| Microsoft Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure
& Resource Center |
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| Microsoft Year 2000 Frequently Asked
Questions |
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| What is the year 2000 problem? |
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Answer:
The year 2000 problem stems from three main issues:
- The
use of only 2 digits to represent a four-digit year
- The
year 2000 is not recognized as a leap year by some systems
- The
use of date codes to provide special software functionality
The year 2000, often abbreviated as Y2K, is a challenge that can
affect many aspects of a company's business and operations,
including computers and technology systems, its supply chain,
transportation carriers, data transmissions, customer chains, and
even business investments. In addition, embedded chips and
microprocessors in component parts and assemblies may depend on
date-related information.
Identifying all potential exposures and assessing the real risk
they pose to an organization is critical to the success of any year
2000 project.
Two-digit date storage
The most common problem occurs when software has been written to
store and/or manipulate date data using only the last two digits for
the year (versus a sliding 100-year window). Calculations built upon
these dates may not execute properly after 1999 because they may not
see dates in the 2000s as being larger numbers than those in the
1900s. For example: 2000 û 1998 = 2 but 00 û 98 = û98 (or 98 if the
application does not allow negative numbers). The result of this
might be that your accounting software sees all accounts receivable
as overdue (98 years past due in the example above).
Leap year calculations
The year 2000 is a special case leap year that happens once every
400 years. Unfortunately, some systems and applications may not
recognize the year 2000 as a leap year. This would cause dates
following February 28, 2000 to be offset incorrectly by one day.
Special meanings for dates
The third Y2K problem is more commonly found in older code bases.
Developers sometimes used date fields to provide special
functionality. The most common date used for this was 9/9/99. In
some applications the use of the special date meant "save this data
item forever," or "remove this data item automatically after 30
days," or "sort this data item to the top of the report." Within
each organization and application, special date codes may have been
used differently. This is one of the main reasons that no single
tool can locate all uses and/or misuses of date data.
| Why do we have this problem? |
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Answer:
Expensive memory costs. In the early days of
Information Services, data storage space & capacity (punch cards
& memory) was very valuable. By asking software developers to
conserve just two bits per record in memory for example (the "19" of
1975), organizations were able to realize millions of dollars in
savings. In addition, programmers didn't expect that the
applications they were developing would still be in use 20 or 30
years in the future. The programming habits and processes put into
place in and before the 1970s, including two-digit shortcuts, are
still in use today.
Cultural. Another aspect of this challenge is the
tendency to reduce our descriptions of dates to a minimum. It is
likely that when asked for a birth date or graduation year, most
people would describe the year in 2-digit year format. This
preference for the 2-digit year format is the reason even recently
released software may be vulnerable to Y2K issues.
| What are some potential consequences of Y2K
problems? |
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Answer:
The potential impact of the Y2K problem is difficult to quantify.
The challenge is wide reaching and it is much more than just an
issue for mainframe computers or even PCs. Many other types of
systems and equipment have embedded microprocessors that handle date
data and could be affected by Y2K problems. Microprocessors embedded
within components of transportation systems, manufacturing
facilities, security systems, networks, telephone systems, or power
grids, may be dependent on date-related information. Two possible
failure scenarios are examined below.
Complete system breakdown. A complete system
failure is obvious and therefore easy to detect. In this event,
contingency plans can be implemented and immediate action can be
taken to address the breakdown.
Examples of a complete breakdown:
- An
order entry application might not allow any orders to be entered
after the year 2000 if the application treats 00 as an invalid
number. In this situation, it would become immediately apparent
that the application was not functioning properly due to the fact
that business would be stalled.
- An
embedded system that controls an obvious physical function such as
an air conditioner control unit could have a problem if there was
date handling built into the maintenance systems. The malfunction
of this device would be obvious due to the lack of cool
air.
Partial breakdown. A partial breakdown is a more
difficult problem to recognize and can have farther-reaching
consequences than that of a complete system failure. If a system
only partially fails, it may not be obvious to the user of that
system. In the case of financial transactions, a calculation error
may produce results that the user assumes are correct.
