Y2K Update

Y2K glitch in Windows 98

Microsoft said its Windows 98 operating system has minor Year 2000 problems and is making an update that fixes the glitch available on the Internet and CD-ROMs. (http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C29598%2C00.html?dd.ne.tx.ts1.1207)

Who is liable?

A question for our legal eagle subscribers out there - if a consumer is forced to use a certain software package or operating system against their will by a third party (for example a bank for electronic banking, accounting package by their accountant, etc.), who is legally responsible if that OS or package fails in the Year 2000 changeover?

Seen on the Web ...

Trust the computer industry to shorten Year 2000 to Y2K. It was this thinking that caused the problem in the first place!

Beware of cheap computers claiming Y2K readiness.

Many ex-government and outdated computers are being sold off at firesale prices. Close inspection of any Y2K compliance statement including your legal recourse in case of Y2K failure is essential (a sticker on the front of the machine is not a legally binding document, simply a potentially misleading marketing ploy, especially if the sticker says 2YK, which isn't even relevant to the Y2K problem).

Be especially careful with fly-by-night operations that could disappear overnight with no forwarding address. Also be aware that should things go sour, you may spend more in legal fees trying to recover your money than the machine is worth!

For whom the Bell may not toll ...

Finally, for those of you for whom the date is unimportant, and mainly use your machines for games, basic word processing and other applications that are NOT date sensitive, simply set your clock back (system date) a few years and play (or work) on ...

Setting the year date to 1972 (or some other multiple of 28 years) will give you the correct date for day of the week and month and is in sync with leap years, only the year will be incorrect. Not all systems will allow a date to be set earlier than 1970 or so though. IF you can set your date as far back as 1200, you'll get the shortened two digit "year" back in sync too. 1200 was a leap year according to computer calendars, and syncs with the day of the week too.

• A number of solutions offered in What is the Y2K Solution?
• Excellent list of authoritative links to Year2000 related web sites.
• An interesting collection of problem dates