Category: Windows components Windows Vista is a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, and media centers. ... The following is a list of Microsoft Windows components. ... Windows Aero is the graphical user interface for Windows Vista, an operating system released by Microsoft in November 2006. ... ClearType is a registered trademark for a technology developed by Microsoft Corporation to improve the appearance of text on certain types of computer display screens, especially flat-panel displays. ... Desktop Window Manager (DWM) is currently the name for the new windowing system that will be available in all versions of Windows Vista, except Starter Edition, to enable the new Aero user interface. ... Microsoft Direct eXtension (almost always called DirectX) is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. ... Windows Explorer running on Windows Vista Windows Explorer running on Windows XP Windows Explorer is an application that is part of modern versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system that provides a graphical user interface for accessing the file systems. ... It has been suggested that Taskbar clock replacements be merged into this article or section. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In computing, Windows Shell is the most visible aspect of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Special Folders. ... On Microsoft Windows operating systems, Special Folders are folders which are presented to the user through an interface as an abstract concept, instead of an absolute folder path. ... File associations are what the Microsoft Windows operating system uses to open a file with the correct program. ... Windows Desktop Search (or WDS) is an indexed search platform released by Microsoft for the Windows operating system. ... In computing, a virtual folder generally denotes an organizing principle for files that is not dependent on their physical location in a folder. ... IFilters are plugins that allow the Windows Indexing Service and the newer Windows Desktop Search to index different various file formats so that they become searchable. ... The Graphics Device Interface (GDI, sometimes called Graphical Device Interface) is one of the three core components or subsystems, together with the kernel and the Windows API for the user interface (GDI window manager) of Microsoft Windows. ... The Windows Imaging Format (WIM) is a file-based disk image format. ... Windows Vista contains a brand new networking stack, which brings large improvements in all areas of network-related functionality[1]. It includes native implementation of IPv6, as well as complete overhaul of IPv4. ... The Microsoft . ... Windows Vista (formerly codenamed Windows Longhorn) has many significant new features compared with previous Microsoft Windows versions, covering most aspects of the operating system. ... Windows Vista (formerly codenamed Windows Longhorn) has many significant new features compared with previous Microsoft Windows versions, covering most aspects of the operating system. ... The XML Paper Specification (XPS), formerly codenamed Metro, is a specification for a page description language and a fixed-document format developed by Microsoft. ... The Microsoft Windows Script Host (originally called Windows Scripting Host, but renamed for the second release) is distributed and installed by default on Windows 98 and later versions of Microsoft Windows. ... VBScript (short for Visual Basic Scripting Edition) is an Active Scripting language developed by Microsoft. ... JScript is the Microsoft implementation of the ECMAScript scripting programming language specification. ... Component Object Model (COM) is a platform for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in 1993. ... Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) is a technology that allows embedding and linking to documents and other objects, developed by Microsoft. ... OLE Automation is a late-binding extension to COM and IUnknown. ... Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) is a Microsoft proprietary technology for software components distributed across several networked computers to communicate with each other. ... ActiveX is Microsoft technology used for developing reusable object oriented software components. ... Structured storage (variously also known as COM structured storage or OLE structured storage) is a technology developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows operating system for storing hierarchical data within a single file. ... Backup and Restore Center in Windows Vista Ultimate Backup and Restore Center is a component included in Windows Vista that allows users to access file backup utilities built into the operating system. ... Microsoft Calculator is a calculation application included with all Microsoft Windows operating systems. ... Windows Calendar is a calendar application that is included in Microsoft Windows Vista. ... Character Map (charmap. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Windows Contacts is a address book management system, which replaces Windows Address Book. ... Control Panel in Windows Vista Control Panel in Windows XP Classic View of the Control Panel in Windows XP Default View of the Control Panel in Windows Me Control Panel is a part of the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface which allows users to view and manipulate basic system settings... The applets listed below are components of the Microsoft Windows control panel, which allows user to define a range of settings for their computer, monitor the status of devices such as printers and modems, and set up new hardware, programs and network connections. ... The Device Manager is a tool included with Microsoft Windows operating systems that allows the user to display and control the hardware attached to the computer. ... Disk Cleanup application running on Windows XP Disk Cleanup application running on Windows Vista The Disk Cleanup is a computer program tool included in Microsoft Windows designed to help free up space on the computer users hard drive. ... Windows Disk Defragmenter is a computer program included in Microsoft Windows designed to increase access speed (and sometimes increase the amount of usable space) by rearranging files stored on a disk to occupy contiguous storage locations, or