Examples of a partial breakdown:
- An
application designed to calculate mortgage payments might produce
an incorrect result. If the application were to cease functioning
it would be very obvious that there was a problem. But, if the
application still produces a result, it becomes incumbent upon the
operator of that application to recognize that there has been
miscalculation.
- A
business phone system may experience subtle problems in some
subset of its features. In most cases, a dial tone will still be
available and the phone may seem to function normally. The problem
may occur with the reports that detail the duration of each phone
call. For organizations that use this information for billing
and/or tracking, the problematic reports may not be immediately
recognized and automated billing systems may generate faulty
invoices.
| What kinds of computer systems are affected by the
Y2K problem? |
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Answer:
The Y2K problem exists in the mainframe, mini, UNIX, and PC, and
other computing environments. Mainframe computers running custom
code will be the most acutely affected, but there are Y2K concerns
on all of the other platforms as well. (See Answer 3, above.)
| What is Microsoft's Y2K strategy? |
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Answer:
Microsoft customers have expressed the need for three basic
things: simple definitions to identify the product's level of Y2K
compliance; information on the ways the product handles dates; and
assistance with finding additional resources for Y2K efforts.
- Simple definitions. In the Year 2000 Product
Guide, the company's products are grouped into five
categories: compliant, compliant with minor issues, not compliant,
testing yet to be completed and will not test. (See question
number 8 for further detail.)
- Product Guides. Each tested product has a product
guide document written which covers its compliance status,
describes the date handling methods of the product, and identifies
any issues or software updates that exist.
- Resources. As a technology leader, Microsoft is
committed to helping organizations find solutions to Y2K problems.
Microsoft recognizes the important role remediation tools play in
enabling customers to prepare their environments for the year
2000, and is committed to helping customers understand the types
of tools they will need and where they can find the necessary
products.
The company is actively helping customers address Y2K issues by
conducting product compliance tests, and by providing information
resources, remediation tools, and channel support.
Product compliance testing. Microsoft has made a
company-wide commitment to test for Y2K issues in its operating
system, business and personal productivity products. To date the
vast majority (about 93 percent) of the products tested are either
compliant or compliant with minor issues. Microsoft's Y2K testing
approach is very thorough, consisting of source code review, date
functionality tests and product-specific testing. Products
classified as compliant with minor issues will perform without data
loss or impact on core functionality regardless of the year 2000
date change. Microsoft is committed to ongoing product testing and
will retest products upon the release of service packs or upgrades
to ensure Y2K compliance is maintained.
Information resources. Microsoft is supplying
information customers need to help them evaluate the effect the year
2000 might have on their computing environments as well as providing
the resources, tools, and assistance needed for remediation. The
Microsoft Year 2000 Readiness and Disclosure Resource Center Web
site at: http://www.microsoft.com/y2k/ is the
primary information repository. Information from this web site also
is available on CD-ROM, which is delivered roughly quarterly on a
subscription basis.
In addition, Microsoft is providing several other tailored
information resources to make it easier for customers to make year
2000 remediation decisions. These include a new e-mail subscription
service that delivers compliance news updates every two weeks, an
e-mail alias offering quick turnaround on year 2000 questions, and
toll-free phone numbers (in the US (888) MSFT-Y2K), for additional
product information.
Y2K contact form. If, after reviewing the
information in the Year 2000 Product Guide, you have
additional questions related to a specific Microsoft product, go to
the bottom of its compliance document in the Product Guide to submit
a question to a Microsoft Support Representative.
Y2K toll-free phone number. For
customers without Web access, Microsoft has launched a toll-free
information line where product guides, white papers, and answers to
frequently asked questions are available by fax or e-mail. The toll
free number in the US is (888) MSFT-Y2K (673-8925).
Preparing for Year 2000 û briefings. As part
of its quarterly briefings for information technology professionals,
Microsoft is offering technical breakout sessions that focus on ways
businesses of all sizes can implement year 2000 readiness programs.
The sessions provide information on using tools, services, and
products, such as Microsoft Systems Management Server, as components
of year 2000 remediation. These free TechNet briefings are held
throughout the world. To find a nearby briefing, visit the TechNet
Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/events/.
Microsoft Y2K BluePrint workshops. Microsoft will provide
a one-day workshop to assist enterprise customers in preparing a
year 2000 plan with concise and concrete actions. In the workshop,
customers will learn how to apply the Microsoft Solutions Framework
(MSF) methodology for year 2000 program management.
