Utility Software - Content Flashcards
What is utility software?
It is used to manage system resources. Many utilities are pre-installed as part of the operating system while others can be installed by the user.
What are the three examples of utility softwares?
– Disk utilities
– Network utilities
– Other utilities
What is the purpose of disk utilities?
They are designed to maintain the performance of a computer’s disk drive.
Examples:
– file compressors
– Back up
– disc fragmentation
What do file compressors do?
They compress files to reduce the size and then decompress them later for access
What does the backup do?
Backup utilities allow you to automate the backup process because it can be slow as a manual process
What does a disk defragmenter do?
It re-organises the data for quicker access when the disk drive has become fragmented
What is the purpose of network utilities?
They are designed to maintain good network traffic and keep the network secure
Examples:
– Firewalls
– antivirus
What does a firewall do?
It prevents unauthorised access by monitoring and blocking suspicious traffic
What does antivirus do?
It prevents computers from receiving viruses and detects and removes viruses that have already infected a system
What are other utilities?
They are a range of utilities that do not for under a particular category
Example:
– registry cleaners
– system profilers
What do registry cleaners do?
They are designed for Windows systems to remove old or redundant registry entries to improve system performance.
What do system profilers do?
They display a detailed breakdown of the system and its hardware and software. This helps to decide if it needs upgrading and diagnose problems with the system
