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GCSE Computer Science/Paper 1/Operating Systems

File management

The purpose and functionality of operating systems: File management

1.5.1 Operating Systems

Practise exam questions

Operating Systems — Note 6 of 6

What you need to know

File management involves how data is stored, organised, and retrieved. The OS handles creating, naming, saving, moving, copying, deleting, and organising files into folders, as well as tracking where files are stored on disk.

What to know

  • The OS handles: creating, naming, saving, moving, copying, deleting, and renaming files.
  • Files are organised into folders (directories) for easy navigation.
  • The OS tracks WHERE each file is stored on the disk, ensuring data is saved correctly.
  • Prevents files from accidentally overwriting each other unless specifically instructed.

Key terms

File Management

The operating system's organisation and control of files, including storing, naming, retrieving and deleting them.

Exam technique

  • Tip:File management includes BOTH organising files (creating folders, moving files) AND tracking their physical location on the storage device.

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Practise 1.5.1 questions
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Revise another OCR GCSE topic: Utility software

Operating Systems

Note 6 of 6

  1. 1User interface, Memory management and multitasking, Peripheral management and drivers, User management, File management
  2. 2User interface
  3. 3Memory management and multitasking
  4. 4Peripheral management and drivers
  5. 5User management
  6. 6File management
Topic overview

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