Adapter card or
expansion card
This
is an electronic circuit board which slots in to the system board slots. The
function of an adapter is to connect peripherals (video, sound, network) to the
system board expanding the functionality of your system. This card can be
referred to as the expansion or interface card.
Active
directory (AD)
This
is a central directory used by windows 2000 containing all information regarding
all items on the network. This directory is continuously updating with the use
of the DNS servers and is shared among the domain controllers on the network.
Access method or Contention method
The
set of rules used by the network in communication. The main access methods are
CSMA/CD, CSMA/CA, Token ring etc.
ADC(Analogue
to Digital Converter)
A
chip used inside modems and sound cards responsible for converting analogue
signal to digital signals to be used by the computer.
AGP
(Accelerated
Graphics
Port
)
This
is a single fast expansion slot on most ATX boards designed exclusively for the
video adapters.
Application
A
software program designed to facilitate a particular task on your computer e.g.
Brower, MS office.
ARP
(Address Resolution Protocol)
ARP
is hardware broadcast table of information generated on each machine in a TCPIP
LAN network containing the system IP address and its physical card hardware
address.
Anti-Virus
program
A program designed to detect and exterminate computer viruses. Examples
of anti virus programs include. Norton anti virus, McAfee, etc.
ASCII
(American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
A
universal standard defining all characters used on a computer with numbers.
AT
commands
A
universal standard of commands designed by Hayes to configure modems.
Attribute
There
are four separate configurable attributes that are read only, Hidden, System,
and Archive used by the FAT filling system of DOS and windows.
AT
and ATX Motherboard
AT
is the older 286 to Pentium motherboard standard. ATX is designed for Pentium II
motherboards and above. AT stands for Advanced Technology and ATX stands for
Advanced Technology extended.
AUTOEXEC.BAT
This
is the batch file automatically loaded during the boot process.
Audio
Codes
A
set of coded messages that your system will sound if it cannot boot-up or show a
visual response.
Authentication
The
login process before accessing the resources of the network.
Backup
To
duplicate your current files to a backup medium, e.g. tape, CD, Zip.
Backward
compatible
The
program or hardware is compatible with the older versions of the same product.
Baud
rate
It
is the number of bits of data transmitted per second
(bps) by modems. e.g. 56Kb/s
BDC
(Backup Domain Controller)
Used
on a Windows NT domain network. The BDC is designed to help the PDC in the
authentication process and sharing the load on the network. There can exist an
unlimited number of BDC’s on a
domain receiving a read only copy of the SAM Security Accounts Manager from the
PDC every 5 minutes.
Binary
The
numbering system used by computer that is dealing with base 2 using the numbers
bits 1 and 0.
BIOS
(Basic Input Output System)
Contains
all the limitations of your computer. The BIOS contains a firmware of the POST,
boot instructions etc.
Bootable
floppy
Contains
boot files that enable the disk to boot up from the floppy. Usually used to
recover a failed system.
Browser
A
program designed to navigate the internet and to translate and view the HTML
coded site pages.
Buffer
A
buffer can be thought of as regions in memory reserved for frequently used data.
The buffer command is used in the config.sys file reducing hard drive
interaction and increasing system performance.
Bus
It
is a group of wires acting as a communication highway connecting the whole
computers together.
Bus
mastering
Devices
that have this feature are intelligent and can take momentary control of the
system busses effectively bypassing the processor when communicating to the
memory.
Bus
Topology
The network layout
where all the computers are connected together on a single backbone cable.
Byte
A
byte contains 8 bits of data which is 1 and 0’s.
Cache
It
is very fast Static RAM used inside the processor L1 and outside the processor
L2.
CD or CD-ROM
CD
or CD-ROM stands for Compact disk that can store up to 700MB of data. CD-ROM
stands for Compact Disk-Read-Only Memory. CD’s are read only and require a
CD-ROM drive to access the data stored on the CD.
