CompTIA ITF+ Practice Test 2025 - Free CompTIA ITF+ Practice Questions and Study Guide

The main function of an operating system is to manage hardware and software resources. An operating system (OS) acts as an intermediary between users and the computer hardware. It is responsible for overseeing and allocating system resources such as the CPU, memory, disk space, and input/output devices. This allows the application software to run efficiently without needing to manage the underlying hardware directly.

The OS handles tasks such as scheduling processes, managing memory allocation, facilitating file operations, and ensuring that hardware components communicate effectively. By managing these resources, the operating system enables various applications to coexist and function without conflicts, optimizing the overall use of system capabilities.

While functions like securing private data, providing internet access, and facilitating network communications are important aspects of computing and can be supported by the operating system, they are not its primary function. These features often depend on the operating system's ability to manage resources effectively.