• Computer glossary - W

    by
    computerguru
    Published on 02-03-2010 07:05 PM

    WAN (Wide Area Network) — a network of interconnected computers located in a large geographic area, linked together by a phone, radio or satellite.

    Windows desktop — the main Windows area appearing with the system boot. From here you can access all the installed utilities, tools and programs by means of the Quick launch icons, the options in the ‘Start’ menu of Windows, through the Windows Task bar, etc.

    Windows Explorer — a program or an application available in Windows for administering of files located on the computer. Utterly useful for managing the directories’ appearance.

    Windows Registry — a file storing all information about the configuration and program installation, including the information on the Windows operating system.

    Windows Registry Key – sections of the Windows Registry storing information on system installations and its configuration.

    Windows System Tray — an area on the Windows Task bar (usually in the right lower angle of the screen) where there is the system watch, the icons of the changeable system settings, the review of the antivirus protection status, etc.

    Windows taskbar — a panel popping up down the Windows screen. There is the Launch Button, icons for all programs which are resident for the memory at the present moment, and quick launch buttons, enabling fast access to certain programs.

    WINS (Windows Internet Name Service) — a service of recognition of names related to the computers from the network and enabling access to them. A computer contains a database with IP addresses (e.g. 125.15.0.32) and general names assigned to each computer of the network (e.g. SERVER1).

    Workstation — one of computers connected to a local network and using its resources and services. A workstation does not normally provide other machines from the network with services as the server does.

    Worm — a virus-like program; the difference is that it copies itself (or a part of itself).

    Write access / permission — rights and permissions allowing a user or a program to record data on a disk or another data storage device.

    Write-protected — a technology allowing reading of files recorded on a disk or another storage device, but prohibits rewriting of them by users.

    WSH (Windows Scripting Host) — a system enabling a bundle processing data process and access to Windows options through programming languages, such as Visual Basic Script and Java Script.