IT Jargon buster

How many times have you had a conversation with a "techy" put the phone down and thought to yourself "I have no idea what that was all about?"

At ASAP we try hard to communicate in clear terms and use language that most people understand. With the best will in the world sometimes we do have to refer to things using technical terms so you may find the list below helpful in understanding some of the things we say.

Adobe reader If you want to open a file which ends in .PDF then you'll need Adobe Reader, it's a free download from Adobe
ADSL A more technical term for your Broadband connection. If you look at your router you may see an ADSL light on it
Adware Advertising Software installed without your consent so is a form of Malware A sneaky program installs itself on your system which points to an advertising list each time you connect to the internet.
Application (also a type of program) Something that's been installed to perform a specific task such as Microsoft Office, Sage, iTunes & games etc
Anti-virus program A program which constantly runs to monitor your system for infection by Viruses. Anti-virus programs can only be reactive to new viruses so they must be constantly updated to ensure protection from the latest viruses. If you use the internet, especially via broadband you should really have a good anti-virus program running. Think of it like the PC equivalent to walking out of your house and leaving the front door wide open.
Backup For users who rely on their IT this is the most important thing to consider after setting up your IT. a backup is a copy of your data or complete system kept as an insurance against loss after things like accidental deletion, hardware or software failure. Backup can be to tape, DVD, CD, external hard drive. Backups can run automatically or manually depending on how much new information you create.
Backup device The unit you back your information too. This can be DAT tape, DLT tape, AIT tape, LTO tape, DVD, CD or external hard drive
Backup strategy Your plan for backing up your information, what to backup, how often and to what. Also includes planning how to restore the information
Bandwidth How much data can be sent over a network in a given time measured in bits per second bps, kilobits per second kbps or megabits per second mbps.
BIOS A program stored on the computers main board which gives it the basic information it needs to talk to things like keyboards, mice, hard drives, displays. This enable the computer to boot up the operating system (Windows usually)
Boot To start a computer up and load the OS, Windows in most cases
Broadband A fast connection to the internet using your telephone line
Burn The process of writing data onto a recordable CD or DVD, this can be data, documents, music, photos etc
CD-R A CD you can burn data onto once only
CD-RW A CD you can burn data to, erase and re-use
Centrino A type of Intel processor that comes with Wi-Fi built in, and is found in many laptop computers
Codec Software that converts compressed audio or video into an uncompressed form so that it can be played. MP3, MP4 are examples
Compression A technique to encode data so that it takes up less space. Although compression is a great way of reducing storage use and speeding up communications it can also effect quality when it is uncompressed for use. You may be familiar with JPEG, GIF, ZIP, MP3 which are all types of compression
Computer virus A software program, designed to infect, destroy, modify or cause problems with your computer programs,
Configuration software Built in software that helps you set up a device on your PC and network, for example
Cookie A small file created by a browser to store information about a web site. They are used to "remember" your details when you return to a site
CPU (central processing unit) The brains of the PC, usually made by Intel (also AMD & Motorola) this is the main part of any computer and runs the operation of the system. When you hear Pentium 4, Centrino, Celeron, Xeon, Intel core duo these are all types of CPU. The numbers after this are usually something like 1.6GHz (that's the CPU clock speed, how fast it runs) and then you may see something like 800MHz FSB (front side bus). This is how fast it "talks" to the rest of the computer's internal parts.You may also see 2mb L2 cache, this refers to the CPU's own internal memory where it stores information that it uses frequently as a kind of scratchpad.
Data recovery Usually important after a system failure this is the technique of removing the information from a faulty storage device (like a hard drive or USB memory) and putting it on to a readable device
Device driver Software that controls an item of hardware like a motherboard, scanner, printer or monitor. Although Windows XP and beyond have good built in support for hardware drivers it is usually recommended that you install the exact drivers that come with the hardware. Most drivers can be downloaded from the manufacturer's web site. These cause real problems in laptops. To save money the manufacturers no longer supply them on CD, instead putting this on a special area on the hard drive. This means that if your hard drive fails and you didn't use the "create a recovery disk" option when you first got the laptop you won't have the drivers needed for the laptop's internal components. This results in a lengthy process of identifying the drivers you need and downloading them, usually individually! Create the recovery disk and keep it in a safe place.
DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) A way of automatically naming devices on a network so they can access the internet and other networked devices
DIMM A type of memory module fitted in most computers. As these are on sockets they can be easily upgraded and replaced to give your computer more memory, usually resulting in faster operation
Directory In the old days this is what we all called a folder!
Domain name A unique name to identify a web site (or server). Internet addresses begin with a domain name, it's the bit after the www bit, so ebay.co.uk is a domain name. These names are translated into IP addresses. Domain names are easier to remember than the IP address
DPI (Dots per inch) A measure of resolution that describes the quality of an image. The higher the DPI the better the quality
DVD-R A type of DVD disk you can burn data onto once only
DVD-RW A DVD disk you can burn data to, erase and re-use
Drag and drop Once Windows is installed a user's data (usually everything from the Documents & settings folder) can be copied from one hard drive to another. This technique does not however bring the applications over with it.
DSL Digital subscriber line - another term for broadband
Encryption A way of coding information (data) so that only an authorised person or computer with the appropriate ‘encryption key’ can decode it
Ethernet adaptor The most common type of network interface card
Ethernet/LAN Traditional technology used to build wired networks
