gloss_D

D

Daily backup.

A scheduled backup job that backs up all files and folders that have been modified that day without clearing their archive attributes.

Date.

A Windows XP command that displays and modifies the date.

Debugging mode.

A Windows XP startup option that sends debug information to another computer during startup using a serial cable connection.

Default gateway.

A computer or network device to which remote network data packets are sent.

Deferred printing.

A Windows XP technique that allows the user to submit print jobs when not connected to the network. The print jobs are temporarily stored on the computer's local hard drive and are automatically submitted to a network printer when network connectivity is restored.

Defrag.exe.

A Windows XP command-line version of the Disk Defragmenter utility.

Del.

A Windows XP command that deletes files.

Designed for Microsoft Windows XP Application Specification

A set of requirements that Microsoft imposes on any application developers before they can display the Designed for Windows logo on their software.

Designed for Windows logo.

A logo displayed by a Windows application that has met the requirements of the Designed for Microsoft Windows XP Application Specification.

Desktop Cleanup Wizard.

A wizard that runs every 60 days, prompting the user to allow it to automatically move unused desktop shortcuts to a special folder on the Windows XP desktop.

Desktop toolbar.

A toolbar residing on the Windows XP taskbar that displays the My Documents folder, the My Computer folder, the Network Places folder, the Recycle Bin, and all shortcuts stored on the user's desktop.

Device driver signing.

A technique that identifies software drivers that have been tested and certified for use on Microsoft operating systems.

Device Driver Verification.

A test applied by Windows XP prior to installing a new software driver to determine if it has been digitally signed.

Device Manager.

A utility that displays and administers the assignment of system resources to a computer's hardware devices.

Dial-up connection.

A network connection established between two computers using modems, a telephone line, and a wide area network connection that employs the PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol).

Differential backup.

A Windows XP backup job that backs up all files and folders that have been modified without clearing the files' and folders' archive attributes.

Digital subscriber line (DSL).

An always-on high-speed connection provided by a local ISP in conjunction with the local telephone company over the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

Dir.

A Windows XP command that displays the files and subfolders located in a specified folder.

Disk Cleanup.

A Windows XP utility that frees up disk space by deleting unnecessary files from the hard disk drive.

Disk Defragmenter.

A Windows XP MMC snap-in or extension that analyzes and defragments local hard disk drives.

Disk quotas.

A Windows XP feature that allows administrators to specify the amount of disk space that users may use.

Diskpart.

A Windows XP command that allows administrators to manage disk drives.

Direct Memory Access (DMA) channels.

Communication channels used by medium-speed hardware devices, such as floppy disk drives.

Domain.

A type of Windows network that provides centralized administration and control over all network resources using Active Directory.

Domain Name System (DNS).

A network service that provides IP address and name resolution services on the network.

Domain User Account.

A user account stored in Active Directory that provides access to all the resources on a domain to which it has been assigned access.

Drive mapping.

The assignment of a local drive letter to a network drive, allowing the network drive to be accessed as if it were a local drive.

Driver Rollback.

A Windows XP facility that allows administrators to restore a device's software driver to a previously installed version.

Dual-boot.

A configuration that permits a computer to be started using any of two or more installed operating systems.

Dynamic Disk.

An advanced Windows XP disk technology that supports more features than basic disks, including support for larger disk drives, mount points, and disk spanning.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

A network service that provides centralized administration of TCP/IP configuration settings.

Dynamic Update.

A Windows XP feature that is executed by the Windows XP installation process in order to retrieve the latest collection of installation files from Microsoft before installing Windows XP Professional.