Utilities software is designed to enhance and extend the features that are part of the operating system. Although Windows includes a broad set of utilities, you can purchase other utility packages that enhance the available Windows utilities.
Tip | Many freely available utilities that add simple, useful features to Windows are available on the Internet. |
When a computer is sitting idle, you can set it to have a screen saver run across the screen to provide something interesting to look at. Screen savers were originally intended to prevent screen burn-in caused when the same pixels on a CRT screen were highlighted over a long period of time. LCD monitors don't have this problem, and these days screen savers are simply intended to provide some animated color in the room.
Whether you choose to display photos of your children or grandchildren, or a tranquil setting of swimming fish, screen savers can act like a dynamic image hanging on the wall of your office.
To access available screen savers, including all the screen savers that come with Windows, right-click on the Desktop and select the Screen Saver panel from the Display Properties dialog box. This panel, shown in Figure 32.10, lets you choose the screen saver and how long to wait before the screen saver appears.
Figure 32.10: The Screen Saver panel of the Display Properties dialog box lets you choose which screen saver to use and how long to wait before it appears.
The Settings button lets you configure the selected screen saver, and the Preview button shows the selected screen saver in full screen.
Along with a configured screen saver, you can click the Power button to configure the power saving settings, shown in Figure 32.11.
Figure 32.11: The Power Options Properties dialog box lets you set the monitor and hard disks to turn off after a specified amount of time.
CROSS-REF | You can learn more about the various power saving features in Chapter 17. |
Another common utility that speeds the process of backing up critical files in case of crash is backup software. Backup software can save designated files to an external device, to the network, or directly to a CD-ROM or DVD. By backing up critical data files, you can protect the important data in case of disaster or system crashes.
CROSS-REF | Backing up critical software and data is covered in Chapter 49. |
If you plan on sending files through the Internet, you can take advantage of a file compression utility. These utilities reduce a file's size by compressing the file. The compressed file then needs to be uncompressed using the same software on the recipient's computer, but for transporting files through the Internet, the reduced file size is worth the effort.
There are several different compression formats available, including:
Zip: Zip compressed files are one of the most popular compression formats. You can create zip files using WinZip, located at http://www.winzip.com.
Arc: Arc stands for "archiving" and is another common compression option for older DOS-based systems.
Rar: Rar files are cross-platform and provide a good compression ratio.
Tar: Unix systems use tar files to compress files.
Sit: Macintosh systems use sit files to compress files using the StuffIt application.