Dell Precision 400 User Manual

Also see for Vostro 400: User guide Owner's manual Setup guide Quick start guide Troubleshooting guide

Contents

14 Dell Workstation Midsize Systems User’s Guidevideo modeVideo adapters normally support multiple text and graph-ics display modes. Character-based software displays intext modes that can be defined as x columns by y rows ofcharacters. Graphics-based software displays in graphicsmodes that can be defined as x horizontal by y verticalpixels by z colors.video resolutionVideo resolution—800 x 600, for example—is expressedas the number of pixels across by the number of pixels upand down. To display a program at a specific graphics res-olution, you must install the appropriate video drivers andyour monitor must support the resolution.virtual memoryA method for increasing addressable RAM by using thehard-disk drive. For example, in a computer with 16 MBof RAM and 16 MB of virtual memory set up on the hard-disk drive, the operating system would manage the systemas though it had 32 MB of physical RAM.virusA self-starting program designed to inconvenience you.Virus programs have been known to corrupt the files storedon a hard-disk drive or to replicate themselves until a com-puter or network runs out of memory.The most common way that virus programs move fromone computer to another is via “infected” diskettes, fromwhich they copy themselves to the hard-disk drive. Toguard against virus programs, you should do the following:• Periodically run a virus-checking utility on yourcomputer’s hard-disk drive• Always run a virus-checking utility on any diskettes(including commercially sold software) before usingthemVLSIAbbreviation for very-large-scale integration.VppAbbreviation for peak-point voltage.VRAMAbbreviation for video random-access memory. Somevideo adapters use VRAM chips (or a combination ofVRAM and DRAM) to improve video performance.VRAM is dual-ported, allowing the video adapter to up-date the screen and receive new image data at the sametime.WAbbreviation for watt(s).WHAbbreviation for watt-hour(s).win.inifileA start-up file for the Windows operating system. Whenyou start Windows, it consults the win.ini file to determinea variety of options for the Windows operating environ-ment. Among other things, the win.ini file records whatprinter(s) and fonts are installed for Windows. The win.inifile also usually includes sections that contain optional set-tings for Windows application programs that are installedon the hard-disk drive.Running the Control Panel or Windows Setup programmay change options in the win.ini file. On other occasions,you may need to change or add options to the win.ini filemanually with a text editor such as Notepad.Windows 95An integrated and complete Microsoft Windows operatingsystem that does not require MS-DOS and that providesadvanced operating system performance, improved easeof use, enhanced workgroup functionality, and simplifiedfile management and browsing.Windows NTHigh-performance server and workstation operatingsystem software developed by Microsoft that is intendedfor technical, engineering, and financial applications.write-protectedRead-only files are said to be write-protected. You canwrite-protect a 3.5-inch diskette by sliding its write-protecttab to the open position or by setting the write-protectfeature in the System Setup program.