Utility software is software that supports managing the computer infrastructure including computer hardware, system software and application software. Utility software provides for performing tasks as a system administrator (that is, as a user acting in that role). In contrast, application software provides for performing tasks as an end user.
A utility may be a distinct program, or multiple utilities are implemented in a single program. For example, BusyBox implements many utilities in a single program. Commonly, a utility provides a command-line interface, but some provide a graphical user interface.
Although an operating system (OS) installation usually includes utilities (which are considered part of the OS), users often install additional utilities. The additional utilities may provide a better user experience or additional functionality.
Often, a user must be authorized for elevated privileges to use a utility since it may affect other users of the system.
Taxonomy This section is a taxonomy of kinds of utilities.
System management Antivirus Protects the host system from computer viruses. Clipboard manager Expands clipboard functionality. Computer access control Grants or denies requests for access to system resources. Debugger Provides for programming-level control of program execution including the examination and modification of program data. Diagnostic Determines and reports the operational status of computer hardware and software. For example, a memory tester. Network Analyzes the host system's network connectivity, configures network settings, reports data transfer and log events. Package manager Configures, installs and updates software on the host system. Registry cleaner Removes registry keys that are no longer in use from the Windows Registry. Microsoft does not support the use of registry cleaners. System monitor Monitors resources and performance of the host system. System profiler Reports information about installed software and hardware.
Storage device management Backup Copies data from a storage device for the purpose of recovering from data loss due to events such as disk failure, file corruption or accidental deletion. Disk checker Checks a disk for problems. Disk cloning Duplicates the content of a disk. Disk compression Transparently compress/uncompress the content of a disk, increasing the capacity of the disk. Disk defragmenter Reorganizes the data of each file so that it is stored contiguously. Disk formatter Writes to a disk so that it can be used for a particular format. Can prepare a disk for initial use or erase the entire disk. Disk partitioner Divides an disk into multiple logical drives, each with its own file system which can be mounted by the operating system. Disk space analyzer Visualizes disk space use for each file and directory. Tape initializer Writes a label to a magnetic tape or other magnetic medium.Initializers for DECtape format the tape into blocks. Undelete Supports recovering files that were deleted.
File management Archiver Outputs a stream or a single file when provided with a directory or a set of files. Archive suites may include compression and encryption capabilities. Some archive utilities have a separate un-archive utility for the reverse operation. One nearly universal type of archive file format is the zip file. Cryptographic Encrypts and decrypts streams and files. Data compression Outputs a shorter stream or a smaller file when provided with a stream or file. Data conversion Transforms data from a source file to some other format, such as from a text file to a PDF document. Data recovery Recovers data from corrupted files. Data synchronization Establishes consistency among data from a source to a target data storage and vice versa. Disk cleaner Deletes files that are unnecessary to computer operation, or take up considerable amounts of space. File comparison Reports differences between files. File manager Provides an interface for performing file management tasks such as deleting, renaming, cataloging, moving, copying, merging, setting file access, creating and modifying directories. File synchronization Maintains consistency between two storages for various purposes including redundancy and backup. Revision control Manages revisions of files.
Miscellaneous Data generator Creates a file of test data according to specified patterns. For example, IEBDG. Hex editor Allows for editing the data of a file without regard its format. HTML checker Validates HTML code and checks links. Installation or setup Initializes or configures programs, usually applications programs, for use in a specific computer environment. An uninstaller does the opposite. Macro recorder Permits use of keyboard macros in programs that do not natively support such a feature. Patching Modifies files, especially object programs when program source is unavailable. Screensaver Controls the host monitor with the intention of preventing phosphor burn-in on CRT and plasma monitors. Sort/Merge program Arranges records (usually lines) of a file into a specified sequence.
See also Batch file kdeutils List of DOS commands List of macOS built-in apps List of POSIX commands Shell script Support programs for OS/360 and successors System software
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