Dream: Learning Objective

Unit 4 – Software
LO:
o To describe the features of utility software and device
driver.
 Define: Learning Outcomes

Grade 4/5: To identify examples of utility software and explain their primary purposes.

Grade 6/7: To describe the key features and functions of different types of utility software
and how they enhance system performance.

Grade 8/9: To analyze the role of utility software in maintaining a computer system,
compare various utility tools, and evaluate their effectiveness in solving system-related
issues.
Feel: Starter

o What tools or programs do you think are used to keep a computer running smoothly,
like cleaning up files, protecting against viruses, or organizing data? Can you name any
examples?
Feel: Starter
Discover: New learning
2. System Software – Utility Software

❑ Utility programs offered by most computer system software include:

o Virus checkers
o Defragmentation software
o Back-up software
o Screensavers
o Disk contents analysis and repair
o File compression and file management
o Security
Discover: New learning

Virus checkers (anti-virus software):

▪ Any computer system can be subject to a virus

attack.
▪ Operating systems offer virus checkers, but these
must be kept thoroughly up to date and should run
in the background to maintain their ability to guard
against being infected by such malware.
▪ They check software or files before they are run or
loaded on a computer
▪ How to prevent viruses:
• being careful when downloading material from
the internet
• not opening files or websites given in emails
from unknown senders
• not using non-original software
Discover: New learning Anti – Virus Software

o anti-virus software compares a possible virus against a database of known viruses.

o they carry out heuristic checking – this is the checking of software for types of behaviour that could
indicate a possible virus; this is useful if software is infected by a virus not yet on the database.
o any possible files or programs which are infected are put into quarantine which:
• allows the virus to be automatically deleted, or
• allows the user to make the decision about deletion. Sometimes, safe files or programs are
wrongly detected as viruses – this is known as a false positive and is one of the drawbacks of
anti-virus software)
o anti-virus software needs to be kept up to date since new viruses are constantly being discovered
o full system checks need to be carried out once a week, for example, since some viruses lie dormant
and would only be picked up by this full system scan.
Discover: New learning

o Defragmentation software:

Defragmentation software
is a tool designed to
improve the performance
of a computer's hard drive.
 Discover: New learning

File 2 is deleted, and some content is added in file1.

File 3 content is also added. The files are scattered.

Defragmenter software will rearrange the content in sequence.

Discover: New learning
o Back-up software:
Discover: New learning

o Screensavers:
▪ programs that supply moving and still images on the monitor screen after a period of inactivity by the
computer.
▪ used as part of the computer’s security system.
• If a computer is unused for five minutes, this will trigger the screensaver to be loaded. The
computer user will then be automatically logged out and a screensaver will lock the computer.
Discover: New learning

3. System Software - Device drivers:

▪ software that communicate with the operating system and translate data into a format understood by a
hardware peripheral device.

▪ Without device drivers, a hardware device would be unable to work with a computer – a message such as
‘device not recognised’ would appear on the screen.

▪ As soon as a device is plugged into a USB port (for example, a memory stick, printer or camera), the operating
system looks for the appropriate device driver.

▪ All USB device drivers contain a collection of information about devices called descriptors; this allows the USB
bus to ask a newly connected device what it is. Descriptors include vendor id (VID), product id (PID) and
unique serial numbers.
Discover: New learning
Test : AFL

1. Which of the following is an example of utility software?

a) Microsoft Word
b) Disk Cleanup
c) Adobe Photoshop
d) Google Chrome

2. Which of the following is a primary function of utility software?

a) Writing documents
b) Playing video games
c) Managing system resources and maintaining system performance
d) Creating graphic designs
Test : AFL

3. What type of utility software is used to protect a computer from malware?

a) Compression tools
b) Antivirus software
c) Defragmentation tools
d) Backup software

4. Which utility software is used to organize fragmented data on a hard drive to improve system performance?
a) Disk Defragmenter
Answers:
b) File Explorer
c) Task Manager 1. b
2. c
d) Operating System
3. b
4. a
Test : AFL

3. What type of utility software is used to protect a computer from malware?

a) Compression tools
b) Antivirus software
c) Defragmentation tools
d) Backup software

4. Which utility software is used to organize fragmented data on a hard drive to improve system performance?
a) Disk Defragmenter
b) File Explorer
c) Task Manager
d) Operating System
Create: Independent Tasks/Personalisation

Group 4/5
Task 1:

Write a short list of utility software tools you know or use (e.g., antivirus, disk cleanup).
For each, write one sentence describing what it does.

▪ Check answers
with purple pen.

▪ Write PA.

▪ Write WWW,
EBI.
Create: Independent Tasks/Personalisation
Group 6/7

Task 2:

Provide valid reasons to justify the statement, “Utility software is essential for system
maintenance”.

▪ Check answers with

purple pen.

▪ Write PA.

▪ Write WWW, EBI.

Create: Independent Tasks/Personalisation
Group 8/9
Task 3:

▪ Justify the below statements:

1. Disk Cleanup tool improve overall system performance.
2. Data Backup tool is important for data security.

▪ Check answers with

purple pen.

▪ Write PA.

▪ Write WWW, EBI.