Intro To IT/Comp Sci Exam 1

CPU scheduling

Determining which process in memory is executed by the CPU at any given point; only one process can be in the running state at a time

Memory management

The process of keeping track of what programs are in memory and where in memory they reside

Process management

The act of carefully tracking the progress of a process and all of its intermediate states

First-Come, First-Served (FCFS)

CPU scheduling algorithm where processes are moved to the CPU in the order in which they arrive

Shortest Job Next (SJN)

CPU scheduling algorithm where the process with the shortest estimated running time is moved into the running state first

Round Robin

CPU scheduling algorithm where each process runs for a specified time slice, then returns to the ready state if unfinished

Frame

A fixed-size portion of main memory that holds a process page

Page

A fixed-size portion of a process that is stored into a memory frame

Paged memory technique

A technique in which processes are divided into fixed-size pages and stored in memory frames when loaded

Virtual memory

A portion of a storage medium functioning as additional RAM

Process

A program in execution

Operating system (OS)

A set of programs containing instructions that work together to coordinate all activities among computer hardware

GUI (Graphical User Interface)

A user interface where you interact with menus and visual images

CLI (Command-Line Interface)

A user interface where you type commands, keywords, abbreviations, or press special keys to enter data and instructions

Application software

Software written to address specific needs, solving problems in the real world

System software

Software that manages a computer system at a fundamental level

Desktop operating system

A complete operating system that works on desktops, laptops, and some tablets

Server operating system

A multiuser operating system designed to work with a server on a network, allowing multiple users to share printers, internet access, files, and programs

Mobile operating system

An operating system on mobile devices and consumer electronics that resides on firmware

Android

An open-source, Linux-based mobile operating system designed by Google

iOS

A proprietary mobile operating system developed by Apple for its mobile devices

Unix

A desktop/server OS developed in the early 1970s; macOS is built on it

Linux

A Unix-like operating system created in 1991

Windows NT

Stands for "New Technology"

Windows 11 Editions

Home, Pro, and Enterprise

Task View

Windows feature providing an overview of all opened windows and virtual desktops

Microsoft Edge

The modern browser that replaced Internet Explorer as the default Windows browser

File Explorer

The renamed version of Windows Explorer, used to browse files and folders

Windows Defender Firewall

A renamed version of Microsoft Security Essentials, providing baseline antivirus/firewall protection

Settings App vs. Control Panel

Settings App is more user-friendly for newer settings; Control Panel still holds some older settings not found in Settings

Minimum CPU requirement (Windows 11)

1 GHz processor

Minimum RAM requirement (Windows 11)

4 GB

Minimum storage requirement (Windows 11)

64 GB free space

DDR SDRAM

Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory

Upgrade install

Windows installation type that preserves user accounts and settings

Custom install

Windows installation type that performs a clean install and destroys all existing data

Windows PE

Windows Preinstallation Environment, a lightweight version of Windows used for deploying PCs

BCD

Boot Configuration Data; a data store Windows uses to track dual and multi-boot configurations

Win + X

Keyboard shortcut that opens the Power User menu of Windows Tools

Win + Tab

Keyboard shortcut that opens Task View for all running apps

Win + D

Keyboard shortcut that minimizes all running apps to display the desktop

Win + E

Keyboard shortcut that opens File Explorer

Win + L

Keyboard shortcut that locks the computer

Win + C

Keyboard shortcut that opens Copilot

Win + R

Keyboard shortcut that opens the Run dialog box

Microsoft account vs. Local account

Microsoft accounts sync/back up settings online and require internet; Local accounts are more private with no cloud sync

Administrator account

A user account type with full control of the computer

Standard account

A non-administrator user account with limited access

PowerShell

A modern, powerful scripting environment using cmdlets and pipes; more capable than Command Prompt

Command Prompt

A legacy command-line tool from the days of DOS, painfully limited for basic functions

Recycle Bin bypasses

Deleting from a removable drive, deleting via the Command Line, or deleting from a network drive

Metadata

Descriptive information about a file (e.g., author, date) used to help organize and find files, apart from its physical location

Grouping (File Explorer)

Organizing a folder's contents according to values in a particular property, via View tab > Group By

Advanced search operator: ..

Specifies a range, e.g., datemodified:8/1/2015..8/31/2015

Advanced search operator: *

Wildcard for multiple characters, e.g., album:*hits

Advanced search operator: ?

Wildcard for a single character, e.g., artists:blu?

Local printer

A printer connected directly to a computer (via parallel, USB, or serial port)

Network printer

A printer connected to another computer, shared over the network

Network-attached printer

A printer connected directly to the network rather than to a computer

Print spooling

The process of storing an application's print output on disk or in RAM and feeding it to the printer at its own pace

PDF

Portable Document Format; an almost universally used file format for print output

XPS

XML Paper Specification; a rarely used alternative to PDF

control admintools

Command that opens Administrative Tools from Control Panel

control timedate.cpl

Command that opens Date and Time settings from Control Panel

control desk.cpl

Command that opens Personalization settings from Control Panel

control sysdm.cpl

Command that opens System settings from Control Panel

control firewall.cpl

Command that opens Windows Firewall settings from Control Panel

WWW

World Wide Web

LAN

Local Area Network

WAN

Wide Area Network

ISP

Internet Service Provider

DSL

Digital Subscriber Line; uses phone lines to transmit high-speed data signals

ADSL

Asymmetric DSL, the most common type of DSL; receives 128-6000 Kbps but sends slower

VDSL / VDSL2

DSL variants that use fiber optic connections, receiving 20-80 Mbps

Cable Modem

High-speed data delivered over cable TV lines, with no distance limitations like DSL

Satellite Internet

Internet service using microwave signals and small dish antennas to connect to orbiting satellites; bidirectional but expensive and weather-sensitive

Cellular Internet

Internet delivered via 3G/4G/4G LTE, WiMax, or hotspots; ideal for mobile devices but often data-limited

Analog Modem

The oldest way to get online (dial-up); requires only a phone line and computer modem

Broadband

High-speed internet access

Baseband

A dial-up connection using an analog modem

MAC address

A unique hardware identifier for a network interface, made of 6 pairs of hexadecimal numbers (e.g., 00-03-FF-B9-0E-14)

PPPoE

Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet; used by some DSL (and a few cable) providers requiring sign-on

Static/Fixed IP address

An IP address manually assigned rather than obtained automatically, often required for PPPoE or always-on service

Network discoverability prompt (no router)

When connected directly to a cable/DSL modem with no built-in router, you should select "No" for security reasons

ipconfig

Command that displays current IP information for each network adapter and active dial-up connections

ipconfig /all

Command that displays additional/detailed network settings for all adapters

ping

Command that sends packets to a specified computer to test whether network wiring, TCP/IP software, and routers in between are working

ping -t

Pings continuously once per second until stopped with Ctrl+C

tracert

Command that checks the connectivity of each router between you and a remote host, helping locate where a connection fails

NAT (Network Address Translation)

Mechanism that lets a network share one public IP address via a router, while each device keeps its own private IP

169.254 IP address

Indicates the router may have been off at boot and isn't handing out addresses; restart the router

DNS server not responding (with sharing router)

Indicates the problem is likely the router, the cable/DSL modem, or its connection - not your PC

Cold start (troubleshooting)

Powering down the modem/router for 5-30 seconds, then powering back up and waiting 30-60 seconds, as the first troubleshooting step

WhatIsMyIP

A third-party tool/site used to find your public IP address when your router doesn't display it easily

Reverse tracert

A trace performed from a remote server back to your computer, useful since the outbound and return paths may differ