A data processing method and apparatus, where the method comprises an operating system loads a task code to a reserved hardware thread such that the reserved hardware thread executes the task code subsequently after receiving a hardware thread reservation request. Alternatively, in a process in which an operating system loads a task code to a hardware thread for execution, the hardware thread loads the small task code to a reserved hardware thread for execution without a need to create a thread for a task code corresponding to each task when the hardware thread reads a flag of a small task code.