Computer Acronyms

A list of computer acronyms and computer terms in case you need them for your studies or just to know their meaning. I'll keep adding more as time passes by.



A



  • AC

    • Alternating Current

  • ACPI

    • Advanced configuration and power interface

  • ACT

    • Activity

  • ADSL

    • Asymmetrical digital subscriber line

  • AGP

    • Accelerated graphics port

  • AMD

    • Advanced micro devices

  • AMR

    • Audio modem riser

  • APIPA

    • Automatic private internet protocol addressing

  • APM

    • Advanced power management

  • ARP

    • Address resolution protocol

  • ASR

    • Automated system recovery

  • AT

    • Advanced technology

  • ATA

    • Advanced technology attachment

  • ATAPI

    • AAdvanced technology attachment packet interface

  • ATM

    • Asynchronous transfer mode

  • ATX

    • Alternating Current

  • AC

    • Alternating Current

  • AC

    • Alternating Current

  • AC

    • Alternating Current

  • AC

    • Alternating Current

  • AC

    • Alternating Current

  • AC

    • Alternating Current

    B



  • BIOS

    • Basic input output system

  • BRI

    • Basic Rate Interface

  • BTX

    • Balanced technology extended

    C



  • CCD

    • Charged coupled device

  • CD

    • Compact disc

  • CD-ROM

    • Compact disc read only memory

  • CD-RW

    • Compact disc Re-Writable

  • CDFS

    • Compact disc file system

  • CMOS

    • Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor

  • CNR

    • Communication network riser

  • COM1

    • Communication port 1

  • CPU

    • Central processing unit

  • CRIMM

    • Continuity-rambus inline memory module

  • CRT

    • Cathode ray tube

    D



  • DAC

    • Discretionary access control

  • DB-25

    • Serial communications D-Shell connector, 25 pins

  • DB-9

    • 9 pin D shell connector

  • DC

    • Direct current

  • DDOS

    • Distributed denial of service

  • DDR

    • Double data rate

  • DDR RAM

    • Double data rate random access memory

  • DDR SDRAM

    • Double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory

  • DFS

    • Distributed file system

  • DHCP

    • Dynamic host configuration protocol

  • DIMM

    • Dual inline memory module

  • DIP

    • Dual inline package

  • DLT

    • Digital linear tape

  • DLP

    • Digital light processing

  • DMA

    • Direct memory access

  • DNS

    • Domain name server

  • DOS

    • Denial of Service

  • DPMS

    • Display power management signaling

  • DRAM

    • Dynamic random access memory

  • DSL

    • Digital subscriber line

  • DVD

    • Digital video disc

  • DVD-RAM

    • Digital video disc random access memory

  • DVD-ROM

    • Digital video disc read only memory

  • DVD-R

    • Digital video disc recordable

  • DVD-RW

    • Digital video disc rewritable

  • DVI

    • Digital visual interface

    E



  • ECC

    • Error correction code

  • ECP

    • Extended capabilities port

  • EEPROM

    • Electrically erasable programmable read only memory

  • EFS

    • Encrypting file system

  • EIDE

    • Enhanced industry standard architecture

  • EISA

    • Extended industry standard architecture

  • EMI

    • Electromagnetic pulse

  • EPROM

    • Erasable programmable read only memory

  • EPP

    • Enhanced parallel port

  • ERD

    • Emergency repair disk

  • ESD

    • Electrostatic discharge

  • ESDI

    • Enhanced small device interface

  • EVGA

    • Extended video graphics

  • EVDO

    • Evolution data optimized

    F



  • FAT

    • File allocation table

  • FAT12

    • File allocation table 12 Bit

  • FAT16

    • File allocation table 16 Bit

  • FAT32

    • File allocation table 32 Bit

  • FDD

    • Floppy disk drive

  • FERPA

    • Family Educational rights and privacy act

  • Fn

    • Function

  • FPM

    • Fast page mode

  • FRU

    • Field replacement unit

  • FTP

    • File transfer protocol

  • FQDN

    • Fully qualified domain name

    G



  • GB

    • Gigabyte

  • GDI

    • Graphics device interface

  • GHz

    • Gigahertz

  • GUI

    • Graphical unit interface

  • GPRS

