs to replace ‘the owning group’. Hence, there is a high chance of these permissions to become messy in large organizations.

However, in the Windows file system, the file permissions model goes to the extreme by defining permissions to every file for any number of users, groups or everyone. Moreover, the category for ‘everyone’ encompasses system users, guests, authenticated users, network users and so on. These fine-grained permissions can be set for inheritance by subfolders, which enforces any change in parent folder to replicate automatically to the subfolders.

On the other hand, UNIX enforces application-level and network-level permissions, in which certain applications are allowed to access specific folders (McDermott, 2017). However, even if this additional feature adds adequate flexibility in operating system security, the job of debugging permission-based errors is significantly difficult. It requires many days of fine-tuning in order to implement a UNIX server and get it ready for production, due to the fine-grained application-level permissions.

Therefore, Windows OS offers fine-grained user-level control whereas UNIX involves application-level control. It can be said that Windows file system permissions are ideal for file storage and management. On the other hand, UNIX offers effective permission model for web and application servers.

The octal 777 permission in UNIX is equivalent to ‘full control’ permission in Windows file system. UNIX allows setting permission through graphical shell or using ‘chmod’ command. Many modern UNIX distributors support ACLs (Access Control Lists) based security for directories and files. However, the sysadmins mostly use the UNIX owner-group-world permission model (Rafacz, 2011). In order to delegate authority, UNIX users often use the ‘su’ and ‘sudo’ for administrator privileges. On the other hand, the Windows UAC (User Access Control) can be compared with ‘sudo’ in UNIX. Windows users use ACLSs in file-level while UNIX users rely upon the outdated model of owner-group-world permission model.

Conclusion It can be seen in this operating systems Assignment that UNIX operating system has three specific permissions that can be applied to each class (user, group, other), which are, read, write, and execute. It is possible to change permission behavior in UNIX with the setuid, setgid and sticky bits. The sticky mode or text mode encourages the kernel to retain the image of an object beyond termination. In Windows, if an object or a file has a null ACL, then it has no restriction. On the other hand, if the file has an empty ACL then no one can access the file.

Appendix - Annotated Bibliography 1. McDermott, J. (2017). Introduction to UNIX-family File Permissions | Learning Tree Blog. [online] Learning Tree Blog. Available at: https://blog.learningtree.com/introduction-unix-family-file-permissions/ [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].

In this article, the author has discussed the authorization specifics in the UNIX file permission model. McDermott (2017) has reflected on the basic permission types (read, write, and execute) supported by UNIX operating system along with a brief overview of changing permissions with the chmod command. The paper also discussed some common file modes in UNIX.

2. Doyle, M. (2011). Understanding File Permissions. [online] Elated.com. Available at: https://www.elated.com/articles/understanding-permissions/ [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].

In this article, Doyle (2011) has discussed about the basic purpose and importance of file system permissions. In this context, the author has focused on defining permissions from the UNIX operating system perspective. The paper explains the 9-bit permission model in UNIX that defines permission for each class including the users (u), groups (g) and other (o). The author also discussed setting permissions with FTP and SSH.

3. Mfillpot. (2010). Understanding Linux File Permissions. [online] Linux.com | The source for Linux information. Available at: https://www.linux.com/learn/understanding-linux-file-permissions [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].

In this article, the author has researched the the Linux file permissions along with the three basic permission groups and permission types. The author further defines the ways to view, understand, and modify the permissions. The paper also discusses about the methods for explicitly defining permissions as well as using binary references to set permissions.

4. White, K. (2012). Understanding File System Permissions | Mac OS X Support Essentials: File Systems | Peachpit. [online] Peachpit.com. Available at: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1403238&seqNum=5 [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].

In this article, White (2012) discusses the ownerships for permissions along with the traditional UNIX permissions. In addition to that, the research also encompasses the ACLs (Access Control Lists), permission to hierarchical context, permissions for sharing, home folder sharing and securing new files or objects.