CD-R
Allows
for one tome recording on a CD ROM
CD-RW
Allows
for re writing on a re-Writable CD ROM
Celeron
The
Intel processor for the cheaper market. This processor contains less cache.
Chipset
A
standard set by different manufacturers to the system motherboard defining its
properties and limitations. The different chipsets include VIA, Intel, SIS etc
CISC
(Complex Instruction Set Computing)
The
standard processor for IBM compatible PC executing large instructions slowly.
The other processor standard is the RISC processor.
Cluster
The
smallest unit of data storage on a hard drive containing sectors.
CMOS
(Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-conductor)
Contains
all system current setting including time and date. CMOS requires a battery to
hold data.
Cold boot
When
the system is restarted using the power on button.
COM port
Allows
for serial slow communication between the computer and other devices such as the
mouse and modem.
CONFIG.SYS
The
file contains all your current hardware configurable setting such as memory. I
is loaded during the boot process.
Contiguous blocks
A
term used for writing data on a the hard drive which means placing data next to
each other .
Conventional memory
The
region between 0K and 640K used by DOS for running all programs.
CPU
(Central Processing Unit)
This
is the central component of the processor designed for handling all processing
tasks.
CRT
(Cathode Ray Tube)
This
is the tube within a monitor responsible for producing a display.
CSMA/CD(Carrier Sense Multiple
Access with Collision Detection)
The standard access
method used in Ethernet networks such as bus and star topologies.
Cylinder
A
series of tracks placed on each plate inside the hard drive.
Data path
The
quantity of data that the processor can process on each clock beat. The size of
the data path is determined by the processor.
Dedicated lines
This
line requires no dialing because it provides your computer an exclusive route to
the Internet which is up all the time.
DAC
(Digital to analogue Converter)
A
chip used in modem and soundcards to convert the systems digital signals to
analogue data ready for transmission
Default gateway
This
is the route used by your LAN to access the WAN. This is the LAN router.
Defragmentation
Places
related data in contagious block improving hard drive performance.
Device driver
This
is the software which enables the operating system to communicate with a
hardware. E.g. printer, modem.
Device Manager
A
component of the control panel which allow you to view the current system
configuration and change it.
DDR(
Double data rate)
A
special RAM module used un Pentium 4 systems supported by VIA
DHCP
(Dynamic Host Configuration protocol)
Used
by server to allocate a number to all computer in a LAN from a pool of numbers.
DUN
(Dial-up Networking)
This
is software to dial up and facilitate the communication of two computers using
your telephone line and modem. DUN is generally used to access your ISP to
connect to the internet.
DIMM
(Dual In-line Memory Module)
Memory
modules containing many RAM chip. DIMM come in sizes up to 256MB and can
communicate using a 64bits data bus.
DIP
Switch (Dual in-line Packet Switch)
A
switch which is used on system boards and expansion cards to configure the
device.
Disk Quota
A
new feature added to windows 2000 that limits the users disk space usage.
DLL
(dynamic link library)
A
series of simple programs inside windows that
interact with each other activating a larger program.
DMA
Channel (Direct Memory Access)
A
direct line of communication between the interface device and RAM without the
involvement of the CPU. Devices
supporting DMA are generally much faster and expensive.
DNS
(Domain Name System)
The
DNS server contains a database of computer names and IP addresses.
Domain
The
groping of servers and clients in the Microsoft client/server networking
environment containing a centralized Security Accounts Management (SAM).
Dot-matrix printer
A
printer that uses impacting pins to generate the image on the paper. comes in
9pin, 18 pin and 24 pin designs.
DPI
(Dot Per Inch)
A
measure of the resolution of a peripheral which is the number of dots that can
be fitted in to a square inch. Usually used as a measure on printers an
monitors.
DSL
(Digital Serial line)
A
dedicated line which can transmit data at very high rate, now available for home
use.
Dynamic
RAM (DRAM)
The
memory type that requires a refresh pulse and is slower and cheaper then SRAM.
