Bitwits
Windows 98, some software require Y2K patches
Phoenix Business Journal - by Brad Patten
You have new hardware.
You have new software.
Are you ready for the new millennium?
Seems like you should be.
But if you read the tortured geek speak that comprises most Year 2000 disclosure statements, your software vendor actually is certifying something like this:
"Our program is absolutely, 100 percent close to meeting our definition of Year 2000 compliance, if you have our latest patch, ignore what we said last month, realize there still may be certain `minor issues' and check back before the end of the year."
Having gone through a spate of Year 2000 upgrades recently, I'm astonished how many programs purchased earlier this year or last may not be fully Year 2000 compliant, at least without installing a patch or upgrade. Even programs that were advertised as Y2K compliant when released may require an update to assure the claim.
Some examples:
• Is your new server running Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0? It needs Service Pack 4 or higher to meet Microsoft's Year 2000 compliance standard. Microsoft didn't release the service pack until late in 1998. Many hardware vendors didn't start shipping it with their servers until March or April of 1999.
• Is everyone in your office using Microsoft Office 97, the popular application suite? You'll need to install Service Release 2 on each computer to be compliant. If your version of Office was installed more than nine months ago, you probably don't have SR-2.
• Using QuickBooks 6.0 for accounting? You'll want to make sure you have "maintenance release 3" or higher to be Y2K OK.
Even Windows 98, Quicken 99 and many versions of Outlook Express require some patches to meet full Year 2000 compliance for all modules.
You'd think big software companies like Microsoft and Intuit would have been more attuned to Year 2000 compliance when they released programs so close to the millennium.
But alas, it seems Year 2000 compliance has been more of a moving target for software makers than a single hurdle, as it has been for hardware makers. Many software vendors are still updating their Y2K disclosures, as continued testing reveals previously unknown "issues."
I don't mean to imply that your personal computer is going to sputter and stop come Jan. 1 if you don't install these patches. Most of the problems corrected appear minor. A report might list an incorrect date. E-mail might have the wrong time stamp. Year 2000 updates might even be fixing bugs in features you don't even use, such as online banking or investment tracking.
But my customers have taught me to answer "Am I Year 2000 compliant?" with a yes or no. But, maybe, even probably never garner a warm reception.
To answer yes, you really need to make sure that you meet the vendor's Year 2000 compliance requirements and have installed any necessary updates.
Most of these updates are simple to install. You can download them from the vendor's web site (if they aren't too big or you have a high-speed Internet connection) and install most yourself.
To find out which programs are not Y2K okay, you need to check your software vendor's web site. Most have a special area off the main page or a support page detailing year 2000 compliance of each version of their programs.
Software usually has a version number, as well as a revision number, such as Version 6.0, R4 or Version 97, SR-2.
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