Operating system terms

Updated: 12/26/2023 by Computer Hope

Operating system terms with full definitions and information on each term. Explore this list of over 650 terms like Python, AI, Database, and ChatGPT. Navigate quickly through the list by clicking one of the letters below; for example, click 'D' to find terms like 'digital assistant' in the 'D' section.

Operating systems - Software terms
Top 10 operating system terms
Windows logo

Graphic User Interface
My Computer
Windows key
Windows 10
Operating system
Windows
Temporary file
Start
Command key
Desktop

Number

/?
./
..
3D Touch
8.3 format
86-DOS

A
Arch Linux logo

Absolute path
Access path
ACL
Action Center
Active desktop
Active directory
Active Window
Add or Remove Programs
Add/Remove Programs
Administrator rights
Aero
Aero Peek
Aewm
AfterStep
AIX
Allocate
Alpine
Andrew file system
Android
Android Auto
Android File Transfer
Android launcher
Android Open Source Project
Android TV
APK
App commands
App Launcher
Apple DOS
Apple menu
App switcher
Aqua
Arch Linux
AROS
ASR
Association
Atime
Attributes
Autoexec.bat
Autoplay

B
FreeBSD logo

BackBox
Background
Balloon
Bar
Bare metal
Batch file
Batch job
BeOS
Bin
BlackBerry 10
BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry Tablet OS
Black Screen of Death
Bleachbit
Blue Screen of Death
Bluetooth and devices
BOMB
Boot code
Boot device
Boot manager
Bootmgr
Boot sector
Bootstrap loader
Boot to Gecko
Boot volume
Border
Bourne shell
Briefcase
BSD
BSOD
Btrfs
Builtin
Button
Bzip2

C
Basic clipboard with white piece of paper

Cab
Cacls
Caldera Linux
Caldera OpenLinux
Cascade
CD
CE
CentOS
Charms
Chdir
Chevron
Child
Chroot
Cinnamon
Clipboard
Close
CLSID
Cmd
Cmdcons
Cmdlet
Color management
Command
Command button
COMMAND.COM
Command interpreter
Command key
Command line
Command-line interpreter
Command prompt
Component services
Computer management
Concurrent user
Config.sys
Control Center
Control menu
Control panel
Cooperative multitasking
Copy-on-write
Corel Linux
CPL
Creators update
Cron
Cross-platform
Crunchbang Linux
.cshrc
Ctime
CTTY
CUI
Current directory
Cursor
Cygwin

D
Device Manager

Daemon
Dark mode
DART
Date and Time
Debian
Default user
Delpart
Desktop
Desktop environment
Device Manager
Device name
Df
Dialog box
Dir
Directory
Disk Cleanup
Disk operating system
Dismount
Distribution
Distro
DLL
Documents
DOS
DOS mode
Dot slash
Double-headed arrow
Dpkg
Dragonfly BSD
Dr. DOS
Drive format
Drive letter
Drop-down menu
Drop shadow
DSL
Dual-boot
DWM
DYNIX/ptx

E
External and Internal commands

E
Ease of Access
EFS
Elevated command prompt
Embedded
Embedded Linux
Embedded operating system
End process
End Task
Enhanced Mode
Environment
Environment variable
Epoch
ERD
ESCD
Essential Home
Event viewer
Executable file
ExFAT
Explorer
Extension
External command
External icon
Eye comfort shield

F
Apple Finder

Fatal exception
Fedora Linux
File
File attributes
File descriptor
File Explorer
File extension
File fragmentation
File handle
File layout
File maintenance
File manager
File menu
File name
File not found
Fileset
File system
Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
Find
Finder
Find Fast
Finger
Firefox OS
Fire OS
FNODE
Folder
Force quit
Force Touch
Foreground
Fork
FREAX
Free
Fstype
Fuchsia
Fuduntu

G
GNOME logo

Game Controllers
Garnet OS
GDI
General Protection Fault
Gentoo
GEOS
GhostBSD
GlobalView
GNOME
GNU Hurd
Goobuntu
GPF
Graphic User Interface
GRUB
GUI
GUID

H

HAL
Hard link
HCL
HFS
Hibernate
Hidden
Hidden files
Hierarchical file system
HP-UX

I
CD in a computer disc drive tray

IBM DOS
ICCCM
Icon
Id
Idle time
Illegal command
Illegal operation
Illumos
Inactive window
INF
Infotainment system
INIT
Initial Program Load
Inode
Input language
Install
Internal command
Invalid page fault
IOS
iPadOS
IPF
IPL
IRIX
IRQ holder for PCI steering
IRQL
iSCSI Initiator
ISIS

J

Jini
Journal
Journaling file system
Jump List
Junction

K

KaiOS
KDE
Kernel
Kernel panic
Kill
Kiosk mode
Kondara Linux
Korn shell
Kubuntu
Kvm
Kylin

L
Lubuntu logo

Light bar
LILO
Linpus Linux
Linux
Linux kernel
Linux Mint
Linux Standard Base
List box
LiveCD
Live Taskbar Preview
Live wallpaper
LKGC
Load
Location information
Lock screen
Logical device
Login script
Long file name
Longhorn
Loop device
LSB
Lubuntu
LXDE
Lynx

