| A | B |
|---|
| The file name extension for files that contain device information or scripts to control hardware operations. | .inf |
| Describes the window or icon that you are currently using or that is currently selected. The operating system always applies the next keystroke or command you choose to the active window. Windows or icons on the desktop that are not selected are inactive. | Active |
| For Windows XP Professional, a person responsible for setting up and managing domain controllers or local computers and their user and group accounts, assigning passwords and permissions, and helping users with networking problems. Administrators are members of the Administrators group and have full control over the domain or computer. | Administrator |
| For files, information that indicates whether a file is read-only, hidden, ready for archiving (backing up), compressed, or encrypted, and whether the file contents should be indexed for fast file searching. | Attribute |
| The screen background image used on a graphical user interface such as Windows. Any pattern or picture that can be stored as a bitmap (.bmp) file can be set as a screen background. | Background |
| A program that runs while the user is working on another task. The computer's microprocessor assigns fewer resources to background programs than foreground programs. | background program |
| The smallest unit of information handled by a computer. One bit expresses a 1 or a 0 in a binary numeral, or a true or false logical condition. A group of 8 bits makes up a byte, which can represent many types of information, such as a letter of the alphabet, a decimal digit, or other character. Bit is also called binary digit. | bit (binary digit) |
| The number of bits transmitted every second, used as a measure of the speed at which a device, such as a modem, can transfer data. | bits per second (bps) |
| The process of starting or resetting a computer. When first turned on (cold boot) or reset (warm boot), the computer runs the software that loads and starts the computer's operating system, which prepares it for use. | Boot |
| The system files needed to start Windows. The boot files include Ntldr and Ntdetect.com. | boot files |
| Software that interprets the markup of files in HTML, formats them into Web pages, and displays them to the end user. Some browsers also permit end users to send and receive e-mail, read newsgroups, and play sound or video files embedded in Web documents. | Browser |
| A unit of data that typically holds a single character, such as a letter, a digit, or a punctuation mark. Some single characters can take up more than one byte. | Bytes |
| Recordable compact disc. Data can be copied to the CD on more than one occasion; however, data cannot be erased from the CD. | CD-R |
| Rewritable compact disc. Data can be copied to the CD on more than one occasion and can be erased. | CD-RW |
| An object that resides in another object. A child object implies relation. For example, a file is a child object that resides in a folder, which is the parent object. | child object |
| To turn off an option by removing the X or check mark from a check box. You clear a check box by clicking it, or by selecting it and then pressing the SPACEBAR. | Clear |
| Any computer or program connecting to, or requesting the services of, another computer or program. Client can also refer to the software that enables the computer or program to establish the connection. For a local area network (LAN) or the Internet, a computer that uses shared network resources provided by another computer (called a server). | Client |
| A Windows-based application that can display and store linked or embedded objects. For distributed applications, the application that imitates a request to a server application. | client application |
| A window displayed on the desktop used to interface with the MS-DOS operating system. MS-DOS commands are typed at an entry point identified by a blinking cursor. | command prompt window |
| A port on a computer that allows asynchronous communication of one byte at a time. A communication port is also called a serial port. | communication port |
| A specific type of semiconductor technology that requires very little power. The term has been popularized to mean a small storage area where your system keeps track of certain hardware parameters, such as the size of your hard disk, the number of serial ports your computer has, etc. CMOS is also called Setup RAM. | Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) |
| A user who manages a computer. The computer administrator makes system-wide changes to the computer, including installing programs and accessing all files on the computer, and can create, change and delete the accounts of other users. | computer administrator |
| An object that can logically contain other objects. For example, a folder is a container object. | container object |
| In some dialog boxes, the command button that is selected or highlighted when the dialog box is initially displayed. The default button has a bold border, indicating that it will be chosen automatically if you press ENTER. You can override a default button by clicking Cancel or another command button. | default button |
| The printer to which a computer sends documents if you select the Print command without first specifying which printer you want to use with a program. You can have only one default printer; it should be the printer you use most often. | default printer |
| The process of rewriting parts of a file to contiguous sectors on a hard disk to increase the speed of access and retrieval. When files are updated, the computer tends to save these updates on the largest continuous space on the hard disk, which is often on a different sector than the other parts of the file. When files are thus fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk each time the file is opened to find all of the file's parts, which slows down response time. | Defragmentation |
| The on-screen work area on which windows, icons, menus, and dialog boxes appear. | Desktop |
