Computer Knowledge

Computer File Systems

1,249 Questions

Computer file systems dictate how data is stored, organized, and retrieved on storage devices. Important concepts include file allocation tables, access mechanisms, and various formats like sequential and video files. Candidates preparing for banking and government exams should practice these fundamentals thoroughly.

File access mechanismsVideo and password filesFile extensionsFile allocation tableSystem metadata

Computer File Systems Questions

Multiple choice

Which among these are used to store the data permanently?

  1. Structures

  2. Arrays

  3. Variables

  4. Files
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Files are used for permanent storage of data in computer systems. While variables, arrays, and structures store data temporarily in RAM (volatile memory), files store data on secondary storage devices (hard disks, SSDs) which retain data even when power is turned off (non-volatile). This makes files suitable for long-term data persistence.

Multiple choice

I/O stream can be _______

  1. a text stream

  2. a binary stream

  3. both 1 and 2

  4. an I/O operation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In C and many programming languages, I/O streams can be configured as either text streams (performing newline translation and other text-specific processing) or binary streams (performing no such transformations, reading/writing raw bytes). The distinction is fundamental to file I/O operations.

Multiple choice

___________file is the output of a linker.

  1. .c

  2. .h

  3. .obj

  4. .exe
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The linker takes object files (.obj or .o) produced by compilers and combines them into a single executable file (.exe on Windows, no extension on Unix). It resolves external references between object files and assigns final memory addresses. The linker produces the final executable that can be run directly.

Multiple choice

File name can have ................ characters

  1. 8

  2. 255

  3. Any number of characters

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Traditional DOS uses the 8.3 file naming convention - up to 8 characters for the filename and exactly 3 characters for the extension. This limitation was a defining characteristic of DOS file systems. Modern systems support longer filenames.

Multiple choice

To display files with at least 3 characters and B at 2nd location in there name, we use

  1. Dir ?B*.*

  2. Dir?B?.

  3. Dir*B*.*

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The pattern '?B?.' matches files with at least 3 characters where the second character is 'B'. The first '?' matches any single character at position 1, 'B' matches position 2, the second '?' ensures position 3 exists (making it at least 3 chars), and '*' matches any remaining characters.

Multiple choice

Which of the following filename extensions suggests that the file is a backup copy of another file?

  1. TXT

  2. COM

  3. BAS

  4. BAK
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The .BAK extension is the standard convention for backup files in many operating systems, particularly DOS and Windows. When you save a backup copy, programs often append .BAK to preserve the original. TXT is for text files, COM for executable commands, and BAS for BASIC program source code - none of these indicate backup status.