Toshiba L350 Manual

							
Glossary201
Ffile — A collection of related information, saved on disk with a unique 
name. A file may be a program, information used by a program, or a 
document. See also  document.
file allocation table (FAT)  — The section of a disk that keeps track of 
the location of files stored on the disk.
file name  — A set of characters that uniquely identifies a file within a 
particular folder. It consists of two parts: the actual name and the file 
name extension. See also  file extension.
file extension  — The three characters foll owing the period (pronounced 
“dot”) at the end of a file name.  The extension indicates the type of 
file. Examples are .exe for program files and .hlp for help files. See 
also  file name.
folder  — Also called directory. A container for organizing files saved to 
a disk. A folder is symbolized on  screen by a graphical image (icon) 
of a file folder. A folder can  contain files and other folders.
format  — (verb) To prepare a blank di sk for use with the computer’s 
operating system. Formatting creates  a structure on the disk so the 
operating system can write information to the disk or read 
information from it.
frontside bus  — The primary pathway (bus) between the CPU and the 
computer’s main memory. Also called “system bus.” See also  bus.
function keys  — The keys labeled F1 through F12, typically located on 
the keyboard. Their function is determined by the operating system 
and/or individual programs.
Gground  — A conductor to which all comp onents of an electric circuit are 
connected. It has a potential of zer o (0) volts, is connected to the 
earth, and is the point of refere nce for voltages in the circuit.
Hhard disk — A storage device composed of a  rigid platter or platters that 
can be magnetically coded with data. Hard disks hold much more 
information than diskettes and ar e used for long-term storage of 
programs and data. The primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is 
usually fixed, but some computers have secondary hard disks that 
are removable. By default, the hard  disk is referred to as drive C.
hardware  — The physical components of  a computer system. Compare 
software. 
						

							
202Glossary
Hibernation — A feature of many Tosh iba notebook computers that 
saves to the hard disk the current state of your work, including all 
open files and programs, when you turn the computer off. When 
you turn on the computer again, you r work is returned to the same 
state it was when the computer was turned off. See also  Sleep, 
Suspend.
high-density diskette  — A 3.5-inch diskette that holds 1.44 MB of data. 
See also  diskette.
hot key  — (1) A feature in which certain keys in combination with the 
Fn key can set system options or control system parameters, such as 
the battery save mode. (2) A key or combination of keys that 
activates a memory resident program.
hot swapping  — The ability to add or remove devices from a computer 
while the computer is running  and have the operating system 
automatically recognize the change.
Iicon  — A small image displayed on the sc reen that represents a function, 
file, or program.
interlaced  — A method of refreshing a computer screen, in which only 
every other line of pixels is refres hed. Interlaced monitors take two 
passes to create a complete screen image. Compare  non-interlaced.
internal device  — See device.
Internet  — The decentralized, world-wide  network of computers that 
provides electronic mail, the Worl d Wide Web, and other services. 
See also  World Wide Web.
Kkeyboard shortcut  — A key or combination of keys that you use to 
perform a task instead of using a pointing device such as a mouse. 
LL1 (level one) cache  — Memory cache built into  the processor to help 
improve processing speed. See also  cache, CPU cache, L2 cache.
L2 (level two) cache  — Memory cache installed on the motherboard to 
help improve processing speed. It is  slower than L1 cache and faster 
than main memory. See also  cache, CPU cache, L1 cache.
LAN (local area network)  — A group of computers or other devices 
dispersed over a relatively limited area and connected by a 
communications link that enables  any device to interact with any 
other on the network. 
						

							
Glossary203
liquid crystal display (LCD) — A type of display that uses a liquid 
substance between two transparent electrode panels. When an 
electric current passes through the  electrodes, the molecules in the 
liquid form a crystalline pattern  that polarizes the light passing 
through it. A filter over the electrodes permits only non-polarized 
light to pass to the surface of the display, creating light and dark 
pixels.
load  — To move information from a st orage device (such as a hard disk) 
into memory for processing.
local area network  — See LAN.
logical drive  — A section of a disk that  is recognized by the operating 
system as a separate disk drive. A  system’s logical drives may differ 
from its physical drives. For example, a single hard disk drive may 
be partitioned into two or more logical drives.
Mmemory  — Typically refers to the computer’s main memory, where 
programs are run and data is temp orarily stored and processed. 
Memory can be volatile and hold data temporarily, such as RAM, or 
it can be nonvolatile and hold data permanently, such as ROM. A 
computer’s main memory is RAM. See  RAM, ROM.
microprocessor  — See central processing unit (CPU).
MIDI (Musical Instrume nt Digital Interface) — A standard for 
connecting musical instruments, synthesizers, and computers. The 
MIDI standard provides a way of  translating music into a form 
computers can use, and vice versa.
modem  — Short for “modulator/demodulator.” A device that converts 
information from digital to analog, and back to digital, enabling 
information to pass back and forth between digital computers and 
analog telephone lines.
motherboard  — The computer’s main circ uit board that contains the 
processor, memory, and other primary components.
MS-DOS prompt  — See system prompt.
multi-function drive  — A DVD drive that can read and write to CD and 
DVD media.
multimedia  — A combination of two or more media, such as sound, 
animation, and video in a comp uter program or presentation.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface  — See MIDI. 
						

