Microsoft Windows 10 Glossary

There are items in this glossary as of today.
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32-bit system

A computer whose CPU handles data in 4-byte (32-bit) chunks. Most pre-2000 computers were 32-bit systems. A 32-bit system can only run 32-bit operating systems and software. 32-bit Windows software is also referred to as "x86" software.

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64-bit system

A computer whose CPU handles data in 8-byte (64-bit) chunks. Though capable of running a 32-bit operating system, 64-bit systems should be supplied with a 64-bit version of an operating system. It can then run either 32-bit or 64-bit software.

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Action Center

The Windows 10 Action Center displays alerts, warnings, or other information pertaining to your computer, its network connections, or its status. It can be manually opened by clicking on the Action Center icon to the Notifications area (the right-hand end of the taskbar):

The Action Center is customizable, mainly in Settings, System, Notifications & actions.

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All Apps

The alphabetical list of all apps formally installed onto Windows 10. This list is available from the Start Menu.

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Association

File Association

Windows has a facility for associating each kind of file with a specific program. You're probably already familiar with this: if you double-click a file with a ".doc" extension Windows automatically starts up Microsoft Word in order to open the file. It does this because Word is associated with the ".doc" extension (just as Excel is associated with ".xls" and Adobe Acrobat Reader is associated with ".pdf").

You can force an association between a given extension and a given program, or even change which program handles a given extension.

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Applet

An applet is just a small application, dedicated to a single purpose such as modifying the sound settings for your speakers or earphones. It is usually a part of an operating system.

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Authentication

The process of identifying who you are to a computer, website, or similar secured entity. Typically this involves correctly supplying a username and password, but more and more it involves either a second form of credential or a biometric credential (fingerprint, facial recognition, or the like).

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Bing

Bing is Microsoft's own search engine, which it includes with Windows software and which is incorporated into certain features such as Cortana and Search.

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BIOS

Stands for Basic Input Output System. This is a relatively small program stored in a special chip on your computer's motherboard. It was a critical component of all computers until recently - modern computers contain a similar program called the UEFI. In either case, the minimum job is to initialize the hardware, look for storage devices such as the hard drive, and locate where the operating system files are stored, and then hand over operation of the computer to the operating system.

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Bitlocker

This is an enhanced data protection technology that essentially allows you to encrypt your hard drive and to make use, on newer computers, of a means of securing the integrity of your boot software. For full use of BitLocker, there are hardware, operating system, and drive partitioning requirements.

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Blacklist

A list of files, programs, web sites, or other forms of digital content that are known to be sources of malware o which present a security risk of some kind.

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Bootable

This usually refers to a USB stick, DVD, or other "media" which your computer can recognize and can use to load up operating system, instead of loading the one on your hard drive. It is often used when re-installing or upgrading Windows or other operating systems.

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Boot order

When you first turn on a computer, it operates briefly under control of the BIOS (older computers) or UEFI (newer computers), which are programs stored on the computer's motherboard. These check the boot order, which is a list of places the BIOS/UEFI has been told to check for the location of the operating system files. The sequence usually includes a hard drive, a CD/DVD drive, a USB port, and other external sources. The sequence can be changed by accessing the BIOS/UEFI. Once the BIOS/UEFI has completed its initial tasks, the operating system takes charge of the computer and the boot up process continues.

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Boot sector

The sector of a hard drive that contains the Master Boot Record (MBR). This helps the BIOS (or UEFI) find the operating system. It is a critical step in the boot-up process of any computer. Only one partition on a hard drive can have a boot sector (this is called the "active" partition).

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Botnet

A botnet is a collection of compromised computers - i.e., computers that have been infected with a virus that allows them to be controlled remotely by a malicious user. A botnet is thus a huge resource of computing power that can be available to the malicious user for criminal purposes, such as cyber attacks.

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Build

As a piece of complex software is developed - such as a version of Windows - it goes through various stages at which the software is complete enough to be tested to determine how well new features have been incorporated and how stable the software is. Each of these stages is called a "build".

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Camera Roll

The Camera Roll folder is a built-in subfolder under Pictures in Windows 10. It acts as the default location where photo images are stored if they are snapped with a camera built into your PC/laptop or device.

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ClickLock

When set, this setting eliminates the need to hold the mouse button down continuously while "dragging" an item from one location to another. The setting is found by selecting Control Panel, Mouse.