Dynamic Disk
A
new feature added to windows 2000 making the hard drive more secure and
redundant.
DVD
A
new storage medium which can store up to 18 GB of data and is primarily used for
films.
EISA
(Extended Standard Industry Architecture)
The
rival expansion slot to MCA providing 32bit data transfer at 20Mhz.
EMM386.EXE
A
program that simulates expanded memory used in the memory optimization process.
Ethernet
An
environment of communication using the CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access
with Collision Detection) contention/access method within a bus or star
topology.
EMI
(Electro Magnetic Interference)
An
interference created by a magnetic field which can cause data loss on a hard
drive and other problems which is recoverable.
ERD
(Emergency Repair Disk)
A
disk that needs to be created within windows NT/2000 used in the operating
systems recovery.
ESD
(Electro Static Discharge)
A
static discharge which can cause a non recoverable hardware failure.
Extended
Partition
The second
partition created by the hard drive that contains logical drives.
Event
Viewer
A
component within the administrative tools which logs all system information used
by windows NT/2000.
Expansion
slot
The
slots located in the system motherboard acting as a medium between the CPU and
the expansion cards. They include ISA, EISA, MCA, AGP,VESA, and PCI.
ECC
(Error Checking and Correction)
An advanced for of
error checking that can correct errors used in the system memory.
EDO
A fast design of
RAM SIMMs usually used on 486 and Pentium Isystems
FAT
(File Allocation Table)
The
typical filing system used by DOS.
FAT32
The
typical filling system used by windows 98 that is efficient and can extend to
terabytes in size.
Fault
tolerance
An
option made available to recover your system incase of a hardware failure.
FDISK.EXE
This
is a file used in DOS to create and remove partitions.
File
extension
The
3-character extension of a file defines the file type. E.g. exe, bat, dat.
Filename
This
name defines the file and is set by the user.
Firewall
It
is a device which act as a medium between your internal LAN and the internet.
Firewire
It
is the 1394 fast communication for used for transferring video information.
Firmware
A
software installed on a ROM chip, e.g. BIOS
Fiber
Optics
A
new communication medium that uses flexible class to transmit light signals in a
network.
Flash
ROM
A
replacement chip for the ROM that can be overwritten.
Floppy
disk/drive
A
storage medium and drive used primarily for transferring data which can store
1.44MB of data.
Folder
A
container for files and other folder on your storage medium.
FPU
(Floating Point Unit)
These
are special calculations that require a math co-processor.
FTP
(File Transfer Protocol)
A
TCP/IP protocol that is used for transferring files and folders.
GB
Gigabyte.
Equivalent
to 1024MG.
GUI
(Graphical User Interface).
The
intelligent usage of the mouse and display that makes working on computers
intuitive.
Gateways
A
networking device that can overcome networking barriers such as topology and
access method.
Group
A
number of used which perform similar task and require similar security access to
the system can be placed in a group.
Hard
drive
The
primary storage device used to store the system operating system and
application.
Hexadecimal
numbering system
The
base 16 numbering system used by us not to mistake between the one and zero’s
in the binary system.
HMA
(High memory area)
The
first 64 KB above 1M in the memory map.
HIMEM.SYS
The
file that makes the memory above 1M available which are extended memory.
HTML
(Hyper Text Markup Language)
This
is the special language used to generate web pages that can be interpreted by a
browser.
HTTP
(Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)
The
method used to transfer web pages from the internet server to your browser.
HCL
(Hardware Compatibility List)
A
list of hardware tested and support by Microsoft.
Heat
Sink
A
block of metal fin used to cool down the chips within the computer.
Hot
Swappable
A
device that can be installed on the computer without rebooting the system e.g.
USB devices.
Hub
A
device used in the Star topology to connect all the networked computers.
IDE
(Integrated Drive Electronics)
The
standard setup for storage devices which places two drive on one cable. The
first drive is master and the other is the slave.
