Systems and Applications Software
Utilities and File Management
Utilities
Examples of utilities include:
- File converters - used to save files in different formats. For example, a file created using word-processing software could be saved as a text file (.txt) or a web page.
- Virus scanners - used to scan the memory and hard drives for viruses.
- Security and accounting - used to check user ID's and passwords to keep a record of network activity.
File Management Software
Peripheral Drivers
All peripheral devices which are attached to computers need software to make them work properly. For example, a printer may not be able to print envelopes if the printer driver has not been installed. Here are some things which peripheral drivers do; enable the peripheral device to work with other applications and operating systems software, produce error messages such as printer not read, tell the computer what the printer is and what it is capable of doing.
Printer drivers are slightly different because there are many different types of them. Different makes and models of printer communicate with the operating system and application software slightly differently. This means that printer drivers are needed to convert the instructions from the applications software into a form that the printer can understand and use. There are many drivers included as part of the operating system and if you attach a new printer to a computer then the operating system will search for the driver it needs. This is called plug and play.