Operating instructions

BOOT.INI A text file used during the boot process that provides a list of all OSs
currently installed and available for NTLDR. Also tells where each OS is located
on the system.
bootable disk A disk that contains a functional operating system; can also be
a floppy disk or CD-ROM.
BOOTLOG.TXT A text file where information concerning the boot process is
logged; useful when troubleshooting system boot errors and problems.
bootstrap loader A segment of code in a system’s BIOS that scans for an oper
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ating system, looks specifically for a valid boot sector, and, when one is found,
hands control over to the boot sector; then the bootstrap loader removes itself
from memory.
bps (bits per second) Measurement of how fast data is moved from one place
to another. A 56K modem can move 56,000 bits per second.
bridge A device that connects two networks and passes traffic between them
based only on the node address, so that traffic between nodes on one network
does not appear on the other network. For example, an Ethernet bridge only
looks at the Ethernet address. Bridges filter and forward packets based on MAC
addresses and operate at Level 2 (Data Link layer) of the OSI seven-layer model.
broadband A type of signaling that sends multiple signals (channels) over the
cable at the same time. The best example of broadband signaling is cable televi
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sion. The zero, one, and idle states (see baseband) exist on multiple channels on
the same cable. Also, broadband refers to high-speed, always-on communica
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tion links such as cable modems and DSL.
broadcast A broadcast is a packet addressed to all machines. In TCP/IP, the
general broadcast address is 255.255.255.255.
browser A program specifically designed to retrieve, interpret, and display
Web pages.
BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) The infamous error screen that appears when
Windows encounters an unrecoverable error.
BTX A motherboard form factor designed as an improvement over ATX.
GLOSSARY 11
Passport / Mike Meyers‘ A+ Certification Passport / Meyers / 226308-3 / Glossary
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