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ClearType

ClearType is a technology created by Microsoft that is meant to enhance the readability of fonts. It uses subpixel locations' when displaying characters of a particular font, meaning it can activate a portion of a pixel instead of either all or none of the pixel: this may enhance the outline of a font character in the eyes of the reader. ClearType works best on LCD flat-panel displays, when they are used in their native resolutions. There is some evidence that not everyone benefits from the application of ClearType. The Wikipedia article on ClearType offers a good explanation of exactly how ClearType works.

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Cloud-only

This is a term used to identify files stored on Microsoft's OneDrive, the built-in cloud (internet-based) storage maintained by Microsoft for the benefit of Windows users who choose to use it. "Cloud-only" files are those stored only in OneDrive, as distinguished from files that are stored both locally on a user's computer and in OneDrive (such files are automatically kept in synch by Windows).

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Command Prompt

A utility for entering operating-system commands in command-line fashion, i.e., typing them in and pressing ENTER. It is sometimes referred to as a "DOS box", a name that has survived from the earliest versions of Windows and Microsoft's Disk Operating System.

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Compile(r)

Compiling is a late stage in the creation of a computer program, and a compiler is the program that accomplishes this task. A compiler converts the text of a program, written in a programming language such as C++, C#, Java, or other languages, into the machine-level instructions that a computer understands. Programs may need to be compiled differently for radically different kinds of processors.

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Connection

A connection is a method created on a computer and used to connect to a network. A computer can have several such connections. Connections are named to distinguish them, and they can be based on whatever technology is available on the computer to establish a connection: examples are wi-fi, Ethernet, cellular, Bluetooth, infrared.

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Context Menu

A context menu is the (often short) menu that opens up when you right-click on an element of an app or a web page that offers this capability:

The above image shows a context menu generated by right-clicking a cell within Excel.

They are called "context menus" because their contents change depending on the location at which you right-click.

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Cortana

Cortana is the "personal assistant" that's built into Windows 10. It replaces, and exceeds, the "Run" and "Search" mechanism in earlier versions of Windows. To quote Microsoft, "Cortana will help you find things on your PC, manage your calendar, track packages, find files, chat with you, and tell jokes." (windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/getstarted-what-is-cortana). Cortana can be voice-activated and can respond reasonably well to spoken questions and commands, which is particularly useful on tablet- and smartphone-based Windows 10. In a word, Cortana is the first cousin to "Siri" of the Windows world.

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Credential Manager

A built-in part of Windows which operates an encrypted database of passwords that have been stored on your computer. It handles not only passwords you've created, but passwords you have used for web sites and for other resources on your local network. Credential Manager is a part of Control Panel.

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CSS (Cascading Style Sheet)

CSS is a set of codes that browsers use to create a given style to a web page. CSS affects fonts, colors, borders, spacing, indentation, and many other properties of the elements that make up a web page. A sample of CSS looks like this:

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CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures)

A standardized list of cyber security issues discovered in software being used on computers and similar devices. The list is hosted at https://cve.mitre.org, a server operated by the MITRE Corporation, under sponsorship of US-CERT, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "Vulnerabilities" and "Exposures" are terms used to describe flaws and bugs in software that make computers vulnerable to malware.

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Deprecate

This term is used by software creators to refer to an app, program, or feature which will not be developed any further. It is not the same as saying either that the program is no longer available, or that the program no longer works. It is somewhat similar to saying the program is "outdated", and may eventually become unusable as systems are updated and modified over time. An example from Windows is Paint, which is still available but which Microsoft does not plan to develop further (Microsoft is promoting Paint 3D instead).

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Desktop App

Microsoft uses this term to designate apps that are third-party (non-Microsoft) apps and which are not available from the Windows Store. Essentially, this includes all software you buy which was not produced by Microsoft and not offered for sale through the Store, e.g., Adobe Photoshop,;anti-virus or VPN software; "disk cleanup" utilities; and many games. It also includes the Microsoft Office apps, which even in their current versions predate Windows 10. The distinction goes back to the software methods used to construct the programs. "Desktop programs", as defined here, do not necessarily adhere to the Windows 10 schemes for privacy, notification, parental control, as well as other protocols built into Windows 10.

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Diagnostic Data

See telemetry.

