What is Thrashing (computer science)?
'''Thrashing''' is when the OS ([[Operating System]]) of a [[computer]] spends most of its time switching [[Paging|pages]] between [[Computer memory|memory]] and the [[disk]]. This seriously hurts the computer's performance.<ref>Nell Dale; John Lewis, ''Computer Science Illuminated'' (Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2016), p. 352</ref> It prevents the computer from performing any useful work. Thrashing can also happen when the [[hard disk]] is attempting to retrieve [[Computer file|files]] scattered all over the disk.<ref>John Daintith; Edmund Wright. ''The Facts on File Dictionary of Computer Science'' (New York: Facts On File, 2006), p. 220</ref> == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Computer science]]