Term
| Basic Input/Output System [BIOS] |
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Definition
| A program stored on a flash memory chip attached to the motherboard that establishes the initial communication between the componnts of the computer, such as the hard drive, CD-ROM, floppy disk, video, and memory. |
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Definition
| Software that includes the instructions necessary in order for an operating system to communicate with a hardware device. |
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Term
| Direct Memory Access [DMA] channels |
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Definition
| A resource that allows hardware to access RAM directly without the intervention of the system CPU. |
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Definition
| A digital signature that Microsoft incorporates into driver and system files as a way to verify the files and to ensure that they are not inappropriately overwritten. |
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Term
| File Signature Verification |
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Definition
| A utility used to idntify unsigned system and driver files, that provides information such as the filename, location, modification date, and version number. |
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Definition
| A set of instructions telling the operating system which devices to start and drivers to load when a computer starts. |
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Term
| Industry Standard Architecture [ISA] |
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Definition
| A legacy 16-bit bus architecture that does not support the Plug and Play standard. |
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Term
| Input/Output [I/O] ranges |
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Definition
| Dedicated memory areas that are allocated for the purpose of transferring information between a computer and a hardware device. |
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Term
| Interrupt request [IRQ] lines |
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Definition
| Resource used by hardware devices to gain the attention of the system processor. |
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Definition
| Devices that do not follow the Plug and Play standard, such as older Industry Standard Architecture [ISA] expansion cards. |
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Definition
| Memory ranges allocated for the purpose of communication between a hardware device and the operating system. |
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Definition
| Disk space, in the form of a file [pagefile.sys], for use when memory requirements exceed the available RAM. |
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Definition
| A set of specifications originally developed by Intel that enables a system to automatically detect hardware and configure driver and resource settings. |
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Term
| uninterruptible power supply [UPS] |
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Definition
| A device built into electrical equipment or a separate device that provides immediate battery power to equipment during a power failure or brownout. |
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Definition
| Disk storage used to extend the capacity of the physical RAM installed in the computer. |
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Definition
| The main listing of hardware devices that have been certified to function with Windows Server 2003, and officially carry the "Designed for Windows Server 2003" logo. |
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