Multiple choice

The purpose of a swap (or page) file is to

  1. maintain pages of documents that are being spooled to the printer

  2. hold a program's data or instructions in virtual memory when it can't fit in RAM

  3. prevent thrashing in a multitasking environment

  4. allow multiple print jobs to print their pages out simultaneously
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A swap or page file extends virtual memory by holding program data and instructions that don't fit in physical RAM. When RAM is full, the OS moves less-used pages to disk, retrieving them when needed. This prevents crashes when memory demands exceed physical RAM. Option A refers to print spooling, C describes a consequence of insufficient memory, and D is about printer queues.

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