Four Softwares Your Computer Cant Live Without

he choices of software for computers these days -- especially for businesses -- are endless. There is software for virtually any function, specialized or general, that you can think of. The monitoring and protection of a system is of first importance, however, as without such, a system is highly vulnerable and will sooner or later cease to function. There is certain software that your computers simply cannot live without. These are prime examples, and although they are listed in an order, they are of equal importance.

1) System statistics. Without a constant eye to performance and other parameters, you lose control. The operating system has built-in utilities for monitoring performance, and there are third-party solutions available as well. No matter the solutions obtained, it is vital that they be used for load balancing, prioritizing processes and traffic and other factors involved with performance.

2) Anti-Virus. New computer viruses and malware emerge daily, exploiting every possible operating system weakness. Anti-virus developers are constantly updating software for computer protection, and in today's operating environment both companies and individuals cannot function without it; to do otherwise is to leave yourself open to crippling attacks and financial loss. Most modern solutions also address adware and other threats such as worms. A robust anti-virus solution is a must for everyone.

3) Defragmenter. File fragmentation is a fact of life on all computers, and hence a defrag solution is a must. Nowadays, however, the selection of defrag technology is equally important. In today's frantic operating environments, finding times to schedule defrag is near impossible. Additionally, in between the runs that can be scheduled fragmentation continues to build and impact performance. The choice for today's computing is a fully automatic solution that runs invisibly, in the background. With such a solution, fragmentation is never an issue.

4) Firewall. The most significant threat to system security is that of hackers -- and there are hackers that toil day and night to find ways into systems for the purpose of stealing data. Today's firewalls guard against unauthorized access while permitting authorized access and communications, and make it possible to operate safely.

While there is other important software for the protection and stability of your system, the above are probably the most important examples, and the ones that individuals and (most importantly) enterprises cannot live without. It well behooves any system administrator to carefully evaluate the best solutions for their companies to ensure these important aspects are covered.