Glossary

C

CAB or cabinet file File containing a group of files for installation with the file extension .cab. The Windows XP CD-ROM contains many cabinet files.

cable Wire that connects the computers in a LAN, or type of Internet account provided by a cable television company.

cable Internet account Internet account provided by a cable television company.

cable modem Device that connects your computer (through its network interface card) to a cable Internet account.

cable select (CS) Method of determining which IDE or EIDE device is primary and which is secondary based on the position on the cable.

cache Area on disk (usually a folder) for the temporary storage of information. Browsers store recently viewed Web pages in a cache, in case you want to see them again.

Calculator Standard and scientific calculator program that comes with Windows.

call waiting Telephone line feature that beeps when another call is coming in on the line.

callback Security feature of a remote access server that requires incoming connections to disconnect and for the server to call the computer back, verifying that the connecting computer is at the correct address or phone number.

calling card Telephone credit card, which you can configure Windows to use when dialing long-distance calls.

Cascade Windows Overlapping arrangement of windows.

Category-5 or Cat-5 cable Unshielded twisted-pair cable used for star topology LANs.

Cc Carbon copy; e-mail addresses to which to send a copy of an e-mail message.

CD burning Saving files on a writable or rewritable CD-ROMs.

CD-R Writable CD-ROM (one that can be recorded once).

CD-RW Rewritable CD-ROM (one on which information can be recorded, erased, and re-recorded).Or, the drive that can write on writable or rewritable CD-ROMs.

CD Copy Wizard Program that helps you record your files on a writable CD (assuming that you have a CD-ROM burner).

central processing unit See CPU.

certificate Cryptographic data that can identify one computer or user to another. See also digital ID.

certificate authority Organization that issues certificates.

certificate file File containing a certificate (digital ID), usually with the extension .cer.

Character Map Windows utility for inserting special characters in text.

chat Online communication in real time (minimal delay between when you send a message and when the recipient receives it). Windows XP comes with Windows Messenger and NetMeeting.

check box Box onscreen that can either be blank or contain a check mark (or X), usually appearing in a dialog box.

checkpoint See restore point.

ChkDsk Windows utility that diagnoses and repairs disk errors.

Classic logon screen Windows Me/9x-style screen that appears on systems in which multiple user accounts are set up. The alternative is the Windows XP-style Welcome screen.

ClearType Font-rendering system designed for use on LCD (flat-panel) screens.

CLI See Command Line Interface or Command Prompt.

client Program or computer that uses resources on a network. In Windows, a setting that identifies the type of network to which you are attaching the computer. Remote Desktop enables someone at a client computer to use a server computer.

Client For Microsoft Networks Part of Windows that handles using the resources of remote computers on a peer-to-peer or Windows NT client-server network.

client-server network Network on which server computers provide resources for the rest of the network, and client computers use only these resources.

clip Video, audio, or graphics file that is part of a collection in Windows Movie Maker.

Clipboard Temporary storage space in memory for storing cut-and-paste information.

clipboard file File saved by Clipboard Viewer, with the extension .clp.

clock See system clock.

Close button Button in the upper-right corner of a window; click this button to close the window and possibly exit the program.

CMOS setup See BIOS setup.

coaxial cable or coax Type of cable used to connect computers in a bus topology LAN.

codec System for audio or video compression and decompression.

collection Group of video, graphic, and audio files to include in a movie in Windows Movie Maker.

color profile System for precisely representing colors on your monitor and printer.

color scheme Coordinated set of colors for all the basic desktop objects.

COM file Executable file, with the file extension .com.

COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, or com port See serial port.

command button Button you can click to perform a command.

command line Command that you type at the DOS prompt, optionally followed by additional information.

command-line interface (CLI) or command prompt Program that simulates DOS, displaying a DOS prompt and running DOS programs and commands.

Compact Disc Database (CDDB) Internet-accessible database of audio CDs and their tracks.

compatibility mode Emulation of a previous version of Windows (2000, NT 4.0, Me, 98, or 95) so that an older program can run correctly.

compressed file Attribute available only for files stored in NTFS partitions, causing Windows to store the file in a compressed format.

compressed folder ZIP (compressed) file containing other files. If you have the Compressed Folders feature installed, ZIP files appear as folders in Windows Explorer.

Computer Management Window displayed by the Microsoft Management Console.

Config.nt file DOS configuration file used by legacy and DOS programs.

Connect or Connect To dialog box Dialog box displayed by dial-up connections and HyperTerminal.

connection See dial-up connection.

contact List of names and addresses in the Address Book.

container file In OLE, a file that contains a link to an object in another file or that contains an embedded object from another file.

Content Advisor Microsoft's program for limiting the content that Internet Explorer displays.

context menu See shortcut menu.

control character Character you type by holding down the CTRL key while pressing another key.

Control Panel Window that displays icons for a number of programs that let you control your computer, Windows, and the software you have installed.

cookie Small (at most 4KB) file that a Web server can store on your machine and read later.

copying As part of cut-and-paste, copying selected information from its current location and storing it (temporarily) on the Clipboard.

counter log Log file that reports system statistics at regular intervals.

CPU Central processing unit, a computer chip that executes the instructions in programs. Windows XP requires a Pentium III, a compatible CPU, or a faster CPU.

crash Failure in which a program stops running.

crossover cable Category-5 cable that connects two computers' network interface cards, creating a two-computer LAN without a hub.

CSLIP Compressed Serial Line Internet Protocol, a communications protocol for computers connected to the Internet. CSLIP has been superceded by PPP.

current local directory Current directory (folder) on your computer to which FTP transfers files from a remote server and vice-versa.

cursor Screen element (usually a blinking vertical bar) that indicates where the text you type will be inserted. Not to be confused with the mouse pointer.

cut-and-paste Feature of Windows that lets you select information from one file and move or copy it to another file (or another location in the same file).

cutting Removing selected information from its current location and storing it (temporarily) on the Clipboard.

cycle Process in which the CPU completes one string of instructions.

CWApps List Web site from which you can download a wide variety of freeware and shareware programs.