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Disk Management

This is a utility built into Windows which displays how each hard drive in your computer is divided into partitions. It also identifies which partition on each drive is the "active" one (which one contains the boot sector. The utility can be started by selecting All Apps (from the Start Menu), Windows Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Disk management (under Storage).

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Domain

On the Web: a domain is essentially the base name for a website. It's the part of the web site address that belongs in common to all parts of the website. As an example, a website for a department store called Goodthings might consist of www.goodthings.com, support.goodthings.com, and billing.goodthings.com: the domain would be goodthings.com.

On an enterprise level: a domain is a unified collection of computers, servers, networking and other equipment that are all on the same network and under one administrative set of rules, as, for example, in a large company or a university campus. Technically, a home network can also be set up as a domain in this sense, although domains require more expensive equipment and a greater expertise and are normally not set up in a home setting.

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Domain Name Server (DNS)

A Domain Name Server is a member of a large hierarchy of servers on the Internet which assists your browser in finding the correct IP address for a web page. It converts URLs - human-readable web addresses such as www.yahoo.com - into IP addresses of the form 72.36.2.107. That form is the one used by Internet routers to connect your computer to the web page you are seeking.

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Drive

A drive is a storage area for files, programs, and data, and by convention it is usually assigned a letter to designate it and distinguish it from other such areas. On a typical consumer computer, the main drive (the "hard drive") is designated C:, and the DVD or other optical drive is designated D: or some other letter. Other attached drives such as portable hard drives, USB sticks ("thumb drives"), and network drives can also be made available.

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Driver

A driver is a program designed to allow a computer to operate an external piece of hardware, such as a printer, a scanner, or a monitor. Windows comes with many generic drivers that can operate most such hardware, but often a vendor-specific driver is needed. The vendor's website, or a driver CD that came with the hardware, are the best sources for the necessary drivers.

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Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP)

The Dynamic Host Control Protocol is the set of rules that allocates IP addresses on a network that has a DHCP server installed on it. The routers purchased by most home networks contain a DHCP server and use it by default: hence, the IP address of your computer may change slightly from time to time, as the protocol assigns your former address to another device on the network after you log off, then gives you a new one when you next log on. Such changes, if and when they occur, are usually undetectable and have no effect on your activity.

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Endpoint

A security term referring to an end-user or server device of any kind that is on a network and needs protection against attack. Chiefly refers to desktop and laptop computers and workstations, but can also include printers, servers, and other devices.

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Ethernet Adapter

Ethernet Adapter is an alternate name for a Network Adapter.

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EULA (End User License Agreement)

The terms governing any software for which you "buy". When you purchase commercially sold software, you are actually buying a license to install and use the software - you do not own the software itself. The EULA is often included as a file along with the software, and it is usually displayed during installation, requesting that you agree to the terms before proceeding with the installation.

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Executable

This term refers to files that can execute programs or components of programs. Typically, any file that has the extension .exe is an "executable". An example is C:/Windows/System32/Notepad.exe, the file that starts up the built-in Windows Notepad program. Note that some executables are components of the core operating system and shouldn't be started up (double-clicked) unnecessarily.

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Extension

Extensions are the (usually three)-letter part of a file name after the period, as in "glossary.txt" or "winword.exe". They indicate what kind of file it is and also help Windows and other programs figure out how to make use of them.

There are probably thousands of extensions at this point. Click here for a list of common ones; for more complete lists, try searching for "Extension" on Wikipedia.

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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

An FAQ is a list of questions and (hopefully) informative answers about a specific topic - a form of help file. They are used to inform readers who need more background or more detailed explanations regarding the topic in question.

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Feature Update

Microsoft uses the term "feature update" to describe the major updates to Windows 10 that take place twice a year. These updates have so far each been given a numeric designation, e.g., Windows 1709 (late 2017) or Windows 1803 (spring of 2018).

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Feedback Hub

The Feedback Hub is an app included in Windows 10 which provides two-way communication between Microsoft and Windows 10 users. It displays official announcements from Microsoft and also supplies a location for users to provide feedback and suggestions to Microsoft, including complaints and descriptions of bugs or other annoyances in the software. It also provides an "upvote" mechanism to register support for another user's suggestion or criticism. The Feedback Hub appears in the alphabetical list of apps in the Start Menu.

