~ Computer Word Of The Week ~

[MysteRy]

COA

Short for Certificate of Authenticity, COA is a document included with a software program that proves the program was purchased legally and often has a unique identification number used to verify the program when being installed on the computer.

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Charms

The Windows Charms is a new feature that was introduced with Windows 8 that gives you access to Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings. This menu appears when you move you mouse on the top right-hand corner of the screen and then move down or by pressing the Windows key + C on the keyboard. The black bar along the right-hand side of the picture below is an example of what the Windows Charms looks like when open.



Description of each of the Windows 8 Charms

Search (shortcut: Windows key + F) - Find and open any program or file.

Share (shortcut: Windows key + H) - Share and send links, photos, and more to your friends and social networks in the app currently open.

Start (shortcut: Windows key) - Open the Windows 8 Start Menu.

Devices (shortcut: Windows key + K) - List available devices, for example a second screen.

Settings (shortcut: Windows key + I) - View Start Settings, view settings such as battery monitor, volume, brightness, notifications, and the power (to shutdown computer). In Settings you'll also find More PC Settings at the bottom of the menu, which gives you all available settings that can be adjusted.

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Spammer

1. A spammer is a person who sends spam e-mails to someone else. It is common for the spammer to send the same or similar e-mail to a list of recipients multiple times over the course of several days or weeks.

2. In computer games, a spammer is a person that sends an excessive number of messages to a zone-wide or global chat channel during a short period. These messages are usually to sell an in-game item, or to recruit players to join their group or party.

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Problem Steps Recorder

Abbreviated as PSR, the Problem Steps Recorder is a feature introduced with Windows 7 that enables users to record their interactions with a program and provide a screen-by-screen view of relevant help information; thus reducing time spent troubleshooting problems on their computer. The picture below is an example of what the Problem Steps Recorder screen looks like.



How do I use Problem Steps Recorder?

1.To run the Problem Steps Recorder, click Start and in the run line type "problem steps." Then click the "Record steps to reproduce the problem" link.

2.Once in the Program Steps Recorder, click the Start Record button and repeat the steps you performed to get the error originally.

3.While running through the steps, you can make a note to describe what you're doing by clicking the Add Comment button, then selecting the area you're making a comment about.

4.Upon completion, click Stop Record button and you'll be prompted to save the file. Save the .zip file in a location you'll remember, such as your Desktop.


How do I view a Problem Steps Recorder file?

1.Extract the .zip file.

2.Open the folder and you should see an MHTML (.mht) file containing the steps that had been previously recorded.

3.Double-click the file to go through the steps needed to duplicate the problem.

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Zero wait state

Zero wait state is a term used to describe a computer system that runs at its maximum speed without waiting for slower components such as the computer memory.

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Shortcut

In Microsoft Windows, a shortcut is a link that points to a program on the computer. Shortcuts allow you to create links to programs in any folder, Start bar, Taskbar, Desktop or other locations on the computer. A shortcut in Windows has a small arrow in the bottom left corner of the icon and are files that end with a file extension of .lnk. The picture shows an example of a Windows shortcut that links to the game SimCity. If you are more familiar with Linux, you can think of a shortcut as a symbolic link.

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DTX

DTX is a form factor for motherboards, a variation of the ATX form factor. It was originally developed by AMD in January 2007 and was designed for smaller computers like home theater PCs (media center computers). The physical dimensions of a DTX motherboard is 8.0 inches by 9.6 inches and the board allowed for 2 expansion slots. A somewhat smaller version was also developed, called the Mini-DTX, having dimensions of 8.0 inches by 6.7 inches.

The DTX form factor provided a lower cost of manufacturing, due to the fewer layers of printed circuit board wiring required to make the board. It was intended to be an industry standard for small form factor computers, like the Shuttle "SFF" design. DTX motherboards are backward compatible with the ATX form factor, fitting in computer cases designed for ATX motherboards. It also works with a standard power supply, requiring the same 24-pin power connector that the ATX motherboard requires.

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System Restore

Feature introduced with Microsoft Windows XP and also found later versions that creates automatic backups also known as restore points, either during significant events or at a specific time of the users choosing. Below is an example of what the System Restore Window may look like.


Windows XP System Restore

Tip: You can run the System Restore from the Run or Windows command line by running the rstrui file. For example, in Run or the Start menu type "rstrui" and press enter to open System Restore.

[MysteRy]

Wallpaper

Today, more commonly referred to as the desktop background in Windows, a wallpaper is a graphic image that appears as a backdrop of the GUI Desktop. In the picture below, is an example of a Microsoft Windows 95 Desktop, the wallpaper is a picture of white clouds over a blue sky, which is the default wallpaper included with Microsoft Windows 95.



