Absolute Beginners Guide to A+ Certification. Covers the Hardware and Operating Systems Exam

2017-07-07 02:10:07

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Numbers

2-megapixel

Refers to digital cameras with a charge- coupled device (CCD), which has approximately two million pixels. Resolution is approximately 1,536x1,024 pixels.

3-megapixel

Refers to digital cameras with a CCD having approximately three million pixels. Resolution is approximately 2,048x1,536 pixels.

5-pin DIN

Original IBM PC/AT keyboard connector. Electronically identical to 6-pin mini-DIN connector.

6-pin mini-DIN

Also called the PS/2 keyboard connector ; adapters can convert between 6-pin and 5-pin keyboards and connectors.

6x86

VIA (originally Cyrix) Pentium-class CPU (also known as MII ).

8-bit color

2 ⁸ (256) colors.

9-pin

Printhead design on dot-matrix printers that is optimized for multipart forms.

10/100 Ethernet

Ethernet cards, hubs, and switches that support either 10Mbps (10BaseT Ethernet) or 100Mbps (Fast Ethernet) standards.

10/100/1000 Ethernet

Ethernet cards, hubs, and switches that support 10Mbps (10BaseT Ethernet), 100Mbps (Fast Ethernet) and 1000Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet) standards.

10Base2

Thinnet; low-cost version of 10Mbps Ethernet based on RG-58 cables and T-adapters.

10Base5

Thicknet; original version of 10Mbps Ethernet.

10BaseT

10Mbps Ethernet based on UTP cable.

16-bit color

2 ¹⁶ (65,536) colors.

24-bit color

2 ²⁴ (16,777,216) colors.

24-pin

Printhead design on dot-matrix printers that is optimized for NLQ (Near Letter Quality) printing.

32-bit color

3D implementation of 24-bit color.

32-bit disk access

Windows disk access that bypasses the ROM BIOS for speed; optional in Windows 3.x; a standard feature in Windows 9x/Me/2000/XP.

32-bit file access

Windows for Workgroups 3.11 disk cache that replaces Smartdrv.exe ; a standard feature in Windows 9x/Me/2000/XP.

48-bit LBA mode

An extension to logical block addressing (LBA) mode that enables ATA/IDE drives to use capacities beyond 137.4GB. A BIOS update and sometimes a motherboard chipset driver update might be necessary to use the full capacity of these drives on many systems.

56K modem

Common term for any modem that can download at speeds above 33.6Kbps. Includes X2, K56flex, V.90, and V.92 standards.

100BaseTX

100Mbps Ethernet based on UTP cable. Also called Fast Ethernet .

115 “ 120V/60 cycle

AC standard used in North America.

230 “ 240V/50 cycle

AC standard used in Europe, Japan, and other world areas.

286

First CPU used in MS-DOS systems to allow more than 1MB of RAM.

386

First CPU to allow upper memory blocks and EMS memory with EMM386 memory manager; available in 32-bit (DX) and 16-bit (SX) versions.

486

First CPU with built-in math coprocessor (DX versions) and cache RAM (all versions).

586

CPUs roughly equal to Pentium-class; also used by AMD and Cyrix for CPUs that could be used to upgrade 486 systems to Pentium 75MHz performance.

802.11a

54Mbps Wireless Ethernet (5GHz frequency).

802.11b

11Mbps Wireless Ethernet (2.4GHz frequency).

802.11g

54Mbps Wireless Ethernet (2.4GHz frequency).

8086

16-bit sibling of the 8088; used by some compatible systems such as Compaq.

8088

Original chip used in IBM PC and PC/XT; has 8-bit data bus and 1MB RAM limit.

1000BaseTX

1000Mbps Ethernet based on UTP cable. Also called Gigabit Ethernet .

A

AC (alternating current)

Devices that use AC current are potential shock hazards, including some types of printers, monitors , and computer power supplies. Power supplies convert AC into DC.

access control

Windows NT/2000/XP method of using user and group lists to limit access to drives and folders.

access point

Device on a Wi-Fi network that provides a connection between computers on the network. Can be combined with a router and a switch.

Accessories folder

Start menu folder used for Windows utilities.

AccuPoint

Toshiba's licensed version of IBM TrackPoint II.

ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)

A power-management method supported by Windows 98 and newer versions. Supports more power-saving modes than APM and can be controlled through the Windows Control Panel.

active (partition)

A primary partition that has been set as bootable. Option must be set manually within Fdisk if a primary plus extended partition is configured on a hard disk. It must be formatted with the /S option to be bootable in Windows 9x.

active heatsink

A heatsink with a fan. Active heatsinks were originally introduced to keep processors cool, but are also being used to cool the 3D accelerator chips of most high-performance video cards and the North Bridge chips on many recent motherboards. An active heatsink is usually powered by a motherboard power connector or a spare drive power connector.

active-matrix

An LCD display technology that uses a transistor for each pixel.

ActiveX

Microsoft technology used by many Web sites for active content. Web content zones and security settings control how ActiveX controls are handled by a particular computer.

Add Hardware or Add/Remove Hardware Wizard

Control Panel icons used to install, remove, or troubleshoot hardware.

Add Printer Wizard

Windows tool for installing a new printer.

address bus

Bus used by CPU to access memory by its hexadecimal address.

Administrative Tools

Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP folder containing System Management tools.

Administrator

Windows NT/2000/XP term for the user or group in charge of the computer's hardware/software configuration. Administrator-class login is required before hardware or software can be installed, removed, or changed on Windows NT/2000/XP systems.

ADSL

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A form of DSL that enables faster downloads than uploads. Can be provided over high-quality existing phone lines and is well suited for residential and small-business use.

Advanced CMOS Configuration

Menu that has various types of settings for hardware.

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)

A series of high-speed standards for video cards and 32-bit slots used strictly for graphics cards. Available in four speeds: 1x through 8x.

AGP Pro

An AGP slot that has the characteristics of an AGP Universal slot and also provides the additional power and connector used by AGP Pro cards.

AGP Universal

An AGP slot that can handle both 3.3V and 1.5V cards.

air dam

A barrier to freely flowing air inside the case; usually caused by ribbon cables.

allocation unit

A group of sectors (number varies with file system and drive size ) used by Windows to store files. If a file's data occupies only part of an allocation unit, the rest of the allocation unit is unavailable.

allocation unit size

Minimum amount of disk space a file actually uses; varies with FAT type and disk size; also known as cluster size .

AMD

Advanced Micro Devices; one-time second source for Intel 286 “486 CPUs now makes advanced CPUs. Current models include Athlon XP (comparable to Pentium 4) and the 64-bit Opteron and Athlon 64. Also made Athlon, Duron, K6, and K5 processors.

AMI (American Megatrends)

Another leading third-party BIOS developer.

AMR slot

Audio Modem Riser slot; a small slot designed to handle a riser card that supports a motherboard's built-in audio and modem capabilities. AMR slots are frequently found on recent motherboards, but the actual riser cards are hard to find.

analog

Infinitely variable; opposite of digital. VGA is an analog display technology.

analog multimeter

Multimeter with a needle and scale readout.

antistatic

A product that prevents the buildup of static electricity.

Antivirus Boot Sector

A BIOS option that enables disk partitioning and boot managers to work but blocks boot-sector viruses from working.

APM (Advanced Power Management)

It is supported by most recent BIOS and Windows 3.1/9x/Me/2000/XP. Requires BIOS configuration.

AppleTalk

Apple's native low-speed network protocol. AppleTalk printers can be used by Windows NT 4.0 and 2000.

application programs

Programs that create, modify, print, or view data, such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, or Internet Explorer.

application response

Optimizing Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP system to run the active window's task with a higher priority than other tasks .

archive attribute

Indicates file has not yet been backed up; automatically set when a file is created or modified.

ARCNet

Attached Resource Connection Network. This early coaxial-cable network was used to replace IBM 3270 terminals that used the same RG-59 cable; it is now obsolete.

ARMD (ATA removable media device)

General term for removable-media drives that connect to the ATA/IDE interface.

AT

Advanced Technology. IBM's first 286-based PC.

AT commands

Used to control a modem or display its configuration; named such because all commands start with AT (attention) .

ATA (AT Attachment)

A series of standards for IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) drives and devices. ATA is the most common type of IDE interface.

ATA host adapter card

An adapter that enables a computer to use larger ATA/IDE drives than the computer's BIOS can manage by itself.

ATA RAID

A RAID array (usually RAID 0 or RAID 1) created with two or more ATA drives. An SATA RAID array uses SATA drives.

ATA/IDE (AT Attachment/Integrated Drive Electronics)

A popular drive interface that incorporates the controller inside the drive itself. It uses a 40-pin connector with a 40-wire or 80-wire cable with parallel signaling and supports two drives per channel.

ATAPI (AT Attachment Packet Interface)

The type of ATA/IDE interface used by optical and removable-media drives.

Athlon

AMD processor with large L2 cache and fast FSB with clock speeds comparable to Pentium III. Early versions used Slot A, but later versions used Socket A (Socket 462).

Athlon XP

Improved version of Athlon with full-speed L2 cache, faster FSB, and faster internal design. Comparable in performance to most Pentium 4 chips. All versions use Socket A. Model names are based on comparison to nearest Pentium 4, not to actual clock speed. For example, Athlon XP 2600+ is similar in performance to Pentium 4 2.6GHz, but actual clock speed is around 2GHz.

ATTRIB

Views/changes basic file attributes at the command prompt.

ATX

The most common motherboard family; features two rows of ports along the rear and three sizes: ATX, Micro-ATX, and Flex-ATX. The power supply uses a 20-pin connector. ATX has become the standard for PC motherboards since it was introduced in 1996.

ATX power supply

A power supply form factor similar in size to Slimline, but with a keyed 20-pin connector. Some ATX power supplies have an on-off switch, but this is not required.

ATX-12V

An addition to the ATX standard to support the Pentium 4 processor. ATX-12V “compliant power supplies have a 4-pin connector to provide additional +12V power.

AUI

Attachment Unit Interface. This 15-pin connection on 10Base5 Ethernet cards is now obsolete.

Auto

ATA/IDE BIOS setting that queries the drive for the correct settings every time you start the computer.

Auto-detect

BIOS feature used to query the ATA/IDE drives for the correct settings. The settings are usually transferred to the user-defined drive type option for each drive.

auto- ranging

A multimeter that determines the correct voltage level automatically.

Autoexec.bat

Text-based configuration file used by Windows 9x to load TSR (terminate-and-stay resident) programs, launch programs such as antivirus scanners , and adjust Io.sys defaults. Windows Me uses Autoexec.bat to adjust some Registry values.

automatic configuration

Selecting an option such as Optimal, Fail-Safe, Turbo, Setup defaults, or Original to configure all except the standard setup screen.

Autorun

Windows feature used to automatically launch CD programs.

auxiliary

A 6-pin power connector required by some motherboards.

B

B-size paper

11x17-inch paper; the next size up from A-size paper used in Europe (similar to 8.5x11-inch U.S. letter size).

Baby-AT

Reduced-size version of the original IBM AT motherboard. Widely used before the late 1990s, but now obsolete.

background services

Non-active programs, printing, and other tasks that are not in the active window.

backup

Process of transferring important information to off-system storage, such as tape, removable media, or optical media. Backups may be compressed to save space. Full backup backs up the entire contents of the specified drive or system; a differential backup backs up only the files that have changed since the last full backup.

bank

Amount of memory that must be added to be recognized by the system.

barrel distortion

Screen geometry fault in which the sides of the display area are bowed outward.

base memory

Also known as conventional memory ; memory between 0 “640KB used by MS-DOS.

Basic Rate Interface

64Kbps ISDN connection. A 128Kbps ISDN connection uses two BRI channels.

Batch.exe

Windows 98 utility used to create setup scripts.

bayonet

Mounting method used to attach ARCNet and Thin Ethernet cables to cards or T-adapters.

beep code

Series of long/short or high/low beeps used to indicate a POST test failure. Beep codes vary by BIOS vendor and version.

beta

1394b port that connects only to other 1394b devices.

bilingual

1394b port that can connect to 1394a or 1394b devices.

binary

Numbering system used to store computer data; 0 and 1 are the only digits.

binary (file)

Computer-readable file.

BIOS (basic input/output system)

Firmware that configures and controls onboard hardware, performs the POST, and loads the operating system (OS) during the beginning of the boot procedure. It also acts as the interface between onboard hardware and the OS. Other devices with BIOS chips include VGA video cards and some types of ATA/IDE and SCSI host adapters.

BIOS defaults

Automatic BIOS setup option that selects low-performance settings. Also called Original or Fail-Safe .

BIOS setup

A program (stored in the BIOS on most systems) that can be activated at system startup and is used to configure settings for BIOS-controlled devices and options. Also called CMOS setup .

BIOS upgrade

Replacement of BIOS code to support new hardware and software. Usually involves a software download and installation, but occasionally requires a chip swap (mostly on older systems or systems in which a Flash BIOS update has failed).

bit

1/8 of a byte; 8 bits equals 1 byte; many devices send/receive data in bits.

black

The K in CMYK color printing.

blackout

Complete loss of electrical power.

block mode

A BIOS option for ATA/IDE drives that enables multiple-sector reads before an IRQ must be issued; speeds up disk throughput on almost all drives.

blog

Short for weblog . A journal created by one or more writers and posted on the Web, a blog usually has short paragraphs added on a daily or weekly basis that discuss current topics of all types with links to other Web sites for more information, with similar or contrasting points of view on the topic.

blogger

Creator of a blog.

