Utility software is a kind of system software designed to help analyze, configure, optimize and maintain the computer. A single piece of utility software is usually called a utility or tool.
Utility software should be contrasted with application software, which allows users to do things like creating text documents, playing games, listening to music or surfing the web. Rather than providing these kinds of user-oriented or output-oriented functionality, utility software usually focuses on how the computer infrastructure (including the computer hardware, operating system, application software and data storage) operates. Due to this focus, utilities are often rather technical and targeted at people with an advanced level of computer knowledge.
Utility Suites
Most utilities are highly specialized and designed to perform only a single task or a small range of tasks. However, there are also some utilities suites that combine several features in one piece of software. Buying the package is less expensive than buying the programs separately. These suites provide a variety of utilities, including programs that will protect your system from dangerous program called viruses.
Windows utilities
The windows operating system are accompanied by several utility programs, including:
- Backup and Restore : Makes a copy of all files or selected files that have been saved onto a disk. It helps to protect you from the effect of disk failure.
- Disk Cleanup can find files that are unnecessary to computer operation, or take up considerable amounts of space. Disk cleaner helps the user to decide what to delete when their hard disk is full.
- Disk Defragmented can detect computer files whose contents are broken across several locations on the hard disk, and move the fragments to one location to increase efficiency.