File extension A suffix on a file name after the dot which identifies what type of file it is. Word documents are .DOC images are usually .JPG or .BMP and music can be .MP3 .AAC .MP4
Firewall Software (or hardware) that blocks unwanted communication from and often to the internet
FireWire A fast connection technology well-suited to transferring large amounts of data, such as video footage
Fixed IP A way of setting up a network so that each device always has the same IP address. Can be more secure but does make adding new devices to the network more involved
Gateway A wireless router that has a built-in modem (usually Broadband) for accessing the internet
Ghosting your data Sometimes we are able to copy all of the information from one hard drive to another as it is installed so that all the data and programs will work on the new drive without needing re-installation
Hard disk drive The part of your computer which magnetically stores information in a sealed housing. The drive's disk platters spin round very fast 7200rpm in most cases and the drives heads read/write information to those platters. Actually the most likely part to fail especially within the first 6 months and after 3 years.
Hard drive crash Generally used to describe a drive failure but more specifically means the heads inside the drive have "crashed" into the surface that holds the information. A genuine crash usually means the information is un-recoverable however a drive failure usually means information is recoverable once the drive is repaired
IP (internet protocol) address A numerical address that identifies your computer when it connects to the internet or network
Malware Malicious software designed to get inside your computer without your permission. Malware includes adware,viruses, worms, trojan horses, rootkits, spyware, crimeware.
Mbps (Megabits per second) A measure of the speed of data transfer
NAS drive (network attached storage) this is a hard disk drive which connects directly to your Ethernet/LAN network which can then be used by anyone on the network. Ideal for backups too.
Network Two or more computers linked together so they can share resources such as files, printers and internet access
Office (Microsoft Office) an application which runs on the OS (usually Windows) which provides applications like Access, Excel, Powerpoint, Word. Popular versions are Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003, Office 2007. Not to be confused with Windows!
Optical storage Storage that reads/writes information using a laser like a CD or DVD
OS operating system for most of you this will be Windows, either Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista etc
PCMCIA adaptor A card-like device that slots into a laptop to provide extra functions
PCI adaptor An adaptor that fits into one of the internal PCI expansion slots in a desktop PC
Peripheral A device connected to a computer like a printer or a scanner
Phishing A form of internet fraud that tricks people into revealing confidential information. Usually in the form of a fake email from someone looking like their your bank telling you your account details need to be reset or revised
POP3 A way of delivering email messages to your system
PSU (power supply unit) For PCs this is an internal part that converts mains electricity to the low voltages the PC needs. For laptops this is an external power adaptor that plugs in to the laptop usually via a small round connector. A very common failing part.
RAID (redundant array of inexpensive devices) A system of putting spare hard drives in to a system so that WHEN one fails the system can automatically recover from the failure using spare drives in the system. Usually found in servers but becoming popular in high end desktop machines
Restore The process of copying backed up data from the backup device to the system
Router A device that directs ‘traffic’ (data) between computers and other equipment on a network, so that each computer can access the internet. They may be wired or wireless
SMTP A way of sending email from your system to a server (usually your internet service provider) and on to it's destination server to be downloaded, usually by POP3
SPAM Junk email usually advertising rubbish you don't want but can also have a malware content like viruses or worms. Spammers can use these emails to search your email addresses book/contacts and send more spam on to it's these addresses. If you display your email address on a web site you are inviting spam so you better have a good spam filter installed.
Spyware A type of malware program designed to steal confidential information like credit card details while you use the internet. Some downloads can contain spyware so always be careful what you're downloading and from where
SSID (service set identifier) A way of naming a wireless network, so you can distinguish it from others that are within range of your wirelessly-enabled device. Usually the SSID is set by the provider/supplier of your broadband service so keep it in a safe place. You need this when first setting up wireless access to your wireless router
Subdirectory In the old days this is what we called a sub folder
Toolbar A row of buttons near the top of a windows giving alternative access to a programs menu. Each button has a small icon picture to show what it does
Trojan A form of malware hidden inside a program that looks legitimate. Again, be careful of what you download and from where
URL Uniform Resource Locator The address that specifies the location of a file or web page usually on the internet. Our URL is http://www.asapcomputers.co.uk for example
USB (universal serial bus) A system for connecting removable devices, including printers and wireless adaptors, to a PC
User Data This is all your information held on your computer like your user settings, files, folders, documents, photos, videos & music
Virus Malware designed to self-replicate and spread from one computer to another with various aims. Sometimes these can be just annoying but at their worse they can be very destructive
WEP (wireless encryption protocol) A wireless security protocol designed to protect your network and the data sent over it using encryption
Wi-Fi A technology that allows data to be transmitted wirelessly via radio frequencies, rather than cables. Different versions transfer data at varying speeds
Wizard A program within an application that shows you step-by-step how to perform a particular task
Workgroup A number of computers connected by a network so they can ‘talk’ to each other and share files
Worm Like a virus but they will run without attaching to another program
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) A way of securing your network to prevent others getting access to it that is stronger than WEP (see above

In the field of IT new terms and technology are coming along all the time, some are quickly adopted others are dropped after a short while. If you ever hear a term used by someone that you don't understand then just ask them what it means especially if it's an acronym.