Unit 2: Task 3: P3

Task 3 (P3)

Produce notes explaining the purpose of different software utilities.

The presentation should contain screen shots or images and has to cover:

• security virus protection and/or firewalls
• clean up tools for removal of cookies and/or internet history and/or defragmentation
• drive formatting

The purpose of different software utilities:
Software utilities help allow you to control your programs through different management and controls. They can be applications such as Windows, which will then perform the functions required and control the computers management with things such as the firewall, internet security and drive formatting. 

Security virus protection and firewalls:-

• Firewalls put up a barrier to block out unauthorized  access that may be trying to enter the PC.
• Firewalls help prevent any data leakage, as if hackers have accessed the PC they are unable to withdraw any files or information from the device. 
• Firewalls are capable of blocking traffic to ensure that nothing untoward may enter the network via the web address. 
• Firewalls block out any software that may contain Trojans or that can be harmful to the system in any way.
• Simplistic firewalls block out traffic whereas more complex firewalls look within the network traffic in order to prevent any leakage or unwanted hackers accessing through files. 
• The main role of a firewall software is to prevent any malicious material entering the device, it protects both identity theft and analyses the programs and software that try to connect with the PC.
• Security virus protection is used to protect your PC from any malicious material or programs and prevents it from getting any viruses. 
• It helps allow you to eliminate infection that may be harmful to your device by doing a scan of the system.
• It can quarantine any harmful or infected programs .
• It will scan all files and data on the device checking each individual segment to ensure that any infections are slowing your computer down and that anything is beaching the security on your computer.
• Virus protection will scan any downloads or attachments by running a scan whilst other task can be completed in the mean time.
• Antivirus can control the blocking of pop-ups and when scanned data it will give you an alert so the threat can be removed before it corrupts your computer.
• Antivirus is also against spyware.

Clean up tools for removal of cookies and internet history and defragmentation:-

                                     

• All data that has been accessed on the internet is automatically saved and stored onto your computer. The caches that may be saved can be deleted when deleting all history through the settings on the web browser. 
• Some websites may leak cookies which can be saved so it is best to erase these from your history file or block them all together.
• Internet clean-up utility can clear and remove and dangers that may have stored itself among your files. 
• By performing this it will track and allows you to rid any of your browsing history or saved internet data that would have already been saved on your hard disc. 
• It allows you to erase any cookies that have the availability of tracking your activity if not removed. 
• Defragmentation consolidates data on the hard disc and makes it work more effectively. 
• A disc defragmenter tool rearranges data and it can be run automatically or manually to change settings and monitor what is happening. Example is Windows.

Drive formatting:-

                          

• All data needs formatting before it can be used. It involves configuring the disc using a file system so that the data/information can then be stored onto the system.
• Any new computer that runs Windows has the files already formatted. 
• Formatting will erase any files that had previously existed on the hard drive.
• Storage devices come preformatted so when connected it is not necessary to the format the data and files that are then shared. 
• CD's and DVD's use a different format than removable storage devices. 
• Disk formatting allows you a quick format option where it will create a new file table on the hard drive but will not erase the disc. 
• All software or removable devices must been installed and formatted when connected to the system for example NTFS before software such as Windows can store it on the hard drive/disc.
• Reformatting will erase everything using patricians, all programs and data would then need to be re-installed and personal information and data files would be restored via back up discs and syncing to other devices. 
• System support recovery can restore this data on up to date devices so reformatting and re-installing will then be the final option to recover all deleted files and programs that may be lost.