IEEE (Institute
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers)
A body that
oversees any improvements made in the computing industry.
IIS (Internet
Information Server)
A server used
by windows NT to host a web site.
Instruction set
The
standard instruction set used by CPU. There are two main instruction sets RISC
and CISC.
Interlaced
When
the monitor cannot repaint a screen in one burst but draws it is section which
may apper as flickers.
Internal DOS commands
The
most commonly used commands of DOS inside the Command.com file .
Internal clock
The
speed of the clock in the processor.
Internet
A
worlds larges WAN sometimes referred to as the WEB
Intranet
An
internal web site used within the boundaries of a company for private use only.
I/O Addresses
A
location in memory where data can be transferred between an interface device and
the CPU.
IP
(Internet Protocol)
Provides
an identification number for all the nodes with a TCP/IP network.
IP Address
Sometimes
called the dotted quad, an IP address is a 32-bit address consisting of 4
sections called octets that are separated by dots.
For example: 192.168.122.67
IPX
(Internet work Packet Exchange)
The
communication protocol used by Novell networks
IRQ
(Interrupt ReQuest)
A
unique identification number issued to different devices on a network.
ISA
(Industry Standard Architecture)
An
interface for cards with a 8bit or 16bit communication path.
ISP
(Internet Service Provider)
The
organization providing you with a means of connecting to the internet.
ISDN
A
fast digital communication line used in the Internet.
KB
or K or kilobyte
Defines
1000 bytes of data.
Kernel
The
core component of an operating system
Kerberos
A
new authentication protocol used in windows 2000
L1 or Internal cache
Very
fast SRAM used inside the processor.
L2 or External cache
Very
fast SRAM used external to the CPU
LAN
(Local Area Network)
A
bunch of computer networked together within the same location.
LBA Large Block Access
An
efficient way of utilizing the space on the sectors of the hard drive.
LCD
(Liquid Crystal Display)
The
new expensive technology using a mesh grid and liquid crystal with a display
system. This technology is used predominantly on notebook display because of its
light weight.
Last Known Good Configuration
The
last time the system booted up without any problems.
Legacy
Old
hardware that new systems must accommodate because of backwards compatibility.
LFN (Long File
names)
The
ability of windows 9x to store files with names as long as 255 characters using
VFAT.
LPT
Port
The
25-pin bi-directional parallel communication port usually used for printing
Local profile
The
default desktop profile stored on your local computer.
Mandatory Profile
A
profile that is force by the system administrator for all network users.
MAU (Multistation
Access Unit)
The
Hub used in the ring topology.
MB or megabyte
Equivalent
to 1024 KB
MBR
(Master Boot Record)
The
location on the hard drive which stores the boot files windows 9x.
MCA
(Micro Channel Architecture)
A16/32bit
expansion medium designed by IBM
Megahertz
(MHz)
Defines
1 million Hz frequency which is the unit of measuring processor speed.
Mirror Set (RAID
level 1)
A
redundancy method used by windows NT/2000 that allows for a duplicate drive to
exist of the original drive.
Memory Modules
The
miniature circuit boards that have the memory chips soldered on them.
Member server
The
application server within a windows NT domain.
MEMMAKER
The
program used by DOS to optimize the memory
MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)
The
uniform format of passing data between different applications
Modem
A
device used to communicate on the internet through the telephone line by using
sound.
Modulation
The
conversion process of digital data to analogue data.
Monitor
A
display device connected to the VGA card on your Computer.
Motherboard
The
electronic board on the system where the system CPU and memory is located. This
board is sometimes referred to as the planer board, system board.
Mouse
A
pointing device that is used to maneuver around a GUI environment, which allows
icons to be selected by just clicking on the buttons.
MMC (Microsoft
Management Console)
A
new tool inside windows 2000 that eases administrative tasks.
