Question:
What happens during a context switch?
What happens during a context switch?
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The key is that the outgoing process's state is stored so it can resume later. Which option mentions saving before switching?
Updated On: Jul 2, 2026
- CPU switches from one process to another after saving the current process states
- The system terminates the currently running process
- A process is moved from Ready to Running state
- The process enters an infinite loop
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: A context switch is how the operating system moves the CPU from running one process to running another.
Step 2: Before leaving the current process, the OS must save its state, its program counter, registers, and other context, into that process's control block so it can resume later exactly where it stopped.
Step 3: The OS then loads the saved state of the next process and hands the CPU to it.
Step 4: Terminating a process, a simple Ready to Running move without saving, or entering a loop do not describe this save-and-restore handover. Only option (A) captures saving the current state and switching. The correct option is (A).
Step 2: Before leaving the current process, the OS must save its state, its program counter, registers, and other context, into that process's control block so it can resume later exactly where it stopped.
Step 3: The OS then loads the saved state of the next process and hands the CPU to it.
Step 4: Terminating a process, a simple Ready to Running move without saving, or entering a loop do not describe this save-and-restore handover. Only option (A) captures saving the current state and switching. The correct option is (A).
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