We hear a lot about the Y2K (that's lingo for "Year 2000") problems but, most of the discussion is centered on terminals and POS transactions. What about a little closer to home? How will YOUR PC react to the millennium?
Most businesses will find Year 2000 problems popping up in programs that perform calculations, such as accounting or billing programs. So, if you use applications that involve dates (such as reports, paychecks, and invoices) you need to be aware.
But, how do you know you have a year 2000 problem before year 2000? Well, you can call your software companies but, it maybe 2000 by the time you get an answer! Nonetheless, give it a shot and see if they have any fixes available. (If you're using Windows, try www.microsoft. com/cio/articles/year2000faq.htm.)
If that fails, you can trick your computer into thinking it is the year 2000 and see what happens. (First, back-up your system and make certain you don't have any calendar or schedule programs that will be affected by your "test".) Then, go into control panel and set the date just minutes before January 1, 2000. Then, turn off your system, turn it back on, and see what happens.
If your system doesn't display January 1, 2000, your "BIOS" must be upgraded. Call your vendor and get some help. Even if your system displays the correct date, you may want to make sure it's the correct day. January 1 of 2000 will be a Saturday but in 1900 it was a Monday. If your system thinks it's a Monday, you have some problems. Remember to change the way the date is displayed too, so it is 01/01/2000, rather than 01/01/00.
Now that we've got your computer understanding January 1, 2000, we're not quite out of the woods. There are a couple other "secret dates" to know about: September 9, 1999 and February 29, 2000. Why? Well, a lot of programmers have used 9/9/99 as an archive date so it may cause some bugs in your system. Run some fake reports or invoices with this date and see if anything strange happens. Do the same for 2/2/2000. 2000 is a leap year and there is a 2/29/2000, but some systems aren't smart enough to know that. Check it out now so you won't have to deal with it on February 29.
For more information on how to 2000-proof your system, access www.year2000.com. Remember, it's never too early!
