glossary of internet terms - u

A COMPLETE LIST OF DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS USED THROUGHOUT OUR WEBSITE

Use the letters below to jump to a particular section or scroll down through the definitions.

misc A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Undo - A command in most programs which reverses your last action. The undo command can really get you out of trouble if you have made a catastrophic error.

Uninstall - The process of removing unwanted applications from your PC. You might want to do this to free up hard disk space, or simply because you no longer use the program. Most programs have their own uninstall routine, or you can use Windows' uninstall command from Control Panel.

Uninstaller - A utility that removes Windows programs properly by deleting not just the main program and its folders, but also the smaller ancillary files that are scattered round the hard disk. It should also remove any entries that have been made in your PC's Registry and system files.

Uninstalling - Process of removing programs from your computer.

Universal Serial Bus (USB) - A standard which allows quick and easy connection of external peripherals such as scanners and printers to your PC. It supports plug and play, and devices can be added or removed with your PC switched on.

Unix - A robust, very stable operating system often used by businesses on powerful workstations and large computers, especially when it is important that applications do not crash. The free Linux operating system is a derivative of Unix.

Unmetered access - Access to the internet for a flat monthly fee, with no additional telephone call charges.

Upgrade - To improve the performance or specification of your computer by adding more memory, a larger hard disk or making another improvement. Software can also upgraded, usually by updating it to the latest version.

Uploading - The process of transferring information to another computer, often for publishing on the internet as a web page. The process normally involves using the File Transfer Protocol, or FTP.

UPS - Uninterruptible Power Supply. An device that sits between a computer and its main supply to provide a (usually brief) emergency power supply in the event of a power cut.

URL - Uniform Resource Locator. The unique address of a web page you visit, enabling it to be found from any other computer connected to the internet.

USB 2 - Faster but backwardly-compatible successor to USB that's used by such things as MP3 players and external disk drives.

USB hub - A small external or built-in device with several USB ports. It connects to your PC and serves as a relay station, allowing you to add multiple devices. External USB hubs can usually be placed on a desk for easy access to USB ports.

Usenet - Short for users' network, a collection of public groups of messages ? newsgroups ? which is accessible to a wide variety of computer systems worldwide, both on and off the internet. The act of writing a message that appears on Usenet is called posting. Newsgroups belong to hierarchies, usually divided by geography and interest. For example, news://uk. rec. cycling is a UK-based newsgroup about recreational cycling.

User interface - This is the face of a computer program ? what it looks like to the person sitting in front of the monitor, and how it is used. Windows and the Apple Macintosh have a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which is easier to use than a purely text-based interface like MS-DOS.

Utility - A program that performs specific tasks on your PC, such as optimising memory use or compressing disk space.
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