MSAV
This
is the primitive DOS anti virus program
MSBACKUP
This
is the Microsoft backup program used for backing up data on your computer.
MSCDEX
Provides
a route for to access the CD-ROM drive.
MS-DOS or DOS (Disk Operating
System)
The
first command based operating system produced by Microsoft.
MSDOS.SYS
A
components of the DOS Kernel which controls access to the hard drive.
Multi-tasking
This
environment allows for multiple applications to be active simultaneously.
Multimedia
The
hardware components of your system which contribute the graphical and audio
environment.
Multimeter
A
device used to measure current , voltage and resistance.
NetBEUI
(NetBIOS Extended User Interface)
The
communication protocol used for small networks that is non-routable.
NetBIOS
This
is a communication protocol used on small LANs by applications.
Networking
The
process of connecting two or more computers together by some media (a physical
cable or a wireless connection) running specialized software, which allows the
computers to communicate with each other.
Newsgroup
A
internet feature which act as a bulletin board
Non-interlaced
The
display technology that redraws the screen in one burst.
NTFS
The
new secure filing system used by windows NT/2000
NTLDR
This
is the initial boot file of windows NT
OSI
Model (Open System Interconnection)
Contains
7 layers that provide a framework for communication of dissimilar networking
systems.
Outlook Express
The
Microsoft user tool for creating and view emails.
Over-Clocking
To
increase the system clock speed beyond its design specifications.
Page file
The
use of the hard drive as RAM sometimes referred to as virtual memory.
Page frame
This
is a 64kb region in the UMB used by the device ROM chips called shadow RAM.
Parallel port
A
25 pin female port located at the back of your PC which is usually connected to
a printer.
Parity
A
use of a bit of data for checking 1 bit errors in a byte of data. The are two
forms of parity , odd and even parity.
Partition
A
region defined on the hard dive for placing within.
Path
The
route or map to a directory through the tree structure of directories and sub
directories.
PCI
(Peripheral Component Interconnection)
A
white 32/64bit universal expansion slot used on Pentium and above systems.
PCMCIA
card (Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association)
A
standard of expansion used on laptop and notebook systems which has 3 types,
Type I,II,III.
PDC
(Primary Domain Controller)
The
first server active in a windows NT domain that contains the original editable
Security Accounts Manager (SAM).
Peer-to-peer network
A
LAN environment with no dedicated server. The peer to peer environment of
Microsoft include windows 95/98/NT/2000.
Pentium
The
new line of processors that was produced after the 486 processor. These
processors include Pentium 1àPentium
4.
Peripheral
A
device connected to computers that performs a dedicated task and interacts with
the user. These devices include keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer etc.
PGA (Pin Grid
Array)
A
new standard of chip design which has an array of pins beneath it.
Plug and Play or PnP
Plug
and play is the interaction of computer hardware, operating system, and BIOS
that enables devices to be detected and configured automatically.
POP3 Post Office Protocol
This
is the protocol used to download e-mails through the Internet from an email
server supporting pop3. The client side tools which support pop3 protocol
include Ms outlook, outlook express Eudora etc.
Port
A
communication source on a computer which allows interaction with a peripheral.
Portable
A
Mobile
system such as laptop and notebook computers.
POST
(Power On Self Test)
A
diagnostic program designed to test all system hardware located on the BIOS ROM
chip
Power supply unit PSU
A
device that convert the AC mains power supply to the DC power required by you
computer.
PPP
(Point-to-Point Protocol)
An
internet protocol providing limited security from your home to the ISP
Printer
An
output device producing a copy of the data on paper.
Protected mode
This
mode was introduced for the AT system using memory above 1MB.
Protocols
A
set of communication rules used on a network sometimes referred as the language
of communication.
PWS (Personal Web
Server)
A
Internet server software designed for testing purposes to be used on a client
system.
RAID
(Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
A
technology that involves using multiple disks containing the same information,
which can be used in the recovery of data, incase of a hardware problem.