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Firewall

The firewall is a built-in component of Windows which contributes to secure computing. The firewall is essentially a set of rules that determine what information can flow from a network onto a computer and from a computer out onto a network. Firewalls can permit or deny a given application the right to send or receive data from a network.

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Firmware

Firmware is software that is embedded into hardware, often within a dedicated chip within the hardware. Processors, hard drives, and routers are examples of hardware that contain special, dedicated firmware. The manufacturers of these devices may periodically issue updates to the firmware for their products.

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GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)

A specialized processing unit with its own CPU (and often cooling features) designed to improve graphical performance of a device.

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Grab

This describes the action of seizing control of an object on your screen (such as a window or a dialog box) in order to move it elsewhere on the screen. It is usually accomplished by positioning the cursor on the object (or some special part of it, such as a title bar or a handle) and pressing and holding the mouse button, then dragging the cursor (and the seized object) to another location, and finally releasing the mouse button.

For touch screens, a continuous touch of an object for about two seconds usually establishes control.

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Hack

A hack is simply a procedure for accomplishing aomething. It is usually used when referring to a methodology that is not officially documented, and can be something not deliberately designed to be used. While it can be used to describe a malicious action, it normally refers to legitimate procedures.

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Hamburger icon

The hamburger icon, pictured below, is one that has shown up in very modern apps such as Firefox, Edge, and others, If clicked, it usually leads to opening or display of a larger menu of choices.

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Handle

(1) A special location on a graphical object (such as a text box or image on a slide in Powerpoint) that you can grab and pull in order to resize the object. It is usually indicated by a small square or other marker located on a corner of the object or midway along an edge. In some cases it is not clearly marked but becomes evident because the mouse cursor will change shape at that location.

(2) In programming, a handle is a value that can be used to identify a particular process or other component of a running program.

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HDR (High Dynamic Range)

An improvement in display technology for video.

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Hello

See Windows Hello.

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Hexadecimal

A system of numbers based on 16 digits instead of the more familiar 10 (the decimal system). Hexadecimal digits include 0-9 and A-F, so hexadecimal numbers can look like, e.g., 98AF7

Another way to say this: counting in hexadecimal means counting in sixteens instead of tens, so you would count:

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F,10,11,12,13,
14,15,16,17,18,19,1A,1B,1C,1D,1E,1F,20...

instead of

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,
18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,
31,32...

In computers and programming, hexadecimal numbers often appear in things like:

  • MAC Addresses, e.g. 00-0B-AF-A9-00-0C
  • color codes for web pages, e.g. < bgcolor = "#FF8F8F" >
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    Hibernation

    A process whereby after a period of inactivity, your computer goes into a low-power state to conserve battery power. The computer first saves an "image" of your desktop and memory to its hard drive; this enables the computer to rapidly regain exactly the same state that it was in before it entered hibernation.

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    HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

    HTML is the base language used to construct web pages. In modern web pages, HTML is supplemented by a variety of other languages. A sample of HTML looks like this (HTML coding in red):

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    Image file (ISO file)

    An image file is a form of backup that creates an exact image of your hard drive at a given moment in time. This can be used in case of disaster recovery to restore your device to the state it was in as of the time the image file was created. Image files typically have an extension of .iso and are often referred to as "ISO files".

    Image files are ordinarily very large (dozens to hundreds of gigabytes) and take a long time to create. They require an external storage device (typically a USB hard drive) on which to create them.

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    IP Address

    The full name is Internet Protocol Address. This is the sequence of numbers that make up the unique address of a web site. IPv4 Addresses (IP version 4) have the form nnn:nnn:nnn:nnn, for example 192.168.001.100 (usually written without leading zeroes as 192.168.1.100). IPv4 is being replaced with IPv6 (IP version 6), which allows for much longer numeric addresses and should fulfill the addressing requirements of the Internet for the foreseeable future.

