Module 12

A suite of services and databases provided by Windows Server to manage Windows domains; includes five groups of services: Domain Services, Certificate Services, Federation Services, Rights Management, and Lightweight Directory Services.

The range of time during the day when Windows avoids automatic restarts while applying updates.

In Windows, a user account that grants an administrator rights and privileges to all hardware and software resources; includes the right to add, delete, and change accounts and to change hardware configurations. Compare with standard account.

A file of information that Windows requires in order to do an unattended installation.

Microsoft domain services managed by Microsoft servers in the cloud. Windows 10/11 business and professional editions support joining an Azure domain.

A utility in Windows that is used to lock down a hard drive by encrypting the entire Windows volume and any other volume on the drive. Also called BitLocker or BitLocker Encryption.

A startup menu in a dual-boot system that gives the user the choice of which operating system to load, such as Windows 11 or Windows 10. Multiples OSs are installed on a dual-boot system.

A Microsoft feature that allows a personal device to join an Azure domain and access corporate resources on the domain.

Two computers communicating using a local network or the Internet. One computer (the client) makes requests to the other computer (the server), which answers the request.

A window containing several small utility programs called applets that are used to manage hardware, software, users, and the system.

A device or computer on a network that serves as an access point to another network.

A product key that can be used to fix a problem created when Windows setup installs the wrong edition of the OS.

A standard image used to install Windows; the installation can begin from local bootable media, by requesting the image from a network server, or by using push automation from a deployment server on the network.

The primary Windows tool (devmgmt. msc) for managing hardware.

A Windows 10/11 license assigned to a computer after Windows has been activated on the machine.

A Windows utility used for disk partitioning and disk-volume administration.

A distributed pool of information (called the namespace) that keeps track of assigned host names and domain names and their corresponding IP addresses; also refers to the system that allows a host to locate information in the pool and the protocol the system uses.

In Windows, a logical group of networked computers, such as those on a college campus, that share a centralized directory database of user account information and security.

An account assigned to a user by Active Directory that identifies the user and defines user rights on the domain. Also called network ID.

Making an exact image of a hard drive, including partition information, boot sectors, operating system installation, and application software, to replicate the hard drive on another system or recover from a hard drive crash. Also called disk cloning or disk imaging.

To undo a device driver update by returning to the previous version.

An IP address assigned by a DHCP server for a temporary period of time.

Windows features available in the Ease of Access app in Control Panel that makes Windows easier to use, including a narrator, magnifier, and onscreen keyboard.

Any device or computer that network traffic can use to leave one network and go to a different one.

A console (gpedit.msc) available in Windows Server and Windows 10/11 professional and business editions that is used to control what users can do and how the local and network computers on the Windows domain can be used.

Information kept on Microsoft activation servers along with a digital license to identify a machine that has activated a Windows installation.

A security feature whereby an app is not available until the user has been authenticated to it by use of a specialized hardware device, such as a USB flash drive token.

A utility available in Windows Pro that allows you to create and manage virtual machines.

A file format that has an .iso file extension and holds an image of all the data that is stored on an optical disc, including the file system; stands for International Organization for Standardization.

A file format that has an .iso file extension and holds an image of all the data that is stored on an optical disc, including the file system; stands for International Organization for Standardization.

A command used by the User State Migration Tool (USMT) to copy user settings and data temporarily stored at a safe location to a new computer. Also see scanstate.

A Windows user account that applies only to the local computer and cannot be used to access resources from other computers on the network. Compare with global account.

Software downloaded from the Microsoft website and used to download Windows setup files, which in turn are used to create setup media or to install Windows.

For Windows 10/11, an email address registered with Microsoft that allows access to several types of online accounts, including Microsoft OneDrive, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype, and Outlook.

A suite of Microsoft tools that can automate a Windows installation.

A Microsoft Windows license available for purchase only by manufacturers or builders of personal computers and intended to be installed only on a computer for sale.

For Microsoft Windows, a license that can be purchased at the Microsoft online store (microsoftstore.com) and sent to the Microsoft account email address. The license follows the email address from one computer to another.

A command used by the User State Migration Tool (USMT) to copy user settings and data from an old computer to a safe location such as a server or removable media. Also see loadstate.

An account that accesses multiple independent resources, systems, or applications after signing in one time to one account. An example is a Microsoft account.

A feature of Windows 10/11 Pro for Workstations used to improve performance of file sharing on the network; uses the SMB protocol.

The Windows user account type that can use software and hardware and make some system changes but cannot make changes that affect the security of the system or other users. Compare with administrator account.

An image that includes Windows, drivers, applications, and data, which are standard to all the computers that might use the image.

A manually assigned IP address that does not change unless it is changed manually.

A 32-bit number used to identify the network portion and host portion of an IP address.

A Windows tool (Msinfo32.exe) that provides details about a system, including installed hardware and software, the current system configuration, and currently running programs.

A Windows installation in which answers to installation questions are stored in a file that Windows calls so that they do not have to be typed in during the installation.

A Windows security feature that displays a dialog box when an event requiring administrative privileges is about to happen.

A collection of files and settings about a user account that enables the user's personal data, desktop settings, and other operating parameters to be retained from one session to another.

A Windows utility that helps you migrate user files and preferences between computers to help a user make a smooth transition from one computer to another. Also see usmtutils.

A command used by the User State Migration Tool (USMT) that provides encryption options and hard-link management.

A software-based emulation of a physical computer that allows multiple operating systems to run on the same hardware at the same time.

A secure network connection that enables remote users to access private networks over the Internet.

An edition of Windows 10 that allows for volume licensing and has additional security features over Windows Pro, including Windows Defender Credential Guard. Windows 11 Enterprise is similar to Windows 10 Enterprise.

An edition of Windows 10 intended for laptops and desktop computers used in a home or small office that don't require features needed in a corporate or enterprise environment. Windows 11 Home is similar to Windows 10 Home; one exception is a Microsoft account is required to install Windows 11 Home.

An edition of Windows 10 that adds to Windows 10 Pro features to improve performance. Windows 11 Pro for Workstations is similar to Windows 10 Pro for Workstations.

An edition of Windows 10 that adds to Windows 10 Home features designed to work in corporate settings, including the ability to join a Windows domain. Windows 11 Pro is similar to Windows 10 Pro.

Anti-malware software embedded in Windows 10 that can detect viruses, prevent them, and clean up a system infected with viruses and other malware. In Windows 11, a similar tool is called Microsoft Defender Antivirus

As applied to networking, a network of computers that are all equals, or peers. Each computer has the same amount of authority, and each can act as a server to the other computers.

A memory technology available in Windows 10/11 Pro for Workstations that retains its contents even when the computer is turned off and is faster than normal memory.

Programming contained in the BIOS/UEFI code on the motherboard that is used to start up the computer and search for a server on the network to provide a bootable operating system. Also called Pre-Execution Environment (PXE).

A package of settings, apps, and data specific to an enterprise that is downloaded and installed on a device when it first joins Azure Active Directory.

An installation automatically pushed by a server to a computer when a user is not likely to be manning the computer. Compare with pull automation.

An automated installation for which no user intervention is required.

A file system that offers excellent fault tolerance and compatibility with virtualization and data redundancy in a RAID system; included in Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and Windows 11 Pro for Workstations, although the versions of ReFS in each OS are not the same

a minimum operating system used to start a Windows installation. Also called WinPE.

in Windows, a logical group of computers and users in which administration, resources, and security are distributed throughout the network without centralized management or security.