5. Perrin, C. (2011). Understand the setuid and setgid permissions to improve security. [online] TechRepublic. Available at: https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/it-security/understand-the-setuid-and-setgid-permissions-to-improve-security/ [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].

In this article, Perrin (2011) discussed how the basic UNIX permissions in the operating system file management work and why it is important for security reasons. More precisely, the significance of the two commands such as setuid and setgid are discussed in terms of enhancing the security of UNIX file systems. The author also compared and contrasted between good and bas security in this context.

6. Morgan, M. (2017). Windows Share Permissions Best Practices (Server 2016) | Global Knowledge Blog. [online] Global Knowledge Blog. Available at: https://www.globalknowledge.com/blog/2017/09/19/best-practices-for-share-permissions-in-windows-server-2016/ [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].

In this article, Morgan (2017) has discussed about the best practices for share permissions in Windows Server 2016. For this purpose, the author has also discussed about the certain limitations and drawbacks pertaining to the share permissions in Windows. The paper also considers how NTFS solves the identified issues.

7. Reynolds, R. (2014). Managing Permissions on Windows with Access Control Lists. [online] Puppet. Available at: https://puppet.com/blog/managing-permissions-on-windows-access-control-lists [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].

In this article, the author Rob (2014) has reflected on the role of ACLs along with its most fundamental features and functions. The author has discussed the ACL type structure and permission properties along with examples, granular permission and website setup with ACL.

8. Rafacz, R. (2011). Linux File Permissions. [online] Pluralsight.com. Available at: https://www.pluralsight.com/blog/it-ops/linux-file-permissions [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].

The article discusses about the Linux file permissions. The author Rafacz (2011) has explained how to identify file and directory permissions in UNIX OS as well as how to change the permissions. The author also discussed about how to change ownership, groups etc. with appropriate commands. The operating systems assignments are being prepared by our IT assignment help experts from top universities which let us to provide you a reliable online assignment help service.

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Policy CSP - UserRights

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This CSP contains some settings that are under development and only applicable for Windows Insider Preview builds . These settings are subject to change and may have dependencies on other features or services in preview.

User rights are assigned for user accounts or groups. The name of the policy defines the user right in question, and the values are always users or groups. Values can be represented as Security Identifiers (SID) or strings. For more information, see Well-known SID structures .

Even though strings are supported for well-known accounts and groups, it's better to use SIDs, because strings are localized for different languages. Some user rights allow things like AccessFromNetwork, while others disallow things, like DenyAccessFromNetwork.

General example

Here's an example for setting the user right BackupFilesAndDirectories for Administrators and Authenticated Users groups.

Here are examples of data fields. The encoded 0xF000 is the standard delimiter/separator.

Grant a user right to Administrators group via SID:

Grant a user right to multiple groups (Administrators, Authenticated Users) via SID:

Grant a user right to multiple groups (Administrators, Authenticated Users) via a mix of SID and Strings:

Grant a user right to multiple groups (Authenticated Users, Administrators) via strings:

Empty input indicates that there are no users configured to have that user right:

If you use Intune custom profiles to assign UserRights policies, you must use the CDATA tag ( <![CDATA[...]]> ) to wrap the data fields. You can specify one or more user groups within the CDATA tag by using 0xF000 as the delimiter/separator.

&#xF000; is the entity encoding of 0xF000 .

For example, the following syntax grants user rights to Authenticated Users and Replicator user groups:

For example, the following syntax grants user rights to two specific Microsoft Entra users from Contoso, user1 and user2:

For example, the following syntax grants user rights to a specific user or group, by using the SID of the account or group:

AccessCredentialManagerAsTrustedCaller

This user right is used by Credential Manager during Backup/Restore. No accounts should've this privilege, as it's only assigned to Winlogon. Users' saved credentials might be compromised if this privilege is given to other entities.