Internet Explorer Users Tip

Users using Microsoft Internet Explorer also have the ability of setting any image they view on the Internet as their wallpaper. To do this, right-click on the image you want to set as your wallpaper and select Set as Background.

Additional Information:

When setting an Internet Picture as your background, it saves the image to your hard drive. Below is an example of where this file may be saved.

C:\Documents and settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
File name = "Internet Explorer Wallpaper.bmp"

Note: The "Application Data" folder is a hidden folder. If you do not see this folder, you must enable hidden files.

Other Internet browser users tip

Additionally, other Internet browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, also include the ability to set images on the Internet as the wallpaper using similar steps to those mentioned above. Right-click on a web browser image and choose the option: Set As Desktop Background.

[MysteRy]

Trackball

An input device that looks like an upside-down mouse. The onscreen pointer is moved by the trackball with a thumb or finger. A trackball requires less arm and wrist motion that a regular mouse takes and therefore is often less stressful for the user to use, helping to prevent RSI. The picture of the Logitech Cordless Trackball mouse is an example of what a trackball mouse may look like.

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Graphic conversion program

A graphic conversion program is a software program or feature that converts an image to a different file format. For example, converting a .GIF graphic into another format such as .JPG.

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Bind

1. In computer programming, to bind is to create a connection between two or more programming objects for a specified amount of time.

2. In computer networking, bind allows a resource to be sent or received. For example, one may bind a request to TCP/IP indicating that it is ready to receive or send information.

Computer network and network card help and support

3. In IBM's System Network Architecture, to bind is to setup a session between two logical units or network end points prior to communicating.

4. When referring to the computer keyboard or gaming, a binding or key binding refers to assigning an action to a single key. For example, a player could bind their keyboard space bar to shoot a gun in a game, however, another player may have their space bar key bound to jump their character. Key bindings are usually found within a games options or controls.

Computer keyboard help and support

5. BIND is also short for Berkeley Internet Name Domain and is a popular name (DNS) server software originally designed for BSD.

6. In a MMO game, bind may also refer to a bind point.

[MysteRy]

Word

1. In general, a word is a single element of speech that is typically separated by spaces and helps form a sentence. For example, this sentence contains seven words. The English language contains several hundred thousand different words and Computer Hope lists over 11,000 computer related words in its computer dictionary.

Tip on deleting one word at a time.

2. With computers, a word is a single unit of measurement that is assumed to be a 16-bits in length value. However, can be any set value, common values included: 16, 18, 24, 32, 36, 40, 48, and 64.



3. When referring to a word processor, Winword, Word or MS Word is short for Microsoft Word and also sometimes used as an abbreviation for Microsoft WordPad. It is more appropriate to refer to each of these programs using their full names. However, most people automatically assume that "Word" is Microsoft Word.

Microsoft Word is a word processor that allows you to create professional looking document, report, letter, and résumé. Unlike a plaintext editor, Microsoft Word has features such as a spell checker, grammar check, support for hundreds of different fonts, HTML support, image support, advanced page layout features, and much more. Below is an example of what Microsoft Word may look like, in this example we are showing Microsoft Word 2010.



Where do you find or start Microsoft Word?

If Microsoft Word is installed and you are running Microsoft Windows, you can find Microsoft Word in the Start Menu. Keep in mind that new computers do not include Microsoft Word, and it must be purchased and installed before it can run on your computer. If you do not have the money for a word processor, there are also free word processing programs that can be used in place of Word.

[MysteRy]

Ribbon



When referring to Microsoft Office 2007 and later versions, the Ribbon is a feature of the window that replaces the traditional File menu that has been found in all previous versions of Office and other Windows programs. As can be seen the image, the Ribbon is displayed for what you're currently doing. In this example, the Ribbon for Write is being displayed.

The Ribbon will dynamically change depending on what you're doing in the Word, Excel, or the Office program with the Ribbon. For example, if you're working with images the Ribbon displays all available changes that can be done with the Ribbon.

How do I hide the Ribbon?

1.Click the small down arrow at the very top of the window shown next to the printer icon in the above example. Note: If no printer icon is shown it would be next to the blue arrow.

2.In the menu that appears after clicking this icon select Minimize the Ribbon

[MysteRy]

Heuristic

A way of resolving an issue by discovering or experimenting instead of following specific instructions, formulas, or procedures. For example, an antivirus program may use heuristic detection to help identify a unknown virus or other malware.