utility software

• operating systems include programs called utilities. they are not essential for the computer to work but make it easier for the user to perform particular tasks / housekeeping functionality

  • security utilities eg encryption
  • disk organisation utilities that organise your files into folders and tidy up the disk
  • data compression utilities
• encryption software keeps sensitive data safe from unauthorised access and protect backup copies of data kept on offline storage.

  • copies of sensitive info stored on flash memory sticks or laptops could be stolen so encryption ensures it can't be interpreted to those without the key
• defragmentation software

  • files stored on the hard disk in blocks where there is space
  • if u have a big file it might get split up into segments so it can be stored in the available gaps -> not very efficient bc OS has to keep track of where the segments are -> files become fragmented
  • disk defragmenter moves the separate parts of the files around so that they can be stored tgt -> quicker to access
  • also groups all the free disk space tgt so new files can be stored in one place - optimises disk performance
• an SSD does not need to be defragmented because SSDs are designed to access file fragments without delay using flash memory
• 1. before disk i defragmented, the disk contains lots of files, stored all over the disk
  2. a new file has to be saved in 3 different parts of the disk which makes reading the file slower
  3. after defragmenting, the disk will be tidier and a new file can be saved in one place so it speeds up read access
• compression software reduces size of file

  • lossy: photos where some detail is lost but undetectable when viewed on screen
  • lossless: text files where it has to be possible to restore the file exactly
  • zipped / compressed files can be transmitted much quicker over the Internet
  • several files can be into a single zip file and can be transmitted, moved or stored as a single compressed file rather than as several separate files
• backup software

  • a user/hacker may overwrite or delete a file or a hard disk may fail
  • backups are usually made to a high capacity secondary storage device or to the cloud
• System information

  • displays important data about the current state of the computer
  • e.g. temperature, free memory, network speed, % processor used
• Diagnosis

  • attempts to detect / resolve items that are not working correctly
  • e.g. missing drivers, network connection
• defragmentation: The files on the hard disk are moved and the empty spaces are collected together so the files are moved to be stored together so fewer disc accesses are needed