Y2K
— What if?
By Claudia Lynch, Benchmarks
Online Editor
This article was compiled from a variety of
sources. Appropriate credit is given when possible.
What if my computer stops working on 1/1/2000?
You meant to get around to it but you just never
really checked to make sure your home computer and/or
your favorite applications were Y2K compliant. Here's
what Mark Wilcox,
our Campus Web administrator advises:
- Don't panic. The worst thing you
can do is to panic because panic can cause you to
make a small problem into a major catastrophe.
- First make sure that the problems are
actually Y2K related. If your computer
is not starting make sure all of the plugs are
plugged in and cables tightened. If it's software
related, I would reinstall the software first
before changing the date of your machine.
- [On a PC running Windows] Try to boot into
Windows safe mode. Try to change the date from
within Windows safe mode and then reboot.*
- If you can't get into Windows safe mode, then
boot from floppy. Then change the date from the
command line with the date command.
In most cases if you're using a computer
that came with Windows 95 or later, you'll be ok
(See the Microsoft
Year 2000 FAQ for more information). At least
you should be able to turn your computer on. Even
if it doesn't work, a computer can be replaced
and/or fixed. The more important things to check
out are to make sure you have some food, water
and flashlight & radios (and at least a
week's supply of prescription medications) on
hand. Oh a good backup of your computer never
hurts either! And recent printouts of your
bank/credit card statements. Don't forget the
toilet paper! These things are good to have on
hand not just for Y2K but for any emergency
(which is why I have stocked up on most of these
things). We live in the middle of tornado alley
& you never know when a disaster may strike
that may leave you without power, water, etc.
1972 was a good year ...
Many people have noticed that in terms of the
calendar, the years 1972 and 2000 are identical. We can
use that to our advantage in many instances. In
discussing the things that can go wrong on 1/1/2000, the Equipped to
Survive Website notes:
Many little things we expect to work, won't, or
all the functions may no longer work. If it's an
electronic device that has a date function and it's
more than a few years old, likely the embedded
processor will not be Y2K compliant and it may not
function as desired. So, you may find yourself
replacing VCRs and clocks and similar products.
Note, however, that you can generally make these
products function perfectly well and postpone any
problems if you simply trick the embedded processor
into thinking that the the year 2000 has not yet
arrived. Simply set the year to 1972 -- that year is
identical to year 2000 as far as dates coinciding
with days of the week, throughout the entire leap
year. (This solution also works with most computers
and depending upon how you use your computer,
this may be an acceptable short-term alternative to
spending money for a new computer or software.)
What about my Mac?
According to Macnologist.com, "It is generally
thought that Macs have no Year 2000 issues to worry
about. Let the Macnologist Website be the latest to say
this isn't true. While the hardware and operating systems
appear to be good to go for the year 2000, not every
programmer has programmed their applications to take
advantage of the Macs built-in, year 2000 ready, system
clock. This problem is perhaps magnified by the fact that
there are very few people looking for Mac Y2K
problems." Check the Macnologist
Website for links and other information on this
topic. At the very least, you ought to be able to start
up your Mac on 1/1/2000. You'll have to deal with your
applications one by one.
* Follow these steps to start Windows
in Safe mode:
a.Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
b.Click Restart The Computer, and then click OK.
c.If you are using a Microsoft Windows 95-based
computer, press the F5 key when you see the
"Starting Windows 95" message. If you are using
a Windows 98-based computer, when your computer restarts,
press down and hold the SHIFT key until Windows 98 starts
in Safe mode.
d.When Windows starts in Safe mode, click OK.
e. Choose date/time from the control panel and set the
date.
Notes:
In Safe Mode, Windows uses default settings (VGA
monitor, no network, Microsoft mouse driver, and the
minimum device drivers required to start Windows).
You will not have access to CD-ROM drives, printers,
or other devices.
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