| protected mode
An operating mode of x86 chips that
lets the PC access the largest possible amount of memory. In protected
mode, different parts of memory are assigned to different programs. This
way, memory is "protected" in the sense that only the assigned program can
access it. The phrase is often used to describe device drivers that
operate in this mode. Windows and OS/2 run primarily in protected mode,
but can switch between the use of protected-mode and real-mode
applications. |