What is a primary function of the operating system in a computer system?

The primary function of an operating system (OS) is to manage hardware and software resources within a computer system. This involves coordinating how different software applications use the hardware—such as the CPU, memory, storage, and input/output devices—ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively. The OS acts as an intermediary between users and the computer hardware, allowing users to interact with the system through user interfaces, while it handles the complex tasks required to keep everything running smoothly.

Effective resource management includes tasks like multitasking, where the OS allows multiple applications to run simultaneously while managing memory allocation and scheduling processes. This helps ensure that each application receives the necessary resources without interfering with each other.

While other options may represent important functions or features that can be provided by an operating system or additional software, they do not encapsulate the primary responsibility of an OS in terms of overall system management. For instance, improving gaming performance can be influenced by an OS but is not its main job; enabling internet connectivity is often a feature of the OS but depends on various other components too; and virus protection typically requires additional security software.