C

C-shaped paper path

Cross-section of the paper path used by some inkjet printers; the paper is pulled through the printer and returns to an output tray on the same side of the printer as the input tray.

cable Internet

A broadband Internet connection that uses the cable TV line.

cable modem

Broadband Internet access device that acts as a tuner to pick up cable Internet signals from the cable TV network.

cable select

Cable (such as the 80-wire UDMA-66 cable) and jumper setting that assigns master and slave based on the position of the ATA/IDE drives on the cable. The end of the cable (sometimes black) is used for master; the middle of the cable (sometimes marked in gray) is used for slave.

cache

High-speed memory that holds a copy of information recently requested by the processor. The cache can be accessed faster than main memory if the same information is needed again. Used for drives (disk cache) and memory (Level 1, Level 2 caches).

cache hit

Data in cache.

cache miss

Data not in cache. It must be retrieved from the next cache level, normal storage, or RAM location.

camera dock

Device that transfers photos automatically from compatible digital cameras to your PC and recharges the camera's batteries. Some camera docks also incorporate a 4x6-inch dye-sublimation printer.

Card and Socket Services: See [CSS]

CardBus

32-bit version of PC Card (PCMCIA) standard. It is used for fast network interfacing, USB 2.0, and IEEE-1394 ports.

carpal-tunnel syndrome

A common type of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) affecting the wrists.

CAS Latency

How quickly (in cycles) a memory module can switch to a new memory address.

Castlewood Orb

A high-capacity removable-media drive available in two capacities (2.2GB and 5.7GB) and a variety of interfaces. Developed by Castlewood Systems, Inc.

Category 5

The most common type of UTP cable in recent Ethernet installations. Supports 10BaseT, Fast, and Gigabit Ethernet speeds. Also called CAT5 . Gigabit Ethernet uses all four wiring pairs in Category 5 cable; the others use only two pairs. You can use Category 5E (CAT5E) or Category 6 (CAT6) cables in place of CAT5 to provide an extra margin of signal quality.

Category view

Windows XP view of the Control Panel, organized by types of configurations to perform.

CATV

Cable TV provider.

CAV

Constant Angular Velocity. CAV is the method used by low-cost CD-ROM and similar optical drives to read data. CAV drives spin the media at a constant speed and, as a result, reach their maximum x-speed ratings only at the outer edge of the media. P-CAV drives combine CAV and CLV technologies for more speed.

CD-R (recordable CD)

Contents can be added but not erased.

CD-ROM

Read-only optical drive compatible with music and data CDs. CD-ROM drives require MultiRead capability and a UDF reader program to read CD-RW media.

CD-RW (rewritable CD)

Contents can be added, changed, and erased. A CD-RW drive can also use CD-R media.

Celeron

Low-cost version of Pentium II, Pentium III, or Pentium 4 (depending upon slot/socket used) with reduced FSB speed and L2 cache size. Early versions fit into Slot 1, with later versions using Socket 370. The latest versions fit into Socket 478.

Centronics

A port style that uses an edge connector. Parallel printers use a 36-pin version (also called the IEEE-1284-B connector ), whereas some versions of SCSI use a 50-pin version.

CGA

Color Graphics Adapter. This was the early digital video standard with 320x200 4-color or 640x200 2-color modes.

changeline support

Feature that enables all 3.5-inch floppy drives (and AT-compatible 5.25-inch drives) to automatically sense disk changes. If line 34 of the floppy interface or cable is damaged, this doesn't work properly.

channel

Pathway between two devices, as in DMA channel.

Character Map

Visual selection and pasting of icons and alternative characters from different fonts into a document.

character printers

Term for printers that output one character at a time, such as dot-matrix, inkjet, and obsolete daisywheel printers; also called line printers .

character/line printer

Printers that print a character or line at a time such as dot-matrix, inkjet, direct thermal, or thermal transfer.

charging (primary) corona wire

Used in older laser printers to place an electrostatic charge on the paper as part of the EP process. Replaced by conditioning rollers in newer models.

CHDIR

Changes to a folder/directory (CD) at the command prompt.

chip

Ceramic shell containing miniaturized computer circuits and connectors.

chipset

A group of chips that perform support functions for a motherboard (such as memory controllers, I/O, PCI, and ISA bus controllers) and replace the large numbers of separate chips once used for these tasks. Chipsets normally contain anywhere from one to three chips, including the North Bridge, South Bridge, and Super I/O chips (see separate entries for details). A motherboard's processor and memory compatibility and other features are determined by the chipset it uses.

Chipset configuration

Menu that has memory and AGP settings. Also called Advanced Chipset or Chipset Features .

CHKDSK

Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP disk check/repair tool. Windows 9x/Me's CHKDSK is used mainly for reporting disk stats.

CHS

Cylinder head sectors per track. CHS refers to the standard hard-disk geometry specifications that must be specified in the system BIOS for IDE drives. The user can enter the values manually, but most recent systems can auto-detect the correct values.

Classes.dat

Windows Me Registry file.

Classic Start

Optional Start menu for Windows XP; mimics look of previous Windows versions.

Classic view

Windows 95 “style Windows Explorer split-screen view.

clean boot

Booting system without device drivers; also refers to starting a system with an uninfected floppy disk for virus detection.

clean install

Installation of the only operating system on a hard disk.

client

Computer that uses shared resources on network.

client environment

Where the computer is located, including physical location, power, and network connections.

client/server

Network model in which specialized servers provide shared resources and network management services to client PCs. Uses dedicated server operating systems such as Novell NetWare or Windows Server.

clock multiplier

The value used to multiply the CPU frequency to determine the core clock speed.

cluster

An older term for allocation unit ; can be used interchangeably.

cluster size: See [allocation unit size]

CLV

Constant Linear Velocity. A method used by more expensive CD-ROM and similar optical drives to read data. CLV drives vary their rotational speed depending upon what part of the media is being read by the laser. As a result, speed ratings across the media are more consistent.

Cmd

The Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP command interpreter.

CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)

A type of low-power construction used for chips. CMOS-based chips are very vulnerable to ESD. Also the name for the Real-Time-Clock/Non-Volatile RAM chip (RTC/NVRAM) used to retain BIOS setup information.

CMOS battery

Motherboard battery used to retain CMOS settings.

CMOS setting

Values stored in the CMOS generated by the selections made in the BIOS/CMOS setup.

CMYK

Four-color printing process used by inkjet, some dye-sub, and solid-ink printers.

CNR slot

Communication Network Riser slot. The CNR slot is a successor to the AMR slot and is designed to provide a standard motherboard connector for a small card with modem, Fast Ethernet networking, and audio capabilities.

coast

Time period that a computer's power supply can continue to run without AC power flowing to it; the coast time for typical PC power supplies is longer than the switchover time from AC to battery backup power.

COAST (Cache On A STick)

A removable cache module. This is the standard pipeline-burst cache module used on some early Pentium systems; it resembles a SIMM but uses a different type of connector.

coaxial

Single-wire cable protected by metal mesh shielding. Used by early versions of Ethernet and for cable and satellite TV/Internet connections.

cold boot

System start after being turned on or reset. The complete POST including memory test is run after a cold boot.

collating

The process of holding a page in the memory of a laser or LED printer and printing multiple copies before receiving and printing the next page; activated by the print options in the application being used to print the document.

color depth

General term for the number of colors displayed. For example, a monitor set for 16-bit color depth displays 65,536 colors. Color depth is often referred to in powers of 2. Common values include 8-bit (2 ⁸ equals 256 colors), 16-bit (2 ¹⁶ equals 65,536 colors), and 24-bit (2 ²⁴ equals 16,777,216 colors). The 32-bit color depth settings on 3D video cards provide the same color depth as 24-bit color, but use the extra 8 bits for 3D drawing functions.

color temperature

Refers to the relative "warmth" or "coldness" of the colors onscreen. Noon daylight has a color temperature of 5,500 degrees Kelvin, whereas a blue sky has a color temperature of 9,000 degrees Kelvin; sunrise or sunset has a color temperature of 3,200 degrees Kelvin. As you can see, the higher the color temperature, the bluer (colder) the light is. Many monitors offer two or more color temperature settings to help adjust for differences in room lighting.

COM

Short for Communications port; another name for the serial port.

COM 1

First serial port. Default resource usage: IRQ 4 and 3F8-3FFh I/O port address.

COM 2

Second serial port. Default resource usage: IRQ 3 and 2F8-2FFh I/O port address.

COM 3

Third serial port. Default resource usage: IRQ 4 and 3E8-3EFh I/O port address.

COM 4

Fourth serial port. Default resource usage: IRQ 3 and 2E8-2EFh I/O port address.

combo card

A PC Card (PCMCIA card) that combines two functions, usually network and modem.

combo slot

Two slots grouped together so that only one at a time can be used; typically used for PCI and ISA slot types.

command interpreter

The program used to open a command prompt in Windows and enter commands. Windows 9x/Me use Command.com; Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP use Cmd .

command prompt

DOS-like interface to the operating system. User enters commands to perform specific tasks.

command.com

The Windows 9x/Me command interpreter.

Common Tasks

Windows XP Windows Explorer view that incorporates a context-sensitive task pane.

Compact Flash

Popular Flash-memory storage standard used by digital cameras. It can be attached to desktop and portable PCs by means of a card reader or PC Card adapter.

Compact installation

Windows 9x/Me installation option that does not load optional accessories to save disk space.

compliance check

Verifying your system has a qualifying version of Windows installed or available on media.

compression

Windows NTFS file attribute that shrinks a file to a smaller size to save disk space.

Computer Management Console

Windows 2000/XP interface for system and disk management components.

computer virus

A program that looks benign but carries a (usually harmful ) payload and can spread itself from one system to another.

conditioning rollers

Used in recent laser/LED printers to place an electrostatic charge on the paper.

Config.sys

A text-based configuration file used by MS-DOS and Windows 9x/Me to load device drivers and to adjust the operating system's configuration. Windows NT/2000/XP use Config.NT to perform similar functions.

configuration

The settings used by hardware, software, and firmware at a particular time.

consumables

Collective term for paper, media, ink, and toner used by various types of printers. The true long-term cost of a given printer must take into account the cost per page of the consumables used by the printer.

continuity

Tests fuses or cables to determine if a signal passes through the device properly.

continuity module

Empty Rambus module that must be plugged into a Rambus RDRAM module socket not occupied by a memory module. Also called Continuity RIMM .

continuous-tone

Printing process in which no ink or dye dots are visible in the finished product.

Control Panel

Windows interface to hardware, software, and system settings. It can be accessed from the Start or Start, Settings menu in most versions of Windows.

conventional memory

Memory between 0 and 640KB.

cool-switching

Windows use of Alt+Tab keys to move from one active program to another.

COPY

Copies files at the command prompt.

copy-protection

Methods of preventing software from being duplicated or used without the developer's permission. Old methods included using the original floppy disk at all times to run the program and using an install program that rendered the original floppy disk useless after installation. Current methods include the use of a dongle , which must be attached to the serial or parallel port of a computer before the program can be run, or deliberately damaging a section of the program CD-ROM so that the CD can't be duplicated.

core clock speed

The speed at which the processor runs internally. Also called CPU clock speed .

core voltage

Voltage level used by processor core. Set automatically by Pentium II and more recent processors.

CPU (central processing unit)

The chip that serves as the computational " brains " of the computer, such as Pentium 4, Athlon XP, and so on.

CPU frequency

Clock speed at which CPU connects with motherboard. Also called bus speed or system bus speed .

CQ

Correspondence Quality. This is the best print option on some 9-pin dot-matrix printers.

cradle

Device used to recharge a PDA's batteries and transfer data between a PDA and a PC.

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)

Describes monitors that use a picture tube, a large vacuum tube that displays information.

CSS (Card and Socket Services)

Software needed by MS-DOS and Windows NT 4.0 to use PC Cards (PCMCIA cards).

curved paper path

Paper path in which the paper curves around one or more rollers inside the printer.

Custom (network settings)

Enables Windows XP users to change normal settings for the network.

Custom installation

Windows 9x/Me installation option that provides maximum control over the setup process.

cyan

The C in CMYK color printing.

cycle

Refers to alternating current sine wave; 50Hz (cycles per second) is the European/Asian standard; 60Hz is the North American standard.

cylinder

Part of hard disk geometry; all the tracks are in a vertical row.

CYMK

Cyan Yellow Magenta Black. Refers to a four-color model for printed graphics; compare to RGB (Red, Green, Blue), a three-color model used for onscreen graphics.

D

DAE

Digital Audio Extraction. The process of converting tracks from a music CD to a digital format such as MP3 or WMA at faster than normal 1x analog speeds. Many recent CD-ROM and CD-RW drives have high-speed DAE rates to make the production of digital audio more efficient. A DAE rate of 24x, for example, means that a CD audio track that takes 4 minutes (240 seconds) to play at normal 1x speed can be converted to digital format in 10 seconds!

daisy-chain

Connecting multiple devices to a single port with direct connections between devices. Used by SCSI, IEEE-1394, and parallel interfaces (when configured for EPP and ECP modes). USB uses a variation of daisy-chaining, which uses a hub, but the other interfaces enable devices to be connected directly to each other.

daisy-chaining

Attaching multiple devices to a single port.

E

ECC (Error Correcting Code)

A type of memory that uses parity bits to correct memory. Requires motherboard/chipset support, and is used primarily on servers and high-end PCs. Enabled through system BIOS.