							
204Glossary
Nnetwork — A collection of computers a nd associated devices that are 
connected by communications facilities. A network allows you to 
share data and peripheral devices, su ch as printers, with other users 
and to exchange  electronic mail.
non-interlaced  — A method of refreshing a  computer screen, in which 
each pixel of every line is refreshed as the electron beam scans 
across and down the screen. Compare  interlaced.
non-system disk  — A disk for storing programs and data that cannot be 
used to start the computer. Compare  system disk.
Oonline — Available through the computer. Online may refer to 
information being read from your own computer’s hard disk, such 
as online documentation or online Help, or to information coming 
from another company on a company network or the Internet.
operating system  — A set of programs that controls how the computer 
works. Examples of operating  systems are the Windows Vista
® 
Ultimate and Windows Vista® Home Basic operating systems.
optical drive  — A drive which reads plastic  coated discs on which   
information is recorded digitally,  and uses a laser to read data, 
music, or videos.
Ppalette  — See  color palette.
parallel  — Processes that occur simultan eously. In communications, it 
means the transmission of more th an one bit of information at a 
time. On your comput er, the parallel port provides a parallel 
communications interface between  the computer and an appropriate 
device. Most modern printers are parallel. Compare  serial.
password  — A unique string of characters entered by a user to verify his 
or her identity to the computer or the network.
PC Card  — A credit-card-sized expansion  card designed to increase the 
capabilities of notebook computer s. PC Cards provide functions 
such as modem, fax/modem, hard disk drive, network adapter, 
sound card, or SCSI adapter.
peripheral  — Any device, such as a printer  or joystick, that is attached 
to the computer and controll ed by the computer’s CPU.
pixel  — Short for “picture element.”  The smallest dot that can be 
produced on a screen or printer. 
						

							
Glossary205
Plug and Play — Generally, refers to the computer’s ability to 
automatically configure itself to work with peripheral devices. 
When capitalized, refers to a sta ndard that, when followed by a 
device manufacturer, allows a  computer to configure itself 
automatically to work with the device.
pointing device  — Any device, such as the TouchPad or a mouse, that 
enables you to move the cursor on the screen.
port  — A socket on the computer where you plug in a cable for 
connection to a network  or a peripheral device.
processor  — See central processing unit (CPU) .
program  — A set of instructions that can be executed by a computer. 
The general classes of programs (also called software) are operating 
system, application, and utility. See also  operating system, 
application, utility .
properties  — The attributes of an object  or device. For example, the 
properties of a file include the file’s type, size, and creation date. 
RRAM (random access memory)  — Volatile  memory that can be 
written to as well as read.  Volatile here means that information in 
RAM is lost when you turn off your computer. This type of memory 
is used for your computer ’s main memory. See also  memory. 
Compare  ROM.
random access memory  — See RAM.
read-only memory  — See ROM.
reboot  — See  boot, restart .
removable disk  — A disk that can be removed from a disk drive. A 
diskette is one example of a removable disk.
resolution  — A measure of the sharpness of the images that can be 
produced by a printer or displayed on a screen. For a printer, 
resolution is expressed in dots per inch (dpi). For a screen, it is 
expressed as the number of pixe ls available horizontally and 
vertically. 
restart  — Synonymous with reboot. To reset the computer by reloading 
the operating system without turn ing the computer off. See also 
boot . 
						

							
206Glossary
RJ11 — A modular connector used on most U.S. telephone systems and 
direct-connect modems. The RJ11 co nnector is a 6-wire connector.
ROM (read-only memory)  — Non-volatile memory that can be read 
but not written to.  Non-volatile here means that information in ROM 
remains whether or not the computer  is receiving power. This type 
of memory is used to store  your computer’s BIOS, which is 
essential instructions the comput er reads when you start it up. See 
also  BIOS, memory.  Compare RAM.
Sselect — To highlight or otherwise specify text, data, or graphics with the 
intent to perform some operation on it.
serial  — Processes that occur one at a  time. In communications, it means 
the transmission of one bit at  a time sequentially over a single 
channel. On your computer, the seri al port provides a serial interface 
between the computer and an appropriate device. Compare  parallel.
shortcut  — See keyboard shortcut .
Sleep  — A feature of some Windows
® operating systems that allows you 
to turn off the computer without exiting your open applications and 
to continue from where you left of f when you turn the computer on 
again.
software  — See program.  Compare  hardware.
Suspend  — A feature of some Windows
® operating systems that allows 
you to turn off the computer without exiting your open applications 
and to continue from where you left off when you turn the computer 
on again.
system disk  — A diskette that contains th e operating system files needed 
to start the computer. Any diskette  can be formatted as a system 
disk. A system disk is also calle d a “bootable disk” or a “startup 
disk.” Compare  non-system disk.
system prompt  — The symbol (in the MS-DOS
® operating system, 
generally a drive letter followed by  a “greater than” sign) indicating 
where users are to enter commands.
TTFT display  — See active-matrix display . 
						