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    IPv4 (IP version 4)

    This is the version of the Internet Protocol that has been in use since the earliest forms of the public internet. Its design centered on a 32-bit IP address, which provides a little over 4 billion unique IP addresses (every device which directly connects to the Internet requires a unique IP address). It was not anticipated that there would be a need for more than 4 billion individual IP addresses, but with the advent of the World Wide Web, ubiquitous networking, LANs, WANs, and smartphones, that limit was in danger of being exceeded by the mid 1990's. Work had already begun on IPv6, which has a 128-bit address, allowing for 2 to the 128th power individual unique addresses. (IPv5 was an experimental version which was never fully completed)

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    IPv6 (IP version 6)

    IP version 6, with a 128-bit address, is expected to fulfill the foreseeable requirements of the Internet. It has been being placed into use for a number of years, although not every piece of equipment worldwide has yet been upgraded to IPv6 or replaced with an IPv6-capable device. In the interim, both versions are in use to a varying degree. Eventually, IPv6 will become the de facto standard, which may require the replacement of old routers on home networks.

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    Javascript

    Javascript is a programming language included into web pages to make them more interactive and dynamic. A sample of Javascript looks like this:

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    KVM switch

    A KVM switch is a device that interconnects several computers so that they can all be operated through a single keyboard, mouse, and monitor (KVM stands for Keyboard, Video, Mouse).

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    Keyboard shortcut

    Pressing specific combinations of keys simultaneously (typically, you hold down one key while pressing the other). Such actions can replace grabbing the mouse and selecting items from menus, and are often more convenient. Keyboard shortcuts are usually designated by listing the keys involved with a "+" between each key. An example would be Ctrl+C (or Ctrl + C), which is the equivalent of "Copy" in almost any menu: holding the Ctrl key down with one finger and simultaneously pressing C with another will immediately copy whatever is highlighted to the clipboard, which can then be pasted somewhere else using the keyboard combination Ctrl+V (Note that Ctrl+P is used to start up the Print dialog box). Most keyboard shortcuts use two simultaneous keys, but there are many with three.

    Microsoft maintains a list of important Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts at: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12445/windows-keyboard-shortcuts. There are many similar lists available on the Internet.

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    Jump List

    Jump lists display a list of recently-opened files: clicking on a filename in a jump list automatically opens that file with the associated software. Jump lists appear in certain places in Windows, usually when you right-click a feature that allows for jump lists, such as an application icon. The following example might show up by right-clicking the icon for Microsoft Paint:

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    LAN

    Local Area Network. A collection of computers all of which are on a single local network, typically in a single business or in a private home.

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    Library

    A library is a grouping of files; in particular, it refers to several built-in sets of files - Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, and Printers & Devices - included with each user account. You can create custom libraries as well.

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    LED (Light-Emitting Diode)

    This is a very tiny electronic device which can be incorporated by the thousands in a computer monitor or laptop screen, forming a so-called LED display. LED display screens use far less energy than CRT (cathode ray-tube) devices, and they are far less bulky and lighter to handle.

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    Local Account

    On a Windows 10 device, you can create either a Microsoft Account or a local account (or both). A local account does not connect to Microsoft's servers and therefore can't make use of certain features of Windows 10 (such as full use of Cortana). A local account can do most basic functions, such as browse the Internet, send email, create documents, and so on.

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    MAC

    A Media Access Card, an alternate name for a Network Adapter.

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    MAC Address

    A MAC address is a set of codes that are assigned to a particular Network Adapter and which identify that card (and hence the computing device that it is part of) on a Local Area Network (LAN). MAC addresses are assigned by network equipment manufacturers at the time the Network Adapter is manufactured. A standardized scheme prevents any two cards from being assigned the same address. A MAC address is of the form: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx where x is any hexadecimal integer 0 through 9 or A through F.

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    Malware

    A generic name for any kind of malicious software, e.g., viruses, worms, spyware.

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    Metro

    Microsoft's original name for the tile-based desktop and start screen.

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    Microsoft Account

    This is a user account on a Windows computer or device which enables the user to connect to and draw information from special Microsoft servers. A Microsoft Account is necessary to make use of some features of Windows 10, such as Wi-fi Sense.

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    Modern

    The eventual Microsoft name for the tile-based desktop/start screen. It had previously been called "Metro".

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    NAS (Network Attached Storage)

    A NAS is essentially a set of capacious hard drives which can be made available to users on a network for large-scale storage or as a place to store backed-up copies of important files (it is an essential practice to store backups on a separate device from the location of the original data).

