The windows system provides the foundation for computer users to view files, store information, run programs, play games, watch videos and connect to the internet. It is available in different editions for home and professional computing.
Modern window systems encourage event driven programming. This is in contrast to X where most of the work is done at the machine code level.
Architecture
The Windows system architecture includes the kernel, the hardware abstraction layer and user-mode components. It is designed to allow the kernel to interact with hardware devices in a consistent manner regardless of their manufacturer.
The kernel handles input and output functions, including the creation and destruction of processes and threads. It also provides a mechanism for user-mode applications to access kernel-mode routines. It does this by implementing the concept of Job objects, which are groups of processes that can be shared with other Jobs within a session.
The Hardware Abstraction Layer, or HAL, serves as an abstraction between the hardware and the kernel. It allows the kernel to remain independent of the hardware type and model, allowing for a consistent platform for application development. It does this by handling hardware-specific code, such as that for I/O interfaces and interrupt controllers. It also manages memory management and paging, as well as parsing PE executables. It also implements a software virtual memory scheme that allows applications to run larger than available physical memory.
Hardware
Identifying the hardware used in a Windows computer can help troubleshoot problems or determine whether a computer meets system requirements for a program. Windows offers several ways to check hardware specifications, including its System Information tool. Other options include the command prompt and dxdiag, a free tool for diagnosing video and audio problems.
The hardware used in the windows system is essential for running many applications on a PC. For example, graphics software requires a high-quality graphics card and plenty of memory. Windows also has a wide variety of hardware-compatible drivers for USB and other devices, making it easy to install a variety of hardware components on a PC.
The Windows operating system was the first GUI-based OS for IBM-compatible PCs, and it soon dominated the market. Today, approximately 90 percent of PCs run the Windows OS. The Windows OS also features a robust security system to protect the PC from viruses and malware. Its file management system is a popular choice for users who want to keep their files organized.
Subsystem
Windows system subsystems are vital components that allow user mode applications to interact with the Windows kernel and other system components. The windows system subsystems are also responsible for interpreting interrupts from the input devices and mapping them into events, structures that contain not only the event itself but related information such as the coordinates of the cursor or other context data.
In addition to minimizing windows, window systems must support other operations that users may wish to perform on the display such as copying content between one window and another (for example cut and paste). To accomplish this, the window system must implement a set of functions that transfer a bit block from one memory location to another. In MS Windows, these functions are called BitBlt() and in X these are known as XCopyArea().
For many people, especially developers, a WSL instance provides a valuable way to streamline their workflows by allowing them to use familiar Linux tools and advanced development languages in Windows environments. This allows them to achieve more with less time and effort and can make a real difference to their productivity.
Kernel-Mode Drivers
A kernel-mode driver runs with the highest level of privileges on the processor, enabling it to access low level hardware bits and provide system services like interrupt handling. Badly written drivers can cause severe damage to the operating system (as indicated by the Blue Screen of Death).
All code running in kernel mode shares a single virtual address space with the rest of the operating system. If a kernel-mode driver mistakenly writes to the wrong virtual address, it could compromise data belonging to the operating system or other drivers.
To reduce the burden of developing and testing drivers, Microsoft introduced a framework called the Windows Driver Frameworks (WDF). The WDF includes KMDF and UMDF, a kernel-mode driver that allows users to sign drivers and use them without modifying the underlying operating system. The WDF is also able to prevent driver crashes by preventing user mode programs from accessing the hardware resources used by kernel-mode drivers.