    • General packet radio system

  • GSM

    • Global system for mobile communications

    H



  • HAL

    • Hardware abstraction layer

  • HCL

    • Hardware compatibility list

  • HDD

    • Hard disk drive

  • HDMI

    • High definition media interface

  • HPFS

    • High performance file system

  • HTML

    • Hyper text markup language

  • HTTP

    • Hyper text transfer protocol

  • HTTPS

    • Hypertext transfer protocol over secure sockets layer

  • I/O

    • I



    Input and Output

  • ICMP

    • Internet control message protocol

  • ICS

    • Internet connection sharing

  • ICR

    • Intelligent character recognition

  • IDE

    • Integrated drive electronics

  • IEEE

    • Institute of electrical and electronics engineers

  • IIS

    • Internet information services

  • IMAP

    • Internet mail access protocol

  • IP

    • Internet protocol

  • IPCONFIG

    • Internet protocol configuration

  • IPP

    • Internet printing protocol

  • IPSEC

    • Internet protocol security

  • IPX

    • Internetwork packet exchange

  • IPX/SPX

    • Internetwork packet exchange/Sequenced packet exchange

  • IR

    • Infrared

  • IrDA

    • Infrared data association

  • IRQ

    • Interrupt request

  • ISA

    • Industry standard architecture

  • ISDN

    • Integrated services digital network

  • ISO

    • Industry standards organization

  • ISP

    • Internet service provider

    K



  • KB

    • Kilobyte

    L



  • LAN

    • Local area network

  • LBA

    • Logical block addressing

  • LC

    • Lucent connector

  • LCD

    • Liquid crystal display

  • LDAP

    • Lightweight directory access protocol

  • LED

    • Light emitting diode

  • LIP

    • Lithium ion polymer

  • LI-on

    • Lithiun ion

  • LPD

    • Line printer daemon

  • LPT

    • Line printer terminal

  • LPR

    • Line printer remote

  • LPX

    • Low profile extended

  • LVD

    • Low voltage differential

    M



  • MAC

    • Media access control

  • MAN

    • Metropolitan area network

  • MAPI

    • Messaging application programming interface

  • Mb

    • Megabit

  • MB

    • Megabyte

  • MBR

    • Master boot record

  • MBSA

    • Microsoft baseline security analyzer

  • MCR

    • Multivariant curve resolution

  • MFD

    • Multi function device

  • MFP

    • Multi function product

  • MHz

    • Megahertz

  • MIDI

    • Musical instrument digital interface

  • MIME

    • Multipurpose internet mail extension

  • MLI

    • Multiple link interface

  • MMC

    • Microsoft management console

  • MMX

    • Multimedia extensions

  • MP3

    • Moving picture experts group layer 3 audio

  • MPEG

    • Moving picture experts group layer

  • MSCONFIG

    • Microsoft configuration

  • MSDS

    • Material safety data sheet

  • MUI

    • Multilingual user interface

    N



  • NAS

    • Network attached storage

  • NAT

    • Network address translation

  • NetBIOS

    • Networked basic input/output system

  • NetBEUI

    • Networked basic input/output system extended user interface

  • NFS

    • Network file system

  • NIC

    • Network interface card

  • NiCd

    • Nickel cadmium

  • NiMH

    • Nickel metal hydride

  • NLI

    • Not logged in

  • NLX

    • New low profile extended

  • NNTP

    • Network news transfer protocol

  • NTFS

    • New technology file system

  • NTLDR

    • New technology loader

  • NWLINK

    • Netware link

    O



  • OCR

    • Optical character recognition

  • OEM

    • Original equipment manufacturer

  • OMR

    • Optical mark recognition

  • OS

    • Operating system

  • OSR

    • Original equipment manufacturer service release

    P



  • PAN

    • Personal area network

  • PATA

    • Parallel advanced technology attachment

  • PC

    • Personal computer

  • PCI

    • Peripheral component interconnect

  • PCIe

    • Peripheral component interconnect express

  • PCIX

    • Peripheral component interconnect extended

  • PCL

    • Printer control language

  • PCMCIA

    • Personal computer memory card international association

  • PDA

    • Personal digital assistant

