Host Operating System

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What Does Host Operating System Mean?

A host operating system is the primary operating system (OS) installed on a computer system’s hard drive. In most cases, there is only one host OS. Other OSs, known as virtual OSs, may operate within the host OS.

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Techopedia Explains Host Operating System

When virtual operating systems are required to deal with computer resources in different ways, one or more virtual operating systems are installed within the host operating system, allowing the operating systems to function simultaneously. However, the host operating system must boot first, then the other operating system(s) boots.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.