Term
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Definition
| set of programs on a computer that helps a user carry out tasks such as word processing, sending email, balancing a budget, et. |
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| process of identifying a computer user and level of access granted to the network |
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| a software application that creates a duplicate copy of selected data on the hard disk and copies it to another storage device |
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| Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) |
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Definition
| a program that manages the data between the operating system and all the input and output devices attached to the computer system. also responsible for loading the OS from its permanent location on the hard drive to RAM |
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| software that facilitates the communication between a device and the OS |
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| disk defragmenter utilities |
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Definition
| utilities that regroup related pieces of files together on the hard disk, enabling faster retrieval of the date |
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Term
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Definition
| in a filename, the three letters following the user-supplied filename after the dot (.); identifies what kind of family the file belongs to or which application should be used to read the file |
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graphical user interface (GUI) |
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Definition
| unliek the command and menu-driven interfaces used earlier, GUIs display graphics and use the point - and -click technology of the mouse and cursor, making them much more user-friendly |
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Term
| kernel (supervisor program) |
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Definition
| essential component of the operating system, responsible for managing the processor and all other ocmponents of the computer system. bc it stays in RAM the entire time the computer it on, the kernel is called the memory resident |
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| open-source OS based on UNIX. bc of the stable nature of this OS, it is often used on Web Servers |
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| Apple. first OS to incorporate point-and-click technology in a commercially affordable computer. Mac OS X is based on UNIX OS. Previously, OS had been based on Apple's own propreitary program |
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Microsoft Disk OS( MS-DOS) |
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Definition
| single-user, single-task OS created by Microsoft. first widely installed OS in personal computers |
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| New Technology File System (NTFS) |
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Definition
| file system in Windows XP that differs from File Allocation Table (FAT). NTFS developed with the Windows NT version and used in Windows 200 and XP |
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| File Allocation Table (FAT) |
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Definition
| index of all sector number that the hard drive stores in a table to keep track of which secotrs hold which files |
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Definition
| system software that controls the way in which a computer system functions, including the management of hardware, peripherals, and software |
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Definition
| if data or instructions that have been placed in the swap file are needed later, the OS swaps them back into active RAM and replaces them in the hard drive's swap file w/ less active data or instructions |
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Definition
| backslah marks (\) used by Microsoft, (;) used by Mac, and (/) by UNIX and Linux |
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Term
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Definition
| combination of a computer's OS and processor. ex: PC and Mac |
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Term
| power-on self-test (POST) |
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Definition
| first job of BIOS, ensuring that essential peripheral devices are attached and operational. consists of a tests on video card and video memory, a BIOS identification process (manufacturer and data displayed) and memory test |
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Definition
| technology that enables the OS to recognize automatically any new peripherals and configure them to work with the system |
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| special diagnostic mode designed for troubleshooting erros that occur during boot process |
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temporary storage area on the hard drive where the OS "swaps out" or moves the data or instructions from RAM that have not recently been used. this takes place when more RAM is needed |
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| a Windows utility that shows programs currently running and permits you to exit nonresponsive programs whne you click End Task |
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Definition
| OS conceived of AT&T's Bell Labs. in 1974, code was rewritten in the standard programming language C. today there are various commercial versions |
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Definition
| restore your system settings to a specific previous date when everything was working properly |
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