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    NAT (Network Address Translation)

    Network Address Translation is a feature of any router that leads to a network where so-called "private" addressing is used. This applies to just about all home networks and many small and large business networks as well. It became essential due to the explosive growth of the Internet and the depletion of IPv4 addresses. When NAT is in use, the entire network can be assigned a single "public" Internet address, while the NAT service on the router keeps track of which private address should receive a particular packet coming in from the Internet through the single public address.

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    Network Adapter

    A Network Adapter is an electronic device that enables a computer, printer, scanner, or other device to send and receive signals over a network. A network card may be built into the device (this is almost universal now with laptops and PCs, and for many printers); it may also be an add-on. "Network Adapter" usually refers to a device that connects the computer or other device via a wire to the network; network adapters that work over wireless connections are usually called "Wireless Cards".

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    Network Drive

    A network drive is simply a hard drive (or a shared portion of one) located someplace outside your computer, and not attached directly to it, but located on the same network. It can be a stand-alone external hard drive - one that has network capabilities - or it can be a section of a hard drive on another computer in the network.

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    NIC

    A Network Interface Card, an alternate name for a Network Adapter.

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    Notification Area

    The notification area is the small area, on the end of your taskbar, where small icons tend to accumulate:

    If your taskbar is along the bottom of the screen, the tray is on the right-hand end. It normally displays the time along with small icons that can be used to start up various utilities or programs.

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    OneDrive

    OneDrive is the current name of Microsoft's "cloud" storage as implemented into Windows. It provides a certain amount of on-line storage space to each user who has a Microsoft Account, allowing such users to store data - pictures, documents, music - on the Internet so that it becomes available from any device they use, anywhere in the world.

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    Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)

    This term refers to hardware vendors such as Dell, HP, Asus, and other major computer vendors who sell devices with Windows pre-installed. The license attached to Windows in such cases was traditionally called an "OEM License", and it lasted only as long as the hardware it came with (the hardware itself was referred to as the "original hardware".

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    Paired

    Refers to the process of linking two devices via Bluetooth so that information can be exchanged between the two.

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    Partition

    A partition is a discrete section of your hard drive. Any hard drive can consist of either a single partition (encompassing the entire hard drive) or several partitions of varying size. The hard drives of most recent computers and laptops contain more than one partition - usually one very large one (this is what you normally see as the hard drive "C" drive) and one or more smaller ones that the manufacturer may have put there for disaster recovery or "special tools" purposes). You can use the Disk Management utility in Windows to inspect how your hard drive is (or hard drives are) partitioned.

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    Passphrase

    A passphrase is just like a password except that it is a phrase instead of a single word and is generally longer. It is thus often more memorable than a single complex password, and harder to crack using brute force or dictionary techniques. An example would be "it was the best of times it was the worst of times", although it is recommended that you make up the phrase entirely, not use a recognizable (and perhaps guessable) famous quote.

    Passphrases are best used where you will not need to be entering it frequently, such as the access code you use to set up a secure wi-fi home network.

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    Path

    Path typically refers to the sequence of folder and sub-folder names you have to traverse to go from the root of a hard drive to a particular folder. For example, the root of a hard drive is typically designated C:. To reach a folder named Family Pictures under the Pictures folder of a user named Sharon, the full path would be:

    C:\Users\Sharon\Pictures\Family Pictures

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    Peripheral

    Any external device which can be connected to (and operated by) the computer. Typically, printers and scanners are the most common peripherals, although the term applies to other connected devices as well.

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    Picture Password

    Windows 10 lets you use a sequence of three simple shapes (circles, lines, taps/mouse-clicks) drawn against a specific image of your choosing as an alternative to using a password. You can draw the shapes with your finger on touch-active screens, or draw them with the mouse on screens without touch sensitivity. You can add this capability in Settings, Accounts, Sign-in Options.

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    PIN

    Windows 10 introduces the idea of a PIN for logging into your PC - much like the PIN you may use at ATMs. A PIN does not truly replace your password: your account must still first be set up with a password. The PIN can be used later as a more convenient way to sign in. Since you must be sitting at the computer to use it, the PIN - even though more "guessable" than a 10-letter strong password - cannot be used by someone acting remotely over a network. PINs can be created in Settings, Accounts, Sign-in Options.

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    Pixel

    A single active colored "dot" on your screen. Images are made up of thousands of such dots, and are constantly refreshed by the screen's hardware to reflect changes to the content displayed on the screen. A pixel is the most common way to describe a screen's resolution (e.g., 1024 (pixels) by 768 (pixels) ).

