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Definition
| Bars that float above the screen and contain applications such as the Tabs bar & the Address bar; a new feature of Internet Explorer 10. |
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Term
| Application Programming Interface (API) |
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Definition
| A set of software routines that allows one software system to work with another. |
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| The set of programs on a computer that helps a user carry out tasks such as word processing, sending e-mail, balancing a budget, creating presentations, editing photos, taking an online course, & playing games. |
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| The process of identifying a computer user, based on a login or username & password. The computer system determines whether the computer user is authorized & what level of access is to be granted on the network. |
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Term
| Basic Input/Output System |
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Definition
| A program that manages the data between a computer's operating system & all the input/output devices attached to the computer; it is responsible for loading the operating system from its permanent location on the computer to random access memory (RAM). |
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| The process for loading the operating system (OS) into random access memory (RAM) when the computer is turned on. |
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| Special shortcuts for performing common tasks, such as searching or sharing information; created for Windows 8. |
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| The smallest increment in which data is stored on hard disks; hard disks are divided into tracks, then wedges, then sectors, then clusters. |
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| Interface between user & computer in which the user enters commands to communicate with the computer system. |
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| Software that facilitates the communication between a device & its operating system or between a network computer & a server's operating system on the operating system of the computer in which the adapter is installed. |
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| A hierarchical structure that includes files, folders, & drives used to create a more organized & efficient computer. |
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| A Windows utility that removes unnecessary files from the hard drive. |
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| A utility that regroups related pieces of files on the hard drive, enabling faster retrieval of the data. |
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| A Windows utility that checks for lost files & fragments as well as physical errors on a hard drive. |
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| The result of an action, such as a keystroke, mouse click, or signal to the printer, in the respective device (keyboard, mouse or printer) to which the operating system responds. |
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Definition
| In a file name, the three letters that follow the user-supplied file name after the dot. The extension identifies what kind of family of files the file belongs to, or which application should be used to read the file. |
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Definition
| A collection of related pieces of information stored together for easy reference. |
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| File Allocation Table (FAT) |
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Definition
| An index of all sector numbers that the hard drive stores in a table to keep track of which sectors hold which files. |
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Definition
| A program that takes out redundancies in a file in order to reduce the file size. |
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| The main tool for finding, viewing, & managing the contents of your computer by showing the location & contents of every drive, folder, and file; called Windows Explorer prior to Windows 8. |
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| A Windows utility that automatically creates a duplicate of your libraries, desktop, contacts, & favorites & copies it to another storage device, such as an external hard drive. |
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Definition
| The process by which humans or computer software provide organizational structure to a computer's contents. |
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| The first part of the label applied to a file; generally the name a user assigns to the file when saving it. |
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Definition
| The exact location of a file, starting with the drive in which the file is located and including all folders, subfolders (if any), the file name, and the extension (example: C:\Users\username\Documents\Illustrations\EBronte.jpg). |
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Definition
| A collection of files stored on a computer. |
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Term
| Graphical User Interface (GUI) |
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Definition
| Unlike the command and menu-driven interfaces used in earlier software, GUIs display graphics & use the point-and-click technology of the mouse & cursor, making them much more user friendly. |
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Definition
| A signal that tells the operating system that it's in need of immediate attention. |
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Definition
| A special numerical code that prioritizes requests from various devices. These requests then are placed in the interrupt table in the computer's primary memory. |
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Term
| Kernel (Supervisor Program) |
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Definition
| The essential component of the operating system that's responsible for managing the processor & all other components of the computer system. Because it stays in random access memory (RAM) the entire time the computer is powered on, the kernel is called memory resident. |
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Definition
| Introduced with Windows 7, a folder that's used to display files from different locations as if they were all saved in a single folder, regardless of where they are actually stored in the file hierarchy. |
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Definition
| An open-source operating system based on UNIX. Because of the stable nature of this operating system, it's often used on web servers. |
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Definition
| The first commercially available operating system to incorporate a graphic user interface (GUI) with user-friendly point-and-click technology. |
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Definition
| A user interface in which the user chooses a command from menus displayed on the screen. |
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Definition
| A single sign-on that enables users to log in to Microsoft services. |
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Definition
| The ability of an operating system to perform more than one process at a time. |