Description framework properties :

Group policy mapping :

AccessFromNetwork

This user right determines which users and groups are allowed to connect to the computer over the network. Remote Desktop Services aren't affected by this user right.

Remote Desktop Services was called Terminal Services in previous versions of Windows Server.

ActAsPartOfTheOperatingSystem

This user right allows a process to impersonate any user without authentication. The process can therefore gain access to the same local resources as that user. Processes that require this privilege should use the LocalSystem account, which already includes this privilege, rather than using a separate user account with this privilege specially assigned.

Assigning this user right can be a security risk. Only assign this user right to trusted users.

AdjustMemoryQuotasForProcess

Adjust memory quotas for a process - This privilege determines who can change the maximum memory that can be consumed by a process. This privilege is useful for system tuning on a group or user basis.

AllowLocalLogOn

This user right determines which users can log on to the computer.

Modifying this setting may affect compatibility with clients, services, and applications. For compatibility information about this setting, see Allow log on locally ( https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=24268 ) at the Microsoft website.

AllowLogOnThroughRemoteDesktop

Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services - This policy setting determines which users or groups can access the sign-in screen of a remote device through a Remote Desktop Services connection.

BackupFilesAndDirectories

This user right determines which users can bypass file, directory, registry, and other persistent objects permissions when backing up files and directories. Specifically, this user right is similar to granting the following permissions to the user or group in question on all files and folders on the system:Traverse Folder/Execute File, Read.

Assigning this user right can be a security risk. Since users with this user right can read any registry settings and files, only assign this user right to trusted users.

BypassTraverseChecking

This user right determines which users can traverse directory trees even though the user may not have permissions on the traversed directory. This privilege doesn't allow the user to list the contents of a directory, only to traverse directories.

ChangeSystemTime

This user right determines which users and groups can change the time and date on the internal clock of the computer. Users that are assigned this user right can affect the appearance of event logs. If the system time is changed, events that are logged will reflect this new time, not the actual time that the events occurred.

When you configure user rights, it replaces existing users or groups that were previously assigned to those user rights. The system requires that the Local Service account (SID S-1-5-19 ) always has the ChangeSystemTime right. Always specify Local Service , in addition to any other accounts that you need to configure in this policy.

If you don't include the Local Service account, the request fails with the following error:

ChangeTimeZone

This user right determines which users and groups can change the time zone used by the computer for displaying the local time, which is the computer's system time plus the time zone offset. System time itself is absolute and isn't affected by a change in the time zone.

CreateGlobalObjects

This security setting determines whether users can create global objects that are available to all sessions. Users can still create objects that are specific to their own session if they don't have this user right. Users who can create global objects could affect processes that run under other users' sessions, which could lead to application failure or data corruption.

Assigning this user right can be a security risk. Assign this user right only to trusted users.

CreatePageFile

This user right determines which users and groups can call an internal application programming interface (API) to create and change the size of a page file. This user right is used internally by the operating system and usually doesn't need to be assigned to any users.

CreatePermanentSharedObjects

This user right determines which accounts can be used by processes to create a directory object using the object manager. This user right is used internally by the operating system and is useful to kernel-mode components that extend the object namespace. Because components that are running in kernel mode already have this user right assigned to them, it isn't necessary to specifically assign it.

CreateSymbolicLinks

This user right determines if the user can create a symbolic link from the computer he is logged-on to.

This privilege should only be given to trusted users. Symbolic links can expose security vulnerabilities in applications that aren't designed to handle them.

This setting can be used in conjunction a symlink filesystem setting that can be manipulated with the command line utility to control the kinds of symlinks that are allowed on the machine. Type 'fsutil behavior set symlinkevaluation /?' at the command line to get more information about fsutil and symbolic links.

CreateToken

This user right determines which accounts can be used by processes to create a token that can then be used to get access to any local resources when the process uses an internal application programming interface (API) to create an access token. This user right is used internally by the operating system. Unless it's necessary, don't assign this user right to a user, group, or process other than Local System.