ECHO

Turns on/off the display of commands in batch files at the command prompt.

Economode

A toner-saving method developed by HP that can be used to print drafts of documents on laser printers.

ECP (Enhanced Capabilities Port)

Used by daisy-chained parallel devices, it uses an IRQ, I/O port address, and a DMA channel. Part of the IEEE-1284 parallel port standard.

EDIT

Command-prompt text editor.

EDO (Extended Data Out)

A faster form of DRAM using overlapping memory addresses.

EEMS

Enhanced Expanded Memory Specification. This nonstandard version of EMS memory was used by some AST memory boards but is now obsolete.

EGA

Enhanced Graphics Adapter. It provided 640x350 16-color digital graphics but is now long obsolete.

EISA

A 32-bit backward-compatible development of ISA; long obsolete, but might be seen in some very old servers and workstations.

electrophotographic ( EP ) process

A six-part process (cleaning, conditioning, writing, developing, transferring, and fusing) used by most laser and LED printers to create pages.

email

Electronic mail. The contents of email can include text, HTML, and binary files. Email can be sent between computers via an internal computer network, a proprietary online service such as AOL or CompuServe, or via the Internet.

emergency boot disk ( EBD )

Another name for the emergency startup disk (ESD) .

emergency repair disk ( ERD )

Windows 2000 disk used to help restore system function.

emergency startup disk ( ESD )

Disk created with Windows 9x or Me that can be used to start the computer or prepare a hard disk for use.

EMI/RFI (electromagnetic interference/radio-frequency interference)

Some high-quality surge suppressors minimize EMI/RFI to provide more reliable power.

EMM386.EXE

MS-DOS/Windows 9x memory manager that can interfere with an upgrade.

EMS

Enhanced Memory Specification. Paged memory used by some MS-DOS programs; it can be created with Emm386.exe with the RAM option or by specifying the amount of EMS memory to create. It is now obsolete.

Encrypted File System ( EFS )

Built-in data encryption option added to NTFS by Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

encryption

Windows NTFS (2000/XP) file attribute that prevents users other than the original user or Administrator from accessing the file.

enhanced BIOS ( eBIOS )

A method of translating drives to break the 8.4GB limit on disk size. Almost all BIOS chips since 1999 support LBA mode. Also known as extended Int13h .

Enhanced IDE ( EIDE )

Marketing term used by some vendors to refer to ATA/IDE drives that meet ATA-2 standards.

EP

Electrophotographic. The process by which a laser printer creates a page.

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency. Federal, state, and local organizations that set standards for safe disposal of products, including computer consumables such as batteries and cleaning supplies.

EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port)

Used by most recent parallel printers, EPP uses an IRQ and I/O port address. Part of the IEEE-1284 parallel port standard.

EPP/ECP

Supports both modes and uses the same resources as ECP mode. Part of the IEEE-1284 parallel port standard.

Epson ESC/P2

Enhanced version of the escape sequence “based printer language used for dot-matrix and inkjet printers by Epson and other vendors.

ergonomics

The study of the usability of hardware and software products with an eye to comfort and efficiency.

escape sequence

A series of printer commands prefaced by the ESC (ASCII code 27) character. This method is used by most dot-matrix and many inkjet printers. HP's PCL uses a more elaborate version of escape sequences.

ESD (electro-static discharge )

The discharge of electricity between two objects with different electrical potential. ESD has a high voltage but a low amperage, so it is harmful to equipment but not to people. ESD can damage or destroy computer components, even if the ESD discharge level is too low to feel. Also called static electricity .

ESD (emergency startup disk)

Windows 9x/Me disk used to start the system and prepare the hard disk for use. Can also repair a damaged Windows installation. Also called an EBD (emergency boot disk) .

ESDI

Enhanced Small Device Interface. Obsolete hard disk interface standard using two cables; primarily for drives over 100MB to about 300MB.

Ethernet

General name for networks based on Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detect (CSMA/CD) transmission of data. IEEE-802.3 standard.

EULA (End-User License Agreement)

Agreement between the user and the software vendor that specifies how software can be used. Must be agreed to before an installation can proceed.

executable

File that can start a program or procedure; .COM, .EXE, and .BAT are traditional executable file extensions.

Expanded memory

Bank-switched memory (also called EMS memory ). Accessed in 64KB pages through a page frame in unused UMB space.

expansion board

Also known as add-on card or add-on board .

expansion slot

A motherboard connection used for add-on cards; PCI and AGP are typical types on recent systems.

Express Installation

Method for installing service packs that requires an Internet connection during the entire process. Use for one computer.

Extended INT13h

An extension of the standard INT13h BIOS interface for hard disks that allows hard disks to exceed 8.4GB in size. Also called enhanced BIOS .

Extended memory

Memory over 1MB. Converted to XMS memory by Himem.sys .

extended partition

A hard disk partition that cannot be used to start a computer. Only one extended partition can be created on a single hard disk, but an extended partition can hold multiple logical drives.

external commands

Operating system commands that require a specific program to be launched, such as Windows Explorer ( Explorer.exe ).

external hard drive

Hard disks with an enclosure and (usually) an external power source. Most recent models connect to USB 2.0 or IEEE-1394a ports, but some models connect to SCSI ports.

external modem

Modem that plugs into a serial or USB port.

EZ-BIOS

Disk management program used to control drive capacity larger than the BIOS can manage; not compatible with Windows 2000/XP.

F

Faraday cage

Type of antistatic electronics storage bag with a metalized exterior.

Fast Ethernet

Another name for 100Mbps Ethernet.

Fast SCSI

A version of SCSI with double the transfer rate of SCSI-2; up to 20MB per second.

FastDisk

Also known as 32-bit disk access, an optional high-speed disk access method introduced by Windows for Workgroups 3.11. FastDisk used a special driver that was added to the System.INI file. FastDisk is the ancestor of the 32-bit disk access features found in Windows 95 and later versions.

FAT (File Allocation Table)

A special database of file locations and sizes used by DOS and Windows operating systems.

FAT16

A file system used by all 32-bit versions of Windows. Supports up to 65,536 entries (16 ² entries) with a maximum drive size of 2,048MB (2.1GB). Also called FAT (Windows NT/2000/XP also support FAT16 drive sizes up to 4GB).

FAT32

A file system used by Windows 95 OSR 2.x through Windows XP; also Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 and later. Supports up to 2 ³² files maximum per drive and a maximum of 2TB per drive. It uses disk space more efficiently than FAT16.

fatal error

Error detected during POST that prevents the system from starting; Phoenix, AMI, IBM, and MR BIOS use beep codes to indicate most fatal errors.

fault tolerance

Technology that enables a defective component to fail without destroying data. RAID 1 and RAID 5 are examples of fault-tolerant technologies, because they enable one drive to fail without wiping out the data stored in the drive array.

FC (Flip Chip)

A method of building processors that places the processor die on the top of the chip for better heat transfer. Used by most recent processors.

Fdisk

Disk-partitioning program built into Windows 9x/Me. A command-line program with text menus ; similar in appearance to the Fdisk programs supplied with MS-DOS.

Fdisk/mbr

An undocumented Fdisk switch that re-creates the standard Windows 9x/Me master boot record. Can be used to recover from some types of boot sector viruses and damage. Should not be used on drives that use EZ-BIOS, Dynamic Drive Overlay, or similar methods to overcome BIOS drive-size limitations.

fiber- optic

Network cabling using photons rather than electrical signals to transfer information.

FIFO (first in, first out)

A type of data buffer used on 16550 and newer UART chips to enable multitasking without loss of serial data under Windows.

file allocation table ( FAT )

The structures used by FAT-based file systems to track the locations of data. There are two synchronized FATs in FAT16 and FAT32.

file and printer sharing

Optional Windows feature that enables a computer to share folders, drives, and printers with other computers over the network.

file attachment

Text or binary data such as pictures, music files, and other types of data files that are sent along with an email message.

file attributes

Indicates which files need to be backed up (archive), are read-only, used by the operating system (system), or are not visible with default Windows settings (hidden). Additional attributes can be viewed and set within the Windows GUI. Windows 2000 and XP also support compressed and encrypted file attributes when the NTFS file system is used.

file extensions

One-to-three character part of a filename after the last period. Windows uses the file extension to determine which program to use to open a file.

file format

Structure of a data file.

File Manager

Windows 3.1 file management program; similar to My Computer or Windows Explorer in later versions.

file permissions

Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP feature on NTFS drives that enables file/folder access control by user/group. Disabled in Windows XP if simple file sharing is enabled.

File Signature Verification

Windows utility used to determine if system and ( optionally ) driver files have been digitally signed.

file system

General term used for the organization and naming of files and partitions on a hard disk. Windows uses two major types of file systems: FAT and NTFS.

File Transfer Protocol ( FTP )

Protocol used for file transfers to and from the Internet.

Find

Windows NT 4.0/9x/Me interface for locating files and other network information.

firewall

Program or device that blocks unauthorized access to a computer. Software firewalls such as Zone Alarm or Norton Internet Security are sometimes referred to as personal firewalls . Routers can also function as firewalls.

FireWire

Apple's term for IEEE-1394 ports and devices. FireWire 400 is a recent term for IEEE-1394a; FireWire 800 is the same as IEEE-1394b. When FireWire is used without numbers, it usually means IEEE-1394a.

firmware

"Software on a chip" such as BIOS.

Fixboot

A Windows 2000/XP program that can be run from the CD or the Recovery Console to re-create the boot sectors on a FAT-based drive. Run Fixmbr afterward.

fixed wireless

Broadband Internet service that uses microwave line-of-sight transmission.

fixed-pitch font

A font such as Courier New, in which each letter uses the same amount of horizontal space.

fixed-size font

A font that can't be scaled, such as the fonts built into a dot-matrix printer.

Fixmbr

A Windows 2000/XP program that can be run from the CD or the Recovery Console to re-create the standard master boot record.

Flash BIOS

BIOS chip with Flash memory; can be upgraded with special software.

Flash memory

RAM that can retain data without electrical power. It is widely used for BIOS chips and for digital camera and digital music storage. Sometimes referred to as Flash ROM when used in a BIOS chip.

Flash recovery

A jumper on some systems that enables recovery from a failed Flash BIOS upgrade.

flashing

The process of reprogramming a Flash ROM chip with new instructions.

Flex-ATX

An ATX motherboard with no more than two slots, and typically has integrated video and audio. Designed for corporate offices and so-called small form factor systems.

flicker-free refresh rates

Term for vertical refresh rates of 72Hz or above that reduce or eliminate screen flicker.

floppy disk

Low-capacity removable media used by 3.5- and 5.25-inch floppy disk drives.

flow control

Various methods such as Xon/Xoff or CTS/RTS used to control data flow between modems.

FM synthesis

A method of simulating MIDI instrument sounds.

fonts

A particular size and shape of a typeface, such as Times New Roman 12 point. Times Roman Italic is the font; Times Roman is the typeface.

forced hardware

PnP hardware that has been manually configured in Device Manager.

form factor

The physical shape, size, and mounting arrangement of computer components such as a motherboard or power supply. A replacement for an existing component must have the same form factor as the original device.

form feed command

Ejects current page from the printer; can be software driven or uses a button on the printer.

format

Can refer to document layout or the process of preparing a floppy disk or hard disk for use.

Format

Command-line program used by Windows to create file systems on hard disks partitioned with Fdisk . Can also be used with Windows NT/2000/XP; all versions can also format floppy disks.

formatting

The process of creating sectors and tracks on a magnetic disk to organize it for use.

FPC

Standard attachment method for connecting an LCD display to a portable computer's motherboard.

FPM (Fast Page Mode DRAM)

Standard DRAM type used on SIMMs.

FQDN (fully qualified domain name)

A way of referring to servers on a TCP/IP network: Name-of-server.name-of-domain.root-domain . Similar to UNC naming, but uses the domain name or IP address of the server rather than its network name.

frame rate

How quickly still images are displayed onscreen to simulate movement, usually measured in FPS ( frames per second). Values below 30fps will cause noticeable jerkiness in viewing streaming media. Much higher frame rates are desirable for gaming for more realistic and responsive game play.

free system resources ( FSR )

Windows 9x/Me measurement of the amount of space left for GDI and User heaps. Low FSR values can cause illegal operations.

Front-Side Bus speed ( a.k.a. FSB )

The effective speed at which the processor communicates with memory. A multiple of the CPU frequency on Athlon, Duron, Athlon XP, and Pentium 4 processors.

FTP://

File Transfer Protocol. File transfer to or from a special server site on the World Wide Web.

full access

Network access that enables other computers to read/write/change/delete files.

full version

(of an operating system) An operating system that can be installed to an empty hard disk.

full-duplex

Network adapter setting permitting simultaneous sending and receiving of data; doubles throughput.

full-speed USB

USB 1.1 devices running at 12Mbps.

fuser

Hot roller assembly in a laser printer that melts toner to paper.

G

game port

15-pin port used for analog joysticks and game controllers. Not found on some recent sound cards or integrated audio systems because USB game controllers are replacing game-port based models.

garbage output

Unreadable printer output usually caused by using the wrong printer driver.

gateway

A device that connects one network to another. A router acts as a gateway.