RAS (Remote
Access Service)
A
method of using a modems to connect to and from a windows NT computer.
RAM
(Random Access Memory)
RAM
is fast memory that can be used as work space. All data is lost from the RAM
when the power is switched off.
RAMBUS
A
new memory design for the P4 processors backed by Intell.
Refresh rate
The
time required to redraw the image on the screen of a monitor. If the refresh
rate is too slow the screen will seem to be flickering.
Rdisk
A
program used in Windows NT to create the ERD
REGEDIT.EXE/REGEDT32.EXE
The
registry editor of windows that can
be used to view and edit the active system registry. Regedit can be used by
windows 95/98/NT/2000. Regedt32 can only be used by windows NT/2000.
Registry checker
A tool used in
windows98 to automatically backup the registry and restore the backed up
registry in case of corruption.
REM
A
command of DOS generally used in a batch file. This command is a remark and
tells the system to ignore the rest of the text on the line.
Resolution
This
is a measure of the quality of an image which is the number of dot that can be
fitted in a square inch.
Ring Topology
A
network of computers connected together in a loop using an MAU (Multi access
unit). This topology employs the token ring access method.
RISC
(Reduced Instruction Set Computing)
This
is a standard processor design that performs small instructions very quickly.
This processor design is generally used by non-IBM compatible systems that are
CISC.
Roaming user profile
The
changeable user profile that exists on the server in a Windows NT domain
ROM
The
information on a ROM chip is burnt in the factory and not lost when the power is
switched off.
Root directory
The
highest level on the directory structure which is the drive letter. C:, D:, E:,
etc
RIS (Remote
installation server)
A
mass installation server which installs only windows professional
SCANDISK
This
program scans the hard drive for bad sectors and either fixes the bad sector or
marks it as bad so that there is no data loss.
SCSI
A
platform universal standard of intelligent peripherals that follow a set group
of rules called the skuzzy rules.
Search engine
A
site on the internet which contains a database of all known internet site making
the users search on the internet far easier.
Sector
A
region that divides your hard drive plates containing data.
Serial port
A
port on the computer responsible for transmitting asynchronous data. These ports
are 9 pin male ports referred to as COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4.
Server
The
server is the computer on network providing centralized access to data and
security.
Shadow
RAM
the
copying of the ROM chips of various installed hardware in the RAM between 640K
and 1024K.
Shortcut
this
is a icon which is linked to a program or file
SIMM
(Single In-line Memory Module)
The
memory module containing RAM chips for the older AT PC’s. there are two types
of SIMMS, 30pin and 72 pin ranging from 1MB to 64MB per module.
Simple Volume
A
new concept in logical storage which is different from partitions.
Sharing
This
is the method of making information available on a network.
Service Pack
A
mini upgrade or a fix to Microsoft product.
SLIP
(Serial Line Internet Protocol)
The
older modem communication protocol.
SMARTDRV
It
is software to improve the performance of your hard drive by utilizing your RAM
SMTP
(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
A
protocol for transferring mail from dissimilar operating systems. Usually used
to send the email from your computer to the email server using outlook express..
SNMP
(Simple Network Management Protocol)
A
TCP/IP protocol for monitoring your network traffic.
Spanned Volume
A
method of extending an simple volume beyond one drive.
SPD Serial Presence Detect
The
method memory modules identifying themselves to the system when installed.
Star
Topology
This
topology uses a hub to connect all the computers on the network. The access
method on this popular topology is CSMA/CD.
Static
RAM (SRAM)
This
is very fast RAM usually used for cache.
Strip
set with parity
A
method of improving storage speed and redundancy by implementing many drives
with identical information.
Subdirectory
This
is a directory within a directory.
Subnet
mask
.This
is a 32bit number that is used by routers to separate that network and host
portions of an TCP/IP address.
Surge
suppressor
This
is a device that is the interface between your computer and the mains and
protects your system against power surges.
