1.5.2 Utility software

What is utility software?

• dedicated programs for the maintenance and organisation of a computer system.

• include: encryption software, data compression, defragmentation software, disk clean up tools, disk formatters and antivirus tools

Why is utility software needed?

• performs extra functionality tasks that keep computers running efficiently

What is fragmentation and how does it happen?

• data stored and then later deleted from the hard drive. new files are created - may be bigger than the spaces left by the deleted files - the new files split up and saved in different storage locations on hard drive

• over time, process repeats - leaves limited contiguous space in which to store a file

• increases access time - files take longer to load and read because of the distance between the fragments of the file which the drive head needs to move between

How does defragmentation work?

• files moved

• empty spaces collected together

• file fragments are moved to be stored together

• less time to read and access - data is now stored contiguously. read/write head of the hard drive does not need to move as far to read the next piece of data because it is in the adjacent memory location - less disc accesses needed

• quicker to save new files - more free space together so it does not need to split the file

Why is data compression software needed?

• reduces the amount of storage space needed for a file on a disk

• reduces the amount of data that needs to be be sent - quicker transmission- allows some email attachments to be sent that might otherwise be too large

• more data can be stored on back up media

Why is encryption software needed?

• encrypt entire hard disks so that data cannot be understood if the computer is stolen

• removable storage can also be encrypted for this reason