Chapter 5 Types of Utility Programs and Operating Systems
September 15,2016. Thursday

System Software 
•System software consists of the programs that control or maintain the operations of the computer and its devices 
-Operating systems 
-Utility Programs

Operating Systems 
•An operating system(OS) is a set of programs containing instructions that work together to coordinate all the activities among computer hardware resources 
-Start and shut down a computer 
-Provide a user interface 
-Manage programs 
-Manage memory 
-Coordinate tasks
-Configure devices
-Establish an internet connection 
-Monitor performance 
-Provide utilities
-Automatically update 
-Control a network 
-Administer security

Operating System Functions
•The process of starting or restarting a computer is called booting
-Cold boot 
  •Turning on a computer that has been powered off completely.
-Warm boot 
  •Using the operating system to restart a computer.

•A boot drive is the drive from which your computer starts 
 -You can boot from a boot disk 
 -A recovery disk contains a few system files that will start the           computer 
•An operating system includes various shut down options 
-Sleep mode saves any open documents and programs to RAM, turns   off all unneeded functions, and then places the computer in a low-     power state.
-Hibernate saves any open documents and programs to a hard disk       before removing power from the computer.
•A user interface controls how you enter data and how information is  displayed on the screen.
•With a graphical user interface(GUI), you interact with menus and  visual images.

•With a command-line interface, a user uses the keyboard to enter  data and instructions.

•How an operating system handles programs directly affects your  productivity.
 -Single user and multiuser 
 -Single tasking and multitasking 
 -Foreground and background
 -Preemptive multitasking 
 -Mutiprocessing

•Memory management optimizes the use of RAM.
•Virtual memory is a portion of a storage medium functioning as additional RAM.
•How a computer might use virtual memory 

•The operating system determines the order in which tasks are  processed.

•A driver is a small program that tells the operating system ow to  communicate with a specific device.
•Plug and play automatically configures new devices as you install  them.
•Operating system typically provide a means to establish internet  connections.

•A performance monitor is a program that assesses and reports  information about various computer resources and devices.

•Operating systems often provide user with the capability of:
-Managing files 
-Searching for files
-Viewing images 
-Securing a computer
-Uninstalling programs
-Cleaning up disks
-Defragmenting disks 
-Diagnosing problems 
-Backing up files and disks 
-Setting up screen savers 
•Automatic update automatically provides updates to the program.

•Some operating systems are designed to work with a server on a  network.
•A network administrator uses the server operating system to
 -Add and remove users, computers, and other devices.
 -Install software and administer network security.
•Each user has a user account 
 -A user name, or user ID, identifies a specific user.
 -A password is a private combination of characters associated with       the user name.

Types of Operating Systems 

Stand-Alone Operating Systems
•A stand-alone operating system is a complete operating system that works on a desktop computer, notebook computer, or mobile computing device:
-Windows 10 
-Mac OS X
-UNIX
-Linux
•Windows 10 is microsoft's fastest, most efficient operating system to date and is available in multiple editions:
-Windows 10 starter 
-Windows 10 Home Premium
-Windows 10 Ultimate 
-Windows 10 Professional 
•Windows 10 provides programs such as:
-Windows Firewall
-Windows DVD maker
-Windows media player
-Desktop Gadget gallery

•The Macintosh operating system has set the standard for operating  system ease of use. 
•Latest version is Mac OS X

•UNIX is a multitasking operating system developed in the early 1970s.
•Linux is an open-source, popular, multitasking UNIX-type operating  system. 

Server Operating Systems
 -Windows Server 2008 
 -UNIX 
 -Linux
 -Solaris 
 -NetWare
•Windows Server 2008 is an upgrade to Windows Server 2003.
 -Part of the Windows Server 2008 family 
 -Multiple editions
•Most editions include Hyper-V, a virtualization technology
-Virtualization is the practice of sharing or pooling computing  resources.
•An embedded operating system resides on a ROM chip on a mobile device or consumer electronic device:
-Windows Embedded CE
-Windows Phone 7
-Palm OS
-iPhone OS
-BlackBerry
-Google Android 
-Embedded Linux 
-Symbian OS

Embedded Operating Systems 

Utility Programs 
•A utility program is a type of system software that allows a user to perform maintenance-type tasks.

•A file manager is a utility that performs functions related to file management:
-Displaying a list of files 
-Organizing files in folders 
-Copying, renaming, deleting, moving, and sorting files and folders 
-Creating shortcuts

•A search utility is a program that attempts to locate a file on your  computer based on cirteria you specify.
•An image viewer allows users to display, copy, and print the  contents  of a graphics file.
•An uninstaller removes a program, as well as any associated entries  in the system files.
•A disk cleanup utility searches for and removes unnecessary files.
-Downloaded program files 
-Temporary lnternet files 
-Deleted files 
-Unused program files
•A disk defragmenter reorganizes the files and unused spaca on a computer's hard disk so that the operating system accesses data more quickly and programs run faster
-Defragmenting  

•A backup utility allows users to copy files to another storage medium 
•A restore utility reverses the process and returns backed up files to  their original form.
•A screen saver sauses a display device's screen to show a moving  image or blank screen if no activity occurs for a specified time
•A personal firewall detects and protects a personal computer from  unauthorized intrusions.

•Filters are programs that remove or block certain items from being  displayed:
 -Web filtering software 
 -Anti-spam programs
 -Phishing filters 
 -Pop-up blockers
•A file compression utility shrinks the size of a file(s)
 1.Compressing files frees up room on the storage media 
 2.Two types of compression 
         -Lossy
     -Lossless

•Compressed files sometimes are called zipped files 
 -Can be uncompressed
•A media player allows you to view images and animation, listen to  audio, and watch video files on your computer

•Disc burning software 
-writes text, graphics, audio, and video files on a recordable or rewritable optical disc.
•A personal computer maintenance utility identifies and fixes operating system problems, detects and repairs disk problems, and includes the capability of improving a computer's performance.