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    PowerShell

    A utility for running command-line operations and small scripts that perform actions which often go beyond what is available in the ordinary Windows interface. See also the Command Prompt (a.k.a. the "DOS box").

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    Proxy Server

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    Quick Action

    Quick Actions are icons that Microsoft includes on the notification "flyout" that slides in from one edge of your laptop or computer screen and displays notifications:

    This collection of icons is configurable with Settings > System > Notifications & actions

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    RAM (Random Access Memory)

    This is the main memory in your device or computer. It is generally described in terms of gigabytes, e.g., "8 GB of RAM".

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    Ransomeware

    A form of malware that encrypts your hard drive with an unguessable encryption key. You then receive an email from the party that encrypted your data, offering to give you the decryption key in exchange for a one-time payment of hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars.

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    Recovery Partition

    Some computer vendors produce computers onto which a recovery partition has been created. This is a section of your hard drive which has been set aside and dedicated for a specific use: to restore your computer, if necessary, to its factory-fresh state. This means it will have Windows 10 (updated only to the point at which the computer came off the assembly line) along with any programs installed by the vendor. You would then have to update the computer and restore any programs, connections, and personal data to bring the computer back to an up-to-date status.

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    Registry

    The Windows registry is the collection of all settings that configure the Windows operating system and all other software on your device. It contains tens of thousands of entries, each of which may have a small or a very large affect on the ability of Windows (or other software) to operate properly. It is possible to edit the registry, although this is recommended only where (1) absolutely necessary; and (2) explicit instructions exist for what needs to be edited.

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    Search engine

    A search engine is a software device that runs searches of large stores of information, most usually the Web, and presents you with the results. It can be incorporated into other software or can be offered as a service by a website. Examples include Bing, Google, DuckDuckGo, and others.

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    Sector

    A sector is a division of a hard drive consisting of a set, uniform number of bytes (usually 512 for a personal computer hard drive). A sector is a subset of a partition and is the smallest usable storage area on a hard drive. Each hard drive contains many millions of sectors.

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    Service Set Identifier (SSID)

    This is the name you choose for your wi-fi network when you first set it up. In some cases, you may be using a default name assigned by the manufacturer of your router; however, you can change the SSID to something of your own liking.

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    Store

    When capitalized, the Store refers to Microsoft's on-line library of applications designed specifically for Windows 10. Many of these are free (although some free apps may display advertisements when run), and some are at cost. The Store is available through the Store app:

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    Taskbar

    The long, narrow strip that typically runs across the bottom of your screen and which contains the Start button. The entire strip is the Taskbar: it may at various times display minimized programs and other items. The taskbar is somewhat configurable: it can be made to reside along the left or right-hand margin of your screen or across the top ("redocked"), and it can be made to be always present or to "auto-hide" - disappearing when not being actively used.

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    Task manager

    A built-in feature of Windows that allows you to view information on the performance of various hardware components and computer functions, such as memory and disk drive utilization, network activity, active processes and programs and their individual memory usage, and so on. You can activate Task Manager in Windows 10 by right-clicking Start and selecting Task manager from the list that appears. You can also activate it by the older method: simultaneously pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and selecting Task manager from the list that appears.

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    Telemetry

    With reference to Windows 10, telemetry refers to Microsoft's periodic collection of data from your computer. This data is used to make improvements to Windows itself and also to help Microsoft guess at what advertisements might be more "relevant" to your interests. This process has raised some questions regarding privacy. Microsoft outlines its process on their website at:

    Windows 10 feedback, diagnostics, and privacy: FAQ .

    Microsoft sometimes refers to telemetry through its more formal name Diagnostic Data.

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    Thumbnail

    A small copy of a larger image. The thumbnail has enough detail to be recognizable but does not have all the detail of the larger image.

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    Tile

    Microsoft uses this term to describe the large, flat, rectangular areas that appear when you open the Start Menu and which act as buttons to activate programs. They are either colored using a single, solid color, or are "active" - i.e., they display constantly updated content such as news images or stock market updates.

    They were introduced in Windows 8, where they were very prominent. In Windows 10, they are a feature of the Start menu.