defragmenting. ... Windows DVD Maker is an application included in premium editions (Home Premium and Ultimate) of Windows Vista that is designed to enable the creation of DVD movies in Windows. ... Windows Fax and Scan (WFS) is an integrated faxing and scanning application scheduled to be included with the Windows Vista operating system. ... Windows Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer abbreviated MSIE), commonly abbreviated to IE, is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems starting in 1995. ... Windows Mail is an e-mail and newsgroup client included exclusively in Windows Vista. ... Microsoft Magnifier is a magnification tool for the visually impaired to use Microsoft Windows. ... MMC on Windows Server 2003, running Computer Management snap-in The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is a component of modern Microsoft Windows operating systems that provides system administrators and advanced users with a flexible interface through which they may configure and monitor the system. ... Windows Media Center is an application designed to serve as a home-entertainment hub. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Windows Mobile Device Center 6 for Windows Vista is the successor for ActiveSync mobile synchronization software, that is only supported for Windows Vista, as ActiveSync is not compatible with this version of Windows. ... The Windows Mobility Center is a component of Microsoft Windows,first introduced with Vista, that centralizes the most relevant information related to mobile computing. ... “Movie maker” redirects here. ... Narrator in Windows XP Narrator is a light-duty screen reader utility packaged with Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. ... For the item of stationery, see notebook. ... Paint (formerly Paintbrush for Windows) is a simple graphics painting program that has been included with almost all versions of Microsoft Windows since its first release. ... Windows Photo Gallery (WPG) is an application included with Microsofts Windows Vista operating system that provides photo management and basic editing facilities. ... Windows PowerShell is an administration focused extensible command line interface (CLI) shell and scripting language product developed by Microsoft. ... Microsoft Private Character Editor (Eudcedit. ... Problem Reports and Solutions in Windows Vista Problem Reports and Solutions is a component included in Windows Vista that keeps track of system problems. ... Remote Assistance is a feature of Windows XP that allows a user to temporarily take over a remote Windows XP computer over a network or the internet to resolve issues. ... An example group of Gadgets, each attached to the sidebar Add Gadgets window The Windows Sidebar is a panel for Desktop Gadgets that is anchored to the side of the Windows Vista desktop. ... Snipping Tool is an application included in premium editions of Windows Vista and Experience Pack for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. ... Sound Recorder is an audio recording program included in Microsoft Windows. ... Sysprep is Microsofts System Preparation Utility for Windows deployment and is used to prepare the operating system for disk cloning. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... System File Checker is a utility in Microsoft Windows that allows users to scan for and restore corruptions in Windows system files. ... System Restore is a component of Microsofts Windows Me, Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems that allows for the rolling back of system files, registry keys, installed programs, etc. ... Windows Services for UNIX Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX (SFU) is a software package produced by Microsoft which provides a Unix subsystem and other parts of a full Unix environment on Windows NT and its successors. ... Nero software setup is using Windows Installer program The Windows Installer (previously known as Microsoft Installer, codename Darwin) is an engine for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software on modern Microsoft Windows systems. ... Windows Media Player (WMP) is a digital media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices. ... Windows Speech Recognition in Sleep mode Windows Speech Recognition is a speech recognition application included in Windows Vista. ... A screenshot of Windows Task Manager in Windows Vista. ... Windows Update version 5 through Netscape Browser 8. ... WordPad is a simple word processor that is included with almost all versions of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 upwards. ... Windows Experience Index in Windows Vista Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT) is the codename for the automatic system optimizer/tweaker built into Microsofts most recent operating system, Windows Vista, as well as the upcoming Windows Server 2008. ... ntoskrnl. ... Hal. ... Windows Task Manager with System idle process selected In Windows NT-based operating systems, the System Idle Process is the system idle task: it tracks how much of the CPUs time is being utilized and issues the HLT instruction to cut the processors power usage. ... In software Svchost. ... The Windows registry is a directory which stores settings and options for the operating system for Microsoft Windows 32-bit versions, 64-bit versions and Windows Mobile. ... A Windows service is an application that starts when the Microsoft Windows operating system is booted and runs in the background as long as Windows is running. ... The Windows Service Control Manager (SCM) is a remote procedure call (RPC) server that manages creating, deleting, starting and stopping of Windows services. ... Windows on Windows, commonly referred to as WOW or WoW, is a name of two abstraction subsystems of Microsoft Windows operating system. ... WoW64 (Windows-on-Windows 64-bit) is a subsystem of the Windows operating system that is capable of running 32-bit applications and is included on all 64-bit versions of Windows â€” including Windows XP 64-bit Editions, Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition and Windows Vista 64-bit Editions. ... This article is about dynamic libraries implemented by Microsoft. ... The Portable Executable (PE) format is a file format for executables, object code, and DLLs, used in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows operating systems. ... An NTLDR boot menu. ... The Windows Boot Manager is Microsofts new boot manager for Windows Vista and Windows Server Longhorn. It reads the Boot Configuration Data, and displays an operating system selection menu[1], and is thus functionally equivalent to the boot selection menu functionality of NTLDR in prior versions of Windows NT... Winlogon is the Windows NT component responsible for handling the default secure attention key, loading the user profile on logon, and optionally locking the computer when a screensaver is running (requiring another authentication step). ... The Windows 2000 Recovery Console selection, login, and command prompts. ... Microsofts latest Windows operating system, Windows Vista, includes a number of new I/O technologies and enhancements that are intended to shorten the time taken to boot the system, improve the responsiveness of the system, and improve the reliability of data storage. ... Windows Vistas System Recovery menu Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is a set of tools included in the Windows Vista operating system to help diagnose and recover from serious errors which may be preventing Windows from booting successfully. ... Windows PE beginning to boot under Microsoft Virtual PC. It uses the same, minimal version of NTLDR(SETUPLDR.BIN) as Windows NT/2000/XP Setup. ... Kernel Patch Protection, informally known as PatchGuard, is a feature of x64 editions of Microsoft Windows that prevents patching the kernel. ... Autorun or autoplay (sometimes spelled in CamelCase as AutoRun or AutoPlay) is the ability of many modern computer operating systems to automatically take some action upon the inserting of removable media such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or flash media. ... Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a component of modern Microsoft Windows operating systems that facilitates prioritized, throttled, and asynchronous transfer of files between machines using idle network bandwidth. ... This article is about the scheduled tasks component in Windows. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Shadow Copy in Windows Vista Shadow Copy (also called Volume Snapshot Service or VSS) is a feature in recent versions of Microsoft Windows that allows taking manual or automatic backup copies or snapshots of a file or folder on a specific volume at a specific point in time. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Dr. Watson (debugger). ... Multimedia Class Scheduler Service (MMCSS) is a Windows service that boosts the CPU as well as I/O priority of a thread. ... Common Log File System (CLFS) is a general-purpose logging subsystem that is accessible to both kernel-mode as well as user-mode applications for building high-performance transaction logs. ... NTFS is the standard file system of Windows NT, including its later versions Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Vista. ... An NTFS junction point (JP) is a feature of the NTFS file system version 3. ... Volume Mount Points are specialized NTFS filesystem objects which are used to mount and provide an entry point to other partitions. ... An NTFS reparse point (JP) is a type of NTFS file system object. ... In computing, an NTFS symbolic link (symlink) is a file-system object that points to another file system object. ... Microsofts latest Windows operating system, Windows Vista, includes a number of new I/O technologies and enhancements that are intended to shorten the time taken to boot the system, improve the responsiveness of the system, and improve the reliability of data storage. ... The Encrypting File System (EFS) is a file system with filesystem-level encryption available in Microsofts Windows 2000 and later operating systems. ... File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system that was developed for MS-DOS and used in consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. ... File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system that was developed for MS-DOS and used in consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. ... File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system that was developed for MS-DOS and used in consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. ... exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) is a file system suited especially for flash drives introduced with Windows CE 6. ... CDfs is a virtual Linux file system that provides access to individual data and audio tracks on compact discs. ... The Universal Disk Format (UDF) is a format specification of a file system for storing files on optical media. ... The Microsoft Distributed File System, or DFS, is a set of client and server services that allow a large enterprise to organize many distributed SMB file shares into a distributed file system. ... The Installable File System (IFS) is a Filesystem API in IBM OS/2 and Microsoft Windows NT that enables the operating system to recognize and load drivers for filesystems. ... A Windows Server domain or Windows NT Domain is a logical group of computers running versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system that share a central directory database. ... Typically Active Directory is managed using the graphical Microsoft Management Console. ... The DNS support in Microsoft Windows NT (and thus its derivatives Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP, and Microsoft Windows Server 2003) comprises two clients and a server. ... Local Group Policy Editor in Windows XP Media Center Edition Group policy is a feature of Microsoft Windows NT family of operating systems that provides centralized management and configuration of computers and remote users in an Active Directory environment. ... A roaming user profile is a concept in the Microsoft Windows NT family of operating systems that allows a user with a computer joined to a Windows Server domain to log on to any computer on the same network and access his local files and settings. ... In software application development, structuring into independent components can create the problem of managing each component. ... SharePoint - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Windows Media Services (WMS) is a software component of Microsoft Windows Server that allows an administrator to generate streaming media (audio/video). ... Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) is a Microsoft Windows technology included in Windows Server 2003 that is a form of digital rights management for corporate email, documents, and intranet web pages. ... Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS, formerly called Internet Information Server) is a set of Internet-based services for servers using Microsoft Windows. ... Terminal Services is a component of Microsoft Windows (both server and client versions) that allows a user to access applications and data stored on a remote computer over a network. ... Screenshot of a Windows Software Update Services administration console Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) provides a software update service for Microsoft Windows operating systems and other software. ... Network Access Protection (NAP) is a Microsoft technology of controlling network access, first utilized in Microsoft Windows Vista. ... File Replication Service is a Microsoft service for distributing folders stored in the SYSVOL shared folder on domain controllers and Microsoft Distributed File System (DFS) shared folders. ... The Windows NT operating system familys architecture consists of two layers (user mode and kernel mode), with many different modules within both of these layers. ... Object Manager in Windows, categorized hierarchically using namespaces Object Manager (internally called Ob) is a special subsystem implemented as part of Windows Executive which manages Windows resources. ... The Windows NT Startup Process is the process by which Microsofts Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 operating systems initialize. ... This refers to the boot components for Windows Vista and Windows Server Longhorn. The Windows Vista Startup Process is the process by which Microsofts Windows Vista operating system initializes. ... I/O request packets (IRPs) are structures that are used by Windows Driver Model (WDM) and Windows NT device drivers to communicate with each other and the operating system. ... Kernel Transaction Manager (KTM) is a component of the Windows Vista kernel that enables applications to use atomic transactions on resources. ... The Logical Disk Manager (LDM) is an implementation of a logical volume manager for Windows, developed by Microsoft and Veritas Software. ... The Security Accounts Manager (SAM) is a database stored as a registry file in Windows NT, Windows 2000, and later versions of Windows. ... Windows File Protection (WFP) is a technology included in all Microsoft Windows operating systems beginning with Windows 2000 to prevent programs from replacing critical Windows system files. ... Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS), is a process in Microsoft Windows operating systems that is responsible for enforcing the security policy on the system. ... Client/Server Runtime Subsystem, or csrss. ... Session Manager Subsystem, or smss. ... UAC confirmation dialog UAC credentials dialog User Account Control (UAC) is a technology and security infrastructure introduced with Microsofts Windows Vista operating system. ... BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature integrated into Microsofts Windows Vista operating system that provides encryption for the entire OS volume. ... Windows Defender, previously known as Microsoft AntiSpyware, is a software product from Microsoft designed to prevent, remove and quarantine spyware on Microsofts Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista operating systems. ... DEP controls in Windows Vista DEP causing Windows XP to end a program Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a feature included in modern Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems that is intended to prevent an application or service from executing code from a non-executable memory region. ... The Protected Media Path is a set of technologies creating a Protected Environment, first included in Microsofts Windows Vista operating system, that are used to enforce digital rights management (or DRM) protections on content. ... Mandatory Integrity Control (MIC, also called Integrity levels)[1] is a new security feature in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, which adds Integrity Levels (IL) to processes running in a login session. ... User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) is a security feature introduced in Windows Vista to combat code injection exploits. ... Windows Firewall icon in Windows Vista Windows Firewall is a personal firewall, included with Microsofts Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista operating systems. ... Screenshot of Windows Security Center in Windows Vista. ... Chess Titans is a computer game, developed by Oberon Games, included with Microsofts Windows Vista operating system. ... Part way through game of FreeCell on KDE. FreeCell is a solitaire card game superficially similar to Klondike. ... Hearts is a card game that is included in Microsoft Windows. ... Hold Em is a card game developed by Mobicore that is available to owners of Windows Vista Ultimate as an additional downloadable game through Windows Ultimate Extras. ... InkBall is a computer game included in recent versions of Microsoft Windows. ... Mahjong Titans is a computer game, developed by Oberon Games, included with Microsofts Windows Vista operating system. ... Minesweeper is a computer game of minesweeper developed by Oberon Games and included in Microsoft Windows. ... Purble Place is a computer game developed by Oberon Games and included in Windows Vista. ... Solitaire is a card game that is included in most versions of Microsoft Windows. ... Spider Solitaire is a card game that is included in recent versions of Microsoft Windows. ... Microsoft PowerToys is a set of programs provided by Microsoft for the Windows operating system. ... TweakUI is a free user interface customisation application released by Microsoft to aid end users in customising the Windows operating system. ... SyncToy is a free PowerToy designed by Microsoft that provides an easy to use graphical user interface that can automate synchronizing files and folders. ... Powertoy Calculator (Powercalc) is a graphical calculator application for Windows XP released as a PowerToy, which, unlike the built-in offering, does not evaluate everytime an operator is entered. ...