GB

Gigabyte. 1 Billion bytes.

general protection faults ( GPFs )

Windows 9x/Me software error caused by a program's attempt to use memory set aside for another program. GPFs are common with Windows 3.1/9x/Me due to cooperative multitasking's weak memory barriers and are often caused by programs running incorrect DLL driver files.

generic driver

Device driver that provides minimal functions for a hardware device. The Generic/Text-only printer driver in Windows prints text but no fonts or graphics.

generic hub

A USB hub connected to a root hub or another generic hub.

geometry

Term for the arrangement of sectors per track, cylinders , and heads on BIOS-controlled hard disks such as IDE/ATA. The manufacturer's recommended geometry is typically found on a label attached to the drive.

gibberish printing

A term for meaningless alphanumerics produced by a printer with a damaged or loose cable, incorrect printer driver, or incorrect serial interface settings. Also called garbage printing .

gibibit

1,073,741,824 bits or 2 ³⁰ bits (Gib). Also called binary gigabit .

gibibyte

1,073,741,824 bytes or 2 ³⁰ bytes (GiB). Also called binary gigabyte .

gigabit

One billion (1,000,000,000) bits or 10 ⁹ bits (Gb).

Gigabit Ethernet

Another name for 1000Mbps Ethernet.

gigabyte

One billion (1,000,000,000) bytes or 10 ⁹ bytes (GB).

graphics aperture

A BIOS setting used to determine the size of the memory address space used by the AGP card.

graphics card

Another name for video card.

graphics resolution

Resolution of graphics printed by a laser or LED printer; can be adjusted to save memory, whereas text prints at highest resolution of printer.

.grp files

Files used by Windows 3.1 to display shortcuts to related programs.

GUI

Graphical User Interface. User interface with features such as icons, fonts, point-and-click commands; Windows and Mac OS are popular GUIs.

H

Hal.dll

Hardware Abstraction Layer. Translation layer between NT 4.0/2000/XP kernel and system hardware.

half-duplex

Default network adapter setting in which sending and receiving is performed in separate operations.

hard drives

Drives that use one or more rigid platters to store data magnetically.

hardware

Physical computing devices (printers, drives, monitors, keyboards, and so on).

Hardware Monitor

Menu that displays fan speed, system temperature, and processor voltage. Also called PC Health .

hardware profile

Windows 9x/Me/2000/XP feature that enables the user to store multiple hardware configurations and select the desired configuration at boot time.

HCL (Hardware Compatibility List)

Microsoft database of hardware supported by different Windows versions. Being replaced by Microsoft Windows Catalog.

HD-50

High-density 50-pin interface for SCSI.

HD-68

High-density 68-pin interface for SCSI.

head

Reads and writes data in a drive.

header cable

A cable running from the motherboard or add-on card that has the I/O port connector. Used mostly with Baby-AT motherboards or multi-I/O cards.

heatsink

Device that dissipates heat from a processor or other chip such as a North Bridge, MCH, or graphics accelerator chip. Usually has fins or corrugated construction to expose more surface to the air, and usually also has a fan. Passive heatsinks have no fan, but active heatsinks include a fan.

hexadecimal

Base-16 counting system (0 “9, A “F) used in computers for memory addresses and I/O port addresses.

Hi-Speed USB

Another name for USB 2.0.

hibernate

Similar to suspend/resume, but uses disk space only and is supported by ACPI.

hidden attribute

File attribute that makes a file invisible to the default Windows Explorer view or to the DIR command.

High memory

First 64KB of XMS memory.

High Performance File System ( HPFS )

A file system supported by the OS/2 operating system and optionally supported by Windows NT 4.0. HPFS is not supported by Windows 2000 or Windows XP, so HPFS drives should be converted to NTFS before a Windows NT 4.0 system is upgraded to 2000 or XP.

high-level format

Creates or re-creates a file system on a hard, floppy, or removable-media disk. Erases existing file allocation tables (if any) and checks media for errors. Select the Quick Format option in the Windows Explorer Format dialog box to perform a high-level format on a floppy disk.

Himem.sys

Device driver used by Windows to convert extended memory into XMS memory for use by Windows.

hives

Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP term for Registry files (default, SAM , SECURITY , software, system, ntuser.dat [XP only] and UsrClass.dat [XP only]).

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

Registry branch containing file associations.

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

Registry branch containing settings for the current hardware profile.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Registry branch containing settings for the current user.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Registry branch containing hardware settings.

HKEY_USERS

Registry branch containing settings for all users.

HomePNA

A phone line “based bus-topology network.

host adapter

Term for any disk interface (motherboard or card-based) that builds the actual controller into the drive, such as ATA/IDE or SCSI.

host-based

A method of printer control that uses the operating system to rasterize the page and control the printing process. This method is used by very low-cost inkjet and laser printers, but can make using the printer with operating systems other than Windows difficult or impossible .

hot-swap

The process of removing or connecting a device without shutting down the computer. Refers to the ability to change USB and IEEE-1394 devices without shutting down the system. Introduced with Windows 98 Second Edition. PC Cards can also be hot-swapped in these versions of Windows and older versions as well.

HSF

Heatsink/fan combo; a popular abbreviation for an active heatsink.

HTTP (Hypertext Transport Protocol)

The protocol used by Web browsers.

https ://

Indicates a secure Web site.

hub

Simplest central connecting device used by 10BaseT and faster Ethernet versions. Hubs subdivide the bandwidth and broadcast data to all stations. Compare to switch.

hybrid mouse

A mouse or other pointing device that can connect to more than one type of port.

Hypertext Markup Language ( HTML )

Native language of Web pages. Uses tagged text to allow hyperlinking, fonts, special text attributes, graphics, and other enhancements to be added to text files for display with Web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. The official source for HTML standards is the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), but both Microsoft and Netscape have added proprietary features to the HTML dialects they understand.

hypothesis

A suggestion about the cause of a problem and its solution.

I

i . LINK

Sony's implementation of IEEE-1394a; it uses a four-wire cable at both ends.

I/O

Input/Output.

I/O device configuration

BIOS configuration menu that configures onboard peripherals. Also called Onboard Peripherals or Integrated Peripherals .

I/O port address

Hardware resource used to transfer data between devices; major resource used by Windows to detect hardware during installation.

I/O shield

A dust cover that fits between the ports on an ATX-family motherboard and the rear of the case. It has cutouts for the ports on the motherboard and markings to help users determine where to connect components.

icon

Onscreen symbol used in Windows to link you to a program or routine.

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)

A popular parallel-signaling interface for hard drives, CD-ROMs and other optical drives, and other removable-media drives. Also refers to a type of hard disk, tape, or removable-media drive in which the controller logic is built into the drive. Also called ATA Attachment .

IDE channel

ATA/IDE host adapter (each channel can handle two drives).

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Sets standards for computer, electrical, and electronics devices.

IEEE-587A

IEEE standard for surge suppressors.

IEEE-802.x

Series of IEEE networking standards used as the basis for Ethernet, token ring, and others.

IEEE-802.11a

A wireless Ethernet standard that uses 5 “6GHz radio signals and provides performance at rates from 6Mbps up to 54Mbps. It is not compatible with other 802.11-based wireless networks unless dual- band access points are used.

IEEE-802.11b

A wireless Ethernet standard that uses 2.4GHz radio signaling for performance from 2Mbps to 11Mbps. It is compatible with 802.11g-based wireless networks, but not with 802.11a-based networks unless dual-band access points are used.

IEEE-802.11g

A wireless Ethernet standard that uses 2.4GHz radio signaling for performance up to 54Mbps. It is compatible with 802.11b-based wireless networks, but not with 802.11a-based networks unless dual-band access points are used.

IEEE-1284

Official standard for parallel ports. An IEEE-1284 “compliant parallel cable supports all parallel port modes, including EPP, ECP, and EPP/ECP.

IEEE-1284-C

Small version of the IEEE-1284-B connector; used on some laser printers.

IEEE-1394

A series of standards for the high-speed serial interface also known as FireWire or i.Link. IEEE-1394a is the most common variety, also known as FireWire 400.

IEEE-1394b (FireWire 800)

800Mbps second-generation version of the IEEE-1394 standard. Uses a nine-wire port, but can also be used with six-wire or four-wire IEEE-1394a devices by using adapter cables.

Ifshlp.sys

Installable file system driver. Loaded by Io.sys .

illegal operation

Windows 9x/Me software error that can be caused by driver or program conflicts, shortages of FSR, and other problems.

in the wild

Term for viruses found outside virus labs.

.INF file

Driver or software configuration file; a special text file used by Windows to install and configure PnP hardware or to guide the installation of a particular program or operating system component.

infrared adapter

Device that emulates a serial or parallel port; provides line-of-sight printing or file transfer between infrared-enabled devices.

.INI file

Windows configuration file type, a special text file used more often with Windows 3.1 but still used with Windows 9x/Me.

initialization string

Series of AT& commands used to configure the modem before dialing.

ink dispersion printer

Another name for inkjet printer.

inkjet printer

A printer that sprays ink directly onto the paper.

install

Process of making a computer program usable on a system, including expanding and copying program files to the correct locations, changing Windows configuration files, and registering file extensions used by the program.

installation path

The drive/directory (folder) where Windows will be installed.

integrated audio

Sound card features built into the motherboard.

integrated graphics

Graphics incorporated into the motherboard's main chipset. For example, the Intel 845G chipset includes 3D graphics. Integrated graphics use part of the system memory.

integrated port

Port built into motherboard, such as USB, ATA/IDE, IEEE-1394, and so on.

Intel

Leading manufacturer of CPUs, chipsets, and other PC components. See Intel's Web site at www.intel.com.

interface

Connection between two devices.

Interlink

MS-DOS file-transfer program using serial or parallel ports with LapLink-style cables.

internal commands

Operating system commands that are available without starting any additional programs. For example, DIR and ERASE are built into MS-DOS and Windows.

internal modem

Modem built into an add-on card (PCI or ISA).

Internet

The network of networks; a worldwide network of computers running TCP/IP.

Internet access device

General term for any broadband device used instead of a dial-up modem.

Internet Options

Control Panel icon and Internet Explorer menu option used to control the behavior of Internet Explorer.

Internet service provider ( ISP )

Company that provides Internet access.

Io.sys

Binary file used by Windows 9x/Me to start system. Use Msdos.sys and Config.sys to modify its defaults.

IPConfig

Command-line utility (Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP) that displays IP configuration and can be used to release and renew a server-assigned IP address.

IPX/SPX

Novell's native network protocol through NetWare 4.x. Now replaced by TCP/IP. It is also called NWLink .

IR

Infrared. Type of port common on portable computers and found on some desktop computers. This type of port is used for short-distance file transfer via DCC or for printing to IR-equipped printers and is normally configured as a serial port. Being replaced by Bluetooth.

J-K

Java

Cross-platform computer language that is used by many Web sites for active content. Web content zones and security settings control how ActiveX and Java controls are handled by a particular computer. It requires special files called Class Libraries to be added to the Web server for download by client PCs accessing the page. Not to be confused with JavaScript.

JavaScript

A programming language that can be embedded in HTML files for simple, nongraphic calculations and interactive features. Not to be confused with Java.

Jaz drive

Iomega removable-media drive with 1GB and 2GB capacities.

K5

An early AMD Pentium-class CPU; replaced by the K6 family.

K6

AMD's highly successful Pentium-class chip. Now discontinued.

K56flex

Proprietary 56Kbps modem standard developed by Rockwell; now replaced by V.90.

kibibit

1,024 bits or 2 ¹⁰ bits (Kib). Also called binary kilobit .

kibibyte

1,024 bits or 2 ¹⁰ bytes (KiB). Also called binary kilobyte .

kilobit

1,000 bits or 10 ³ bits (Kb).

kilobyte

1,000 bits or 10 ³ bytes (KB).

Kbps

Kilobits per second. Often used to rate modems and broadband Internet connections.

KBps

Kilobytes per second. Often used to rate parallel port performance.

known-working

Computer or component that has been tested and is known to work correctly; not the same as "new."

L

L1 cache

Cache memory built into the processor core; processor checks L1 cache first. All Pentium-class and newer processors have L1 cache.

L2 cache

Cache memory outside the processor core; processor checks L2 cache after L1. Found on the motherboard of most Pentium-class systems. Slot-based processors have L2 cache inside the processor assembly, but socketed processors have on-die L2 cache, which runs at full CPU speed.

L3 cache

Third-level memory cache. Very rare on PCs, but occasionally seen on servers.

LAN (local area network)

A network located in an office or building. When used on a router, indicates which ports are used by the switch built into some models.

lands

Flat section of the spiral data track on a stamped CD or DVD, or a reflective area of the spiral data track on a burned CD or DVD. Compare to pits .

landscape mode

Rotates text and graphics and prints them across the long side of standard paper sizes.

LapLink

Popular MS-DOS and Windows file transfer program and cable standard; Windows Direct Cable Connection and old MS-DOS Interlink programs can use LapLink cables.

LARGE

Award BIOS disk option for translating drives over 528MB; not the same as LBA mode.

large disk support

The Fdisk term for the FAT32 file system in Windows 95 OSR 2.x, Windows 98, and Windows Me.

laser printer

Uses an imaging drum and toner to create a page electrostatically.

LaserJet Error 11

Paper-out error.

LaserJet Error 13

Paper jam.

LaserJet Error 20

An out-of-memory error; usually caused by sending a page with too many graphics to the laser printer.

Last Known Good Configuration

Startup option for Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP; reverts system to its last working configuration.

LBA (Logical Block Addressing)

A method of translating the drive's CHS (cylinder-head-sector) geometry to bypass operating system and BIOS limits.

LCC

Leaded Chip Carrier. Early method for packaging 286 CPUs; chip was held in place by a hinged cover and wire retainer.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

Display technology that is used by laptops and in flat-panel displays in place of CRTs.

