investors.com
PCs Not Immune To Year 2000 Problems
Date: 7/9/98
Author: Michael Lyster
You've heard the horror stories about the Year 2000 problem shutting down airports and
dumbfounding banks. Most of the tales involve aging mainframe computers and archaic
operating
systems.
But the Year 2000 problem could even stump that sprightly desktop PC of yours.
''A few years ago, the Year 2000 was looked at as a mainframe problem,'' said Richard Heiman,
an
analyst with Framingham, Mass.-based International Data Corp. ''The desktop isn't immune from
this either.''
Just like mainframes, some personal computers, especially those more than four years old, can
mistake the year 2000 for 1900. Some versions of popular software published before '97 can
make
the same mistake.
Even if you have an older machine in your home, you need not be alarmed. Unless you're
handling
sensitive financial data, such as tracking a long- term mortgage, your computer will continue to
function - if you don't mind your clock being off by 100 years.
Users of business PCs, however, should know that the problem could hamper the ability of their
machine to interact with other computers.
Chances are your PC software can be brought up to date with a free software fix downloaded
from
the Internet. Or you may have to buy a new version of a program. If the problem rests with your
computer's hardware, though, you may be looking at a more costly fix.
With computers getting cheaper by the day, replacing your machine altogether is an option you
may
want to consider. If not, you should know there are three ways the Year 2000 problem can trip up
your PC.
The first has to do with your computer's Basic Input Output System. Your computer's BIOS is
stored on a chip and connects the operating system software with peripherals like printers.
The BIOS is central to the Year 2000 problem because it controls your computer's clock. If you
have a PC with a 486 or older processor, it probably won't handle the 2000 changeover. Some
early Pentium chips also may have trouble. The Year 2000 isn't a problem for more recent
Pentium
and Pentium II models.
If your BIOS is stuck in the 20th century, you'll have to upgrade it. The BIOS is stored on a chip
on
your computer's motherboard. That's the main circuit board, which houses the processor.
Companies such as Unicore Software Inc. of Andover, Mass., and American Megatrends Inc. of
Norcross, Ga., specialize in BIOS upgrades. Expect to spend $50 to $80 including installation.
The second possible trouble spot for your PC is its operating system. Microsoft Corp.'s new
Windows 98 is year 2000-compliant. Windows 3.1 isn't, though, and early versions of Windows
95
could have problems, too. You may have to replace the entire operating system, and that could
require hardware upgrades.
Users of Apple Computer Inc.'s computers don't have to worry, the company says. Apple's
machines and operating systems have been year 2000-compliant from the start, it says.
Apple users and others, however, do have to worry about the third area of vulnerability for PCs -
individual programs on a computer. Spreadsheets, databases and financial applications could
get
tripped up by the changeover.
Take Mountain View, Calif.-based Intuit Inc.'s Quicken program. Only Quicken 98 is fully year
2000-compliant, the company says. Earlier versions are written to handle dates only through
1999.
More recent versions are good through 2027, though some online banking features aren't year
2000-compliant.
The only way to resolve the problem is to upgrade to Quicken 98, which sells for $35. In May, a
class-action lawsuit was filed in New York against Intuit that contends the company should offer
free
fixes to customers who bought earlier versions.
Recent versions of Microsoft's Office suite of word processing, spreadsheet and other software
are
year 2000- compliant. You still may have trouble, though. If you're not careful, the way you
handle
dates in your spreadsheets can cause year 2000 troubles.
Excel 97 recognizes two-digit years like 02 as being 2002. But in Excel 95, only numbers
between 0
and 19 are treated as being in the 21st century. The solution is to use four-digit numbers for
dates.
If you're unsure whether your PC is compliant, you can do a test to see how your PC and
software
will handle the year 2000 changeover. Go to the clock in Windows and change the date to Dec.
31,
1999. Set the time to 11:58 p.m. Turn off the computer, restart it five minutes later, and see if it
displays 1900 or 2000.
Use caution, analysts say. Back up your hard disk drive or at least key data before trying this
test.
IDC's Heiman says he's heard of cases in which users have damaged their computers by doing
this
test.
Some companies offer software to diagnose year 2000 PC problems and even fix some of them.
They include 2000 ToolBox from Santa Clara, Calif.-based Network Associates Inc. and Check
2000PC from Greenwich Mean Time-UTA LC of Arlington, Va.
You also can download a free diagnostic utility called YMARK2000 from National Software
Testing Laboratories of Conshohocken, Pa.
|
