Effects of System Maintenance Utility Tools

Introduction

This report will discuss how various maintenance utilities can make a computer run faster, more efficiently. These include how the computer can faster by: Removing viruses with a virus scan, running a registry cleaner, making more room on the Hard Drive with the defragmenter, and removing "Bloatware". All of these utilities are used to maintain computer speed, performance and accuracy. Most of them come with a new computer and should be used regularly or when the hard drive is cluttered.

Virus Scan

If the virus scanner discovers a virus and removes it, the effects on the computer after the virus was removed would depend on what the virus was programmed to do to the computer. If the virus had not done much damage to the computer then the effects would be minimal, however, if the virus had been on the computer for a long period of time and done a significant amount of damage then the computer might require a system restore. If the user backed up the files then they would be able to recover them. Virus scanners can be purchased via the internet or the high street, some are free but do not have all the functions and features of the full version. A free version may scan and destroy viruses as where the full version might prevent virus or spyware permanently.

Running a Registry Cleaner

Registry cleaner software eliminates the clutter and junk that builds up in the computer's registry from installing and removing programs, deleting and creating files and browsing the internet, the user can purchase registry cleaner software which if run, results in a fast optimized registry that keeps the computer running properly. Without such tune ups the computer can become sluggish, full of error messages and experience frequent system crashes. The registry stores all the files, applications on the computer need to run smoothly, these files are contained in the registry editor, which should only be used by expert users. Applications stored by the registry include: > Microsoft Office > Disk Defragmenter > Lime wire > Internet Explorer > Windows Media Player

Disk Defragmenter

The defragmenter application on the pc moves the files and compresses them together so the computer has more space to modify, create or delete files on the computer, this will make the computer run faster and more smoothly.

Removing "Bloatware"

"Bloatware" are useless applications and trial software that is preloaded on the computer when it is made, this takes up a lot of Hard Disk space, by deleting it from the Hard Drive, this makes room for the computer so it can run faster and there is more space to install new programs, software, applications, and create, modify and delete files.