Switches
This
is a network segmentation device by using identification number on the network
cards.
Syntax
The
order and format of typing commands.
Sysprep
A
method of mass installation using a third party cloning software.
SYSTEM.DAT
This
is the file that contains the current system registry
TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
The
protocol is the standard protocol of the Internet that was created by the
military. This protocol is a routable which identifies all communicating
computers with a unique 32 bit address and also contains a number of sub
protocols such as HTTP, FTP, SMNP, SMTP, etc.
Task
Manager
A
program that allows us to manage all current active tasks.
Token
ring
This
is a topology, which generates a ring of computers connected together using an
MAU employing the token ring access method.
Topologies
A
physical layout for a network.
Thicknet and Thinnet
Coaxial
medium used in the BUS topology.
TSR
(Terminate Stay Resident)
A
TSR command will remain in memory after it has been activated until the system
is rebooted.
Telnet
A
component of TCP/IP which provides for no graphics bu just commands.
Tracert
A
TCP/IP diagnostic tool used to trace the route of a data packet.
Twisted Pair
The
medium used in the star topology which incorporates twisted pairs of wires.
UART
(Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter)
A
chip that converts the synchronous data on the system to asynchronous data
before the data transmission.
UDP
(User Datagram Protocol)
This
is a TCP/IP protocol that is defined as a connectionless protocol. The protocol
does not guarantee data delivery.
UNC (Universal
Naming Convention)
An
method of linking to a network share by suing the computer name and share name\\computername\sharename.
UMB
(Upper memory block)
The
sub sections of free memory which can be utilized for TSR’s between 640KB and
1024KB.
UPS
(Uninterruptible Power Supply)
This
is a battery pack designed to avoid a system
switch off in a power outage. This power pack allows the system to shut
down gracefully.
URL (universal
Resource locator)
A
method of finding and linking to a web page on the Internet.
USB
(Universal Serial Bus)
This
is a serial communication device designed to communicate with up to 127 USB
devices. These USB devices include scanners, mouse, external storage etc.
User Manager
This
is an option within the administrative tools of windows NT designed to create
users and groups and assign their individual permissions.
User profile
This
is a profile for the user that saves the users personal desktop settings.
USER.DAT
This
file contains the user components of the registry.
VESA (Video
Electronics Systems Association)
A
32bit expansion slot designed by a collaboration of companies.
Virtual memory
The
use of the hard drive as potential RAM
Virus
This
is a program designed to propagate and also cause havoc on a computer.
VSAFE
A
primitive DOS anti virus program which sits in RAM and monitors the system for
intruding viruses.
VPN (virtual
private network)
A network that
uses the Internet as a medium
VGA (Video
Graphics Adapter)
The
adapter used to produce the graphical images on the screen.
WAN
(Wide Are Network)
This
is a network of networks. A WAN separates these LAN’s by routers.
Warm boot
This
is the process of restarting your computer without switching it off. You must
press the Alt+Ctrl+
Del
buttons simultaneously to perform a warm boot.
WDM (Windows
Driver Model)
A
standard for driver compatibility set in windows98/ME/2000
Wildcard
You
can use the * as a wildcard to select multiple files.
Windows Explorer
This
is the Microsoft browser.
WINS
Server (Windows Internet Naming Service)
This
is a server that contains a database of NetBIOS names and IP addresses.
Workgroup model
This
is the peer the peer environment of Microsoft windows environment.
Workstation
This
is the client side machine in a Windows NT environment.
WWW
(World Wide Web)
Another
word for the Internet.
XT
Motherboard (Extended Technology)
The
original IBM design for PC’s which used the 8088 processor and 1MB of RAM
ZIF
Socket (Zero Insertion Force Socket)
This
is a processor socket which makes the installation of the processor easy.
Zone
Bit Recording (LBR)
Enabling
larger hard drive capacity on the same physical size hard drive by placing more
data on the outer sectors.
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