Types of Software

Hardware without software is like a new phone with no apps and no operating system: it switches on, but it cannot do anything useful. Software is the set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do. A single piece of software is called a program or an app (short for application).

In this lesson you will learn the three main kinds of software, how software is sold or shared, and why the place you get software from matters for your safety.

The three kinds of software

A simple way to remember: system software works for the computer, application software works for you, and utility software keeps the computer healthy.

System software

The most important system software is the operating system (OS). It starts when you switch on the computer, manages the CPU, RAM and storage, and lets every other app run. Windows 11 is an operating system; so is Android on most phones. You will study operating systems in Operating Systems.

Other system software you rarely see:

• Device drivers: small programs that let Windows talk to one particular piece of hardware, such as a printer model or a graphics card. When a new printer "does not work", a missing driver is often the reason.
• Firmware: software stored on a chip on the motherboard. The firmware on a PC (called UEFI, or BIOS on older machines) wakes up the hardware and then starts the operating system.

Application software

Applications are the programs you open to get work done. Some common groups:

Many applications now also run inside a browser. These are called web apps. Google Docs, Gmail and the free web version of Microsoft Word are web apps: nothing to install, and your files are saved online.

Utility software

Utilities protect and maintain the computer. Windows 11 already includes the most important ones:

• Windows Security with Microsoft Defender Antivirus: scans for harmful software, called malware, and blocks it.
• Storage settings: find and remove junk files (Settings > System > Storage).
• File compression: right-click files and choose Compress to ZIP file to pack them into one smaller file for emailing.

You can check that the built-in antivirus is switched on from Terminal:

Get-MpComputerStatus | Select-Object AntivirusEnabled, RealTimeProtectionEnabled

AntivirusEnabled RealTimeProtectionEnabled
---------------- -------------------------
            True                      True

Both should say True. Real-time protection means files are checked the moment they are opened or downloaded. If you installed another antivirus product, Defender may switch itself off, which is normal because only one should run at a time.

Programs that are running right now

When you open an app, a copy of it is loaded into RAM and becomes a running process. Windows shows them in Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc). This line shows the five processes using the most memory:

Get-Process | Sort-Object WorkingSet64 -Descending | Select-Object -First 5 Name

Name
----
msedge
MsMpEng
explorer
WINWORD
OneDrive

Here msedge is the Edge browser, MsMpEng is the Defender antivirus engine, explorer is File Explorer and the desktop, WINWORD is Microsoft Word and OneDrive is the cloud storage app. Your list will be different.

How software is licensed

A licence is the set of rules for using a piece of software.

Where to get software safely

1. Microsoft Store on Windows, Google Play on Android, the App Store on iPhone. Apps there are checked before they are listed.
2. The maker's official website, typed carefully or reached from a trusted link.
3. Pre-installed apps that came with Windows.

Avoid "free download" sites that wrap a program in their own installer, links sent by strangers, and pop-ups that say "your PC needs this app". Installing & Removing Apps Safely shows the full safe process.

Software itself is written by people in programming languages such as Python or JavaScript. If you become curious about how apps are made, the Python tutorial is a gentle place to start.

Common mistakes

• Calling every program "Windows". Windows is the operating system; Word and Chrome are separate applications that run on it.
• Installing two antivirus programs. They fight each other and slow the computer down. Use one.
• Ignoring driver updates for a new printer. Use the driver from Windows Update or the printer maker's official site.
• Downloading "free" paid software. It is illegal and often carries malware.

Key points

• Software is the instructions that make hardware useful; a program is also called an app.
• System software (the OS, drivers, firmware) runs the computer.
• Application software helps you with tasks; web apps run inside a browser.
• Utility software, such as Microsoft Defender, protects and maintains the computer.
• Get software only from official app stores or the maker's official website.

Get-MpComputerStatus | Select-Object RealTimeProtectionEnabled