Access Control List (ACL) The list of permissions granted or denied that is

attached to a file or folder.

Action Center New Windows 7 tool that replaces the Windows vista Security
Center. Consolidates security, performance, and maintenance issues affecting
a computer into a single panel that also includes information on devicerelated issues.

Active Partition A partition or volume on a hard disk that has been identified
as the primary partition from which the operating system is booted.

ad-hoc network A peer-to-peer wireless connection between two computers

without going through an access point.

Add-on Manager An Internet Explorer 8 tool that enables you to disable or

allow browser add-ons or undesired ActiveX controls.

add-ons Optional additional features that can be installed in Internet Explorer

and provide enhanced functionality. Websites often download and install addons to your browser, sometimes without your knowledge or consent.

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) A TCP/IP protocol that is used to resolve the
IP address of the destination computer to the physical or Media Access
Control (MAC) address.

Admin Approval Mode The default action mode of Windows 7, in which all
user accounts - even administrative ones-run without administrative
priviledges until such priviledges are required. When this happens, the user is
presented with a UAC prompt.

Alert A notification provided by the Data Collector Sets feature of

Performance Monitor that informs you when the value of a counter has
exceeded a pre-configured value.


Answer File An ASCII test file that contains answers, in script form, to
questions asked by the Windows 7 Setup Wizard during unattended
installations. This file, often called autounattended.xml, enables installation
of Windows 7 to proceed without requiring users to answer questions during
the installation.

anycast IPv6 address A type of IPv6 adddress that is utilizied for for a
destination address assigned to a router.

Application Compatibility Manager A component of ACT that enables you to

collect and analyze data so that you can rememdy any issues before you
deploy a new operating system such as Windows 7.

Application Compatibility The process of ensuring that a program or

application written for a previous Windows operating system will function
properly within Windows 7.

AppLocker An update to the older Software Restriction Policies, providing new

enhancements that enable you to specify exactly what users are permitted to
run on their desktops according to unique file identities. You can also specify
the users or groups permitted to execute these applications.

Authentication A process whereby an individual on a network proves who he

is and who he says he is. The authentication process validates the source and
identify of information and includes such tasks as confirming the identity of a
user, computer, or digital signature.

Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) The dynamic IPv4 addressing system

uses when DHCP is unavailable.

Backup and Restore Applet A new application in Windows 7 that provides a

centralized location and wizards for performing various types of backup and
restore procedures.


Backup The creation of a copy of programs or data on the computer as a
protection against some type of disaster.

Basic Disk A disk partitioning scheme that uses partition tables supported by
DOS and many other operation systems, containing primary partitions,
extended partitions, and logical drives.

Basic Input / Output System (BIOS) The firmware application encoded in a

computer that initializes the computer before the operating system is loaded.
The BIOS manages basic hardware configuration.

Battery Meter A small application that runs on mobile computers and displays
the percentage of battery power as well as power plan currently in use.

BCDboot A command line tool that enables you to manage and create new
boot configuration data (BCD) stores and BCD boot entries.

Bcdedit A command line tool that enables you to manage BCD stores in
Windows Vista/7/Server 2008.

BitLocker A feature of Windows 7 enterprise and Ultimate that enables you to

encrypt the entire contents of your system or data partition. It is useful for
protecting data stored on laptops, which are susceptible to theft.

BitLocker to Go A component of BitLocker that is new to Windows 7 and

enables you to encrypt the contents of a USB flash drive or portable hard
drive.

BranchCache A new feature of Windows 7 that enables users to rapidly

access data from remotely located file and web servers. BranchCache
enables users at a small branch office to cache copies of frequently accessed

files from head office servers on a local computer.

Built-in Group A predefined local group that is granted specific rights and
privileges on the local computer.

Cache A space on the computer's hard disk that is set aside for holding offline
copies of shared files and folders from a computer on the network.

Certificate A method of granting access to a user based on unique

identification. Certificates represent a distinctive way to establish a user's
identity and credentials. They originate from a certification authority (CA).
Internet Explorer uses these certificates so that the user can verify that he is
accessing the proper website.

Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) An authentication

protocol that uses a hashed version of a user's password so that the user's
credentials are not sent over the wire in clear text.

Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) A flexible method of stating IP address

and masks without needing to classify the addresses. An example of the CIDR
format is 192.168.1.0/24.

Compatibility View A feature of Internet Explorer 8 that enables websites

designed for earlier versions of Internet Explorer to display properly in
Internet Explorer 8.

Computer Management Console An application that provides access to

several of the most commonly used administrative tools such as Task
Scheduler, Event Viewer, Local Users and Groups, Performance Monitor,
Device Manager, Services and several others.

Content Advisor A component of Internet Explorer that enables you to control

what internet content users can view on a Windows 7 computer.


Credential The information provided by a user or computer to gain access to
another network resource. Credentials include user-names, passwords,
certificates, and other personal identification information.

Credential Manager A Windows 7 utility that stores credentials for logging on

to resources such as websites, terminal servers, and applications. This utility
stores credentials in an electronic Windows vault that makes them available
for facilitated logon to these types of resources.

Data Collection Sets A component of Performance Monitor that records

computer performance information into log files. This feature was known as
Performance Logs and Alerts in Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003.

Data Recovery Agent A specially configured user account that has the ability
to decrypt drives and partitions that been encrypted using BitLocker.

Decryption Unscrambling the data in an encrypted file through use of an

algorithm so that the file can be read.

Default Gateway The term applied to the router that leads to other networks.

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) A command line tool

that enumerates, installs, uninstalls, configures and updates system images.

Deployment Server The default mode of WDS in Windows Server 2008 R2,
this mode deploys Windows 7 installations within a domain environment
using AD, DS, DNS, and DHCP.

Destination Computer A computer on which Windows 7 together with

applications has been freshly installed and to which user settings and data
are to be restored using the USMT.


Device Driver The specialized software component of an operating system
that interfaces with a particular hardware component.

Device Manager A tool from which you can manage all the hardware devices
on your computer.

Differencing VHD Also known as child VHD, a VHD that contains only the
differences between it and its parent VHD.

Direct Memory Address (DMA) The process of data bypassing the CPU and
accessing RAM directly, designated as channels; for example a floppy drive
uses DMA channel 2.

DirectAccess A new feature of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 that

enables users to directly connect to corporate networks from any Internet
connection using a seamless, bidirectional, secured tunnel without the need
for a virtual private network (VPN) connection.

Disk Cleanup A program that checks your hard disk for old, temporary, or
repetitive folders and files and enables you to remove these items to free up
additional disk space. It includes a dialog box that enables you to select
which folders should be removed.

Disk Management Snap-In A Microsoft Management Console snap-in that

enables you to perform all management activities related to disks, partitions,
and volumes.

DiskPart A command line tool that enables you to perform all management
activities related to disks, partitions, and volumes. You can use this tool to
script actions related to disk management.

Distributed Cache A mode of BranchCache in which each branch office client

computer stores its own copy of files cached from the head office server
which making them available to other users in the same branch office who
requests the same file.

Domain Name Services (DNS) A hierarchical naming system that is contained

in a distributed database. DNS provides name resolution for IP addresses and
DNS names.

Driver Signing The digital signature that Microsoft adds to a third party device
driver to validate its usage.

Dynamic Disk A disk partitioning scheme supported by Windows

2000/XP/Vista/7 as well as Windows Server 2003/2008 R2 that contains
dynamic volumes.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) The protocol in the TCP/IP

protocol stack that negotiates the lease on an IP address from the DHCP
server.

Dynamic VHD A VHD that gradually increases in size towards a configured

maximum as data is added to it.

Encrypting File System (EFS) an advanced attribute setting of Windows

2000/XP/Vista/7 and Windows Server 2003/2008 R2 for files and folders on an
NTFS-formatted volume that provides certificate-based public key security for
those files and folders. EFS encrypts and decrypts files in a manner that is
transparent to users.

Encryption Scrambling and rearranging data in a file through use of an

algorithm so that the file cannot be read.

Event Log Subscription An Event Viewer feature that enables you to collect

event logs from a number of computers in a single, convenient location that

helps you keep track of events that occur on these computers.