  • PGA

    • Pin grid array

  • PIN

    • Personal identification number

  • PKI

    • Public key infrastructure

  • PnP

    • Plug and play

  • POP

    • Post office protocol

  • POP3

    • Post office protocol 3

  • POST

    • Power on self test

  • POTS

    • Plain old telephone service

  • PPP

    • Point to point protocol

  • PPTP

    • Point to point tunneling protocol

  • PRI

    • Primary rate interface

  • PROM

    • Programmable read only memory

  • PS/2

    • Personal system connector

  • PSTN

    • Public switched telephone network

  • PVC

    • Permanent virtual circuit

  • PXE

    • Preboot execution enviroment

    Q



  • QoS

    • Quality of service

    R



  • RAID

    • Redundant array of independent discs

  • RAM

    • Random access memory

  • RAS

    • Remote access service

  • RBAC

    • Role based access control

  • RF

    • Radio frequency

  • RFI

    • Radio frequency interference

  • RGB

    • Red green blue

  • RIMM

    • RAMBUS inline memory module

  • RIP

    • Routing information protocol

  • RIS

    • Remote installation service

  • RISC

    • Reduced instruction set computer

  • RJ

    • Registered jack

  • RJ-11

    • Registered jack function 11

  • RJ-45

    • Registered jack function 45

  • RMA

    • Returned materials authorization

  • ROM

    • Read only memory

  • RS-232

    • Recommended standard 232

  • RTC

    • Real time clock

    S



  • SAN

    • Storage area network

  • SATA

    • Serial advanced technology

  • SC

    • Subscription channel

  • SCSI

    • Small computer system interface

  • SD card

    • Secure digital card

  • SDRAM

    • Synchronous dynamic random access memory

  • SEC

    • Single edge connector

  • SFC

    • System file checker

  • SGRAM

    • Synchronous graphics random access memory

  • SIMM

    • Single inline memory module

  • SLI

    • Scalable link interface

  • SMB

    • Server message block

  • SMTP

    • Simple mail transport protocol

  • SNMP

    • Simple network management protocol

  • SoDIMM

    • Small outline dual inline memory module

  • SOHO

    • Small office/Home office

  • SP

    • Service pack

  • SPDIF

    • Sony Phillips digital interface format

  • SPGA

    • Staggered pin grid array

  • SPX

    • Sequenced package exchange

  • SRAM

    • Static random access memory

  • SSH

    • Secure shell

  • SSID

    • Service set identifier

  • SSL

    • Secure sockets layer

  • ST

    • Straight tip

  • STP

    • Shielded twisted pair

  • SVGA

    • Super video graphics adapter

  • SXGA

    • Super extended graphics array

    T



  • TB

    • Terabyte

  • TCP

    • Transmission control protocol

  • TCP/IP

    • Transmission control protocol/internet protocol

  • TDR

    • Time domain reflectometer

  • TFTP

    • Trivial file transfer protocol

    U



  • UART

    • Universal asynchronous receiver transmitter

  • UDF

    • User defined functions

  • UDMA

    • Ultra direct memory access

  • UDP

    • User datagram protocol

  • UL

    • Underwriter's Laboratory

  • UNC

    • Unviersal naming convention

  • UPS

    • Uninterruptible power supply

  • URL

    • Uniform resource locator

  • USB

    • Universal serial bus

  • USMT

    • User state migration tool

  • UTP

    • Unshielded twisted pair

  • UXGA

    • Ultra extended graphics array

    V



  • VESA

    • Video Electronics Standards Association

  • VFAT

    • Virtual file allocation table

  • VGA

    • Video graphics array

  • VoIP

    • Voice over Internet Protocol

  • VPN

    • Virtual private network

  • VRAM

    • Virtual random access memory

    W



  • WAN

    • Wide area network

  • WAP

    • Wireless application protocol

  • WEP

    • Wired equivalent privacy

  • WIFI

    • Wireless fidelity

  • WINS

    • Windows internet name service

  • WLAN

    • Wireless local area network

  • WPA

    • Wireless protected access

  • WUXGA

    • Wide ultra extended graphics array

    X



  • XGA

    • Extended graphics array

    Z



  • ZIF

    • Zero insertion force

  • ZIP

    • Zigzag inline package