Information Technology IT – 2 Hardware and software | e-Consult

Anti-virus software is a crucial utility program designed to protect a computer system from malicious software, commonly known as viruses, worms, Trojans, and ransomware. Its primary functions include:

• Scanning: Anti-virus software regularly scans files, folders, and the system's memory for known malware signatures. This involves comparing file contents against a database of known threats.
• Real-time Protection: It monitors system activity in real-time, intercepting potentially harmful actions like file downloads, email attachments, and website visits.
• Removal/Quarantine: When malware is detected, the software attempts to remove it or, if removal is not possible, quarantines the infected file to prevent it from causing further damage.
• Signature Updates: Anti-virus software relies on regularly updated signature databases to identify new and emerging threats. These updates are typically downloaded automatically.

Anti-virus software contributes to system stability and performance by preventing malware infections, which can lead to data corruption, system crashes, and performance slowdowns. By proactively identifying and removing threats, it helps maintain a secure and reliable computing environment.

Disk defragmentation software reorganizes the files on a hard disk drive (HDD) to improve access times. HDDs store data in non-contiguous sectors, meaning that related files can be scattered across the disk. This fragmentation slows down the read/write process.

• File Reorganization: The software moves fragmented files to contiguous sectors, placing them closer together on the disk.
• Creating Free Space: Defragmentation can consolidate free space on the disk, allowing for more efficient file allocation.
• Optimizing File Access: By reducing fragmentation, defragmentation reduces the time it takes for the hard drive to locate and retrieve files.

Disk defragmentation improves system performance by reducing disk access times. This results in faster boot times, quicker application loading, and improved overall system responsiveness. While less critical for Solid State Drives (SSDs), defragmentation can still be beneficial for maintaining optimal performance on some SSD configurations.