Final answer:
If the working set window is too small, it will not encompass the entire locality, failing to cover the range of memory addresses the process needs frequently which can lead to excessive page faults and system performance issues known as thrashing.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the working set window is too small, it may lead to certain issues in terms of memory management and efficiency within a computer system. The correct answer to this question is: a) it will not encompass entire locality. In operating systems that use virtual memory, the working set is a concept that refers to the set of pages that a process is currently using. A working set window defines the size of the working set, and if it is too small, it cannot cover the entire locality of reference.
Locality of reference is a pattern where programs tend to use a relatively small, finite set of addresses frequently, and then occasionally make jumps to new localities. The working set should ideally encompass the entire locality to be efficient. If it is too small, the operating system may have to frequently swap pages in and out of physical memory, leading to excessive page faults and can detrimentally affect system performance. This is known as thrashing, and it is a clear indicator of memory problems.