Worried about the Millennium Bug? Don't be.
CTV has been testing a new product, Check 2000,
which is loaded directly on to a PC and will then automatically perform a number
of tests to ascertain Y2K compliance. On completion, it will give a visual
summary of the tests carried out, and the results of each test.
If your system does fail the tests, then Check
2000 will tell you what the problems are, and how best to correct them - most
other software simply advises you whether or not your system complies with Y2K.
One of the problems most likely to occur is the
failure of the date format in Windows, where the system is set to work on a
two-digit year - ie 15.05.99 - which will potentially cause problems when the
year changes to 00.
This is easily corrected by changing the date
format in the regional settings to 15.05.1999. When the test is re-run, it will
pass since the computer can easily accept the year 2000 as one more than 1999.
Another area to check is that the clock will move forward to 2000 at midnight on
December 31. Once again Check 2000 warns if this is going to be a problem for
your computer, and provides the option to correct it.
Since the whole area of Y2K compliance is so
vast, no software can be guaranteed to cover every eventuality. However, Check
2000 has been proved to work satisfactorily on all the PCs we have tested, so we
feel that we can recommend it.
Check 2000 is available from most reputable
software outlets, but if you have problems in locating a copy please let us
know, as we can supply it at the cost of £35.00 + VAT.
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