M
Windows My Computer, Computer, and This PC

Mach kernel
macOS
macOS X
MacPup
Mageia Linux
Main
MakuluLinux
Manager
Mandrake Linux
Mandriva Linux
MATE
MAXFUNIX
Maximize
Menu
Menu bar
Menu-driven
Microkernel
Microsoft diagnostics
Microsoft Signature Edition PC
Microsoft store
Minimize
MINIX
Mint Linux
Mnemonic
Mobilinux
Modal window
MorphOS
Motif
Mount
Mountain Lion
Mouse pointer
Mouse Properties
Msconfig
MS-DOS
Msinfo32
Mtime
MUI
Multics
Multitask
Multitasking
Multithreading
Multi-user system
MVS
My Computer
My Documents
My Pictures

N

NEXTSTEP
Night mode
Night Shift
*NIX
Non-preemptive multitasking
Non-windows application
NOS
Notification
Notification area
NTLDR

O

Object-oriented interface
Ok
OLE
One UI
Open Apple key
Openbox
OpenBSD
OpenZFS
Operating environment
Operating system
OS/2
OSF
OSR2
OSRI
OxygenOS

P
C: prompt

Pacman
Page fault
Palm OS
Parent
PC-DOS
PCLinuxOS
Peek
Permission
PicPick
PID
Pisetup
PlayOnLinux
Play To
Plop
Plumbing
PM
PNP
Pop-up menu
Port
POSIX
PowerShell
PowerToys
Power user tasks menu
Powerwash
Preemptive multitasking
Prefetch
PrefetchW
Presentation manager
Program and Features
Program files
Program group
Program manager
Prompt
Properties
ProteanOS
Puppy Linux
Push-button
Pwd

Q

QNX
Quick launch

R
Red Hat Linux

Raspbian
ReactOS
ReadyBoost
Real-time operating system
Recent apps
Recovery console
Recovery Drive
Recycle Bin
Red Hat Linux
ReFS
Region
Registry
Regular file
Reinstall
Reserved words
Resize
Restore down
Restore point
RTM
Runlevel
Runtime error

S
Windows start buttons

Sad Mac
Safe mode
Samsung Knox
SCOM
SCO UNIX
Screen Time
Scroll
SE
Second edition
Send to
Separator
Server virtualization
Service Pack
Sh
Shake
Shared directory
Shelf
Shell
Shift
Shortcut
Shut down
Single Unix Specification
Sizing handle
Skeuomorphism
Slackware Linux
Slipstreaming
Snap
Snowlinux
Solaris
SP
SparkyLinux
Special file
Speed bump
Spin box
SSP
Start
Start menu
Startup
Startup application
Startup folder
Startup group
Startup program
Stderr
Stdout
Stock Android
Subdirectory
Submenu
SUID
SuperFetch
SUS
SUSE Linux
Swap file
Symbian OS
Symbolic link
Symlink
Sysedit
Sysgen
System
System 7
System32
System call
System component
System file
System folder
System information
System.ini
System Properties
System V
Systray
SysV

T
Temporary folder

Tab
Tablet mode
Task
Taskbar
Task list
Task manager
Task switching
Task view
Tcsh
Temp directory
Temporary directory
Temporary file
Three dots
Three-finger salute
Tile
Tiling
Time Machine
Time slice
Title bar
Toolbar
Tooltip
TOPS
TOS
Trash
Trisquel
Tru64
TSR
Turbolinux
Tux
TweakUI

U
Ubuntu logo

Ubuntu
Ubuntu Kylin
Ubuntu Touch
UI
ULTRIX
UNetbootin
Unformatting
Uninstall
Unix
Unix Domain Socket
Unix-like
UnixWare
Unmount
Unusable file
User
User interface
User profile
%USERPROFILE%
User Space
User State Migration Tool
USMT
Usr
UUID

V

Variant
VBR
VcXsrv
VectorLinux
Verbose mode
Virtual assistant
Virtual desktop
Virtual keyboard
Virtual machine
Vista
VMS

W
Weather widget displaying day, temperature, and future weather forecast

WAIK
Wallpaper
Warm boot
Wayland
Wear OS
WebOS
WEI
Wfw
WGA
Widget
WIMP
Win3x
Win9x
Win32
Win.com
Windoid
Window
Windowed mode
Windows
Windows 2 k
Windows 3.0
Windows 3.1
Windows 3.11
Windows 3.x
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 9x
Windows 10
Windows 10 April 2018 Update
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
Windows 11
Windows 95
Windows 95B
Windows 98
Windows 365
Windows 2000
Windows Accessories
Windows Aero
Windows Azure
Windows-based program
Windows CE
Windows desktop gadgets
Windows DOS session
Windows Embedded
Windows event viewer
Windows Explorer
Windows Features
Windows for Workgroups
Windows for Workgroups 3.1
Windows for Workgroups 3.11
Windows insider
Windows key
Windows Me
Windows minidump
Windows Mobility Center
Windows NT
Windows PE
Windows Recovery Environment
Windows Registry
Windows Remote Assistance
Windows RT
Windows Search box
Windows Server 2008
Windows Sidebar
Windows store
Windows System Information
Windows Terminal
Windows Theme
Windows Update
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Wine
WinHTTP
Win.ini
Winoldap
Winpopup
WinSE
WinSxS
Workplace shell
WOW
WSL
WSUS
WTMP
Wubi

X

XENIX
Xfce
Xinetd
XP
XP2
XPM
XQuartz
XUbuntu
X Window System

Y

Yosemite

Z

ZFS
Zorin
z/OS

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