Glossary - F

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FAT32: Is a version of the File Allocation Table which uses 32 bits to address each cluster and can support drives as big as two TB. The older FAT version only used 16-bits to address each cluster and was limited to drive sizes of 512 MB.

File Extension: A group of characters which are appended to the end of a disk file name. The File extensions generally consist of a full stop, then a dot, followed by one to three characters.

FIle System: A file system, is a data structure that translates the physical, or sector view, of a disc into a logical file structure which in turn helps computers and users locate files. In a nutshell, it records where files and directories are located on the disc itself.

Firewall: A firewall is a system, possibly a combination of software and hardware, that enforces a boundary between two or more networks. Quite simply,it's an electronic gate that can limit access between networks.

Firewire: A very quick external bus that can support transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps. Firewire technology was developed by Apple and is categorized under the IEEE 1394 standard.

Firmware: Software that is generally stored in ROM, or Read-Only Memory, and loaded during system power up.

Flash: Is a non-volatile memory device which retains its data after the power has been removed.

FTP: FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, is a standard protocol used for transferring files across the Internet and between computers.