Glossary

T

tab Page of settings on a dialog box selected by a tab shaped like a manila folder along the top of the dialog box.

task Series of instructions that your computer is executing. A program can create one or more tasks. For example, a word processing program might run one task that displays the program window and accepts your input to edit a file, and a second task that prints a file at the same time.

task buttons Buttons on the taskbar that represent each open window or running program.

Task Manager Program that shows what programs and processes are currently running, what users are logged in, and other information about the current state of the PC.

Task pane Part of the Explorer window that lies between the Explorer bar and the working area. Its three sections are Folder Tasks, Other Places, and Details. Previously called the WebView pane.

taskbar Row of buttons and icons that usually appears along the bottom of the screen.

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the system that computers use to communicate with each other on the Internet or some local area networks.

telnet Program that emulates a terminal over the Internet. Windows comes with two: Telnet and HyperTerminal.

terminal-emulation program Program that makes your computer act like a terminal, for communicating with computers that are designed to attach to terminals. You use a terminal-emulation program, such as HyperTerminal, to connect to a UNIX shell account.

terminal window Window that allows you to see a communications session and type commands to the remote computer.

text box Box onscreen in which you can type information, usually appearing in a dialog box.

text file File that contains only letters, numbers, and special characters that appear on the keyboard. Text files frequently have the extension .txt.

text mode In a DOS window, mode that displays only text.

Thawte Certificate authority, part of VeriSign.

theme See desktop theme.

thumbnail Tiny version of a picture.

TIF or TIFF file File in Tagged-Image Format, a graphics file format. TIF files have the extension .tif.

Tile Windows Command that arranges windows on the screen so that they touch but don't overlap, covering the screen.

tiling Repeating a graphic to fill up a space (such as on the desktop).

Timeline Windows Movie Maker view that shows the timing of the series of video clips and still pictures that appear in a movie.

title bar The colored bar that runs along the top of a window.

ToggleKeys Accessibility feature that sounds a tone when the CAPS LOCK, SCROLL LOCK, and NUM LOCK keys are activated.

Token Ring Type of local area network hardware, largely superceded by Ethernet.

tool tip Small informational box that appears when you leave the mouse pointer on something for a few seconds, usually used for buttons on toolbars.

toolbar Row of small buttons with icons on them. Toolbars appear just below the menu bar in many windows, as well as on the taskbar.

toolbar handle Raised vertical bar on the left end of a toolbar on the taskbar, used for dragging the toolbar to a different location.

topology Pattern of cabling that is used to connect computers together into a LAN.

trace log Log file that captures system state information to record what was happening at the time of particular events.

Tracert Traceroute; program that traces the route that packets take on the Internet.

track Concentric circle on which information is stored on a disk. Tracks are divided into sectors. In Windows Media Player, an audio or video file.

trail See pointer trail.

transfer protocol Method that a computer needs to use to access a file over the Internet; the first part of a URL.

tree view See folder tree.

Troubleshooter Part of the Windows Help system that asks a series of questions to help you solve hardware or software problems.

TrueType Method of storing typefaces as a set of formulas for drawing the characters at almost any size.

Trusted Sites zone Security zone that includes the computers you or Microsoft have told Windows to trust.

TSWeb Terminal Services for the Remote Desktop Web Connection, which enables a client computer with Internet Explorer to use a server computer remotely.

TTL Time To Live, how many times a packet can be passed from one computer to another while in transit on the Internet.

TUCOWS The Ultimate Collection of Windows Software, a Web site from which you can download freeware and shareware programs, at http://www.tucows.com.

tunneling Connecting to a private network over the Internet using Virtual Private Networking.

TWAIN Standard for communications between scanners and computer software.

twisted pair See unshielded twisted pair cable.

TXT file Text file, with the file extension .txt.

typeface Set of shapes for letters, numbers, and punctuation (for example, Times Roman). A font is a typeface at a specific size and weight (for example, 12-point Times Roman Bold).