Difference Between Program and Process in Operating System

Program Vs Process in Operating System

Difference Between Program and Process in Operating System

Program

  • program is a system activity that uses a set of instructions to perform a designated task.
  • It is considered a passive entity as it resides on secondary memory.
  • The resource requirement is less as it only requires memory for storage.
  • The program performs tasks that are directly related to the operations of a user.

For example, notepad.exe is an executable file having a set of instructions that helps users to print and edit text files. When the user executes the program, it converts into the process.

Process

  • A process is an executing instance of a program.
  • In other words, the process is a program in execution
  • A process is entirely dependent on the program
  • It is considered an active entity as it resides on the primary memory. (RAM)
  • It requires resources like processing, memory address, CPU, input and output resources to perform the task.

For example, a user can run multiple instances of Microsoft Word program.

Difference between Program and Process in Operating System

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