Glossary

Beginner tech terms explained

Quick definitions for the terms that show up in Windows repair, boot troubleshooting, upgrades, and gaming performance guides.

BIOS

Older-style firmware that starts the PC before Windows loads.

BIOS settings can affect boot order, storage detection, and hardware behavior.

Modern firmware used by most current PCs.

Windows 11 setup, Secure Boot, TPM, and GPT disks usually depend on UEFI mode.

A temporary startup menu that lets you choose a drive or USB device.

It helps you start a Windows installer or recovery USB without permanently changing boot order.

Software that lets Windows communicate with hardware such as graphics, audio, WiFi, or storage devices.

Bad or missing drivers can cause crashes, no sound, no internet, or poor performance.

A defined section of a drive that an operating system can use.

Deleting or formatting partitions can erase data, so this is a high-risk area during installs.

A modern partition style commonly used with UEFI systems.

GPT is usually the expected format for modern Windows installations.

An older partition style commonly used with legacy BIOS boot.

MBR can limit some modern boot and drive-layout options.

A limited Windows startup mode that loads fewer drivers and services.

It can help troubleshoot drivers, startup apps, and bad updates.

A USB drive used to access repair tools when Windows cannot start normally.

It can help run recovery tools before reinstalling Windows.

Solid-state storage used in many laptops and PCs.

An SSD can affect boot speed, app load times, and storage reliability.

Temporary system memory used while apps and games are running.

Low or unstable RAM can cause slowdowns, crashes, and blue screens.

Graphics hardware used for display output and gaming performance.

GPU drivers and settings can affect FPS, crashes, and display problems.

Frames per second, a measure of how many frames a game renders each second.

Stable FPS and frame pacing matter more than chasing a high number that stutters.