In the computer world, there are lots of things and computer stuff that an average user doesn’t know or is just unaware of the fact that it is there in the first place. Some know what they are but some also doesn’t really know what they are or what they do. Take the computer program and the computer process for example. What are they? How do they differ? Which is more important? Are they really necessary in a computer? What’s really the difference between the two and how do they function at all?

Well a computer program, also considered a software program, is a succession of instructions written to perform a specified command or task in a computer. A computer needs programs to function, basically carrying out the programs instructions in the central processor. A computer program has an executable function that the computer can utilize directly to carry out the instructions. Computer programs are often divided into two classifications which are called application programs and system programs. They are stored in a permanent media like the hard drive and then are loaded into the computers RAM to be run by the computers processor. Application programs perform tasks like word processing and the computers database functionality. Application programs are the also the programs that are supposed to access the internet. They are the programs designed to help users do singular or multiple specific tasks. On the other hand, systems programs are the programs created and are designed to operate and control the computer hardware which also provides a platform for the application programs to run. Some of the basic types of system programs are the operating system, the device firmware and the utility software of the computer.

A computer process is the instance of running software or a program. It carries with it the program code and its current activity. A process may consist of multiple threads of execution that simultaneously executes instructions. While a computer program is a dormant collection of instructions, a process is the literal execution of those instructions. Some processes may be related or connected with the same program, like opening up a program several times in an instance means more than just a process is administered. In simpler words, the computer process is the actual running of a program module. Computer programs can be found on the desktop as an application waiting to be run. Computer process, on the other hand, may be viewed by opening up the computers Task Manager and stopping processes on the computer also means that some programs may have difficulty running the next time. The computer is understood to be processing no matter what is run on the computer as long as it is turned on even if it is not properly booted up whether the files or data are actually being updated in the computers database or they are just being displayed on the computers screen.

Now, the computer program and the computer process are very different things but are also both very vital in the computers overall functionality.