RemediationTools. Microsoft recognizes the
important role remediation tools play in enabling customers to
prepare their computing environments for the year 2000, and is
committed to helping customers understand the types of tools they
will need and where they can be found. Microsoft's solution
providers have many tools for addressing the Y2K challenge. A
current list of these companies and their tools is located on the
Y2K Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/tools/tools.htm.
The Year 2000 Tools Guide includes information on tools
designed to help you:
- Address Y2K issues on server-based applications and
products
- Test,
profile and resolve BIOS-related issues
- Scan
and analyze client server applications
- Perform software inventory and analysis
- Build
solutions to help address legacy applications
- Scan,
analyze and revise your Microsoft Office documents
- Create and manage your Y2K projects
- Scan
and analyze your Visual Basic code and C++ code
- Scan
and analyze your Visual Fox Pro Applications
DISCLAIMER: MICROSOFT HAS NOT TESTED, AND MAKES NO
WARRANTIES CONCERNING, ANY THIRD-PARTY PRODUCTS OR RESOURCES LISTED
IN THE YEAR 2000 TOOLS GUIDE. YOU WILL NEED TO DO YOUR OWN
ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE IF THE TOOLS OFFERED MEET YOUR NEEDS. FOR
INFORMATION REGARDING THESE COMPANIES OR THEIR Y2K SOLUTIONS, PLEASE
CONTACT THE COMPANIES DIRECTLY.
Product Analyzer. Microsoft is developing a tool to
aid in remediation, called the Microsoft Y2K Product Analyzer, which
scans a user's hard drive to create an inventory of Microsoft
products. It then compares this inventory to the Microsoft Year 2000
Compliance product guides, identifies products (if any) for which
the user should download a free software update, and provides URLs
to enable the user to obtain the updates easily. The Product
Analyzer will be available free of charge on Microsoft's Web site
and on the Resource CD.
Channel support. Microsoft will continue to work
closely with its channel providers to ensure they have the tools,
technology and expertise they need to help businesses of all sizes
prepare for the Y2K challenge. Microsoft has more than 775,000
partners and providers worldwide, ranging in size from
small-business value-added providers to enterprise consulting
organizations.
| What is Microsoft's statement of year 2000
compliance? |
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Answer:
A year 2000 compliant product from Microsoft will not produce
errors processing date data in connection with the year change from
December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 when used with accurate date
data in accordance with its documentation and the recommendations
and exceptions set forth in the Microsoft Year 2000 Product
Guide, provided all other products (e.g., other software,
firmware and hardware) used with it properly exchange date data with
the Microsoft product. A Year 2000 Compliant product from Microsoft
will recognize the year 2000 as a leap year.
DISCLAIMER THE STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE REFERS TO THE
MICROSOFT PRODUCT AS DELIVERED BY MICROSOFT. THE COMPLIANCE
STATEMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO USER CUSTOMIZABLE FEATURES OR THIRD
PARTY ADD-ON FEATURES OR PRODUCTS, INCLUDING ITEMS SUCH AS MACROS
AND CUSTOM PROGRAMMING AND FORMATTING FEATURES. THE MICROSOFT
STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A WARRANTY OR EXTEND THE
TERMS OF ANY EXISTING WARRANTY. THE WARRANTIES PROVIDED FOR
MICROSOFT'S PRODUCTS, IF ANY, ARE SET FORTH IN THE END USER LICENSE
AGREEMENTS (EULAS) THAT ACCOMPANY THE PRODUCTS OR THE TERMS OF THE
LICENSE AGREEMENT UNDER WHICH YOU MAKE USE OF A MICROSOFT PRODUCT.
THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM MICROSOFT CONCERNING THE YEAR 2000 IS
PROVIDED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING OUR CUSTOMERS IN THEIR
PLANNING FOR THE TRANSITION TO THE YEAR 2000.
| How will Microsoft deliver information about the
compliance or non-compliance of its products? |
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Answer:
The Microsoft Year 2000 Product Guide on the World Wide
Web at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/product.asp
was developed in response to customer requests for quick reference
information on the Y2K issue and Microsoft products.