Assigning this user right can be a security risk. Don't assign this user right to any user, group, or process that you don't want to take over the system.

DebugPrograms

This user right determines which users can attach a debugger to any process or to the kernel. Developers who are debugging their own applications don't need to be assigned this user right. Developers who are debugging new system components will need this user right to be able to do so. This user right provides complete access to sensitive and critical operating system components.

DenyAccessFromNetwork

This user right determines which users are prevented from accessing a computer over the network. This policy setting supersedes the Access this computer from the network policy setting if a user account is subject to both policies.

DenyLocalLogOn

This security setting determines which service accounts are prevented from registering a process as a service.

This security setting doesn't apply to the System, Local Service, or Network Service accounts.

DenyLogOnAsBatchJob

This security setting determines which accounts are prevented from being able to log on as a batch job. This policy setting supersedes the Log on as a batch job policy setting if a user account is subject to both policies.

DenyLogOnAsService

Deny log on as a service -This security setting determines which service accounts are prevented from registering a process as a service. This policy setting supersedes the Log on as a service policy setting if an account is subject to both policies.

This security setting doesn't apply to the System, Local Service, or Network Service accounts. Default: None.

DenyRemoteDesktopServicesLogOn

This user right determines which users and groups are prohibited from logging on as a Remote Desktop Services client.

EnableDelegation

This user right determines which users can set the Trusted for Delegation setting on a user or computer object. The user or object that's granted this privilege must have write access to the account control flags on the user or computer object. A server process running on a computer (or under a user context) that's trusted for delegation can access resources on another computer using delegated credentials of a client, as long as the client account doesn't have the Account can't be delegated account control flag set.

Misuse of this user right, or of the Trusted for Delegation setting, could make the network vulnerable to sophisticated attacks using Trojan horse programs that impersonate incoming clients and use their credentials to gain access to network resources.

GenerateSecurityAudits

This user right determines which accounts can be used by a process to add entries to the security log. The security log is used to trace unauthorized system access. Misuse of this user right can result in the generation of many auditing events, potentially hiding evidence of an attack or causing a denial of service. Shut down system immediately if unable to log security audits security policy setting is enabled.

ImpersonateClient

Assigning this user right to a user allows programs running on behalf of that user to impersonate a client. Requiring this user right for this kind of impersonation prevents an unauthorized user from convincing a client to connect (for example, by remote procedure call (RPC) or named pipes) to a service that they've created and then impersonating that client, which can elevate the unauthorized user's permissions to administrative or system levels.

By default, services that are started by the Service Control Manager have the built-in Service group added to their access tokens. Component Object Model (COM) servers that are started by the COM infrastructure and that are configured to run under a specific account also have the Service group added to their access tokens. As a result, these services get this user right when they're started. In addition, a user can also impersonate an access token if any of the following conditions exist. 1) The access token that's being impersonated is for this user. 2) The user, in this logon session, created the access token by logging on to the network with explicit credentials. 3) The requested level is less than Impersonate, such as Anonymous or Identify. Because of these factors, users don't usually need this user right.

If you enable this setting, programs that previously had the Impersonate privilege may lose it, and they may not run.

IncreaseProcessWorkingSet

Increase a process working set. This privilege determines which user accounts can increase or decrease the size of a process's working set. The working set of a process is the set of memory pages currently visible to the process in physical RAM memory. These pages are resident and available for an application to use without triggering a page fault. The minimum and maximum working set sizes affect the virtual memory paging behavior of a process.

Increasing the working set size for a process decreases the amount of physical memory available to the rest of the system.

IncreaseSchedulingPriority

This user right determines which accounts can use a process with Write Property access to another process to increase the execution priority assigned to the other process. A user with this privilege can change the scheduling priority of a process through the Task Manager user interface.

