Term | Definition |
AC adapter | A device that converts AC to DC and can use regular house current to power a laptop computer |
Auto-Switching | A function of a laptop computer AC adapter that is able to automatically switch between 110-V and 220-V AC power |
blue screen of death | A Windows error that occurs in kernel mode, is displayed against a blue screen, and causes the system to halt |
case fan | A fan inside a computer case used to draw air out of or into the case |
chassis air guide | A round air duct that helps to pull and direct fresh air from outside a computer case to the cooler and processor |
cooler | A cooling system that sits on top of a processor and consists of a fan and a heat sink |
discolored capacitor | Bulging head or crusty corrosion at the base of a capacitor that might indicate a failing motherboard |
driver store | The location where Windows stores a copy of the driver software when first installing a device |
dual rail | A power supply with a second +12-V circuit or rail used to ensure the first circuit is not overloaded |
fanless CPU cooler | A processor cooler that instead of using fans, uses heat pipes that contain a small amount of liquid that becomes vapor when heated, and the vapor draws the heat away from the processor toward the fins on the cooler |
file recovery software | Third-party software that can help recover deleted and corrupted files |
heat sink | A piece of metal, with cooling fins, that can be attached to or mounted on an integrated chip package (such as the CPU) to dissipate heat |
lithium ion | Currently the most popular battery type for laptop computers that is more efficient than earlier types |
Memory Diagnostics | A Windows utility (mdsched.exe) used to test memory |
processor thermal trip error | A problem when the processor overheats and the system restarts |
sheet battery | A secondary battery that fits on the bottom of a laptop to provide additional battery charge |
Windows pinwheel | A Windows graphic that indicates the system is waiting for a response from a program or device |