Which term describes software that runs the computer and manages hardware resources?

• A. Software
• B. Operating System (OS)
• C. Utilities
• D. Firmware

Answer: (C)

The operating system is the software that runs the computer and manages hardware resources. It coordinates the CPU, memory, storage, and I/O devices, scheduling tasks, allocating memory, and providing interfaces for applications through system calls and device drivers. This layer creates a stable environment for programs to run and ensures fair use of hardware resources.

Software is a broad term for any program, so it doesn’t specify the component that controls the hardware. Utilities are smaller programs focused on maintenance and system tasks (like disk cleanup or antivirus) and don’t manage overall hardware resources or run the system. Firmware is low-level software embedded in hardware to control its basic operation, but it doesn’t manage all hardware resources or provide the general computing environment that applications rely on.