If you remove Window Manager\Window Manager Group from the Increase scheduling priority user right, certain applications and computers won't function correctly. In particular, the INK workspace doesn't function correctly on unified memory architecture (UMA) laptop and desktop computers that run Windows 10, version 1903 or later and that use the Intel GFX driver.

On affected computers, the display blinks when users draw on INK workspaces such as those that are used by Microsoft Edge, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Microsoft OneNote. The blinking occurs because the inking-related processes repeatedly try to use the Real-Time priority, but are denied permission.

LoadUnloadDeviceDrivers

This user right determines which users can dynamically load and unload device drivers or other code in to kernel mode. This user right doesn't apply to Plug and Play device drivers. It's recommended that you don't assign this privilege to other users.

This user right determines which accounts can use a process to keep data in physical memory, which prevents the system from paging the data to virtual memory on disk. Exercising this privilege could significantly affect system performance by decreasing the amount of available random access memory (RAM).

LogOnAsBatchJob

This security setting allows a user to be logged-on by means of a batch-queue facility and is provided only for compatibility with older versions of Windows. For example, when a user submits a job by means of the task scheduler, the task scheduler logs that user on as a batch user rather than as an interactive user.

LogOnAsService

This security setting allows a security principal to log on as a service. Services can be configured to run under the Local System, Local Service, or Network Service accounts, which have a built in right to log on as a service. Any service that runs under a separate user account must be assigned the right.

ManageAuditingAndSecurityLog

This user right determines which users can specify object access auditing options for individual resources, such as files, Active Directory objects, and registry keys. This security setting doesn't allow a user to enable file and object access auditing in general. You can view audited events in the security log of the Event Viewer. A user with this privilege can also view and clear the security log.

ManageVolume

This user right determines which users and groups can run maintenance tasks on a volume, such as remote defragmentation. Use caution when assigning this user right. Users with this user right can explore disks and extend files in to memory that contains other data. When the extended files are opened, the user might be able to read and modify the acquired data.

ModifyFirmwareEnvironment

This user right determines who can modify firmware environment values. Firmware environment variables are settings stored in the nonvolatile RAM of non-x86-based computers. The effect of the setting depends on the processor. On x86-based computers, the only firmware environment value that can be modified by assigning this user right is the Last Known Good Configuration setting, which should only be modified by the system. On Itanium-based computers, boot information is stored in nonvolatile RAM. Users must be assigned this user right to run bootcfg.exe and to change the Default Operating System setting on Startup and Recovery in System Properties. On all computers, this user right is required to install or upgrade Windows.

This security setting doesn't affect who can modify the system environment variables and user environment variables that are displayed on the Advanced tab of System Properties.

ModifyObjectLabel

This user right determines which user accounts can modify the integrity label of objects, such as files, registry keys, or processes owned by other users. Processes running under a user account can modify the label of an object owned by that user to a lower level without this privilege.

ProfileSingleProcess

This user right determines which users can use performance monitoring tools to monitor the performance of system processes.

ProfileSystemPerformance

This security setting determines which users can use performance monitoring tools to monitor the performance of system processes.

RemoteShutdown

This user right determines which users are allowed to shut down a computer from a remote location on the network. Misuse of this user right can result in a denial of service.

ReplaceProcessLevelToken

This security setting determines which user accounts can call the CreateProcessAsUser() application programming interface (API) so that one service can start another. An example of a process that uses this user right is Task Scheduler. For information about Task Scheduler, see Task Scheduler overview.

RestoreFilesAndDirectories

This user right determines which users can bypass file, directory, registry, and other persistent objects permissions when restoring backed up files and directories, and determines which users can set any valid security principal as the owner of an object. Specifically, this user right is similar to granting the following permissions to the user or group in question on all files and folders on the system:Traverse Folder/Execute File, Write.

Assigning this user right can be a security risk. Since users with this user right can overwrite registry settings, hide data, and gain ownership of system objects, only assign this user right to trusted users.

