Beckley Graphics, Inc. dba
The
Computer Technician
— James' Bottom Line on Y2K —
Since I am a bottom line kind of guy, I will simply give you the bottom line on the Year 2000 bug (Y2K).
I have been very concerned recently to see how my friends and clients have been handling the "Y2K Scare." They have been killing a gnat with an atomic bomb. They have gone out and bought $3,000.00 and $4.000.00 replacement computers to handle this problem. RIDICULOUS !
Since our goal here at The Computer Technician was to get all of our customers "Y2K Compliant" by the beginning of 1999, we saw and are still seeing many computers. We have seen few hardware (bios') that were old enough to not be compliant. So far, we have seen a total of ten that was not Y2K bios compliant. It also was simple to remedy.
As I stated in previous communications with you, the entire problem can be taken care of with software. Y2K is a "Media Scare!" The only problem is if you don't have it taken care of. The cost is so small that it cost no more than a simple service call on each computer.
Y2K Upgrade is in Three Distinct Stages . . .
1) The BIOs must be tested and software upgraded if necessary. (Only the much older computers are not conpliant).
2) The Operationg System, Windows 95, Windows 3.0, 3.1 and 3.11 must have a MS software patch. If running MS Dos, it has to be upgraded to ver. 6.22. Windows 98 must also have a Year 2000 (Y2K) upgrade.
3) We generally leave individual software programs to you to handle. You simply need to contact your program manufacturer for the most recent upgrade version.
We do have software that will scan the computer to identify programs that are not compliant. But I am confident that you already know which programs will be a problem, such as Peachtree Complete Accounting, DacEasy, Quickbooks, Quicken, etc. You simply need to contact the program manufacturer for an upgraded version.
Note: Everything needs to operate with four digits for the year and also needs to be able to recognize leap years.
We can generally Y2K upgrade each
computer system in less than an hour and it generally cost the
amout and an hour of general computer service in-office or
on-site. Price is subject to change depending on the time it
actually takes to perform the upgrade. In every case so far, it
has taken us under an hour.
Now doesn't the cost of an hour of general computer service sound
much better than $3,000.00 to $4,000.00?
Please don't kill a gnat with an atomic bomb!
It is just a "media scare!" It is only a problem if you don't handle it.
Cordially,
James P. Hale, Chief Technician
The problem is that much of today's computer software will be unable to handle the change of dates when we enter the year 2000. Experts have made dire predictions of commerce grinding to a halt as computer systems throughout the world break down, unable to process transactions.
Things won't be that bad, because companies are already working on the problem, but you should be aware of the potential impact on your business.
The problem arises because most computers record dates using only the last two digits of the year, assuming that the first two digits are always "19."
For example, a date in 1998 is stored by the computer as "98." Unless changes are made, computers will read the year 2000 as "00," and assume that this refers to the year 1900. So if a company enters a payment as due in the year 2000, the computer will read this as 1900 and assume that the date has passed.
Imagine how often computers are used to record the dates of bank deposits, bond maturities, hotel and airline reservations, and accounts payable, and you begin to see the scale of the problem.
The good news is that major business and software companies are already working hard to fix the problem. For large companies with custom software, such as banks, utilities, and airlines, the fix will take thousands of hours and cost millions of dollars. They have to search through thousands of lines of computer code to find every place where a date is used, then make the necessary changes.
If you're a smaller company using standard
business software, you should be able to rely on the software
vendor to fix the problem in a future release. Companies such as
Microsoft and Intuit (seller of Quicken) have already announced
plans to issue fixes.
Meanwhile, you should inventory all your software to see what
might be affected and schedule time to install new releases as
they are issued.
By Smith, Cochran & Hicks, CPA's
By now, anyone who reads the
paper or watches television should be well and truly confused
about whether Jan. 1, 2000, will find the computerized world in
flames and civilization destroyed, or merely a little off-kilter
and shaken.
The original space-saving decision to use only the last two
digits of the year in computer programs is coming back to haunt
us as we approach the year 2000 -- which many programs will
interpret as 1900.
Governments and businesses the world over are scrambling to fix
the problem, which involves literally millions of lines of
computer code. It's a huge, expensive undertaking, a race against
time that many will win and some will lose.
But what does all this mean for regular folks who don't happen to
control vast computer networks or oversee national monetary
policies? What should they be doing to prepare themselves?
The problem breaks down into two main areas: things we have
direct control over and things we don't. If the automated teller
machines don't work for a week, you can't get in there and fix
them, but you can make sure you've got enough cash on hand to get
you through. At home, you can make sure that all your electronic
devices are ready for the year 2000 -- "Y2K compliant,"
in the jargon of programmers -- and that you sail as smoothly as
possible into the future.
USA TODAY'S Elizabeth Weise takes a walk through a typical
consumer's home, pointing out some appliances and systems to look
into.
Simple Technician's
Test for Y2K Compliance
This simple test is most likely how your technician will check
the BIOS in your computer to make sure it'll work into the next
millenium:
1. Set date and time to 12/31/99 11:59:00pm
2. Turn system off and wait at least 1 minute
3. Turn system on and enter the BIOS setup
4. Verify date reported by BIOS setup is 1/1/2000
5. Set date and time to 2/28/2000 11:59:00pm
6. Turn system off and wait at least 1 minute
7. Turn system on and enter BIOS setup.
8. Verify date reported by BIOS setup is 2/29/2000
9. Reset your date and time to the current settings
Please do not do this yourself, have it done by a trained professional—complications could occur.
— Click here for more Y2K Information and Definitions —
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