b'u ing the Y2K problem at all. Untilbeforedoinganytesting,andas calling the manufacturer or dis they are fun correctly, and ctioning new software is purchasedandagain right before the end of thetributor of your computer systemsdouble-check calculations with a installed, they are simply settingyear - even ifrpassesand software. Usually, they k hand-held calculato Stretch the you systemnowr. the clock back so that the programtests.Printoutspreadsheets,the answer to your question. Doapplication to the limits of what will thinkit is 1972 instead ofdatabases, important documentsnot attempt to test software thatyoucanmake it do.You might 2000. The dates in 1972 fall onand other data. Create backups ofyou know is not compliant-youwant to try somenonsense figthe same days of the week as inall data, or ifmaycreateu , suchasnegative orvery res2000.possibleofproblemslarge numbers. To save time,some softwareentiresys you may notThere are patches that may be programmers areusing atemsthatbeabletoavailable tomake your applicatechn called windowing, insteadmay be cru solve.Thetions Y2K complian Some iquet.comof expanding years to four digits.cial.investmentpanies have patch available for es Years are left as two digits but the0f te nin upgradesdownloadfromtheir websites. computer is instructed to interpretoverlookedis welworthYou will need these patches for I 00 to 49 as 2000 to 2049,50by computerit, comparedapplicationssuchasMicrosoft and to 99 as 1950 to 1999. Of course,ownersareto the po n Office, for example. teif theprogram is still in use inthesettingstial catastro There are also companies that 2050,it willhavetobefixedin their BIOSphes createdoffer testingprograms that can again.setup. Whenby lost datacheck your systemandlet you You may avoid some problemsyourcom anddown know if it is Y2K compliant. Some by shutting down your computerp is firsttime.of these alsoo erhardware or uterffsystems on the night of the datestarting, youIIyouorsoftware fixes that may keep you change. Some bugs may resultmayhaveyour staff dofrom havingbuy all new comto simply from the rolling over of thenoticedanothaveputers. You will need an open ISA \\)date itself. If it is not crucial thatline that instructs you to press aadequate comp tos t inside your PC to uter knowledgelo accommoyour computer systems are run key (usually ESC,DELor AL toperform testing, call aterdate aical hardware fix, which T)compu typning at the "Zero Hour," you m enter "SETUP."Do this and v wconsultant in to test your e ip u lyan inexpensive card that ightie qu sual is savesometrouble byshuttingall the screens in the setup, print ment. Again. backups are crucialcan be easily installed once the your computer system down untiling out or writing down by handbeforeany testingshouldtakecase cover is removed. Here are thedatechangeispast.Beall the settings in the BIOS setup - place. After creating all necessarytwo handy websites: advised that this will not avoidespecially the hard drive settingsbackups, you or your consultant Ymark2000 Free Testing U ity: tilmost problems,unless yousetin the Standard CMOS Setup. Domay set the date forward to thewww.nstl.com your system date back to 1972not load any default settings, orlast minutes of the year to see h Micro 2000 Hardware Fix and ow before you shut down. Of course,use the HDD auto detection whenthe system responds to theteFreeTest:www.micro2000. da1972 using acalendar in the yearyou are taking notes on the set change.Thisiscommonlycom 2000 wi11probably create othertings. When you are done, makereferr to as "date aging" or "dateSmart testing requires cooperaed obvious problems, unless the datesure you exit without saving anywarping."tionbetweenbusiness partners is not crucial to how you use yourchanges(ifyouaccidentallyRegardless of whetheror abecausecom routinely youputers computer.change something, you could beconsultant performs the testing, itinteract with o routthe machines Of course, the b concernin trouble!) and keep the informa is imperative that you documentside the compan Test all iggesty.compoformostpeoplearefinancialtion on tile in case your computereach step you take in your test.nents of your n atonce, Ifetwork assets.Somefinancialexpertshas problems such as hard drivenecessary,have your computerincluding some that may lie outsuggest withdrawing several dayserrors. Keep that information for guru bark out theas they areside ofr.r ly, stepsyou office Unfo tunateor even several months worth ofever, or until all components ofmade and have someone write itthis is not always possible. cash. Others recommend spread the computer have metir timelyall down.Testingeverythingmay hethe lp ing savings among several banks.demise.Itis alsocrucialto testanyavoid being sued. The threat of Tobesafe,request a year-endTake aninventory of al I yourapplicationsatthesametime.legal a does underscore the ction fewakstatement to be printed adaysinformation technology and iden Just because your operating sys importanceofm ingsystems before the end of the year.tify its role in your bu n Dotem appears to be working okayY2Kcompliant,b ithas also si ess.ut -.The single best"advice for deal- some research to find out if yourdoes not m that you are inmade it harder to solve the probeanthe ing withthe Y2K problem is tosoftwareandhardware are Y2Kc Perform some operations inlem. Many companies are afraid lear.to makehardcopiesofalldatacompliant. Usually this is as easyyour applications tomake sure Continued on page 14 \'5'