Access Control is primarily designed to:

Access control is primarily designed to place and enforce restrictions on users' actions. It ensures that only authorized users are allowed to access certain data and resources within a system, effectively defining what individuals can or cannot do based on their roles within an organization. This mechanism is crucial for maintaining the security and integrity of the system, as it helps prevent unauthorized access and potential misuse of sensitive information.

By implementing access controls, organizations can enforce policies that specify who has the right to perform specific actions, such as reading, writing, or executing files and applications. This capability not only protects confidential data but also helps secure the overall operating system environment against threats and vulnerabilities.

In contrast, other options focus on different aspects of system management. Controlling the OS functions does not specifically address user actions or permissions, managing hardware is more about resource allocation, and limiting software interaction with hardware focuses on the relationships between the OS and hardware components rather than on user control. Thus, the emphasis of access control on regulating user behavior and permissions is what makes this choice the correct one.