LD-50

50-pin Centronics interface for SCSI.

LED printer

Similar to laser, but substitutes an LED array for the laser.

legacy card

A non-PnP card, usually ISA.

legacy hardware

Non-PnP hardware. ISA slots, PS/2, serial, and parallel ports are typical examples of legacy technologies.

legacy port

A ports that predates modern standards such as PS/2, serial, and parallel ports.

legacy USB support

BIOS option that enables USB keyboards to work outside of Windows in command-prompt and BIOS setup modes.

legacy-free

A system without serial or parallel ports. Often lacks PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports.

LFN

Long file/folder names.

Li-Ion (Lithium Ion)

A more advanced, longer- lasting technology than NiMH; has similar power output but weighs 35% less.

line feed

Advances paper to next line; button found on many dot-matrix printers.

line printer

Another name for a parallel printer; LPT is the abbreviated form also used to refer to a parallel port. Also refers to printers that print a line at a time such as dot-matrix or inkjet printers.

line-draw graphics

Also known as box-draw characters; these are used with many MS-DOS batch files and programs to create shapes onscreen. They may be inserted with Alt + number pad entries if PC-850 or IBM character set is in use. In Windows, use the Character Map utility with a fixed-pitch font such as Courier New to create boxes and lines in your text documents.

line-interactive

Another name for a true UPS.

local drive

A drive letter that is built into or directly attached to your own computer, such as hard, floppy, IDE, USB, SCSI, or IEEE-1394 drives. Network drives that have been assigned drive letters (mapped drives) appear as local drives in the My Computer view of the system in Windows.

local printer

Printer connected directly to your computer.

Logged

Windows 9x/Me/2000/XP startup option that creates a logfile of all startup events. Very useful for troubleshooting a system that won't start.

logging

Recording events during a process, such as in Windows's Bootlog.txt file, used to record Windows startup events.

Logical Block Address ( LBA )

A method of translating disk structures used to break the 528MB (504MiB) limit on disk size. Almost all BIOS chips since 1994 support LBA mode.

logical DOS drive

Term use in Fdisk program for logical drives inside an extended partition.

loopback plug

A plug that has the transmit and receive lines connected to each other. Used to test serial and parallel ports with third-party testing programs such as CheckIT, AMIDiag, and Ultra-X QuickTech Professional.

low-level format

Rewrites sector markings across the entire disk surface. Use the /u option with the command-line Format program or deselect the Quick Format option in the Windows Explorer Format dialog box to perform a low-level and high-level format on a floppy disk.

low-speed USB

USB 1.1 devices running at 1.5Mbps such as a mouse or a keyboard.

LPT (LinePrinTer)

A parallel port.

LPT1

First parallel port; has defaults of 378-37Fh or 3BC-37Fh and IRQ 7 (in EPP or ECP modes); ECP mode also uses DMA 3.

LPT2

Second parallel port; has defaults of 278-27Fh or 378-37Fh and IRQ 5 (in EPP or ECP modes); ECP mode also uses DMA 3.

LPX

Low-profile motherboard; a semi-proprietary design with a riser card. Widely used until the late 1990s for low-cost systems, but now obsolete. Also refers to low-profile version of power supplies using the 12-pin motherboard connector; these power supplies are used in most systems that use Baby-AT motherboards as well as LPX motherboards.

LS-120

Original 120MB version of the SuperDisk drive and media. Drive can also read/write standard 3.5-inch media.

LS-240

Second-generation 240MB version of the SuperDisk drive and media. LS-240 drives can also format standard 1.44MB floppy disks to hold 32MB of data.

LVD ( low-voltage differential)

A type of SCSI signaling used for all Ultra-class and faster devices.

M

macro

A series of commands that can be stored inside a spreadsheet or word processing file to automate certain operations; some viruses exploit the macro feature of Microsoft Word or Excel.

macro virus

A virus that uses Microsoft WordBasic or VBA commands to infect Microsoft Word or Excel documents; can be used to damage or destroy files or drive contents.

magenta

The M in CMYK color printing.

Maintenance Wizard

Windows 98 interface for scheduling ScanDisk, Defrag, and Disk Cleanup.

Makeboot

The Windows 2000 program for making boot disks; can be run from Windows 9x/Me.

Makebt32

The Windows 2000 program for making boot disks; can be run from Windows NT or Windows 2000.

mapped drive

Network folder that is referred to with a local drive letter. Mapping a drive is optional with UNC-aware operating systems such as Windows 9x/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP, but necessary for MS-DOS programs to use network drives.

mass storage

General term for IDE/ATA/SCSI/RAID/Serial ATA drives and host adapters.

master

Jumper setting that assigns the drive as the first of two drives on an IDE channel. When the 80-wire ATA/IDE cable is used with cable select settings, the drive on the black connector is master.

master boot record

Located in the first sector of a floppy or hard disk, this tells the BIOS whether the disk is bootable and where to find the operating system on a bootable disk. A disk with a damaged master boot record can't be used to start the computer.

Master File Table ( MFT )

The location used to store information about files created on a drive using the NTFS file system.

mastering

The process of creating a CD or DVD with a program such as Easy CD/DVD Creator or Nero Burning ROM. These programs and others write large amounts of data to the media with disk-at-once or track-at-once methods, instead of the packet writing method used by UDF.

math coprocessor

Also known as FPU. Used for floating-point math computations performed by spreadsheet and CAD programs, it is now part of 486DX and all newer CPUs.

matrix

In dot-matrix printing, the matrix is the series of columns of pins in the printhead. Also refers to the nozzles in the printhead of an inkjet printer. The smaller the pins or nozzles and the more closely they are positioned to each other, the better the print quality.

MAU (media access unit)

The device used in token-ring networks to connect computers to each other.

Mbps

Megabits per second. Often used to describe speeds of networks and broadband Internet connections.

MBps

Megabytes per second. Often used to describe speeds of ATA/IDE and SCSI storage devices.

MBR

Master Boot Record. Pointer in first sector of a drive indicating where operating system files can be found; can be attacked by viruses.

MCGA

MultiColor Graphics Array. 320x200 256-color or 640x480 2-color subset of VGA used on early low-end IBM PS/2 computers.

MDA

Monochrome Display Adapter. Nongraphics digital " green-screen " monochrome display standard used on early IBM PCs and compatibles.

mebibit

1,048,576 bits or 220 bits (Mib). Also called binary megabit .

mebibyte

1,048,576 bytes or 220 bytes (MiB). Also called binary megabyte .

media

Anything used to carry information, such as network cables, paper, floppy disks, and so on.

media-sensing hole

A hole in the jacket of 3.5-inch DSHD, DSED, and SuperDisk media that enables the drive to determine the type of media in use and prevents the wrong type of media from being used.

megabit

One million (1,000,000) bits or 10 ⁶ bits (Mb).

megabyte

One million (1,000,000) bytes or 10 ⁶ bytes (MB).

MEM

Displays memory statistics/usage at the command prompt.

memory

Temporary storage workplace for instructions and data. There are two types of memory: RAM and ROM.

memory address

Hardware resource used by some add-on cards for RAM or ROM chips.

memory bank

Memory bits equal to data bus of CPU; might require one or more memory modules.

memory chip

Holds one bit or more of memory space.

memory effect

Problem affecting NiCad-based batteries; prevents partially discharged batteries from being recharged to full capacity.

memory module

Memory device made up of memory chips, such as SIMM, DIMM, or Rambus RDRAM module.

Micro-ATX

An ATX motherboard with no more than four slots, and typically has integrated video and audio. Designed for low-cost home and office computers.

microfilters

Small filters used on telephones and similar devices to prevent interference with a DSL connection.

Microsoft Knowledge Base

Online collection of Microsoft technical articles used by Microsoft support personnel to diagnose system problems. Can also be searched by end users by using the www.http://search.Microsoft.com Web site.

Microsoft Management Console ( MMC )

The computer-management program used by Windows 2000 and XP. Contains Disk Management.

Microsoft System Information

The Windows 98/Me/2000/XP utility for viewing hardware and software information about the system.

Microsoft Windows Catalog

Online listing of products compatible with Windows XP.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

A method of playing a musical score through a sound card. MIDI is also supported by many electronic keyboards.

Milliseconds ( ms )

One-thousandth of a second; used to rate storage or Internet access times; smaller is faster.

Mini-ITX

A very compact motherboard design developed by VIA Technologies for use in low-power computing appliances. Mini-ITX motherboards have one or two PCI expansion slots, integrated video, audio, and 10/100 Ethernet as well as legacy ports, but use surface-mounted VIA C3 or Eden processors instead of removable processors.

mini-PCI

A reduced-size version of PCI used in many recent notebook computers for modem, wired, and wireless network interfacing. Mini-PCI devices are customized for the notebook computers they are used with, and are currently not sold at retail.

mixer

The volume, balance, and other controls used by audio hardware. Open the Speaker icon in the Windows system tray or open the Sounds icon in Control Panel to adjust settings.

MKDIR

Makes a folder/directory ( MD ) at the command prompt.

modem

Device that converts digital-to-analog signals or analog-to-digital signals; transmits or receives analog signals through telephone lines. Also called analog modem or dial-up modem . Name is short for modulate -demodulate.

Molex

A type of rectangular power connector used on internal hard drives and optical drives; features two clipped corners for positive keying.

monitor

TV-like device that uses either a CRT or an LCD screen to display activity inside the computer. Attaches to the video card or video port on the system.

motherboard

Large circuit board that has sockets for memory, CPU (processor), chipset, BIOS, and expansion slots (if any). Also called a system board or planar board .

Mount Rainier

A specification for CD-RW and DVD+RW drives that supports background formatting and defect management. Mount Rainier support is not yet standard in current operating systems, but is expected to be added to future version of Windows. See www.mt-rainier.org for additional information.

mouse

Pointing device that is moved across a flat surface; older models use a removable ball to track movement; most recent models use optical sensors.

mouse elbow

Similar to tennis elbow; RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) due to excessive mouse usage.

MP3

A compressed digitized music file format widely used for storage of popular and classical music; quality varies with the sampling rate used to create the file. MP3 files can be stored on recordable or rewritable CD or DVD media for playback and are frequently exchanged online. The process of creating MP3 files is called ripping .

MPEG

Motion Picture Expert Group; creates standards for compression of video (such as MPEG 2) and audio (such as the popular MP3 file format).

mPGA (micro PGA)

A variation on PGA used on Socket 478 processors to put more pins in a smaller space.

MS-DOS

Command-line operating system predating Windows 95.

MSCDEX

Microsoft CD-ROM extensions used in Autoexec.bat in Windows 9x if CD-ROM drive uses Config.sys driver.

MSConfig

The Microsoft System Configuration Utility; a GUI-based way to adjust startup options for Windows 98/Me/XP.

Msdos.sys

Text-mode configuration file used to adjust boot options and Io.sys defaults in Windows 9x/Me.

MSDS (material safety data sheet)

A document provided by a vendor to provide information about potential hazards, use, and disposal of a product.

multi-I/O card

Card that contains two or more different types of I/O ports. Typically includes one or more parallel and one or more serial ports, but other combinations are possible.

multi-mode

A type of fiber-optic cable used for short-distance runs.

multibit chip

A memory chip that holds more than one bit of memory. Multibit chips make high-capacity memory modules with relatively few chips possible.

multimeter

An electrical testing device that can be used for DC and AC voltage and polarity, resistance, diodes, continuity, and amperage.

multiple-display support

The capability to run two or more monitors at the same time on a PC.

multiplier

Also called clock multiplier , this is the number of times faster the CPU's internal speed is when compared to its bus speed. For example, a 3.06GHz Pentium 4 has a bus speed of 533MHz and a multiplier of 5.75 (533x5.75 equals 3060MHz or 3.06GHz).

MultiRead

Standard for reading CD-RW media on a CD-ROM drive.

MultiRead2

Standard for reading CD-RW media on a DVD-ROM drive.

My Computer

Windows interface to drives and other important objects such as Control Panel. Incorporates Windows Explorer.

N

Narrow SCSI

8-bit SCSI interface, requires a 50-pin or 25-pin interface.

Near Letter Quality ( NLQ ) mode

Highest-quality print mode on a dot-matrix printer. Available with 24-pin printers.

negative pressure

Cooling method used by most power supplies; the power supply fan creates a weak vacuum to draw air through the system.

Net

Command-line utility that can be used to perform various network and diagnostic tasks.

NetBEUI

A non-routeable network protocol that is simple to use. An enhanced version of NetBIOS.

NetBIOS

A non-routeable network protocol now replaced by NetBEUI.

Netsetup

Windows 95 program used to copy Windows install files to a network drive.

network

Two or more computers that are connected and share a resource such as hard disks or printers.

network client

Computer that uses another computer's shared resources.

network drive

Drive or folder available through the network; usually refers to a network resource that has been mapped to a local drive letter.

Network Installation

Method for installing service packs in which the entire service pack is downloaded for installation on multiple computers.

network operating system ( NOS )

An operating system built specifically for networking, such as Novell NetWare or Windows NT/2000/Server 2003.

network topology

Logical/physical layout of the network.

nibble

4 bits.

NIC

Network Interface Card.

NiCad (Nickel-Cadmium)

An early rechargeable battery technology.

NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydrite)

The successor to NiCad in low-cost, rechargeable, portable computers. Has similar characteristics and a longer battery life, but no memory effect.