							
Glossary207
Uuniversal serial bus (USB) — USB is a serial bus that supports a data 
transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps  (480 million bits per second). USB 
can connect up to 127 peripheral  devices through a single all-
purpose USB port. USB allows hot  swapping of peripherals. See 
also  bus, hot swapping, serial.
upload  — To send a file to another computer through a modem or 
network. See also  download.
USB — See universal serial bus (USB).
utility  — A computer program designed to perform a narrowly focused 
operation or solve a specific problem. Utilities are often related to 
computer system management.
WWe b  — See  World Wide Web .
Wi-Fi
®  — A registered trademark term of  the Wi-Fi Alliance that stands 
for Wireless Fidelity, and is anot her term for the communication 
protocol to permit an Ethernet connection using wireless 
communication components. 
World Wide Web (www)  — The worldwide network of Web sites 
linked together over the Internet.  A user of the Web can jump from 
site to site regardless of the location of the computer hosting the site. 
See also  Internet. 
						

							
208
Index
A
AC adaptor 43
AC power connecting adaptor
 44
accessories memory
 48
adding memory
 48, 49, 52, 53, 155
Alt keys
 77
Application Cards
 180
audio files
 118
audio features
 118
B
backing up files 76
battery changing
 103
charge indicator light
 45, 97
charge not lasting
 156
charging
 43, 45
conserving power
 100
disposal
 108
low charge
 99
monitoring power
 45, 97
not charging
 155 notifications
 100
power plan
 184
power plan hot key
 102
real-time clock (RTC)
 94
removing
 103
BIOS Setup see TOSHIBA Hardware Setup
Bridge Media Adapter inserting memory media
 122
removing memory media
 122
button power
 48
start
 112
C
CD playing an audio
 88
CD, using
 84
character keys
 77
charging the battery
 45
checking device properties
 153
click
 57
communications network connection
 114
set up
 113 
						

							
209Index
computercaring for
 73
cleaning
 73
moving
 74
non-system disk or disk error  message
 149
not accessing disk drives
 148
running on battery power
 93
setting up
 41, 50
warning resume failure message
 
148
computer lock
 74
computing tips
 75
ConfigFree®
 142
connecting to a power source
 43
connection set up
 114
control buttons
 57
Ctrl keys
 77
D
desktop creating new icon
 111
major features
 111
desktop exploration
 110
desktop icons
 111
Device Manager
 153
checking properties
 153
devices keyboard
 60
mouse
 60
Disk Defragmenter
 159
disk drive corrupted/damaged data files
 160
missing files/trouble accessing a  disk
 159
running slow
 159
diskette drive cannot insert a diskette
 160
cannot read a diskette
 160
connecting
 61
external, connecting
 61 display
does not look normal/flickers
 157
external monitor not working
 158
screen is blank
 157
display device external
 58
display output settings
 58
display, external adjusting
 59
disposal information
 24
disposing of used batteries
 108
double-click
 57
DVD player general problems
 168
DVD, using
 84
E
error messages device driver conflict
 152
general hardware problem
 152
non-system disk or disk error
 149
problem with display settings/ current settings not working 
with hardware
 158
warning resume failure
 148
Error-checking
 159
exploring the desktop
 110
ExpressCard®
checklist
 162
computer stops working
 163
errors
 164
hot swapping fails
 163
inserting
 120
not recognized
 163
problem solving
 162
removing
 121
external monitornot working
 158
mouse
 60
external diskette drive connecting
 61 
						

							
210Index
external display, adjusting 59
F
FAT (File Allocation Table) 159
file extensions
 82
file, backing up
 76
files backing up
 83
printing
 82
restoring
 84
saving
 81
Fn keys
 77
function keys
 78
H
hardware conflicts 152
resolving
 153
headphones using
 119
Help and Support Windows® operating system
 152
Hibernation mode
 63
configuring
 67
starting again from
 69
hot key display brightness
 188
Hibernation mode
 186
keyboard overlays
 192
Lock (Instant security)
 183
Output (Display switch)
 187
power plan
 184
Sleep mode
 185
volume mute
 182
Zoom (Display resolution)
 191
zooming
 192
Hot Key Cards
 178
Hot key functions
 182
hot key power plan
 102
http
 116
I
icon 111
desktop
 111 moving to desktop
 111
recycle bin
 111
safety
 35
installation memory module
 49
installing memory modules
 48, 49, 52, 53, 
155
mouse
 60
instant passwords, using
 130
Internet bookmarked site not found
 151
connecting to
 117
features
 117
slow connection
 151
surfing
 117
uploading and downloading files
 
118
URL address not found
 151
using
 116
Internet Service Providers
 116
ISPs
 116
J
jack RJ-11
 115
K
keyboardcharacter keys
 77
function keys
 78
hot keys
 192
not working
 148
special Windows® keys
 78
troubleshooting
 156
using
 77
keyboard, external
 60
L
lock computer, using
 74
M
main battery