N-P

name resolution

The process of resolving a name into an IP address.

Narrator

A text-to-speech utility for users who are blind or have impaired vision.

NetBIOS

See Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS).

NetBIOS Enhanced User Interface (NetBEUI)

A fast, efficient protocol, suitable for use on small networks.

NetBIOS name

A computer name assigned a 16-character name used by NetBIOS applications when establishing connections.

Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS)

A protocol called to assist in the establishment of connections over the network.

network boot disk

A network boot disk is usually a bootable MS-DOS floppy that contains the DOS-based network client software for the operating system.

Ntbootdd.sys

A copy of the device driver for the SCSI adapter that is required to gain access to the boot partition in the absence of the SCSI BIOS.

Ntbtlog.txt

A log file located in the %system_root% directory containing a listing of all the drivers and services that the system attempts to load during startup.

Ntdetect.com

The Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP hardware detection file, which is responsible for collecting information about the system’s installed hardware devices and passing it to the NTLDR program. This information is later used to upgrade the Windows NT Registry files.

Ntldr

The Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP bootstrap loader for Intel- based computers running Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP. It is the Windows NT equivalent of the DOS IO.SYS file and is responsible for loading the Windows NT operating system into memory. Afterward, NTLDR passes control of the system over to the Windows NT operating system.

NTFS

New Technology File System. This is the native file management system for Windows XP. However, Windows XP is also capable of working with FAT and FAT32 file systems so that it can remain compatible with older Microsoft operating systems.

Ntoskrnl.exe

The core part of Windows XP that creates the Registry hardware keys and loads device drivers.

offline files

Files and folders that are available to a user when the user is no longer connected to the network share.

owner

The user who created a file, folder, or printer.

paging file (Pagefile.sys)

A section of hard disk space set aside to act as virtual memory. Sometimes called a swap file.

partitioning

The process of dividing a physical disk into logical sections that function as though they were physically separate disks. After you create a partition, you must format it and assign it a drive letter before you can store data on it.

partition table

The table present at the start of every hard disk that describes the disk’s layout, including the number and location of all partitions on the disk.

Pathping.exe

A command-line utility used to trace routes across an internetwork, combining the features of Ping and Tracert.

Performance Logs And Alerts

A utility that enables the user to log counter information to a file and trigger alerts based on configured events

Performance tool

A utility that captures performance information for various subsystems on a computer and displays the results graphically or logs the results to a file.

Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA)

A standard that defines expansion slots primarily on notebook computers. The card is available in three sizes labeled Type I, Type II, and Type III. Also referred to as PC Card.

Ping

A command-line utility for basic TCP/IP communications testing.

Plug and Play

A technology that enables the system to automatically determine what hardware devices are actually installed in the system and then to allocate system resources to those devices as required to configure and manage them.

power-on self test (POST)

A series of BIOS diagnostic tests performed on the system each time it is turned on or reset to verify that it is operating correctly.

primary partition

A bootable partition created from unallocated disk space. Under Windows 2000, up to four primary partitions can be created on a basic disk. The disk can also contain three primary partitions and an extended partition. The primary partition becomes the system’s boot volume by being marked as “Active.” The free space in the extended partition can be subdivided into up to 23 logical drives.

print processor

Printing process that makes any necessary modifications to the print job and then calls on the GDI to further render the job if necessary.

print router

A print provider that can service the print job’s protocol.

print server

The computer or other remote device that has a network printer physically attached to it.

print spooler

The Windows operating system service that controls the print spooling process.

print spooling

The process of saving a print job to the hard disk before sending it to the printer.

printer

The physical device used for printing. This is usually a standard printer but could also be a fax device, a plotter, or a file. It may also refer to the combination of the physical and logical printer.

printer driver

The software driver containing printer-specific information.

printer permissions

Permissions that enable you to control which users can access a printer and what actions they will be able to perform.

printer pooling

A printing option that permits you to attach two or more printers to a single printer configuration.

process measures

Objects displayed in the Task Manager\Processes tab.