Software Utilities

Software Utilities improve the performance of computer systems because they help get rid of malware that is slowing down its performance or cleans up the system, removing any unneeded/useless files and items that are stopping the computer system from working efficiently and delivering maximum performance.

Types of malware

Virus – A virus is a type of malware (malware being short for malicious software) which is spread through user action.  Viruses have the ability to self-replicate by infecting other programs and files on your computer. These programs can have many effects ranging from wiping your hard drive, displaying a joke in a small box, or doing nothing at all except to replicate itself.

Worm- A type of malware that has the ability to spread to other people’s computers. They can find information required to do this by entering the user’s files and emailing the contacts found. It can also be done by the worm replicating itself onto other computers using the same network.

Trojan- A Trojan is a type of malware that appears harmless and a useful function but actually contains hidden software.

Antimalware/anti-virus software

Antimalware often called anti-virus software protects machines from threats by identifying them and destroying them. One way that the software detects the malicious matter is by searching for thousands of digital fingerprints which are then looked up in a database of known viruses. If the fingerprint found matches an already identified virus, it is moved to quarantine. However, this method isn’t always successful as the database only holds information of known viruses. In the 1990s, a new type of virus was created – a polymorphic virus. A polymorphic virus changes its signature (i.e. its binary pattern) every time it replicates and infects a new file so it won’t be identified by anti-virus software.  Because of this, new anti-virus software now looks at the actions of potential viruses. How does this utility improve performance? Viruses can cause lots of harm to a computer as it can remove important data, slow down performance or even shut down a computer. Therefore, by having a utility which removes and blocks the harmful viruses, the performance of the computer has less chance of being a virus victim.A computer with security can speed up the performance.

Back-up utilities

Back-up software is a type of computer programme used to perform backups. The use of backups is critical in ensuring that data is safe and secure. The back-up software makes copies of files and databases and stores them in a separate location, in order to be able to restore the files if they were to be lost. An example of a backup program is Symantec System Recovery.

How does this utility improve performance? By being able to restore files, it saves the user lots of time and possible money. Back-up utilities allow the computer to be restored back to how it was a lot easier and quicker.

Compression utilities

Files can be split up amongst the hard drive, taking up space. A compression utility is a computer program that has the ability to compress files in order to save space or transmission time. The utility also has the ability to ‘uncompress’ the data. After being compressed, the data uses around 50% to 90% less space.  WinZip is a popular Windows program that is used to compress files. ‘7-Zip’ is a well-known software used to compress files.

How does this utility improve performance? By compressing data, the computer’s storage capacity will be improved. By having more organised files, it will take less time to access them and also offers more storage space. Once the process is completed, the data is retrieved faster and the space allows future installations to be installed in one place.

Registry cleaners

The registry on a computer is the database that stores all configuration data for the hardware, software and user. Editing the registry can be dangerous and it can break the whole computer system. The registry sometimes gets cluttered with things it doesn’t need which can slow down the computer’s performance. If there are incorrect entries in the registry, it can cause programs to not work as they should. Registry cleaners are used to remove unneeded files and to fix any problems with the registry which can improve the speed of the computer. An example of a program that offers a registry clean is CCleaner. How does this utility improve performance? By removing unneeded files, the computer’s space capacity is removed resulting in a quicker performance. Because the registry database keeps everything organised it means the computer runs more smoothly and improves the performance due to the fact it delete old data that is no longer useful to the user and creates space on the hard drive.

Data Synchronisation

Data synchronisation is where the same data, placed in different locations is synchronised to work together. This can be done with different devices such an iPods, MP3 players and phones and data such as music and photos can be synchronised from one device to another. This process can involve physically plugging in the devices using a USB cable or using a ‘cloud’ service such as iCloud and OneDrive.  Data synchronisation can be done using cloud facilities by transferring data from one device to the cloud and then retrieving it from the cloud from another device. How does this utility improve performance? Data synchronisation gives backup and improves the productivity of the computer.

Disk cleaners

When a file is deleted on a computer, it is automatically sent to the recycle bin where the user has the option to restore it or permanently delete it. This can be beneficial to the user if they accidentally deleted the file and want to get it back. However there are disadvantages of this function. While the file remains in the recycle bin, it is taking up space on the hard drive. Also, if the user deletes the file and it remains in the recycle bin, it may allow others to get hold of the file.  A disk cleaner utility writes over the data so it can no longer be accessed. How does this utility improve performance? By cleaning up the disks on the computer, the speed performance of the computer is improved.

System monitors

A system monitor is a utility designed to inform the user of their computer’s activities. Data such as statistics for CPU, disk, memory, network, system temperature.  Below is a screenshot of a system monitor for Android. The monitor displays information, such as memory available and battery level, using statistics and graphs.

How does this utility improve performance? Because the system monitor displays lots of information about the system, the user can identify where they can improve their computer. For example, if the ‘memory available’ section is showing as very full, users can link this with the speed of the computer to see that the less space capacity, the slower the system. Therefore if the user makes changes to the memory capacity, they will notice on their system monitor that the speed performance of the computer has improved.

Screen savers

Initially, screen savers were introduced to prevent phosphor burn in on CRT monitors. A moving image appears on the screen after a certain time of inactivity. The fact that the image moves stops any still image from being burnt into the screen. Below is an example of a screen saver. The bubbles seen on the screen move around. Screen savers are not really used anymore for the same purpose due to the improvements in technology.

How does this utility improve performance? Some screensavers appear and put the computer system into ‘sleep mode’ which essentially saves energy. When screensavers were used for their original purpose, it prevented still images from being burnt onto the monitor therefore screensavers improved the visual aspect of the system.