Where is the operating system stored in a computer?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the location of the operating system within a computer. Typically, the operating system is stored on the computer's hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD), from where it is loaded into the RAM when the computer is started up.
Answer
On the hard disk
The operating system is stored on the hard disk.
Answer for screen readers
The operating system is stored on the hard disk.
More Information
The operating system is mainly stored on the hard disk to maintain non-volatility, meaning it doesn't lose the data when the computer is turned off. When the computer starts, the OS is loaded into RAM for faster access by the CPU.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse the location of the operating system with where it's executed. Although stored on the hard disk, it's executed from RAM.
Sources
- Where does the operating system reside on the computer? - atera.com
- Where on a computer is the operating system generally stored - medium.com
- How OS is stored on computer - Engineers Garage - engineersgarage.com