NLX

A quick-change motherboard design intended to replace LPX. The motherboard plugs into a side-mounted riser. NLX-based systems have largely been replaced by Flex-ATX systems.

non-parity

Memory that doesn't use parity checking, or a system on which parity checking is not available or is disabled.

North Bridge

The chip in a chipset that connects the processor bus to high-speed buses such as memory and AGP slots.

Norton Utilities

Symantec disk and system utilities for Windows; contains Disk Editor and many other useful tools.

NOS

Network Operating System. Software that enables a PC to access shared resources; might be part of a regular OS or might be an add-on.

ns (nanosecond)

One billionth of a second; the basic measurement used for memory. Smaller ns ratings indicate faster memory.

NSLookup

Command-line utility (Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP) that displays DNS servers and DNS information for a specified IP address or server.

ntbtlog.txt

Bootlog created by Windows 2000/XP when started with the Logged option.

Ntdetect.com

Detects hardware during Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP startup.

NTFS (New Technology File System)

File system used by Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. Supports compression, more efficient use of disk space, and a different type of internal structure than FAT-based file systems: NTFS stores file locations in the Master File Table (MFT) and uses access control lists for better security than FAT16 or FAT32 file systems. NTFS 5 adds support for encryption and requires Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later.

NTLDR

NT loader program used by Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP to start Windows.

Ntoskrnl.exe

Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP kernel.

null-modem

Serial cable that crosses send and receive lines to enable two PCs to communicate directly with each other without a modem. LapLink, Interlink, and DCC serial cables are null-modem cables.

NVRAM

Non-Volatile RAM. A motherboard chip that stores BIOS configuration information, also known as a CMOS chip.

O

objects

Items that can be viewed or configured with Windows Explorer, including drives, folders, computers, and so on.

odd parity

Parity-check method in which the sum of the data bits and the parity bit adds up to an odd number. If an even number results, the system halts with a parity error.

OEM (original equipment manufacturer)

Refers to hardware or software included with or built into a PC.

OEM version

(of an operating system) An operating system supplied as part of the computer.

OEMSETUP

Automatic Windows 9x/Me setup option included on the boot floppy disk supplied with OEM versions of Windows 9x/Me on CD-ROM.

offline content

Content originally located on a remote server that's now stored on a local hard disk.

offline mode

Print spooler setting used to hold print jobs when printer is not available.

one-way service

Broadband Internet service that uses a telephone line for uploads. Older cable modems, DirecPC (ancestor of DirecWAY), and some fixed wireless services are one-way.

onscreen display

Menu displayed by most recent CRT and LCD monitors for use in adjusting color quality, screen geometry, and other display-quality settings. Often abbreviated as OSD.

OpenGL

An application programming interface (API) originally developed for CAD but also popular with 3D game developers.

operating system

Software that manages all the programs and hardware in or attached to the computer.

operating system upgrade

Installation that replaces the original operating system with a new version.

optical drive

A drive (CD or DVD based) that uses a laser to read or write data.

optical mouse

A mouse that uses a miniature camera to track mouse motion instead of a ball. Some very old mouse devices used a metal plate with a grid, but current models can work on almost any non-mirrored surface.

Orb drive

Castlewood removable-media drive with 2.2GB and 5.7GB capacities.

OS

Operating system. Software that configures and manages hardware and connects hardware and applications. Windows XP is an OS.

OSR

OEM Service Release. Updates to the original version of Windows 95. OSR1 can be downloaded; OSR2.x can only be purchased with hardware.

Other Devices

Device Manager category for devices for which Windows can't find drivers.

outlet tester

Device that plugs into a wall outlet to determine if wiring is properly grounded or polarized (doesn't test current levels).

overclocking

Running memory or other components at faster-than-normal speeds; can improve performance but can cause system instability and overheating , and can void system warranties.

overcoat

A protective coating applied by many dye-sub printers to the prints they make.

overloading

Connecting devices to a computer that require more watts than the power supply can support.

ozone filter

Device used to trap ozone on laser printers that use charging corona wires.

P

packet writing

A method for writing data to an optical disc in small blocks (packets). This method is used by UDF programs. Packet-written media requires a UDF reader, unlike media created with a mastering program, which can be read without any additional software.

page description language ( PDL )

The commands used to define the page's layout, contents, fonts, and graphics before it is transferred to a laser or LED printer. Leading PDLs include HP PCL (Printer Control Language) and Adobe PostScript.

page printer

Printers that print a page at a time such as laser, LED, solid-ink, and most dye-sub printers.

paging file

Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP term for virtual memory file. Can be spread across multiple drives.

palm rest

The area between the spacebar and the front edge of the case on a portable computer. Buttons for pointing devices as well as touchpads and trackballs are built into the palm rest.

paper bail

Spring-loaded arm with rollers running in parallel with the platen on dot-matrix printers to hold a single sheet of paper in place.

paper path

Route paper takes through a printer; straight-through paths have fewer jams.

parallax

The difference in view between the camera lens and a separate optical viewfinder on digital and film cameras. Parallax can cause objects at close shooting distances to be cut off or cropped incorrectly. Use the LCD display found on most digital cameras to avoid parallax errors.

parallel

Data-transfer method used to send 8 bits or multiples of 8 in a single operation; used by parallel port, IDE, floppy, SCSI, and memory devices.

parallel port

Also called Line Printer or LPT port , it's used for parallel printers and other high-speed external devices. Uses a DB-25F connector on the computer and a Centronics 36-pin edge connector on printers. Other devices also use a DB-25F connector.

parallel test

An electrical test (such as for voltage) in which the multimeter is not part of the circuit, but is parallel to it.

parity

Error-checking method used for modems; some remote computers use even or odd parity, whereas the Internet uses no parity checking.

parity checking

System for detecting memory errors; uses a parity bit plus the data bits to create a checksum.

partition

Section of a hard disk set aside for use by an operating system.

partition table

Area near the beginning of the hard disk that stores disk geometry used to prepare drive, operating system(s) in use on drive, and partition start/end positions .

passive-matrix

An LCD display technology that uses transistors to control rows and columns in the display. Has slower response and a dimmer screen than dual-scan or active matrix.

password

A word or combination of letters and numbers that is matched to username or resource name to enable the user to access network resources or accounts.

path

Series of drives and folders (subdirectories) that are checked for executable programs when a command is issued at a command prompt. Also refers to drive/network server and folders used to access a given file.

PC Card

Credit-card sized storage, memory, or I/O devices for notebook computers that use the standards established by PCMCIA.

PC-66, PC-100, PC-133

Standard speeds (in MHz) for SDRAM.

PC-850 character set

A character set that supports line-draw characters.

PC800, PC1066

Standard speeds (in MHz) for RDRAM.

PC2100, PC2700, PC3200

Standard speeds (in MBps) for DDR SDRAM.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)

A 32-bit slot that replaced VL-Bus and EISA from the mid-1990s. 64-bit versions are used in servers.

PCI Configuration

Menu used to adjust IRQ and other PCI slot/device settings.

PCL (Printer Control Language)

The printer language developed by HP for its laser and some of its inkjet printers. It is widely emulated by other laser printer makers .

PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association)

The organization responsible for PC Card, CardBus, and Zoomed Video standards.

PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)

Examples included hand-held computers running PalmOS or Windows CE. Can use data from desktop and portable computers, but processors, memory, and operating systems are different.

peer server

Client PC that also shares drives or other resources on a Windows network.

peer-to-peer

Network model in which client PCs share resources with each other.

Peerless drive

Iomega modular removable-media drive with 10GB and 20GB capacities.

Pentium

32-bit processor with integrated L1 cache (no L2 cache). Fits into Socket 4, 5, or 7. AMD K5, K6 series, and Cyrix 6x86/MII family are Pentium-class processors. First Intel processor with a 64-bit data path.

Pentium II

Enhanced version of Pentium Pro designed for PC and server use. Contains L2 cache inside the processor shell. Fits into Slot 1. Pentium II Xeon is made for workstations and servers, and fits into Slot 2.

Pentium III

Improved version of Pentium II, with faster FSB, L2 cache and clock speeds. Early versions fit into Slot 1, but later versions fit into Socket 370.

Pentium 4

Advanced-design processor with fast FSB, large L2 cache, and high clock speeds (1.4GHz to over 3GHz). Early versions fit into Socket 423, but current versions use Socket 478.

Pentium Pro

Server-optimized version of Pentium with integrated L2 cache. Fits into Socket 8.

peripheral

An external device not required for basic computer use but added to enable a computer to perform a particular task, such as printing or communications with another computer.

personal firewall

Software that blocks unauthorized access to a computer with an Internet connection. Can also be configured to prevent unauthorized programs from connecting to the Internet. The free Shields Up! service at Gibson Research (http://grc.com) tests the protection provided by personal firewalls and recommends specific products.

PGA (Pin Grid Array)

A square or rectangular chip with pins on the bottom; the basis for all socketed processors from the Pentium to present models.

phantom directory

Refers to floppy drives that cannot detect a disk change; indicates that changeline support (line 34) isn't working. If the user doesn't force the drive to reread the new floppy disk, the computer assumes the new disk has the same FAT as the original disk, and trashes the contents of the new disk.

Phoenix Technologies

Original third-party BIOS developer. Owns the former Award Software.

physical drive

Same as hard drive or hard disk; all physical drives must be partitioned and high-level formatted before they can be used by Windows.

piezo-electric

Low-temperature method of controlling inkjet printing.

PIF file

Program Information File. A file that provides special instructions to Windows on how to run a particular MS-DOS program; manually created with Windows 3.1, automatically created when program is run in Windows 9x/Me/2000/XP. Can be modified through program's properties sheet in 9x/Me/2000/XP.

pincushion distortion

Screen geometry fault in which the sides of the display area are bowed inward.

pinfeed

A simplified version of a tractor feed that uses pins fixed to either end of a platen to pull paper past the printhead of a dot-matrix printer; unlike a tractor feed, a pinfeed mechanism cannot be used with labels or other narrow paper stock.

Ping

Command-line utility that tests and checks connection speed to a particular server or IP address.

pins

Wires in the dot-matrix printhead. The printhead activates various combinations of wires in the printhead's matrix to create letters and print graphics.

PIO

Programmed Input Output. A series of IDE interface transfer standards (modes 0 “4) for data flow that runs through the CPU. PIO modes have been replaced by faster UDMA modes.

pipeline-burst cache

Surface-mounted cache chips used on late-model Pentium-class motherboards. Internally, pipeline-burst cache chips send a continuous stream of data (pipelining) in a single operation called a burst .

pitch

Horizontal space occupied by each letter in a fixed-pitch font such as Courier or Courier New. 10-pitch equals 10 characters per inch.

pits

Raised area in the spiral data track of a pressed CD or DVD or a burned area in the spiral data track of a recordable or rewritable CD or DVD. Pits don't reflect light back to the CD or DVD pickup lens. Compare to lands .

plain-text

Text without control characters or fonts, such as .TXT, .BAT, and .INI.

platen

Rubber roller used as part of the paper-feed mechanism in some dot-matrix printers; used for single-sheet feed.

PLCC (Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier)

A square chip with leads on all four sides; plugs into a matching socket. Used by BIOS and audio codec chips on many recent motherboards.

plenum

Special network cable designed for use in air vents and suspended ceilings. Gives off less smoke and fewer toxic fumes when burned than ordinary network cable.

Plug and Play ( PnP )

Windows 9x/Me/2000/XP and BIOS technology for installing PCI, AGP, and PnP-compliant ISA cards and external devices such as printers, monitors, scanners, and modems with minimal user intervention. Also allows for hardware resources to be adjusted to make room for new devices.

PnP Configuration

Menu(s) used to prevent hardware resource conflicts (IRQ, DMA, I/O port) between PnP and non-PnP hardware. Can sometimes be disabled in the BIOS.

Pocket PC

Hand-sized PDAs that run Windows CE.

point of failure

A device or connection between devices that is most likely to cause a malfunction.

pointing device

Mouse or other input device used to select menu items, highlight text, and create graphics.

pointing stick

A small, pressure-sensitive, eraser-shaped button in the middle of the keyboard on some portable computers. It emulates a mouse. The best-known version is the IBM TrackPoint.

port replicator

Enables notebooks with a compatible expansion bus to connect to keyboard, mouse, monitor, and external peripherals with a single device. Universal models use PC Card slot or USB interfacing.

portrait mode

Prints text and graphics across the short side of standard sizes of paper.

POST (power-on self test)

The series of tests performed by the BIOS when the computer is turned on or rebooted. If the POST fails, the computer can't start.

POST card

A PCI or ISA card that displays POST codes during system startup. Can be used to determine codes indicating POST failure when error messages or beep codes don't apply.

POST code

Two-digit hex codes used to indicate various checkpoints during the startup process. Also called checkpoint codes .

POST error message

Error message such as "stuck key" or "CMOS error" generated by the POST.

PostScript

A printer language developed by Adobe that supports very elaborate graphics effects.

POTS

Plain Old Telephone System. Regular copper -wire telephone system that uses modems to connect one computer with another; distinguished from ISDN or DSL connections.

Power Good

A signal that is used by the motherboard to determine if the system can continue to run. If Power Good is too high or too low, the system is automatically rebooted.

Power Management

Menu that configures power management and its options.

power management

Method for reducing power usage to improve battery life in portable computers.

PPPoE (point-to-point protocol over Ethernet)

A protocol used on many DSL connections that requires the user to log in with a username and password.

primary partition

A hard disk partition type that can be used to start a computer. Up to four primary partitions can be created on a single hard disk.

