Explain the Function and Purpose of Software Tools

Operating systems include many different software tools that you can use to monitor and maintain a computer. The following sections describe some common tools found in Windows systems.

Performance and Error Correction Tools

The handy System Information tool provides a wide variety of information on a system, including information on the operating system, BIOS, amount of installed memory, and more. It also includes a search feature that allows you to find exactly what you’re looking for. Figure 3-2 shows what this tool looks like in Windows 7 after searching on the word BIOS. You can access this tool from the Accessories, System Tools folder in Windows systems.

Figure 3-2. Viewing the System Information tool

Task Manager is a useful tool you can use to easily see how busy the computer is based on the CPU usage and memory usage. It also allows you to end any program that is locked up or not responding. You can launch the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl-Shift-Esc.

Windows 7 Action Center is a central location to check for alerts and help improve system performance. You can access it via the Control Panel or by clicking the action center icon (a white flag) in the Taskbar notification area. The notification area is at the bottom right of the display, just to the left of the clock by default. When Windows 7 detects different types of problems, it checks with a Microsoft website to determine whether a solution is available. For example, drivers for new graphics cards frequently cause problems such as a system freeze. After Windows recovers, it recognizes the cause and checks for a solution. If a solution is available, an alert appears in the Action Center notifying you what to do.

System Configuration is another valuable tool available in Windows systems. Among other functions, it allows you to view the applications that are configured to start automatically when Windows starts and set applications to no longer start when the computer boots. For example, if a system is taking too long to start, you can use System Configuration to prevent these applications from starting during the system boot. You can launch System Configuration by running the msconfig command on Windows systems. Figure 3-3 shows the System Configuration with the Startup tab selected. You can see that some of the items are checked, so they will start when the system boots; but some items are unchecked, so they won’t start during the boot cycle.

Figure 3-3. Viewing the System Configuration tool

Activity or Event Logging

Windows systems regularly log events into logs; you can view these logs from the Event Viewer. The Event Viewer is normally restricted to users who have administrator permissions and can be accessed via the Administrative Tools menu from the Control Panel. The three primary logs available in the Event Viewer are

• System log. This log contains events logged by Windows system components, such as the failure of a driver or the failure of another system component to load during startup. The operating system determines what events to log.

• Application log. This log contains events logged by applications or programs. For example, an antivirus program might make an entry when it detects and quarantines a virus. Program developers decide which events to log.

• Security log. This log contains security-related events, such as successful and unsuccessful logon attempts. If auditing is enabled, it also logs when users access resources such as creating, opening, or deleting files. Administrators can specify what events are recorded in the security log.

Backup Tools

Some operating systems include backup tools that can be used to back up data. When available, they can help you back up valuable data on your system. If the original data is lost, it can be restored using the backup tool. Windows XP includes Backup, which is available in the Accessories, System Tools menu. Windows Vista and Windows 7 include the Backup and Restore Center.

Disk Cleanup Tools

Disk drives can sometimes develop problems that can slow down a system and even result in the loss of data. However, a few tools are valuable to help in identifying and resolving common problems.

The disk cleanup program can locate and help you remove unnecessary files. You can access it by launching Windows Explorer, right-clicking over a drive, selecting Properties, and selecting Disk Cleanup. This program identifies any files that can be removed, such as downloaded program files, temporary Internet files, the Recycle Bin, and more. It also lets you know how much disk space you can reclaim by using the tool.

When disks are heavily used, it’s possible for a large number of files to become fragmented. Instead of a file being stored in a single location on the hard drive, it is divided and stored in multiple locations on the hard drive. When the file is opened, all the fragments need to be retrieved and put together. When too many files on a disk are fragmented, you may notice that the hard drive LED light is always blinking, you can often hear the drive’s head moving back and forth, and the system is much slower than normal. Windows systems include a Disk Defragmenter that you can use to analyze a disk for fragmentation and defrag fragmented disks. A command-line tool called defrag performs the same functions as the Disk Defragmenter.

Chkdsk is a command-line tool you can use to check the integrity of a disk. It is commonly run by itself or with the /f or /r switches as follows:

• chkdsk. This command checks the disk and reports any errors it finds, but it doesn’t correct any errors.

• chkdsk /f. The /f switch fixes any errors it finds on the disk.

• chkdsk /r. The /r switch locates and fixes errors and also recovers any readable information it can.

You can launch the Check Disk tool from within Windows Explorer to provide the same functionality as chkdsk. To access it, start Windows Explorer, right-click the disk, and select Properties. Select the Tools tab, click Check Now, and you see something similar to Figure 3-4. The Automatically fix file system errors selection works the same as the /f switch with chkdsk. The Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors selection works the same as the /r switch.

Figure 3-4. Running Check Disk from Windows Explorer

File Compression Tools

File compression tools compact files to reduce their size. A compressed file takes up less space on a hard drive and doesn’t take as long to transfer over a network. Compressing files is useful when attaching a file to an email, downloading files from a website, or storing files on a system.

A popular file compression format is ZIP. Many third-party applications support the ZIP format, and some file systems also natively support it. For example, in Windows 7, you can right-click over a file or folder within Windows Explorer and select Send To, Compressed (zipped) folder. This creates a compressed file with the .zip extension.

Any system that uses the Microsoft New Technology File System (NTFS) can also compress individual files, folders, or even entire disk drives. However, these files do not remain compressed if they are sent over the network. File systems that use FAT or FAT32 do not support advanced capabilities such as file compression or encryption.

Figure 3-5 shows Windows Explorer being used to compress a folder named StrataITStudyNotes. You can easily identify files compressed with NTFS because the filename changes to blue in Window Explorer. Filenames within Windows Explorer are normally black; the names change to green when they are encrypted.

Figure 3-5. Compressing a folder with NTFS

It’s important to realize that compressed files require extra processing time to uncompress when they are opened and recompress when they are saved. Compressing archived files is acceptable, but it is not advisable to compress files that are used frequently.