| A design that appears across your desktop. You can create your own pattern or select a pattern provided by Windows. | desktop pattern |
| Any piece of equipment that can be attached to a network or computer; for example, a computer, printer, joystick, adapter, or modem card, or any other peripheral equipment. Devices normally require a device driver to function with Windows. | Device |
| A program that allows a specific device, such as a modem, network adapter, or printer, to communicate with the operating system. Although a device might be installed on your system, Windows cannot use the device until you have installed and configured the appropriate driver. If a device is listed in the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), a driver is usually included with Windows. Device drivers load automatically (for all enabled devices) when a computer is started, and thereafter run invisibly. | device driver |
| A secondary window that contains buttons and various kinds of options through which you can carry out a particular command or task. | dialog box |
| A type of optical disc storage technology. A digital video disc (DVD) looks like a CD-ROM disc, but it can store greater amounts of data. DVDs are often used to store full-length movies and other multimedia content that requires large amounts of storage space. | digital video disc (DVD) |
| A storage device that is attached to a computer. | Disk |
| To connect a laptop or notebook computer to a docking station. | Dock |
| A unit for housing a portable computer that contains a power connection, expansion slots, and connections to peripherals, such as a monitor, printer, full-sized keyboard, and mouse. The docking station turns the portable computer into a desktop computer. | docking station |
| Any self-contained piece of work created with an application program and, if saved on disk, given a unique file name by which it can be retrieved. | Document |
| To move an item on the screen by selecting the item and then pressing and holding down the mouse button while moving the mouse. For example, you can move a window to another location on the screen by dragging its title bar. | Drag |
| An area of storage that is formatted with a file system and has a drive letter. The storage can be a floppy disk, a CD, a hard disk, or another type of disk. You can view the contents of a drive by clicking its icon in Windows Explorer or My Computer. | Drive |
| The naming convention for disk drives on IBM and compatible computers. Drives are named by letter, beginning with A, followed by a colon. | drive letter |
| A hardware or software component that allows a digital video disc (DVD) drive to display movies on your computer screen. | DVD decoder |
| A disk storage device that uses digital video disc (DVD) technology. A DVD drive reads both CD-ROM and DVDs; however, you must have a DVD decoder to display DVD movies on your computer screen. | DVD drive |
| A form of interprocess communication (IPC) implemented in the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems. Two or more programs that support dynamic data exchange (DDE) can exchange information and commands. | dynamic data exchange (DDE) |
| An operating system feature that allows executable routines (generally serving a specific function or set of functions) to be stored separately as files with .dll extensions. These routines are loaded only when needed by the program that calls them. | dynamic-link library (DLL) |
| Information created in another program that has been pasted inside your document. When information is embedded, you can edit the information in the new document using toolbars and menus from the original program. To edit the embedded information, double-click it and the toolbars and menus from the program used to create the information appear. Embedded information is not linked to the original source. If you change information in one place, it is not updated in the other. | embedded object |
| A file system used by MS-DOS and other Windows-based operating systems to organize and manage files. The file allocation table (FAT) is a data structure that Windows creates when you format a volume by using the FAT or FAT32 file systems. Windows stores information about each file in the FAT so that it can retrieve the file later. | file allocation table (FAT) |
| In an operating system, the overall structure in which files are named, stored, and organized. NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 are types of file systems. | file system |
| A member of the TCP/IP suite of protocols, used to copy files between two computers on the Internet. Both computers must support their respective FTP roles: one must be an FTP client and the other an FTP server. | File Transfer Protocol (FTP) |
| In the Windows environment, a designation of the operational or structural characteristics of a file. The file type identifies the program, such as Microsoft Word, that is used to open the file. File types are associated with a file name extension. For example, files that have the .txt or .log extension are of the Text Document type and can be opened using any text editor. In the Macintosh environment, a four-character sequence that identifies the type of a Macintosh file. The Macintosh Finder uses the file type and file creator to determine the appropriate desktop icon for that file. | file type |
| A combination of hardware and software that provides a security system, usually to prevent unauthorized access from outside to an internal network or intranet. A firewall prevents direct communication between network and external computers by routing communication through a proxy server outside of the network. The proxy server determines whether it is safe to let a file pass through to the network. A firewall is also called a security-edge gateway. | Firewall |
| A container for programs and files in graphical user interfaces, symbolized on the screen by a graphical image (icon) of a file folder. A folder is a means of organizing programs and documents on a disk and can hold both files and additional folders. | Folder |
