Understanding TSR: What It Is and How It Works

TSR stands for Terminate and Stay Resident. It is a feature of some computer programs that allows them to continue running in the background even after they have been terminated by the operating system. This can be useful for programs that need to perform long-running tasks or maintain a persistent presence in the system.

When a program with TSR capabilities is terminated, it does not actually exit the system. Instead, it remains resident in memory and continues to run in the background. This can be useful for programs that need to perform tasks that are not time-critical, such as monitoring network activity or performing maintenance tasks.

TSR programs can be either good or malicious. Good examples of TSR programs include antivirus software and system monitoring tools. Malicious examples of TSR programs include malware and adware. These types of programs may use TSR capabilities to remain resident in the system and continue to run even after they have been terminated by the user.