Which of the following is designed to control the operations of a computer?

Question

Which of the following is designed to control the operations of a computer?

1. A. Register
2. B. Application Software
3. C. Utility Software
4. D. System Software (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — System Software

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is System Software.

Key Points

• System software manages and controls a computer's operations and provides the platform on which other programs run.
• The operating system is the principal example, handling memory, processes, files and devices.
• Application software performs user tasks such as word processing, and utility software carries out maintenance jobs like disk cleanup.
• A register is a small hardware storage location inside the CPU, not software at all.

Additional Information

• Software divides into two broad classes:
  • System software — runs and manages the machine: the operating system, device drivers, utilities and language translators
  • Application software — performs tasks for the user: word processors, spreadsheets, browsers, media players
• Utility software (antivirus, disk defragmenter, backup tools) is a subset of system software aimed at maintenance rather than control.
• Firmware sits lower still — software embedded permanently in hardware, such as the BIOS or UEFI that starts the machine.