42 MS-DOS User's Guide
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v
Operating system A series
of
programs that translate
your
com-
mands
to
the
computer,
helping you perform
such
tasks
as
creat-
ing files, running programs, and printing documents. See also
Disk
operating system.
Print
An
MS·
DOS
command
that prints files
on
your
printer.
Printer A
printing
device that is attached
to
your
computer.
It lets you
print
files so that you have a
paper
copy
or
printout.
Program A
set
of
instructions,
written
in
computer
language,
that tells
the
computer
how
to
perform
some
task.
Prompt A
word
or
symbol that MS·
DOS
shows
on
the
screen
to
tell
you
it is ready for you
to
type something.
The
standard
MS·
DOS
prompt
consists
of
the
default drive
letter
(usually
A,
B,
or
C)
and
a greater-than sign.
An
example
of
the
MS-DOS
prompt
is
B>.
Rename An MS·DOS
command
that
renames files. You
can
use
the
abbreviation
ren
in place
of
the
full
command
name.
RETURN key
The
key you usually press after
entering
data
or
text,
or
after you type an MS·
DOS
command.
On
some
computers
the
RETURN
key is called
the
ENTER
key.
Scrolling
The
movement
of
text
on
your
screen
as it rolls
up
and off
the
top
of
the
screen.
Software
The
programs, routines,
or
instructions
that
allow
the
computer
to
perform tasks. Some examples
of
software include:
operating systems,
word
processing programs, and spreadsheets.
Task Something
your
computer
does
when
you
give it a com-
mand. A program is an example
of
a task.
Type
An
MS·
DOS
command
that displays files
on
the
monitor.
Volume label
An
internal name
on
a disk. You should
put
a volume label
on
each
of
your
disks
to
help you identify them.
Write-protect tab
The
small, removable tab
that
covers
the
write-protect
notch
on
a disk. You
can
copy
information
onto
the
disk
by
removing
the
tab. See also Write-protected disk.
Write-protected disk A floppy disk
that
you can·
examine
but
not
change. These disks
are
called write-protected disks. They
usually have a small tab covering a
notch
on
the
right
edge
of
the
disk.
If
the
disk does
not
have a
write-protect
notch,
you
cannot
change
the
information
on
the
disk.
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