Windows Glossary at M & M Programming, Inc.

Can't figure out what the Network Neighborhood is? Windows uses some different terms to help you find your way around your computer. We currently have 20 definitions and will continue to grow!
(click on a letter to go straight to those terms beginning with that letter.)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

Clip Art	Usually located on the Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office CD's, Clip Art refers to the graphics files accessed for programs such as Microsoft Publisher and Word.
Control Panel	Located under "Start" and "Settings" (or just under "My Computer"), the Control Panel is a device used to control the settings on your computer. Programs can be added or removed, hardware added and current hardware maintained.
Desktop	The area of your computer screen where the icons are located. The desktop is shown after a computer is finished booting. Common icons on the desktop are "My Computer", "Network Neighborhood" and "My Documents".
Dial Up Networking	Located under "My Computer", the Dial Up Networking option allows users to add "locations" to call, connecting their computer to the internet. Dial Up Networking can also be used to connect one computer directly to another via a modem and phone line.
Documents	Located under "Start", the Documents section lists the most current documents a user has had open on his or her computer. This list is usually limited to the last 10 documents opened.
Favorites	Located under "Start", the Favorites folder lists web pages which have been bookmarked through the Internet Explorer program.
File	A group of characters saved under a heading. A file can be of many types - system (i.e. "dll"), executable ("exe"), image ("jpg", "gif") and document ("doc", "txt"), just to name a few.
Icon	A small picture used to represent a program. Icons are usually located on the Desktop and, when double-clicked with the mouse, open up the referenced program.
My Computer	An icon located on the Desktop which refers to the contents of a computer, including all drives and any mapped folders or drives.
My Documents	A pre-installed folder on Windows systems. The My Documents folder is usually the default folder in which to save documents and other files. The My Documents folder generally has an accompanying icon on the Desktop.
Network Neighborhood	An icon on the Desktop which refers to the network to which a computer is attached. Double clicking on the Network Neighborhood icon will show all computers attached to that same network.
Printers Folder	Located under "Start" and "Settings", the Printers Folder houses any printers which have been installed on a computer. Resident in that folder is the "Add printer" icon which will allow an end user to add a printer to his or her printer.
Restart (aka Reboot)	To restart your computer. The most common way of rebooting in a Windows environment is to click on the "Start" button, choose "Shut Down" and then "Restart". Rebooting your PC is needed to clear the cache (memory) and system resources.
Restart in MS-DOS mode	To restart the computer in such a way that the computer will bring you to a C: prompt instead of into the Windows environment. This is helpful for running programs such as fdisk or other programs which cannot be run in Windows.
Screen Saver	An animated graphic created so that the images on a computer screen would not burn their image onto the monitor permanently. With current technology, screen savers are more decorative than they are needed. Older monitors were more susceptible to screen burn and could be ruined if the same information were left on the screen for long periods of time.
Settings	Located under "Start", the Settings folder houses the Printers and Control Panel folders, as well as other helpful folders. As the name suggests, the Settings folder houses those programs that allow a user to adjust the settings on his or her computer.
Shut Down	To power down a computer so that the power may be turned off. Turning off a computer before shutting down can harm the hardware or corrupt system files. Shutting down a computer in a Windows environment can be achieved by selecting "Start," "Shut Down" and "Shut down" again.
Start Bar	The bar usually located on the bottom of a screen that contains the "Start button" and time. Any programs that are open can usually be seen running on the Start Bar.
Wallpaper	A decorative image used on the Desktop as a backdrop. To change the wallpaper, user in Windows 95 and 98 can right mouse click on the desktop and choose properties.
Windows Login	A login and password screen that pops up when Windows loads. If a login and password are not supplied the first time Windows loads, then the login screen will not show up again. There can be many logons and passwords on one computer.

Can't find the term you're looking for? We hope to keep updating this list, but in the meantime, try Microsoft's website at http://www.microsoft.com