Dell Precision 420 User Manual page 54

system board
As the main circuit board, the system board usually contains most of your computer's integral components, such as:
Microprocessor
l
RAM
l
Controllers for standard peripheral devices, such as the keyboard
l
Various ROM chips
l
Frequently used synonyms for system board are motherboard and logic board.
system configuration information
Data stored in memory that tells a computer what hardware is installed and how the computer should be configured for operation.
system diskette
Synonym for bootable diskette.
system memory
Synonym for RAM.
System Setup program
A BIOS-based program that allows you to configure your computer's hardware and customize the computer's operation by setting such features as
password protection and energy management. Some options in the System Setup program require that you reboot the computer (or the computer
may reboot automatically) to effect a hardware-configuration change. Because the System Setup program is stored in NVRAM, any settings
remain in effect until you change them again.
system.ini file
A start-up file for the Windows operating system. When you start Windows, it consults the system.ini file to determine a variety of options for the
Windows operating environment. Among other things, the system.ini file records which video, mouse, and keyboard drivers are installed for
Windows.
Revising the Control Panel settings or running the Windows Setup program may change options in the system.ini file. On other occasions, you
may need to change or add options to the system.ini file manually with a text editor, such as Notepad.
T
termination
Some devices must be terminated to prevent reflections and spurious signals in the cable. When such devices are connected in a series, you may
need to enable or disable the termination on these devices by changing jumper or switch settings in the configuration software for the devices.
text editor
An application program for editing text files consisting exclusively of ASCII characters. Windows Notepad is a text editor, for example. Most word
processors use proprietary file formats containing binary characters, although some can read and write text files.
text mode
A video mode that can be defined as x columns by y rows of characters.
time-out
A specified period of system inactivity that must occur before an energy conservation feature is activated.
tpi
tracks per inch
TSR
terminate-and-stay-resident. A TSR program runs "in the background." Most TSR programs implement a predefined key combination (sometimes
referred to as a hot key) that allows you to activate the TSR program's interface while running another program. When you finish using the TSR
program, you can return to the other application program and leave the TSR program resident in memory for later use.
TSR programs can sometimes cause memory conflicts. When troubleshooting, rule out the possibility of such a conflict by rebooting your computer