Extended Memory Specification: A specification devised by Microsoft which allows multiple programs to share extended (above 1 megabyte) memory and noncontiguous memory above 640K.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions. A document containing basic questions and answers.
FAT file system: A file system based on a file allocation table, maintained by the operating system, to keep track of the status of various segments of disk space used for file storage.
FAT32: A 32-Bit enhancement of the File Allocation Table file system that supports large drives with improved disk space efficiency.
Fetch: The step in the instruction cycle where the instruction is located in memory and send to the control unit.
File: A collection of related data records treated as a unit, sometimes called a data set.
File Allocation Table (FAT): An area on the disk (floppy or logical drive) set aside to reference file locations on that disk. The table is a chain identifying where each part of a file is located. It acts similarly to a table of contents for a book.
File Control Block (FCB): A small block of memory temporarily assigned by a computer’s operating system to hold information about an opened file.
File Handle: A small positive integer used to identify the previously opened file on which a program wishes to perform an operation.
Floppy Diskette: A flexible, Mylar magnetic diskette commonly used with microcomputers on which data are magnetically stored.
Floppy Diskette Drive: The device used to transfer to and from a floppy diskette.
Flush: To force the copying of any data still stored in temporary buffers to its final destination.
Format: The arrangement of data on a medium.
Formatting: Preparing a storage medium (usually magnetic media such as a disk or tape) for storing data. Low-level or physical formatting writes all necessary housekeeping data to enable the storage device to read the media and may also initialize the storage units on the media to a known state. High-level or logical formatting writes data used by the operating system, such as allocation information and directories onto media, which has already been physically formatted. Formatting programs often perform both a low-level and a high-level format.
Gigabyte: One billion bytes. More accurately, 2 to 30th power or 1,073,741,824 bytes in decimal notation.
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