| A graphic design applied to a collection of numbers, symbols, and characters. A font describes a certain typeface, along with other qualities such as size, spacing, and pitch. | Font |
| The program that runs in the active window (the uppermost window with the highlighted title bar). The foreground program responds to commands issued by the user. | foreground program |
| The scattering of parts of the same disk file over different areas of the disk. Fragmentation occurs as files on a disk are deleted and new files are added. It slows disk access and degrades the overall performance of disk operations, although usually not severely. | Fragmentation |
| 1,024 megabytes, though often interpreted as approximately one billion bytes. | gigabyte (GB) |
| A built-in account used to log on to a computer running Windows when a user does not have an account on the computer or domain, or in any of the domains trusted by the computer's domain. | guest account |
| A device, also called hard disk drive, that contains one or more inflexible platters coated with material in which data can be recorded magnetically with read/write heads. The hard disk exists in a sealed case that protects it and allows the head to fly 10 millionths to 25 millionths of an inch above the surface of a platter. Data can both be stored and accessed much more quickly than on a floppy disk. | hard disk |
| The physical components of a computer system, including any peripheral equipment such as printers, modems, and mouse devices. | Hardware |
| A state in which your computer shuts down after saving everything in memory on your hard disk. When you bring your computer out of hibernation, all programs and documents that were open are restored to your desktop. | Hibernation |
| A folder (usually on a file server) that administrators can assign to individual users or groups. Administrators use home folders to consolidate user files onto specific file servers for easy backup. Home folders are used by some programs as the default folder for the Open and Save As dialog boxes. Home folders are sometimes referred to as home directories. | home folder |
| The process of attaching a laptop computer to a docking station while the computer is running, and automatically activating the docking station's video display and other functions. | hot docking |
| The position of a color along the color spectrum. For example, green is between yellow and blue. This attribute can be set using Display in Control Panel. | Hue |
| Colored and underlined text or a graphic that you click to go to a file, a location in a file, an HTML page on the World Wide Web, or an HTML page on an intranet. Hyperlinks can also go to newsgroups and to Gopher, Telnet, and FTP sites. In Windows folders, hyperlinks are text links that appear in the folder's left pane. You can click these links to perform tasks, such as moving or copying a file, or to go to other places on your computer, such as the My Documents folder or Control Panel. | Hyperlink |
| A simple markup language used to create hypertext documents that are portable from one platform to another. HTML files are simple ASCII text files with codes embedded (indicated by markup tags) to denote formatting and hypertext links. | Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) |
| The protocol used to transfer information on the World Wide Web. An HTTP address (one kind of Uniform Resource Locator [URL]) takes the form: http://www.microsoft.com | Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) |
| A small image displayed on the screen to represent an object that can be manipulated by the user. Icons serve as visual mnemonics and allow the user to control certain computer actions without having to remember commands or type them at the keyboard. | Icon |
| Light that is beyond red in the color spectrum. While the light is not visible to the human eye, infrared transmitters and receivers can send and receive infrared signals. | infrared (IR) |
| A computer, or a computer peripheral such as a printer, that can communicate using infrared light. | infrared device |
| Wireless file transfer between a computer and another computer or device using infrared light. | infrared file transfer |
| A direct or incoming network connection to a remote access server using an infrared port. | infrared network connection |
| An optical port on a computer that enables communication with other computers or devices by using infrared light, without cables. Infrared ports can be found on some portable computers, printers, and cameras. | infrared port |
| The place where text will be inserted when typed. The insertion point usually appears as a flashing vertical bar in an application's window or in a dialog box. | insertion point |
| When referring to software, to add program files and folders to your hard disk and related data to your registry so that the software runs properly. Installing contrasts with upgrading, where existing program files, folders, and registry entries are updated to a more recent version. When referring to hardware, to physically connect the device to your computer, to load device drivers onto your computer, and to configure device properties and settings. | Install |
| A dialog box that requires a response from the user. Intermediary devices such as a security host require such a dialog box as an added layer of security between the client and the remote access server. In such dialog boxes, the user types an access code or a user name and password on the remote access terminal screen. | interactive dialog box |
| A network logon from a computer keyboard, when the user types information in the Logon Information dialog box displayed by the computer's operating system. | interactive logon |
| 1) Two or more network segments connected by routers. Another term for internetwork. 2) A worldwide network of computers. If you have access to the Internet, you can retrieve information from millions of sources, including schools, governments, businesses, and individuals. | Internet |
