Spooling increases both CPU and printer efficiency. The operating system uses programs called device drivers to communicate with each input and output device. With Plug and Play technology , the operating system recognizes any new devices and assists in their installation. System performance usually is gauged by the user in terms of response time , which is the amount of time from when data is entered until the system responds. To ensure system security, most multiuser operating systems allow each user to have a logon code , a user ID , and a password .
All operating systems contain programs that perform functions related to disk and file management.
These functions include formatting disks, listing files, deleting files, copying files, renaming files, and organizing files. Loading an Operating System L oading an operating system is called booting . The BIOS chip tests the system and then looks for the boot program. The boot program is loaded into memory and begins loading the resident portion of the operating system. The operating system then loads system configuration information.