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    Title Bar

    The titlebar is the thin bar across the top of a window, dialog box, or similar screen element, and which contains the name of the screen element:

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    Tooltip

    A tooltip is the small descriptive caption that appears when you let your mouse cursor rest upon a button, icon, or similar screen element. Shown below is a tooltip for the Save button in Microsoft Paint:

    Not every screen element has a tooltip assigned to it.

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    Tray

    Name used for older version of the Notification Area.

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    UEFI (Uniform Extensible Firmware Interface)

    This replaces the BIOS in newer computers (ca. 2010 and later). It performs the same functions as the BIOS but is further enhanced, particularly with regard to security.

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    URL (Universal Resource Locator)

    This is the formal name of Internet web page addresses such as www.anyplace.com.

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    USB (Universal Serial Bus)

    USB refers to a set of technologies that allow you to connect other devices to computers for a variety of purposes: printers, cameras, scanners, external hard drives, portable "USB sticks" or "thumb drives". Any recent computer, and in fact most recent devices, have some form of USB connector.

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    UWP (Universal Windows Platform)

    UWP is a set of standards regarding applications developed to be run across a number of Windows devices: desktops, laptops, tablets, smart phones and other touch-sensitive devices. In Windows 10, built-in programs such as Mail, Calendar, Photos, Calculator, and Maps are examples of UWP programs.

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    VPN (Virtual Private Network)

    This is a security measure that describes several related methods of creating an encrypted passage between your computer and another, remote computer, over the Internet. Your data is encrypted before it leaves your computer, and is decrypted upon reaching its destination. There are two major kinds of VPNs: an end-to-end encryption (also called "tunneling") and use of a commercial VPN service, which encrypts your data as you transmit it (protecting it from nearby eavesdroppers) but sends it unencrypted from the service's own site to your ultimate destination.

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    Whitelist

    A list of files, programs, web sites, or other forms of digital content that are known to be "safe", i.e., not a source of malware.

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    Wi-fi Sense

    An outmoded feature that appeared in early versions of Windows 10 (before April 2017). It had two main functions: one allowed people who were listed as a "friend" or "contact" in your Facebook, Skype, or similar accounts to log into your network without needing to supply a passphrase; the other would suggest crowd-sourced hotspots for you to connect to when you were in an unfamiliar location. Neither was apparently very popular and the features were both eventually removed.

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    Windows 1511

    Windows 1511 is the first major upgrade to Windows 10. It was "published" (made available for download) on November 24, 2015. The downloaded software (roughly 3 gigabytes in size) performs a complete upgrade/re-installation of Windows 10. Personal files and settings are retained and are again available after the upgrade.

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    Windows 9

    There is no Windows 9. When publishing Windows 10 in 2015, Microsoft skipped directly from Windows 8/8.1 to Windows 10. There was much discussion (still to be found on the Internet) about what went into this decision.

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    Windows Defender

    Windows Defender is the built-in security software of all versions of Windows 10. It provides anti-virus, anti-malware, real-time monitoring, and overall security monitoring for your device. It can work alongside most third-party anti-malware software.

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    Windows Desktop Program

    This refers to non-UWP programs such as Notepad, Word, Excel, or most third-party software. Also called "Windows 32" programs.

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    Windows Hello

    Windows Hello is a response built into the Windows operating system that enables it to recognize a legitimate user of a device using biometric means, including a fingerprint, eye or face scan. It relies on the presence of appropriate hardware built into the device. It allows recognized users to skip any standard login action such as typing in a username and password.

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    Windows Key

    The Windows Key is a special key on standard modern keyboards. It typically bears the Windows symbol:

    (Keyboards from different vendors may show slightly different versions. All include the four small "squares" shown arranged in a two-by-two formation.)

    The Windows Key is often used in combination with other keys (much like the Alt, Ctrl, and Shift keys) to provide shortcuts" for various common actions. For example, the combination of Windows Key + S starts up Cortana.

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    Window

    A "window" (uncapitalized) is the rectangular frame that an application runs in. Any such window can be resized: most can be made full-screen, others can be sized as you wish by dragging the edges of a given window to the right or left or towards the top or bottom of the screen.

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    x86 system or software

    x86 is an alternate name for 32-bit operating systems and software. It also appears on 64-bit Windows computers which routinely contain two similar folders, C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files(x86): the former is used to store 64-bit software, and the latter to store 32-bit software.

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