The Purpose & Functionality of Utility Software (Edexcel GCSE Computer Science)

Utility Software

What is utility software?

• Utility software is a collection of tools designed to help maintain a computer system

• Utility software is designed to perform a limited number of tasks

• Utility software interacts with the computers hardware, for example, secondary storage devices

• Some utility software comes installed with the operating system

• Examples of utility software and their function are:

  • File repair

  • Backup

  • Data compression

  • Disk defragmentation

  • Anti-malware

File Repair

What is file repair software?

• File repair software is used to restore files to their original state in the event of a file becoming:

  • Damaged

  • Corrupt

• Circumstances that can lead to a file needing repair include:

  • Power outages

  • System crashes

  • Errors during saving or transferring

• File repair can be built in to many applications or come as a standalone application bundled with an operating system

Backup

What is backup software?

• Backup software is used to create copies of personal data in order to keep it safe in the event of:

  • Accidental loss

  • Data theft

• Backups can be automated and scheduled to happen at less busy periods of the day, to not take up valuable system resources (e.g. overnight etc.)

• Backups can be made in two ways:

  • Full - all files are backed up (saftest, slow)

  • Incremental - only files that have been added/modified since the last backup are backed up (faster, less secure)

• Backups can be stored locally (secondary storage) or remotely (cloud)

• Backup software can be purchased or come as a standalone application bundled with an operating system

Data Compression

What is data compression software?

• Data compression software reduces the amount of secondary storage required by performing an algorithm on the original data

• Compressed data can be transferred in less time

• Lossy compression physically removes data from the original data to reduce its size, the original file can not be re-created

• Lossless compression uses mathematics to order data more efficiently reducing its size, the original files can be re-created as no data is lost

Disk Defragmentation

What is disk defragmentation software?

• Disk defragmentation software groups fragmented files back together in order to improve access speed

• As programs and data are added to a new hard disk drive, it is added in order, over time as files are deleted this leaves gaps

• As programs and data are added over time, these gaps get filled and data becomes fragmented

• Defragmentation can only be used on magnetic storage

  

Anti-Malware

What is anti-malware software?

• Anti-malware software is a term used to describe a combination of different software to prevent computers from being susceptible to viruses and other malicious software

• The different software anti-malware includes are

  • Anti-virus 

  • Anti-spam 

  • Anti-spyware 

How does anti-malware work?

• Anti-malware scans through email attachments, websites and downloaded files to search for issues

• Two ways anti malware can approach the task are:

  • Use a list of known unique malware fingerprints (signatures) to block immediately if they try to access your device in any way

  • Monitor the behaviour of programs to identify suspicious activities that might indicate malware such as;

    • Rapid deletion/modification of files

    • Attempts to access sensitive data/resources

    • Communicating with known malicious servers

• Anti-malware will also perform checks for updates to ensure the database of signatures is up to date