A graphics interface specification that provides enhanced 3-D video support.
access control
The granting and denial of rights to configure what level of authorization has been allowed.
access control entry (ACE)
The permission granted or denied to a user for the use of a resource that is entered into the resource's DACL.
access control list (ACL)
The list of permissions granted or denied that is attached to a file or folder.
Active Directory
A directory service supported by Windows 2000 and newer Windows operating systems that allows any network object to be tracked and located.
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.
administrator
1. A person whose responsibilities include managing computers or networks. Often called a system administrator or network administrator. 2. The name of the Windows user with the most rights.
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)
A standard applicable to BIOSs that regulates the power configuration of devices within a computer. Windows XP supports ACPI and APM, but ACPI is the preferred method of power management.
Advanced Power Management (APM)
A standard that regulates the power configuration of devices within a computer, and the older of two power management standards supported by Windows XP. ACPI is the preferred power management method; however, when ACPI support is not installed, Windows XP installs APM in certain situations.
answer file
An ASCII text file that contains answers, in script form, to questions asked by the Windows XP Setup Wizard during unattended installations. This file, often called Unattend.txt or, Winnt.sif, enables installation of Windows XP to proceed without requiring users to answer questions during the installation.
attended installation
Manual installation that requires a person to answer questions throughout the setup process.
audit policy
The configuration settings that enable auditing on a computer.
Automated System Recovery (ASR)
A component of Windows Backup that restores the operating system when other recovery procedures are unable to perform this task. Replaces the Emergency Repair Disk that was used in previous Windows versions.
Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)
The dynamic IP addressing system used when DHCP is unavailable.