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| Multiuser Operating System (Network Operating System) |
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Definition
| An operating system that enables more than one user to access the computer system at one time by efficiently juggling all the requests from multiple users. |
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Definition
| The system software that controls the way in which a computer system functions, including the management of hardware, peripherals, & software. |
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Definition
| The process of swapping data or instructions that have been placed in the swap file for later use back into active random access memory (RAM). The contents of the hard drive's swap file then become less active data or instructions. |
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| The backslash mark(\) used by Microsoft Windows & DOS in file names; Mac files use a colon (:), and UNIX & Linux use the forward slash (/) as the path separator. |
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Definition
| The process through which you choose which applications are visible on the Windows Start screen. |
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Definition
| The combination of a computer's operating system & processor. The two most common platform types are the PC & the Apple. |
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Definition
| The technology that enables the operating system, once it is booted up, to recognize automatically any new peripherals & to configure them to work with the system. |
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Definition
| The first job the basic input/output system (BIOS) performs, ensuring that essential peripheral devices are attached & operational. This process consists of a test on the video card & video memory, a BIOS identification process (during which the BIOS version, manufacturer, & data are displayed on the monitor), & a memory test to ensure memory chips are working properly. |
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Term
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Definition
| When the operating system processes the task assigned a higher priority before processing a task that has been assigned a lower priority. |
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Term
| Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) |
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Definition
| A program with a specific purpose that must guarantee certain response times for particular computing tasks or else the machine's application is useless. Real-time operating systems are found in many types of robotic equipment. |
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Definition
| A folder on a Windows desktop in which deleted files from the hard drive are held until permanently purged from the system. |
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Definition
| A new utility program in Windows 8 that attempts to diagnose & fix errors in your Windows system files that are causing your computer to behave improperly. |
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Definition
| A portion of the hard drive containing all the different configurations (settings) used by the Windows operating system as well as by other applications. |
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Definition
| The top level of the filing structure in a computer system. In Windows computers, the root directory of the hard drive is represented as C:\. |
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Definition
| A section of a hard drive platter, wedge-shaped from the center of the platter to the edge. |
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Definition
| The instructions programmers write in a higher-level language. |
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Definition
| A program that helps coordinate all print jobs being sent to the printer at the same time. |
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Definition
| The first interaction you have with the Windows operating system & the place where you begin your computing activities. |
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Definition
| A temporary storage area on the hard drive where the operating system "swaps out" or moves the data or instructions from random access memory (RAM) that haven't recently been used. This process takes place when more RAM space is needed. |
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Definition
| The main files of an operating system. |
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| A utility in Windows that restores system settings to a specific previous date when everything was working properly. |
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Definition
| In Windows, a snapshot of your entire system's settings used for restoring your system to a prior point in time. |
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Definition
| The set of programs that enables a computer's hardware devices & application software to work together; it includes the operating system & utility programs. |
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Definition
| In later versions of Windows operating systems, a feature that displays open & favorite applications for easy access. |
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Definition
| A Windows utility that shows programs currently running & permits you to exit nonresponsive programs when you click End Task. |
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Definition
| A condition of excessive paging in which the operating system becomes sluggish. |
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Definition
| A concentric circle that serves as a storage area on a hard drive platter. |
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Definition
| An operating system originally conceived in 1969 by Ken Thompson & Dennis Ritchie of AT&T's Bell Labs. In 1974, the UNIX code was rewritten in the standard programming language C. Today there are various commercial versions of UNIX. |
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Definition
| Part of the operating system that enables individuals to interact with the computer. |
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Definition
| A small program that performs many of the general housekeeping tasks for the computer, such as system maintenance & file compression. |
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Definition
| The space on the hard drive where the operating system stores data if there isn't enough random access memory to hold all of the programs you're currently trying to run. |
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Definition
| An operating system by Microsoft that incorporates a user-friendly, graphical interface. |
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Definition
| Newest release of Microsoft's operating system that provides a new interface optimized for touch-screen devices. |
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Definition
| Applications specifically designed to run in the Windows 8 interface; these apps are displayed full screen, without borders or controls. |
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Definition
| New interface designed for Windows 8; features large type with clean, readable block images inspired by metropolitan service signs such as those found on bus stations & subways. |
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