ShutDownTheSystem

This security setting determines which users who are logged-on locally to the computer can shut down the operating system using the Shut Down command. Misuse of this user right can result in a denial of service.

TakeOwnership

This user right determines which users can take ownership of any securable object in the system, including Active Directory objects, files and folders, printers, registry keys, processes, and threads.

Assigning this user right can be a security risk. Since owners of objects have full control of them, only assign this user right to trusted users.

Related articles

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    An operating system is a large, complex collection of software that manages the computer. All communication between the central processor and the keyboard, mouse, screen, computer disk and network is controlled by the operating system. It is the operating system that detects the click of a button or the movement of the mouse.

  2. Windows Basics: All About Windows

    All about Windows. Windows is an operating system designed by Microsoft. The operating system is what allows you to use a computer. Windows comes preloaded on most new personal computers (PCs), which helps to make it the most popular operating system in the world.. Windows makes it possible to complete all types of everyday tasks on your computer. For example, you can use Windows to browse the ...

  3. Microsoft Windows

    Note* - None of the above mentioned Windows was Operating Systems. They all came under the category of Windows, working based on a graphical operating environment. It was Windows 95, which was the first Operating System released by Microsoft. 4. Window 95. It was the first complete Operating System It was released on August 15, 1995

  4. Windows Practical Exercise

    On the DESKTOP, right click and create a NEW FOLDER. Name the folder "ITE 115 E11N" (or your course number). Open the new folder and create two NEW FOLDERS inside the ITE 115 E11N folder. Name each folder as follows: ASSIGNMENTS & DUE DATES --- COURSE PROJECT. Download and save in the ASSIGNMENTS & DUE DATES folder, the assignment due dates ...

  5. Introduction to Hardware and Operating Systems

    This beginner friendly course provides the core hardware and operating system knowledge needed by anyone new to IT and computer hardware who wants to start a new career in technology, including IT Support, Networking, Cybersecurity, and Software Development. You will first be introduced to computing fundamentals, the four functions of computing ...

  6. Introduction of Operating System

    An operating system acts as an intermediary between the user of a computer and computer hardware. The purpose of an operating system is to provide an environment in which a user can execute programs conveniently and efficiently. An operating system is software that manages computer hardware. The hardware must provide appropriate mechanisms to ...

  7. 4.3: Assignment- Using Windows

    Directions. Download the assignment instructions Windows Assignment using Windows 8 (.doc) OR MAC OS Assignment (.docx) as well as the file you will use in the assignment - Daily Reminders.docx, and use Windows 8 or your MAC operating system to create the folders and files that meet the criteria listed.; Submit the completed assignment using the link above and indicate in the comments ...

  8. Introducing Windows 11

    You can learn more about Windows 11 as the operating system for hybrid work and learning in the Microsoft 365 blog. It's a great time to buy a PC. Since day one of developing Windows 11, we have been working closely with our hardware and silicon partners for seamless integration across software and hardware. That co-engineering begins with ...

  9. Microsoft Windows

    Microsoft Windows is a product line of proprietary graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft.It is grouped into families and sub-families that cater to particular sectors of the computing industry -- Windows (unqualified) for a consumer or corporate workstation, Windows Server for a server and Windows IoT for an embedded system. ...

  10. Computer Basics: Understanding Operating Systems

    An operating system is the most important software that runs on a computer. It manages the computer's memory and processes, as well as all of its software and hardware. It also allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer's language. Without an operating system, a computer is useless.

  11. PDF Operating Systems

    virtual address space, set of resources (object handles), and one or more threads. A thread are the unit of dispatching. Each thread has: scheduling state (ready, running, etc.), other scheduling parameters (priority, etc), context slot, and (generally) an associated process.

  12. Windows 11: A new era for the PC begins today

    Windows 11 is the operating system for hybrid work and learning. Through the rapid acceleration of digital transformation that we've seen over the last 19 months, it is critical for today's organizations to be resilient and flexible. With the shift to hybrid work, where work is constantly changing, we understand the importance of an ...

