TIA Chapters 5-8 Flashcards
Mainframe
powerful computer responsible for storing, managing and simultaneously processing data from many users
Utility program
is a small program in system software that performs many of the general house-keeping tasks, system maintenance and file compression
MS-Dos
1st widely used OS that does not use icons
RTOS
real-time operating system also referred to as an embedded system that requires little user interaction
Network Operating System
multiuser operating system installed on a server to manage all user requests
server
the computer on a network that manages network resources
UNIX
multiuser, multitask OS used as a network OS primarily with mainframes
Apple OS & Windows
allows a user to perform more than one process at a time
application programming interface - API
block of code in the OS that software applications need o interact with
application software
the software you use to do everyday tasks at home and at work
authentication
process of identifying a computer user, based on login or username and password
Backup & Restore utility
Windows utility that allows the user to create a duplicate copy of all the data on the hard drive or selected files & copy it to another storage device
BIOS or basic input/output system
program that manages the data between a computer’s OS and all the input and output devices attached to the computer and
program responsible for loading the OS from its permanent location on the hard drive to the RAM
boot process
process for loading the OS into RAM when the computer is turned on - Steps:
- BIOS is activated by powering on CPU
- BIOS checks that all attached devices are in place (called POST, powered on self-test)
- OS is loaded into RAM
- Configuration and customization settings are checked
command-driven interface
an interface in which you enter commands to communicate with the computer system
device driver
special program that facilitates communication between the hardware device and the OS
Device manager
feature in the OS that lets you view and change the properties of all devices attached to your computer
directory
an hierarchical structure that includes files, folders, and drives used to create a more organized and efficient computer
Disk Cleanup
Windows utility that cleans or removes unnecessary files from your hard drive
Disk Defragmenter
regroups related pieces of files on the hard drive so the OS can work more efficiently
Error-checking
Windows utility that checks for lost files and fragments as well as physical errors on your hard drive
event
result of an action, such as keystroke, mouse click or signal to the printer, in the respective device, (keyboard, mouse or printer) to which the OS responds
extension (file type)
the 3 letters that follow the user-supplied file name (after the dot) that ids what kind of family of files the file belongs to or which app should be used to read the file
file
collection of related pieces of info stored together for easy reference
file allocation table - FAT
an index of all sector numbers in a table
file compression utility
a program that that takes out redundancies in a file to reduce it’s size
file management
process by which humans or computer software provide organizational structure to a computer’s contents
file name
1st part of the label applied to a file; generally applied by the user to a file while saving it
file path
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
firmware
system programs included in the system software that controls hardware devices
folder
collection of files
gadget
easy-to-use mini program that gives you info at a glance or quick access to frequently used tools like weather, calculator, games, system tools, etc
GUI
graphical user interface - displays graphics and uses point-and-click technology of the mouse and curser
icon
pictures that represent an object such as a software application or a file or folder
interrupt
unique signal that tells the OS it is in need of immediate attention - every device has it’s own interrupt
interrupt handler
special numeric code that prioritizes the request placed in the interrupt table in the RAM
kernel (supervisor program)
is the essential component of the OS responsible for managing the processor and all other components of the computer system, stays in RAM when CPU is on so it is memory resident
Last Known Good Configuration
Windows feature that starts the computer by using the registry info that was saved during the last shutdown
library
a folder that is used to display files from different locations, as if they were all saved in a single folder, regardless of where they are stored