Primary Rate Interface

1.536Mbps ISDN connection used mostly by large businesses.

Primary VGA BIOS

A BIOS setting that controls whether the AGP or PCI card is the primary display.

print job

Any page or group of pages sent to be printed at one time. Each time you click Print in an application, the page or pages you print are a separate print job.

print queue

Windows holding area for print jobs; usually the default temporary files folder.

print spooler

Windows feature that saves print jobs to the default temporary folder and feeds them to the printer when it's ready. Enables user to reorder, pause, and cancel some or all print jobs. Runs as a service in Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP.

printer driver

Software used to control the printer in Windows or another operating system.

printer font

A font built into a printer. Could be fixed-size or scalable.

printer language

Commands and statements used to control a printer, such as PCL, PostScript, or Epson ESC/2.

printhead

Device that moves over the paper and transfers characters and graphics. Used by character/line, thermal, and dye-sublimation printers.

product activation

Process of unlocking Windows XP after installation. Activation matches the product key to the system configuration.

product key

Alphanumeric identifier used by Microsoft to unlock Windows for installation. Used by Windows XP for product activation.

properties sheet

Windows method for modifying and viewing object properties. In most cases, you can right-click an object to display its properties sheet.

proportional font

A font such as Times New Roman or Arial (TrueType) or Times Roman and Helvetica (PostScript) that use different widths for different letters ( W is wide, and I is narrow, for example).

proprietary

Opposite of standard; refers to technologies that are used only by a single vendor. For example, a particular proprietary memory module fits only a few models of notebook computers made by a particular vendor.

protected-mode drivers

Drivers that load into XMS memory (above 1MB) in Windows NT 4.0/9x/Me/2000/XP.

protocol

Rules that define telecommunications connections between devices. TCP/IP is a family of related protocols.

proxy server

A device that checks Internet data requested by a computer and filters out unapproved content or viruses before passing it to the recipient.

PS/2

IBM series of computers introduced in 1987. It replaced IBM PC and AT. Models 50 and up introduced Micro Channel Architecture, an unsuccessful attempt to make PCs easier to maintain and service. Term also refers to round 6-pin mouse and keyboard ports originally introduced by the IBM PS/2 series but still widely used.

PS/2 mode or bidirectional mode

Parallel port configuration mode that uses eight wires for both input and output, and only I/O port addressing.

pull tractor

Paper-feed mechanism that pulls continuous-form paper through the printer. It's located after the printhead in a dot-matrix printer, and requires the user to waste a sheet of paper to tear off a print job.

push tractor

Paper-feed mechanism that pushes continuous-form paper through the printer. It's located before the printhead in a dot-matrix printer, and makes zero-tear-off printing possible.

Q-R

QWERTY

The standard arrangement of typewriter keys is also used by most English or Latin-alphabet computer keyboards; name derived from the first five letter keys under the left hand.

radio-frequency interference ( RFI )

Electrical interference that interferes with radio or TV reception . It is caused by inadequately shielded electrical devices.

RAID

Redundant Array of Inexpensive Drives. Various technologies for using two or more SCSI, ATA/IDE, or Serial ATA (SATA) drives as a logical unit (array) for improving speed, fault tolerance, or both. Some motherboards have ATA or SATA RAID 0 (data striping) or RAID 1 (data mirroring) capabilities onboard. For RAID 0+1 (striping and mirroring) or RAID 5 (advanced striping with parity checking), dedicated SCSI, SATA, or ATA/IDE host adapter cards must be used.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Memory that can be written to and erased freely. Its contents are lost when the power is turned off.

Rambus RDRAM Module

A memory module that uses Rambus DRAM. A single-channel module has 184 pins, whereas a dual-channel module has 232 pins. Current.

random access

Data access method that locates and reads data in any order. Random access is used by hard disk drives, floppy and removable-media disk drives, and optical drives.

RCA jack

A TV-out connector that mixes luma and chroma into a single signal.

RDRAM (Rambus Direct RAM)

A narrow-channel memory type that is faster than SDRAM but much more expensive than (and about the same performance as) DDR SDRAM.

read-only

Storage that is protected from changes.

read-only access

Network access that enables other computers to read but not change files.

read-only attribute

File attribute used to protect a file from unauthorized changes; the file cannot be overridden or altered and can be deleted only by explicit user override in Windows Explorer.

read-only caching

Disk-caching method used by Windows for floppy and removable-media drives; uses memory to cache reads, but disk writes go directly to the drive.

read-write caching

A method of disk caching that uses RAM to hold data being saved to disk as well as data being read from disk for faster performance. Windows uses read-write caching for hard drives by default.

read-write heads

Magnetic heads used to read and write data to any type of magnetic media, including disk and tape.

Readiness Analyzer

Downloadable version of the Upgrade Analyzer.

real-mode drivers

Drivers that load into conventional or UMB space from Autoexec.bat or Config.sys in Windows 9x.

recovery CD

Windows installation stored in a special form that can be uncompressed only to a particular configuration of hardware.

Recovery Console

Windows 2000/XP repair option. It creates a special command-line environment where system repairs can be performed. Recovery Console can be launched from the Windows 2000 or XP CD-ROM or can be installed as a boot option.

Recycle Bin

Windows holding area for deleted files, allowing them to be restored to their original locations; can be overridden to free up disk space.

recycling

Sending a consumable product such as a toner or inkjet cartridge back to a vendor who can rebuild the product or reuse its components.

refresh rate

Rate at which electron guns in the monitor's CRT repaint the picture onscreen; also called vertical retrace rate . It is measured in Hz (Hertz); 1Hz = 1 time per second.

Regedit

Registry editor.

Regedt32

Multi-pane Registry editor used by Windows NT 4.0/2000 as an alternative to Regedit.

Regional Settings

Settings such as language, keyboard, and time zone.

register size

CPU's internal data pathway in bits.

registered file types

File types that can be opened by programs known to the Windows Registry.

Registry

Windows database of hardware, software, and user settings. Structure and files in the Registry varies by Windows version.

Release

Frees up an IP address provided by a DHCP server.

REM

REMark; used to disable statements in Config.sys or Autoexec.bat . The semicolon (;) is used for the same purpose in .INI files used by Windows.

remote printer

Printer available over the network.

removable-media

Any drive whose media can be interchanged; floppy disk, CD-ROM, optical, and tape.

RENAME

Renames files at the command prompt.

Renew

Obtains a new IP address provided by a DHCP server.

repeater

Increases range of a network connection by amplifying the signal. Hubs and switches also act as repeaters.

Repetitive Strain Injury ( RSI )

Injuries that occur because of repeating the same movement again and again.

replicate

Make a copy.

resistance

Tests resistance (ohms) of a device.

resistor

Used on networks and drives to indicate "end of bus."

resolution

Number of horizontal x vertical dots used by the display or by a digital camera. Standard VGA is 640x480, but most systems today use monitors that support 1,024x768 or higher resolutions. Also refers to the number of dots per inch (dpi) supported by a display, scanner, or printer. Typical displays support resolutions of about 96dpi, whereas printers have resolutions of 600dpi to as much as 2,400dpi. Bitmaps should be scanned or created to suit the different resolution requirements of the target device. A low-resolution bitmap works well onscreen but won't print well because printers have higher resolution than displays.

Resource Meter

Windows 9x/Me utility used to track FSR.

restore (data files)

Process of making data files available to the system. Might require the use of a backup program compatible with the backed-up data files.

ribbon cable

Flat cable used to connect drives to interfaces.

RIMM

Rambus Inline Memory Module. Kingston term for a memory module using Rambus DRAM (RDRAM). RIMMs and other RDRAM-based modules use serial instead of parallel data transfers.

ring

Network topology in which each station is connected to two other stations and data flows in a single direction. Token ring uses this topology.

RIP (raster image processor)

A program that converts PostScript commands into printer commands recognizable by a non-PostScript printer. RIPs can be added in software or firmware form to lower-cost inkjet printers to enable them to print PostScript output.

ripping

Converting CD audio tracks into compressed digital audio files such as MP3 or WMA.

riser slot

A motherboard slot used for special types of motherboard support cards (as opposed to standard slot types such as ISA, AGP, or PCI). Riser slots are used on LPX motherboards for the riser card used for add-on cards, and on more recent motherboards for AMR and CMR cards.

RJ-11

Four-wire connector telephone jack using unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling. Also used for dial-up (analog) modems and HomePNA network connections. Smaller than RJ-45.

RJ-45

Eight-wire connector used by 10BaseT and faster Ethernet connections, DSL and ISDN broadband Internet, and by newer token-ring connections. Similar to RJ-11 but larger.

RMDIR

Removes a folder/directory ( RD ) at the command prompt.

ROM (read-only memory)

Memory whose contents normally cannot be changed.

root directory

Top-level folder on a drive that stores all other directories (folders); the root directory of C: drive is C:\ . Sometimes referred to as a root folder .

root hub

Name for USB hub built into motherboard or I/O card. Each root hub handles two USB ports.

router

Connects a network (such as a local area network) to another network (such as the Internet) and routes data between the networks. Often integrated with wireless access points and switches.

RS-232

Recommended Standard-232; the formal name for the serial (COM) port standard, the standard serial port type for PCs.

RTC/NVRAM (real-time clock/non-volatile RAM)

The official name of the CMOS.

S

S-registers

Modem registers used to store or adjust timing and other technical details.

S-Video

High-quality video standard used in many recent VCR and DVD products for input and output of video signals. Many recent video cards with TV output use S-Video jacks for this purpose.

S/PDIF

Sony/Philips Digital Interface; a digital sound interface standard. Might use wired or optical-cable connectors.

safe format

Default floppy disk format for MS-DOS; allows floppy disk to be unformatted.

Safe Mode

A Windows startup mode used for troubleshooting; it uses standard VGA drivers but doesn't load any 32-bit drivers, so many devices don't work.

Safe Mode Command Prompt

Windows 9x startup option that skips all startup files and displays a command prompt.

Safe Mode with Network Support

Windows 9x/Me startup option that loads standard drivers as well as network drivers.

sampling rate

Frequency at which analog sound data is stored for digital conversion; a higher sampling rate produces better quality but also larger .wav files.

satellite Internet

Broadband Internet that uses geosynchronous satellites to send and receive data.

scalable font

A font that can be made any size from a single outline. For example, the Times New Roman scalable font can be used to print 10pt, 24pt, and 72pt text in the same document.

SCAM (SCSI Configuration AutoMagically)

An automatic SCSI configuration method used by some hard disks and SCSI host adapters.

ScanDisk

Windows 9x/Me disk repair tool.

Scanner and Camera Wizard

Windows Me/XP utility that transfers pictures from digital cameras or scanners to a specified folder on a PC.

Scanreg

Windows 98/Me Registry checker/backup program.

Scheduled Tasks

Enables user to schedule utility and other tasks to run as desired.

screen geometry

Appearance of the sides of the display area on a CRT. Should be straight on all four sides, but might require adjustment if bowed or wavy.

screensaver

Blanks the screen or displays a changing animation to protect the screen from phosphor burn-in.

SCSI (small computer system interface)

A flexible interface that uses parallel signaling. It can be used for hard and optical drives, scanners, and other devices. Narrow SCSI interfaces enable daisy-chaining of seven devices to a single port. Wide SCSI enables daisy-chaining of up to 15 devices to a single port.

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)

Memory running in sync with processor bus. Speeds include 66MHz (PC-66), 100MHz (PC-100), and 133MHz (PC-133).

SDSL

Synchronous DSL. A type of DSL connection in which upload and download speeds are the same. SDSL connections are marketed to business rather than to home users and almost always require a newly installed circuit to the location and professional installation.

T

T-adapter

Connects to rear of 10Base2 Ethernet card to allow RG-58 cable to be attached in a bus configuration.

TAGRAM

A chip used as part of an SRAM cache chip installation.

tape drive

Internal or external backup drive that uses various types of magnetic tape to store data. Size measured in native (uncompressed) and 2:1 compressed capacities.

TAPI

Telephony Application Programming Interface. Windows method for interfacing with modems and other telephony devices; allows system to interface with POTS, PBX, videophones, and others by interfacing with their TAPI drivers.

Task Manager

Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP dialog that enables the user to shut down programs and also offers performance information.

Taskbar

Selector area next to the System Tray where icons for running programs are located.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

The protocol used by the Internet is also the leading network protocol.

Telnet

Enables remote control of a PC via TCP/IP.

temporary files

Files used for print jobs and other temporary functions.

terminal adapter

ISDN network device.

Terminate-and-Stay-Resident ( TSR )

Utilities that load from the Autoexec.bat file in Windows 9x. Should be used only if 32-bit protected mode drivers are not available.

termination

Device setting or connector used to indicate the end of a SCSI daisy-chain.

terminator

Device attached to the end of a daisy-chain of SCSI devices or the end of a bus-topology network such as 10Base2 Ethernet. Removing the terminator causes device or network failure.

text

Human-readable file.

thermal printer

Uses heat to transfer images to the paper or media.

thermal transfer

A method of thermal printing that uses a wax- or resin-coated ribbon to transfer printing to paper or other media.

Thicknet

Another name for 10Base5 Ethernet.

