Software Flashcards
(45 cards)
What are utility programs?
Utility programs (utilities) are part of an operating system that carry out certain functions such as virus checking, defragmentation, and screensaver.
What is malware?
Malware refers to programs such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses that are installed on a user’s computer with the aim of deleting, corrupting, or manipulating data illegally.
What is anti-virus software?
Anti-virus software is designed to quarantine and delete files or programs infected by a computer virus; it can run in the background or be initiated by the user.
What is heuristic checking?
Heuristic checking is the process of checking software for behavior that could indicate a possible virus.
What does quarantine mean in the context of anti-virus software?
Quarantine means to isolate (in order to later delete) a file or program identified by anti-virus software as being infected by a virus.
What is defragmentation?
Defragmentation is a process that reorganizes sectors on an HDD by rearranging blocks of data so that they are contiguous.
What does contiguous mean?
Contiguous means next to each other.
What is a back-up?
A back-up is the process of making copies of files onto another storage media in case the original file becomes corrupted or is deleted.
What is a screensaver?
A screensaver is software that supplies a still or moving image on a monitor if a computer has been inactive for a period of time.
What is a device driver?
A device driver is software that communicates with the operating system and translates data into a format understood by the device.
What is a descriptor in the context of USB devices?
A descriptor is a collection of information about a device plugged into a USB port; this can include vendor ID (VID), product ID (PID), or serial number.
What is an operating system?
An operating system is software that provides an environment in which applications can run and also provides an interface between the computer and human operator.
What is a boot up/bootstrap loader?
A boot up/bootstrap loader is a small program that is used to load other programs to correctly start up a computer system.
What does EEPROM stand for?
EEPROM stands for electronically erasable programmable ROM.
What is a human computer interface (HCI)?
A human computer interface (HCI) is an interface supplied by the operating system to ‘hide’ the complexities of the software and hardware from the human user.
What is a command line interface (CLI)?
A command line interface (CLI) is an interface that allows communication with the computer by typing in commands using a keyboard.
What is a graphical user interface (GUI)?
A graphical user interface (GUI) is an interface that uses icons to represent apps and tasks which the user can select or launch by clicking on a mouse or using a touch screen.
What does WIMP stand for?
WIMP stands for windows icons menu and pointing device, which is an interface that uses a pointing device such as a mouse to select options from screen icons or a menu.
What is post-WIMP?
Post-WIMP is a modern touch screen interface system that allows actions such as pinching and rotating.
What is memory management?
Memory management is the part of an operating system that controls main memory.
What is security management?
Security management is the part of an operating system that ensures the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data.
What is hardware management?
Hardware management is the part of an operating system that controls all input and output devices; it is made up of sub-systems such as printer management.
What is a buffer?
A buffer is a memory area used to store data temporarily.
What is file management?
File management is part of an operating system that manages files in a computer, including the ability to create, delete, copy, open, close, and rename files.
