Y2K and Microsoft Windows
Almost all versions of the Microsoft Windows Operating System have Year 2000 issues. The Microsoft main site is at http://www.microsoft.com and their Y2K product compliance page is currently at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/product.asp but it is not compatible with the Lynx text-based browser. Microsoft often changes their internal page links, so if any of these links no longer work, let me know and search from their main site. Microsoft has stated that they will offer Y2K support to their older popular product lines only until January 2001, so don't put off that download! If you have trouble getting through to the Microsoft FTP server, try again later or at a low traffic time like late at night. Here are the problems and some solutions. Microsoft claims that Windows 98 Special Edition is Y2K compliant and that it contains all fixes identified as of May 1999. Microsoft's Windows 98 (original release) has some minor Y2K issues. Their overview site is at http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/highlights/Win98Y2K.asp for the most recent information. There is a Year 2000 Update pack. To get it, start the Windows Update service from the link on the Start menu. One fix is to make sure you have the latest COMCTL32.DLL, available at http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ieplatform/ie/comctrl.asp to handle dates correctly. Users of Microsoft's Wallet program should have version 2.1.1383 or later. Java applications written with versions 1.1.1 - 1.1.5 of Sun's JDK may not handle four digit dates correctly. An updated version of the Java Virtual Machine is at http://www.microsoft.com/java/vm/dl_vm32.htm.
Windows 95 Explorer and the DOS commands DATE and DIR have compliance problems. Microsoft has identified a number of other issues which are listed in this text file. They have modified their Windows 95 Y2K update package to include an Internet Explorer 4 detection/install and they have removed the update file from their FTP server. It is currently available as a 2.2 Meg file called win95y2k.exe from http://download.microsoft.com/msdownload/w95/y2kupdate/x86/en/w95y2k.exe. Should this URL not work, try the Windows 95 Year 2000 Update page, which at the time of this writing is Lynx accessible. You can also try searching for the Windows 95 Y2K update from the Microsoft Y2K compliance page. Unfortunately this page is incompatible with the Lynx text-based browser so you will require a graphical browser and PPP connection to access it. Windows Explorer (EXPLORER.EXE) will correctly display four digit dates, but this must be manually set through Control Panel/Regional Settings. The original release of Windows 95 only will show garbled two digit results when the FIND app is used, even if four digit dates were inputted. Search results however will not be affected. Java applications written with versions 1.1.1 - 1.1.5 of Sun's JDK may not handle four digit dates correctly. An updated version of the Java Virtual Machine is at http://www.microsoft.com/java/vm/dl_vm32.htm. After January 1, 2000 all dates entered into DOS must be entered as a four digit number. DOS assumes any two digit year from 00 - 79 is 1900 - 1979.
Windows 3.1 and 3.11 File Manager will not handle dates after January 1, 2000 correctly. The file WINFILE.EXE must be replaced. The new version is presently available at ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/W31FILUP.EXE. After January 1, 2000 all dates entered into DOS must be entered as a four digit number. DOS assumes any two digit year from 00 - 79 is 1900 - 1979. The mouse cannot be used to change the date in Control Panel on February 29, 2000. You must use the keyboard to input the date on that one day (a leap day).
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and 3.11 File Manager will not handle dates after January 1, 2000 correctly. The file WINFILE.EXE must be replaced. The new version is presently available at ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/WFWFILUP.EXE. After January 1, 2000 all dates entered into DOS must be entered as a four digit number. DOS assumes any two digit year from 00 - 79 is 1900 - 1979. The mouse cannot be used to change the date in Control Panel on February 29, 2000. You must use the keyboard to input the date on that one day (a leap day).
Versions 2.0 and 2.1 depend upon how the individual vendor set up CE. You must check the hardware vendor's site for more information. A list of hardware sites is here.
You may direct comments or suggestions about this feature to: Andrew D. Wright, au141@chebucto.ns.ca
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