| An address for a resource on the Internet that is used by Web browsers to locate Internet resources. An Internet address typically starts with a protocol name, followed by the name of the organization that maintains the site; the suffix identifies the kind of organization it is. For example, the address http://www.yale.edu/ provides the following information: http: This Web server uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol. www: This site is on the World Wide Web edu: This is an educational institution. Internet address is also called Uniform Resource Locator (URL). | Internet address |
| A company that provides individuals or companies access to the Internet and the World Wide Web. An ISP provides a telephone number, a user name, a password, and other connection information so users can connect their computers to the ISP's computers. An ISP typically charges a monthly or hourly connection fee. | Internet service provider (ISP) |
| A network within an organization that uses Internet technologies and protocols, but is available only to certain people, such as employees of a company. An intranet is also called a private network. | Intranet |
| A 32-bit address used to identify a node on an IP internetwork. Each node on the IP internetwork must be assigned a unique IP address, which is made up of the network ID, plus a unique host ID. This address is typically represented with the decimal value of each octet separated by a period (for example, 192.168.7.27). In this version of Windows, you can configure the IP address statically or dynamically through DHCP. Transport protocols used in Novell NetWare networks, which together correspond to the combination of TCP and IP in the TCP/IP protocol suite. Windows implements IPX through NWLink. | IP address |
| The primary access protocol for Active Directory. Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) version 3 is defined by a set of Proposed Standard documents in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) RFC 2251. | Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) |
| An object that is inserted into a document but still exists in the source file. When information is linked, the new document is updated automatically if the information in the original document changes. If you want to edit the linked information, double-click it. The toolbars and menus from the original program will appear. If the original document is on your computer, changes that you make to the linked information will also appear in the original document. | linked object |
| A type of display used in digital watches and many portable computers. LCD displays utilize two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. An electric current passed through the liquid causes the crystals to align so that light cannot pass through them. Each crystal, therefore, is like a shutter, either allowing light to pass through or blocking the light. | liquid crystal display (LCD) |
| A communications network connecting a group of computers, printers, and other devices located within a relatively limited area (for example, a building). A LAN allows any connected device to interact with any other on the network. | local area network (LAN) |
| The computer that you are currently logged on to as a user. More generally, a local computer is a computer that you can access directly without using a communications line or a communications device, such as a network adapter or a modem. | local computer |
| A printer that is directly connected to one of the ports on your computer. | local printer |
| To begin using a network by providing a user name and password that identifies a user to the network. | log on |
| A user right that is assigned to a user and that specifies the ways in which a user can log on to a system. An example of a logon right is the right to log on to a system remotely. | logon right |
| Files that can be assigned to user accounts. Typically a batch file, a logon script runs automatically every time the user logs on. It can be used to configure a user's working environment at every logon, and it allows an administrator to influence a user's environment without managing all aspects of it. A logon script can be assigned to one or more user accounts. | logon script |
| A folder name or file name longer than the 8.3 file name standard (up to eight characters followed by a period and an extension of up to three characters) of the FAT file system. This version of Windows supports long file names up to 255 characters. In a Macintosh environment, users can assign long names to files and folders on the server and, using AppleTalk network integration, you can assign long names to Macintosh-accessible volumes when you create them. This version of Windows automatically translates long names of files and folders to 8.3 names for MS-DOS and Windows 3.x users. | long name |
| The first sector on a hard disk, which starts the process of booting the computer. The MBR contains the partition table for the disk and a small amount of executable code called the master boot code. | master boot record (MBR) |
| To enlarge a window to its largest size by clicking the Maximize button (at the right of the title bar), or by pressing ALT+SPACEBAR and then pressing X. | Maximize |
| Any fixed or removable objects that store computer data. Examples include hard disks, floppy disks, tapes, and compact discs. | Media |
| In Task Manager, the current working set of a process, in kilobytes. The current working set is the number of pages currently resident in memory. On the Task Manager Processes tab, the column heading is Mem Usage. | Memory Usage |
| Data about data. For example, the title, subject, author, and size of a file constitute the file's metadata. | Metadata |
| The setup that specifies the type of MIDI device you are using, the channel and patch settings needed to play MIDI files, and the port your device is using. | MIDI setup |
| To reduce a window to a button on the taskbar by clicking the Minimize button (at the right of the title bar), or by pressing ALT+SPACEBAR and then pressing N. | Minimize |