Thinnet

Another name for 10Base2 Ethernet.

token ring

A network based on IEEE-802.5 standards. Uses a logical ring topology.

toner cartridge

Cartridge that contains toner, imaging drum, and other components of the EP process. Most laser printers use a toner cartridge.

topology

The arrangement of cables in a network.

touchpad

Mouse alternative that uses a touch-sensitive pad to detect movement. Pressing the surface with the finger can also be used for double-clicking as an alternative to using the buttons provided.

tower

Case design in which the system stands on the short side of the case and the motherboard is mounted vertically.

Tracert

Command-line utility that checks the path used to transfer data between a computer and a specified server or IP address. Windows version of the Linux/Unix Traceroute command.

trackball

Mouse alternative that uses a large ball on top of the device; the ball is moved with the thumb or other fingers.

TrackPoint II

IBM's pointing-stick technology.

tracks

A concentric circle of sectors on a magnetic disk.

tractor-fed paper

Paper with perforated edges; used by printers with tractor-feed mechanisms.

tractor-feed

Paper feeders that push or pull paper with perforated edges past the printhead on dot-matrix printers; uses tractor-fed paper.

Transceiver Type

An option on combo network adapters that determines which connection is used for network data.

Travan

An Imation-developed development of the QIC-80 and QIC-Wide tape drive standards. Travan drives use a .315-inch-wide tape. Current Travan designs support 20GB storage (2:1 compression) and 40GB storage (2:1 compression).

Trojan horse

Similar to a virus but can't replicate itself. Antivirus programs can block Trojan horses as well as true viruses.

troubleshooters

Feature built into various parts of Windows that helps users to diagnose problems with the system. Troubleshooters might start a Q&A diagnostic process or open a Properties sheet.

troubleshooting cycle

Method for tracking down problems and determining solutions.

true UPS

Provides power from the battery to the system at all times; it has no switchover time.

TrueType

A scalable-font technology developed by Apple and Microsoft; used in all Windows versions from 3.1 to the present.

TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident)

Program that stays in memory to provide system services or hardware support such as Mouse.com; usually found in Autoexec.bat on MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 systems; Windows 9x usually has 32-bit drivers that replace TSRs, and Windows Me, NT, 2000, and XP do not use 16-bit drivers at all.

Turbo

Automatic BIOS setup option that selects fastest memory timings.

TV-out

General term for any output from a display circuit that can be used by a TV or VCR.

TWAIN

Technology developed by the TWAIN Working Group to provide a standard interface between scanners and digital cameras and imaging programs. Launch the TWAIN driver for your imaging device in your program, acquire (scan or download) the image, and the image is retrieved into your application. TWAIN is not an acronym.

two-way service

Broadband Internet service that uses the connection for downloading and uploading.

TYPE

Displays the contents of text files at the command prompt.

Type I PC Card

Thin (3.3mm) PC Card used primarily for Flash or system memory.

Type II PC Card

Medium-width (5mm) PC Card used for I/O, hard drives, wireless networking, external drive interfacing, and others. The most popular size.

Type III mini-PCI

The most popular type of mini-PCI interface, it uses an edge connector and requires the ports to be built into the system.

Type III PC Card

Thick (10.5mm) PC Card used for hard drives and for I/O cards with integrated ports. A Type III PC Card slot can be used as two Type II PC Card slots.

typefaces

The type design for a set of fonts, such as Times New Roman, Courier New, or Arial.

Typical (network settings)

Normal Windows XP settings.

Typical installation

Windows 9x/Me and application software installation option that should install the features needed by most users.

U

UART (Universal Asynchronous Receive Transmit) chip

The heart of a hardware serial port. Frequently emulated on recent systems. UART types include 8250, 16450, 16550, 16550A, 16550AFM, 16650, 16750, 16850, and 16950.

UL-1449

UL standard for surge suppressors.

Ultra DMA ( UDMA )

A high-speed method of transferring data from ATA/IDE drives to memory, which bypasses the processor.

Ultra VGA

UVGA. Another name for 1,280x1,024 display resolution.

Unattend.txt

Windows NT/2000/XP term for the script file used to customize an OS installation.

unbuffered memory

Memory that interfaces directly with the chipset's memory controller. Unbuffered SDRAM memory is used by most PCs.

UNC (Universal Naming Convention)

A method for indicating the path to a shared resource: // servername /sharename/foldername/filename.ext . Enables client PCs to access a network resource without mapping a drive letter or redirecting a printer port.

unconditional format

Floppy disk format option that rewrites sector markings and destroys existing data. Sometimes referred to as full format .

undelete

MS-DOS utility program that can retrieve "deleted" files still on the system; can be run as a TSR to improve chances of file retrieval. Windows's Recycle Bin performs a similar function.

underclocking

Setting CPU or memory settings slower than normal. Usually results from misconfigured motherboard or BIOS settings. Can also be done deliberately to permit a newer processor to run at a speed compatible with an older system.

unerase

this Norton Utilities program performs the same task as undelete.

V

V.90

International standard for 56Kbps modems.

V.92

Improved version of V.90; adds support for call waiting and faster uploading.

VA (volt-amp)

The most common measurement used for battery backup units. Multiply watts by 1.4 to determine VA.

VBA

Visual Basic for Applications. Microsoft's application development language used with Microsoft Office. VBA is also used by many email- borne viruses such as ILOVEYOU because VBA scripts can be run by Microsoft email clients such as Outlook and Outlook Express.

VCACHE

Virtual Cache. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 optional 32-bit disk cache driver; standard feature of Windows 95 and newer versions.

VER

Displays operating system version at the command prompt.

vertical refresh rate

How many times per second (Hz) the screen is redrawn. 72Hz or higher is preferable to avoid flicker on a CRT (LCDs don't flicker).

VESA

Video Electronic Standards Association. Trade group of monitor and video card makers that sets video standards for resolution, color depth, and digital displays.

VESA BIOS extension

TSR program supplied with many VGA cards to allow standard video drivers for MS-DOS games to work with different brands of video cards; some VGA cards have a built-in VESA BIOS extension.

VFAT

Virtual File Allocation Table. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 optional 32-bit file access driver; standard feature of Windows 95 and later versions.

VGA (Video Graphics Array)

An IBM-designed analog graphics display standard from 1987 that is the basic mode used by all video cards from about 1989 to the present.

VGA Mode

A Windows NT/2000/XP startup mode that loads standard VGA drivers in place of card/chipset-specific drivers but loads all other normal drivers.

Video RAM ( VRAM )

A fast, dual-ported form of video memory. Replaced by DDR-SDRAM and SGRAM.

virtual domain

A portion of a physical Web server; appears as a separate Web server to the user and is accessed with a unique domain name.

virtual memory

Disk space used as memory. Also called the swapfile or paging file .

virtual printer

Printer driver used by software such as Adobe Acrobat Distiller instead of a physical printer.

virus

Computer program that resembles a Trojan horse that can also replicate itself to other computers.

VL-Bus (VESA local-bus)

A 32-bit development of ISA that's faster than EISA; replaced by PCI as the Pentium processor replaced 486s in the mid-1990s.

VMM

Virtual Machine Manager. Windows 9x and later versions use VMM to provide multitasked services known as virtual machines to each running program, making each program think it has the entire computer at its disposal.

volt

Measurement of AC or DC electrical power.

voltmeter

Device that measures AC or DC electrical power; often integrated into a digital multimeter (DMM).

VRAM

Video RAM. RAM used on some older high-end video cards; can read and write data at the same time.

W

WAN (wide area network)

A network in multiple locations connected together by leased lines or satellite transmissions. On a router, indicates which port should be used for connecting the router to a broadband Internet access device.

warm boot

System start after system is restarted. A condensed POST without memory test is run after a warm boot.

wattage

A measure of heat; power supplies are rated in watts.

WAV

A non-compressed standard for digital audio. Most recording programs for Windows, such as the Microsoft Sound Recorder, can create and play back WAV files. However, WAV files are very large, and are usually converted into other formats for use online or for creating digital music archives.

wavetable

A method of playing MIDI scores using digitized samples of actual musical instruments.

WBR (wireless broadband router)

The device that receives fixed wireless signals from the antenna.

Web browser

A program that can read and interpret HTML and other types of text and script content on Web sites. Internet Explorer is the Web browser included in Microsoft Windows.

Web Archive

Method for storing a Web page (including graphics) as a single file for offline research or emailing.

Web content zone

Internet Explorer security feature that permits user to classify different Web sites and IP addresses by the security settings appropriate for safe access.

Web view

IE 4.0 Windows Explorer view that provides a preview of the active object.

WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy)

Original security standard for Wireless Ethernet.

WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs)

The Microsoft organization that tests and approves device drivers.

Wide SCSI

16-bit SCSI interface; requires a 68-pin interface.

wide- carriage

Dot-matrix printer equipped to handle wide tractor-fed paper.

Wi-Fi

Wireless Ethernet (802.11a, b, or g) hardware that has been certified by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance for interoperability across brands.

wildcard

Enables commands such as DIR , DEL / ERASE , or RENAME to work on similarly named files only. * = multiple characters; ? = single character.

Win.com

Windows 9x loader program. Default behavior can be modified with /d switches.

Win.ini

Windows software configuration file. Used primarily for support of 16-bit Windows applications in Windows 3.1/9x/Me.

Window RAM ( WRAM )

A fast form of video memory based on VRAM. Replaced by DDR-SDRAM and SGRAM.

Windows 3.1

Version of Windows that requires MS-DOS. Can be used to qualify for upgrade to Windows 98.

Windows 95

First version of Windows to support Plug and Play hardware detection. Can be used to qualify for upgrades to Windows 98 and 2000.

Windows 98

Improved version of Windows 95 with support for USB, FAT32 drives, and other enhancements. Can be used to qualify for upgrade to Windows Me, 2000, and XP.

Windows Backup

Standard backup utility in Windows; features vary by version.

Windows Explorer

Explores drives in My Computer. Same as Internet Explorer in IE 4.0 and above.

Windows Protection Error

A Windows 9x/Me startup problem.

Windows Update

Windows 98 and later versions' method for detecting what updates are needed by a particular computer and enabling the user to choose which updates to install.

Winipcfg

Windows 9x/Me utility that displays IP configuration and can be used to release and renew a server-assigned IP address.

Winmodem

A modem that depends upon Windows and the processor to perform the task of converting signals; originally developed by U.S. Robotics.

Winnt.exe

A setup program for Windows NT that can be used to make boot disks.

Winnt32.exe

A Windows 9x-compatible setup program for Windows NT that can be used to make boot disks.

WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service)

A feature of some Microsoft networks that translates between NetBIOS computer names and IP addresses.

wireless access point ( WAP )

Device that connects Wi-Fi (IEEE-802.11 class) devices to each other.

Wireless Ethernet

802.11-family wireless networking.

WLAN

Wireless local area network. Instead of wires, stations on a WLAN connect to each other through radio waves. The IEEE-802.11 family of standards guide the development of WLANs.

WMA

Windows Media Audio. This is the native compressed audio format created by Windows Media Player. WMA files provide similar quality to MP3 files but use smaller file sizes. Unlike MP3, WMA files support digital rights management.

word length

Number of bits in each character (word) sent; some remote computers use 7-bit, whereas the Internet uses 8-bit.

WordBasic

Microsoft Word's macro language.

WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access)

A much stronger security standard than WEP, but not supported by all hardware.

WRAM

Window RAM. Modified version of VRAM used on a few older video cards.

wrist strap

A device with a resistor and an alligator clip; wear it and connect the alligator clip to an unpainted metal part of the computer to avoid ESD.

Write Protect Boot Sector

A BIOS option that can prevent partitioning programs such as Fdisk and boot managers from working properly. Can be bypassed by some third-party disk setup programs.

write-behind caching

Disk-caching method used by Windows for hard disks; uses memory to hold (cache) reads and writes to speed disk access.

write-protect

Prevents media from being erased or changed; might use a mechanical or electronic method.

write-protect jumper

A jumper on some systems that prevents the Flash BIOS from being overwritten; remove to perform a BIOS update, and then replace.

WWW

World Wide Web. The portion of the Internet that uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http://) and can thus be accessed via a Web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and others.

X

X-rating

Factor used to express transfer rate of CD or DVD drives. For CDs, multiply X rating by 150Mbps. For DVDs, multiply X rating by 1.385MBps.

X2

Proprietary 56Kbps modem standard developed by U.S. Robotics; now replaced by V.90.

XCOPY

Copies files and folders at the command prompt.

XCOPY32

Enhanced version of XCOPY used in a command-prompt window in Windows 9x/Me. Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP's XCOPY is an enhanced version of XCOPY32 .

XMS

Extended Memory Standard. Standard for managing memory above 1MB; Himem.sys turns extended memory into XMS memory.

XVGA

Extended VGA; commonly refers to 1,024x768 display resolution.

Y-Z

Y-adapter

A splitter that converts a single drive power connector into two power connectors.

Y-Mouse

A series of keyboard, mouse, and pointing device connectors made by PI Engineering (www.y-mouse.com), enabling users to connect two different keyboard or pointing devices to a single port.

yellow

The Y in CMYK color printing.

zero tear-off

A feature found on many printers with push tractors that enables printed pages or forms to be torn off without wasting a form.

ZIF socket (Zero Insertion Force socket)

Processor socket that has a clamping mechanism for easy chip removal/installation.

Zip

Might refer to Iomega Zip media or to the Zip compression standard for file archiving developed by PkWare and supported by WinZip and many other programs.

Zip drive

Iomega-developed removable-media drive with 100MB, 250MB, and 750MB capacities.

ZV (Zoomed Video)

An enhanced version of CardBus for video capture and graphics displays.

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