System Software

What is system software?

System software is a type of computer program that is designed to run a computer's hardware and application programs. If we think of the computer system as a layered model, the system software is the interface between the hardware and user applications. The operating system is the best-known example of system software. The OS manages all the other programs in a computer.

System software is used to manage the computer itself. It runs in the background, maintaining the computer's basic functions so users can run higher-level application software to perform certain tasks. Essentially, system software provides a platform for application software to be run on top of.

System software generally includes the following features:

• High speed
• Hard to manipulate
• Versatile
• Close to the system
• Written in a low level computer language

System software manages the computer's basic functions, including the disk operating system, file management utility software and operating systems.

Other examples of system software include the following:

• The BIOS (basic input/output system) gets the computer system started after it's turned on and manages the data flow between the OS and attached devices, such as the hard drive, video adapter, keyboard, mouse and printer.
• The boot program loads the OS into the computer's main memory or random access memory (RAM).
• An assembler takes basic computer instructions and converts them into a pattern of bits that the computer's processor can use to perform its basic operations.
• A device driver controls a particular type of device that is attached to your computer, such as a keyboard or mouse. The driver program converts the more general I/O instructions of the OS to messages that the device type can understand.

Additionally, system software can also include system utilities, such as the disk defragmenter and System Restore, and development tools, such as compilers and debuggers.

‍