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Y2K Prep Course

How prepared am I for the millennium?

By Charles Bovaird

 

A few no-cost tools are now available to help me address my Y2K problem. Here's what I have to do:

1. BIOS. Analyze my computer's BIOS chip by using the NSTL testing program YMARK2000, which you can download from the NSTL home page http://www.nstl.com. and run as follows:

Cold-boot your machine to a boot disk containing this program. It will provide you with a report on your machine's BIOS chip along with a recommended action to either (1) do nothing (the chip is compliant), (2) reset the correct date after the millennium, or (3) upgrade the BIOS chip (or computer).

2. SOFTWARE. Analyze the software in my machine. Microsoft has provided a Microsoft Year 2000 Product Analyzer tool (a program), which evaluates the readiness of a WIN95, WIN98, or NT computer system. It produces an inventory report of Microsoft software installed on your PC, including the Microsoft operating system and Microsoft application programs. The Y2K readiness status of each program is reported along with links to product information and recommended software updates. You can download the analyzer from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/ pca/pca.htm. If you do not have a download facility, you can order a free Microsoft year 2000 CD by calling (888) MSFT-Y2K. The CD will not be shipped out until November and the person taking my order could not say what material it would contain.

Fortunately I have no MS-DOS systems. Microsoft covers all Microsoft operating systems versions at http://www/microsoft.com/y2k/. I would recommend every Microsoft operating system owner to browse through all this Y2K material.

3. DATA. Since all of my data is tied to the release level of the program that generated it. I plan to upgrade my Microsoft operating system and applications as recommended. I am counting on the upgrades to handle any associated data update requirement.

4. NON-MICROSOFT APPLICATIONS. These I plan to address one at a time starting with those that contain year dates, e.g. accounting programs. I expect to find most of my solutions on the Internet, but if this approach fails, I will trash the program, upgrade it, or replace it with a competitor's product.

I plan to install all the recommended updates suggested by the Microsoft Year 2000 Product Analyzer before November. In my case, there is one service release for WIN95 and one for MS-OFFICE. Downloading them now will avoid the Internet traffic increase I expect as we approach the millennium. I'm counting on the Microsoft 2000 CD to close out my MS-Y2K problems. I'm hoping November brings on very little extra work.


CHARLIE BOVAIRD is a longtime DACS director and the trusty, tireless and unflappable steward of the organization’s membership database and treasury. You can e-mail Charlie at: aam@mags.net.

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