Can I test Y2K on my PC?
captain-kirk (147) on 01/27/99 at 07:28:18 PST
For the typical home user, try the following to check your computer:
set the date/time to, say, 5 minutes before 1/1/2000, and then shut it
down & power it off. Wait 10 minutes, boot it up, and see if it
correctly knows the date. If so, you should be OK (hardware-wise),
unless you also have some peripherals that depend on the date somehow
(few and far between for typical people). Even if it doesn't recognize
the date, the computer will still be usable, you'll just end up with
funny results like the wrong date.
Note: if you have a sophisticated server, with all kinds of security
authorizations, DO NOT DO THIS. You may be locked out.
in terms of software, the best way is to determine which ones may be
date-sensitive and check with the vendors. Focus on your important
applications. games and educational programs are probably not a
problem, but financial/backup programs will be. Most vendors are now
indicating the Y2K readiness of their software. It would be difficult
for the average person to try and test software.
You can, of course, buy programs being sold that check your
system. If you have a name-brand system, your computer vendor probably
can already tell you. Whether these programs really are effective and
worth the money is anyone's guess.
BTW, The Mac's processor and OS are immune to this problem. But
as far as software is concerned, be sure all your software is
up-to-date. Look up each product on the web to see if there's an update.
Make sure to check out any "home-spun" code that you might make use of
like HyperCard stacks for processing invoices. There are four dates you
will need to check for problems: 1/3/2000 the first business day of
2000; 1/31/2000 the first end-of-the-month rollover; 2/29/2000 because
2000 is a leap year; and 12/31/2000 the end-of-the-year rollover.
A Y2K fix...
Click on "START".
Click on "SETTINGS".
Double click on "Control Panel".
Double click on "Regional settings" icon (look for the little world globe).
Click on the "Date" tab at the top of the page. (last tab on the top right)
Where it says, "Short Date Sample", look and see if it
shows a "two digit" year format ("YY"). Unless you've previously changed
it (and you probably haven't) -- it will be set incorrectly with just
the two Y's.. it needs to be four! That's because Microsoft made the 2
digits setting the default setting for Windows 95, Windows 98 and NT.
This date format selected is the date that Windows feeds *ALL*
application software and will not rollover into the year 2000. It will
roll over to the year 00. (*)
Click on the button across from "Short
Date Style" and select the option that shows, "mm/dd/yyyy" or
"m/d/yyyy".
(Be sure your selection has four y's showing, not just
"mm/dd/yy). Then click on "Apply". Then click on "OK" at the button.
Easy enough to fix.
However, every "as distributed" installation of Windows worldwide is
defaulted to fail Y2K rollover... Pass this along to your PC buddies...
no matter how much of a guru they think they are... this might be a
welcome bit of information!
Killam thinks "it's a crock..."
captain-kirk (184) on 08/03/99 at 12:05:41 PDT
re: the Y2K fix below. Absolutely. We've all been instructed to do it
here at IBM. Having the default for win9X be "yy" is one of the more
amazing blunders from Msoft..
kenintenn (151) on 08/03/99 at 12:14:27 PDT
If you check on the same page the instruction is written to interpret a
two digit date as between 1930 and 2029. It will roll over at 2000 but
if by some misfortune you are still running the same puter in 2030 you
are in deep do doo. That story has been circulated for the last month.
captain-kirk (184) on 08/05/99 at 07:58:50 PDT
For most people, y2k has a couple of potential effects:
1. The hardware gets screwed up, and on 1/1/2000 the hardware thinks
they are in 1900, or 1980, or 1984. You can get then results like files
saved will appear to be older than prior versions.
2. Software can get confused, if you have any date-sensitive stuff,
like Quicken or Backup programs.
As general info on Y2K, try the following:
1. visit the web site of your favorite software. See what fixes may
exist for your version.
2. visit a shareware site like Shareware.com or CNET and download some
of their Y2K analysis programs, see what they say about your system.
Depending on what you use your computer for, it is likely you won't
care much about it.
..back..