| A keyboard feature that enables you to use the numeric keypad to move the mouse pointer and to click, double-click, and drag. | MouseKeys |
| An operating system used on all personal computers and compatibles. As with other operating systems, such as OS/2, it translates user keyboard input into operations the computer can perform. MS-DOS can be easily accessed by using the command prompt, while MS-DOS-based programs can be accessed through the use of shortcuts on the desktop. | MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) |
| A serial interface standard that allows for the connection of music synthesizers, musical instruments, and computers. The MIDI standard is based partly on hardware and partly on a description of the way in which music and sound are encoded and communicated between MIDI devices. The information transmitted between MIDI devices is in a form called a MIDI message, which encodes aspects of sound, such as pitch and volume, as 8-bit bytes of digital information. MIDI devices can be used for creating, recording, and playing back music. Using MIDI, computers, synthesizers, and sequencers can communicate with each other, either keeping time or actually controlling the music created by other connected equipment. | Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) |
| A folder that provides you with a convenient place to store documents, graphics, or other files you want to access quickly. When you save a file in a program such as WordPad or Paint, the file is automatically saved in My Documents, unless you choose a different folder. | My Documents |
| A group of computers and other devices, such as printers and scanners, connected by a communications link, enabling all the devices to interact with each other. Networks can be small or large, permanently connected through wires or cables, or temporarily connected through phone lines or wireless transmissions. The largest network is the Internet, which is a worldwide group of networks. | Network |
| A device that connects your computer to a network. This device is sometimes called an adapter card or network interface card. | network adapter |
| A person responsible for planning, configuring, and managing the day-to-day operation of the network. Network administrator is also called a system administrator. | network administrator |
| A device, such as a printer, modem, or game controller, that requires manual configuration of hardware settings before it can be used. Non-Plug and Play devices are becoming increasingly rare as manufacturers stop producing them in favor of Plug and Play devices. Non-Plug and Play typically applies to older pieces of equipment. | non-Plug and Play |
| An object that cannot logically contain other objects. For example, a file is a noncontainer object. | noncontainer object |
| The area on the taskbar to the right of the taskbar buttons. The notification area displays the time and can also contain shortcuts that provide quick access to programs, such as Volume Control and Power Options. Other shortcuts can appear temporarily, providing information about the status of activities. For example, the printer shortcut icon appears after a document has been sent to the printer and disappears when printing is complete. | notification area |
| An entity, such as a file, folder, shared folder, printer, or Active Directory object, described by a distinct, named set of attributes. For example, the attributes of a File object include its name, location, and size; the attributes of an Active Directory User object might include the user's first name, last name, and e-mail address. For OLE and ActiveX, an object can also be any piece of information that can be linked to, or embedded into, another object. | Object |
| A way to transfer and share information between applications by pasting information created in one application into a document created in another application, such as a spreadsheet or word processing file. | OLE |
| In a Windows environment, the person who controls how permissions are set on objects and can grant permissions to others. In the Macintosh environment, an owner is the user responsible for setting permissions for a folder on a server. A Macintosh user who creates a folder on the server automatically becomes the owner of the folder, and can then transfer ownership to someone else. Each Macintosh-accessible volume on the server also has an owner. | Owner |
| An icon that represents embedded or linked information. That information may consist of a complete file, such as a Paint bitmap, or part of a file, such as a spreadsheet cell. When you choose the package, the application used to create the object either plays the object (for example, a sound file) or opens and displays the object. If you change the original information, linked information is automatically updated. However, you must manually update embedded information. | Package |
| The location (such as Upper Paper Tray or Envelope Feeder) of the paper at the printer. | paper source |
| The input/output connector for a parallel interface device. Printers are generally plugged into a parallel port. | parallel port |
| The object in which another object resides. A parent object implies relation. For example, a folder is a parent object in which a file, or child object, resides. An object can be both a parent and a child object. For example, a subfolder that contains files is both the child of the parent folder and the parent folder of the files. | parent object |
| A security measure used to restrict logon names to user accounts and access to computer systems and resources. A password is a string of characters that must be provided before a logon name or an access is authorized. A password can be made up of letters, numbers, and symbols, and it is case sensitive. | Password |
| A removable device, approximately the size of a credit card, that can be plugged into a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot in a portable computer. PCMCIA devices can include modems, network cards, and hard disk drives. | PC Card |
