From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Utility software (also known as service program, service routine, tool, or utility routine) is computer software designed to help manage and tune the computer hardware, operating system or application software by performing a single task or a small range of tasks. Some utility software has been integrated into most major operating systems.
[edit] Examples
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- Disk defragmenters can detect computer files whose contents are stored on the hard disk in disjointed fragments, and move the fragments together to increase efficiency.
- Disk checkers can scan the contents of a hard disk to find files or areas that are corrupted in some way, or were not correctly saved, and eliminate them for a more efficiently operating hard drive.
- Disk cleaners 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 partitioners can divide an individual drive into multiple logical drives, each with its own filesystem which can be mounted by the operating system and treated as an individual drive.
- Backup utilities can make a copy of all information stored on a disk, and restore either the entire disk (e.g. in an event of disk failure) or selected files (e.g. in an event of accidental deletion).
- Disk compression utilities can transparently compress/uncompress the contents of a disk, increasing the capacity of the disk.
- File managers provide a convenient method of performing routine data management tasks, such as deleting, renaming, cataloging, uncataloging, moving, copying, merging, generating and modifying data sets.
- Archive utilities output a stream or a single file when provided with a directory or a set of files. Archive utilities, unlike archive suites, usually do not include compression or encryption capabilities. Some archive utilities may even have a separate un-archive utility for the reverse operation.
- System profilers provide detailed information about the software installed and hardware attached to the computer.
- Anti-virus utilities scan for computer viruses.
- Text and Hex/ Editors directly modify the text or data of a file. These files could be data or an actual program.
- Data compression utilities output a shorter stream or a smaller file when provided with a stream or file.
- Cryptographic utilities encrypt and decrypt streams and files.
- Launcher applications provide a convenient access point for application software.
- Registry cleaners clean and optimize the Windows registry by removing old registry keys that are no longer in use.
- Network managers check the computer's network, log events and check data transfer.
