User`s guide

Glossary
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F
file—A collection of related information, saved on disk with a unique
name. A file may be a program, information used by a program, or a
document. See also document.
file allocation table (FAT)—The section of a disk that keeps track of the
location of files stored on the disk.
file name—A set of characters that uniquely identifies a file within a
particular folder. It consists of two parts: the actual name and the file
name extension. See also file extension.
file extension—The three characters following the period (pronounced
“dot”) at the end of a file name. The extension indicates the type of file.
Examples are .exe for program files and .hlp for help files. See also file
name.
folder—Also called directory. A container for organizing files saved to a
disk. A folder is symbolized on screen by a graphical image (icon) of a
file folder. A folder can contain files and other folders.
format—(verb) To prepare a blank disk for use with the computer’s
operating system. Formatting creates a structure on the disk so the
operating system can write information to the disk or read information
from it.
frontside bus—The primary pathway (bus) between the CPU and the
computer’s main memory. Also called “system bus.” See also bus.
function keys—The keys labeled F1 through F12, typically located on
the keyboard. Their function is determined by the operating system
and/or individual programs.
G
gigabyte (GB)—A unit of data equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes (1024 x
1024 x 1024 bytes). See also byte.
ground—A conductor to which all components of an electric circuit are
connected. It has a potential of zero (0) volts, is connected to the earth,
and is the point of reference for voltages in the circuit.
H
hard disk—A storage device composed of a rigid platter or platters that
can be magnetically coded with data. Hard disks hold much more
information than diskettes and are used for long-term storage of
programs and data. The primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is
usually fixed, but some computers have secondary hard disks that are
removable. By default, the hard disk is referred to as drive C.