The Kernel Mode
The kernel mode is the part of the operating system that has direct access to both the physical hardware devices and the system data that runs on it. This is the layer that provides access to memory and prioritizes access to system resources like. Therefore its operations are contained in a protected memory area. The kernel mode consists of several components. These are: the hardware abstraction layer (hal.dll); the Windows 2000 and Windows XP Executive; and the Kernel Mode Drivers.