Question | Answer |
A database that Windows uses to store hardware and software configuration information, user preferences, and setup information. | registry |
The main directory created when a hard drive or disk is first formatted. In Linux, it's indicated by a forward slash. In DOS and Windows, it's indicated by a backward slash. | root directory |
A program that runs in the background to support or serve Windows or an application. | service |
The portion of an OS that relates to the user and to applications. | shell |
The Vista user account type that can use software and hardware and make some system changes, but cannot make changes that affect the security of the system or other users. | standard account |
A directory or folder contained in another directory or folder. Also called a child directory or folder. | subdirectory |
An area to the right of the taskbar that holds the icons for running services; these services include the volume control and network connectivity. Also called the system tray or systray. | system tray |
A bar normally located at the bottom of the Windows desktop, displaying information about open programs and providing quick access to others | taskbar |
Each process that the CPU is aware of; a single task that is part of a longer task or program. | thread |
A Vista security feature that displays a dialog box each time a user attempts to perform an action that can be done only with administrative privileges. | User Account Control |
In Windows 2000/XP/Vista, a mode that provides an interface between an application and the OS, and only has access to hardware resources through the code running in kernel mode. | user mode |
One or more logical machines created within one physical machine. | virtual machine |
A primary partition that has been assigned a drive letter and can be formatted with a file system such as NTFS. Compare to logical drive | volume |