How can I check all my PC4s in the company, to ensure the y2k-compliancy? Is there any Program? What about DOS-Applications?

-- Edgar Jung (edgar.jung@wuerth.com), January 23, 1999

Answers

For the Year-2000-compliance of a PC the following points must be checked:

* RTC (Real-time Clock) * BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) * Operating System

The PC RTC (real-time clock) keeps track of the time and date. The BIOS receives time/date information from most of real-time clocks in a two-digit century format.

The test to made is the BIOS/RTC-TEST. Has the BIOS a function to evaluate the correct century? You don4t need any tool, all you have to do is to set the system date to 31.12.1999, 23:59, shut down your computer and wait 2 minutes to reboot. If the Operating System shows: 01.01.2000, then your PC/BIOS is ok, otherwise you have to manually set the system date to 01.01.2000 ff. and reboot. If the Operating Systems shows the year 2000, then your only problem consists in manually change the year after 2000. But if the Operating System are not in 2000 then you have real problem: you have to update your BIOS Motherboard or to install a software/hardware correction. There are many shareware-tools, that can help you to make this test. I will make them "downloadable" from the Wuerth-Y2K-Homepage.

The next problem is the OPERATING SYSTEM: The Operating System can get date/time directly from the RTC or from a function in the BIOS. DOS / Windows 3.1 / Windows 95: They all use the BIOS to get the date/time. If the BIOS does not evaluate the correct century, then you will get the date 04.01.1980! Most problems can be corrected by setting the date/time in 2000.

Windows 98: Windows 98 automatically corrects the century in the BIOS/CMOS, if you boot your PC in 2000.

Windows NT 4.0: NT get the date/time directly from the RTC. You have to change the date/time to correct the BIOS/CMOS.

Free BSD/Linux: Get the date/time directly from the RTC and evaluates the date correctly. You have not to change anything.

Any program depents of the date/time of the Operating System.

-- Martin Lvsch (Martin.Loesch@wuerth.com), February 01, 1999.

In the site www.symantec.com you can download a free software and with a bootable floppy is possible to control the bios. If necessary there is a patch (biosfix) to correct the error.

-- Michele Zamara (michele.zamara@wuerth.it), February 18, 1999.

YOU CAN USE Clicknet Y2K. LOOK AT www.clicknet.com

-- Jochem Stemmermann (Jochem.Stemmermann@Sartorius-Werkzeuge.de), March 12, 1999.