IT Vocab PC 10 Flashcards
Directory that contains all other directories
root
Utility built into Windows that can help users clean up their hard drives by removing temporary internet files, deleting unused program files and more
Disk Cleanup
Tiny bit of code that takes control of the boot process from the system BIOS
master boot record (MBR)
Volume that uses space on multiple dynamic disks
spanned volume
changes made to a system to improve its performance
optimization
Mac OS X tool that checks for hard drive errors
Disk Utility
Table located in the boot sector of a hard drive that lists every partition on the disk that contains a valid operating system
partition table
Special software, embedded on hard drives, that constantly scans the drives for bad sectors
error correction code (ECC)
Windows graphical tool that scans and fixes hard drive problems. Often referred to by the name of the executable, chkdsk, or Check Disk
Error Checking
Occurs when files and directories get jumbled on a fixed disk and are no longer contiguous; which can slow down a hard drive access time
fragmentation
Robust and secure file system introduced by Microsoft with Windows NT providing an amazing array of configuration options for user access and security
New Technology File System (NTFS)
To initiate an automatic routine that clears the memory, loads the operating system and prepares the computer for use
boot
Procedure in which all the files on a hard disk drive are rewritten on a disk so that all parts of each file reside in contiguous clusters
defragmentation
Hard drive partitioned in the ‘classic’ way with a master boot record and partition table
basic disk
A clearly defined list of permissions that specifies what actions an authenticated user may be performed on a shared resource
Access Control List (ACL)
Partitioned on a Windows hard drive that can store a bootable operating system
Primary partition
RAID 0 volumes. Data is spread across two drives for increased speed
striped volumes
Format process that tests every sector to mark out the unusable ones in the file allocation table
full format
Snap-in available with the Microsoft Management Console that enables techs to configure the various disks installed in a system
Disk management
Storage optimization and management service, such as NTFS, that has the capability of applying a cipher process to the stored data
encrypting file system (EFS)
Section of the storage area of a hard disk, created during initial preparation of the hard disk, before the disk is formatted
partition
Magnetically mapping a disk to provide a structure for storing data; can be done to any type of disk
formatting
Scheme that directs how an OS stores and retrieves data on an off a driver; FAT32 and NTFS are examples
file system
basic unit of storage on a floppy or hard disk
cluster
electronically subdividing a physical hard drive into groups called volumes
partitioning
physical unit of a storage medium such as tape reel or disk pack that is capable of having data recording on it and subsequently read
volumes