  13. How to Install Windows 10 (with Pictures)

    Select your preferences and click Next. If you're installing Windows on the current PC, you can keep the default options. If you need to install on a different PC, make sure you choose the language and edition for which you have a license, and select the architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) that matches the PC you're going to install on.

  14. Windows Operating System

    Windows 11: It is the latest version of the Windows operating system, released by Microsoft in October 2021. It builds upon the foundation of Windows 10, with a focus on enhancing the user experience and improving performance and security. Each version of the Windows Operating System has brought new features, improvements, and changes.

  15. What is Operating System? Explain Types of OS, Features and ...

    An Operating System (OS) is a software that acts as an interface between computer hardware components and the user. Every computer system must have at least one operating system to run other programs. Applications like Browsers, MS Office, Notepad Games, etc., need some environment to run and perform its tasks.

  16. PDF CS140

    Programming Assignments • Implement parts of Pintos operating system - Built for x86 hardware, you will use hardware emulator • One setup homework (lab 0) due Wednesday • Four implementation projects: - Threads - Multiprogramming - Virtual memory - File system • Lab 1 distributed at end of this week - Attend section this Friday for ...

  17. Features of Windows Operating System

    The Windows operating system, developed by Microsoft was introduced in 1985 with Windows 1.0. It evolved through various versions, including the widely used Windows 95, Windows XP, and Windows 7. Windows 10, introduced in 2015, marked a shift towards a continuous update model. Windows has played a pivotal role in personal computing, offering ...

  18. EECS128-Lab1

    Files for assignments will be available there, and you will also turn in your electronic assignments on this drive. Click the plus sign next to this drive, there is a folder for the Elements and Fluency sections of the course. ... The Windows Operating System ***** Opening Windows Explorer and creating a new folder. Go to the START menu, click ...

  19. Operating System Introduction

    Operating System Introduction. An Operating System (OS) is a crucial interface that connects a computer user with the computer's hardware. Falling under the system software category, it handles essential tasks like file management, memory handling, process management, and managing peripheral devices such as disk drives, printers, and networking ...

  20. Change User Rights Assignment Security Policy Settings in Windows 10

    1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type secpol.msc into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Local Security Policy. 2 Expand open Local Policies in the left pane of Local Security Policy, and click/tap on User Rights Assignment. (see screenshot below step 3) 3 In the right pane of User Rights Assignment, double click/tap on the policy (ex: "Shut down the system") you want to add users and/or ...

  21. Operating System Assignment: Comparison Between Windows and Unix

    The operating systems Assignment critically analyzes the basic differences between the permissions and models of Windows and UNIX file systems. A file system typically refers to the mechanism of storing and retrieving data on a computer disk. UNIX and Windows operating systems implement their file systems in different ways

  22. Operating System Assignment

    The operating system in batch processing was resident in the memory (Conklin et al., 2015). 2.1. Advantages of the batch operating system. Batch operating system was best suited for tasks that would take a long time maybe a day or a week since processing would continue without human supervision.

  23. UserRights Policy CSP

    This CSP contains some settings that are under development and only applicable for Windows Insider Preview builds. These settings are subject to change and may have dependencies on other features or services in preview. User rights are assigned for user accounts or groups. The name of the policy defines the user right in question, and the ...

  24. Hardware and Software Specifications

    System Requirements. Lumen Global Illumination and Reflections. Software Ray Tracing: Video cards using DirectX 11 with support for Shader Model 5. Hardware Ray Tracing: Windows 10 with DirectX 12 support. Video cards must be NVIDIA RTX-2000 series and higher, or AMD RX-6000 series and higher. Nanite Virtualized Geometry.

  25. Microsoft Update Catalog

    Download. 2024-03 Cumulative Update for Microsoft server operating system version 21H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5037422) Microsoft Server operating system-21H2. Updates. 3/22/2024.