The Microsoft products in the guide are listed in one of five
categories:
Category
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Description
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Compliant
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The product fully
meets Microsoft's standard of compliance. May have
prerequisite patch or service pack for compliance
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Compliant with
minor issues
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The product meets
Microsoft's standard of compliance with some disclosed
exceptions that constitute minor date issues
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Not
Compliant
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The product does not
meet Microsoft's standard of compliance
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Testing yet to be
completed
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Product test is not
yet complete or has not been started but will be
tested
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Will not
test
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The product will not
be tested for compliance
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Microsoft's policy is that future Microsoft products be year 2000
compliant. To support customers who use versions of Microsoft
products that are recent but not the most current, the company
intends to maintain the year 2000 compliance of many popular
operating system, business and personal productivity products
through Jan. 1, 2001.
| How can I get the Microsoft Year 2000 Product
Guide? |
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Answer:
The Year 2000 Product Guide is posted on the Microsoft
Year 2000 Readiness and Disclosure Resource Center site at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/product.asp.
Information from this web site also is available on CD-ROM, which is
delivered roughly quarterly on a subscription basis.
The Year 2000 Product Guide is updated continually as
product test information becomes available. The Product Guides
include the following information:
- Product Name, version number and Y2K Compliance
category
- Language, product release date and operational range for
data
- Prerequisites for compliance, such as service packs and
patches
- Product dependencies and clock dependencies
- Describes the product's date handling capabilities
- If the product uses two-digit shortcuts, describes the window
used and methodology for conversion to four digits.
- If the product is not compliant, describes how it is
not.
- Describes common date usage errors (how the user may have used
the product in a non-compliant way).
- Recommendations for specific items to test or testing
scenarios, if applicable.
| What are the main points of exposure for the
PC? |
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Answer:
The PC has 6 main layers of exposure to Y2K problems.
- Hardware
- Operating System
- Applications and Runtime Libraries
- Documents and Spreadsheets
- Custom Code
- Data Interfaces
Hardware. The most common hardware problem
presented by the year 2000 is associated with the PC's Real Time
Clock (RTC) and Basic Input/Output System combination (BIOS). The
RTC and BIOS software reside in the computer hardware itself.
The RTC keeps track of the system date and time. Most PCs have a
two-digit-year RTC. That means the RTC chip stores the values for
seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years in 2 digits. The
century value is stored separately. The BIOS sets and maintains year
and century data. The BIOS software is usually stored in a memory
chip or in the computer's flash memory. If the century rollover code
is missing from the BIOS program, the RTC century value is not
updated when the PC is turned on. When the date changes from "99" to
"00" but the century bits do not change from "19" to "20," the
operating system sees 1900 instead of 2000.
Logic has been included in the newer Microsoft operating systems
to compensate for this type of rollover problem. Windows NT 3.51
(with Service Pack 5 plus Y2K fixes), Windows NT 4.0 (with Service
Pack 4 plus Y2k fixes), and the Windows 98 (with Y2K fixes) and
Windows 2000 operating systems will recognize 1900 as an error case
and will automatically compensate by setting the date to 2000.
Some BIOSes revert to 1900 every time the system reboots.
Throughout the year 2000, the Microsoft fix in Windows NT 3.51,
Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 98 will set the system clock to 2000
every time the machine is turned on.
Other BIOSes have error handling built into them that resets a
1900 date before the Microsoft operating system begins to interact
with the BIOS. If that date is a valid date, such as 1993, then the
Microsoft operating system will assume that it is correct. Microsoft
recommends that customers identify the BIOS make and version number
in their computer(s) and test the BIOS for year 2000 functionality.
For more information, see Microsoft
Operating System Interactions with BIOS and Real Time Clock
found in the White Papers section of the Microsoft Year 2000 Web
site.
Operating systems. Software applications typically
obtain date information from the operating system clock so it is
important to assess the Y2K functionality of your operating
system(s). The Microsoft Year 2000 Product Guide includes Y2K
compliance information and guidelines for testing Microsoft
operating systems.
Applications and runtime libraries. Applications
and runtime libraries are interdependent. (Runtime Libraries are
files that provide functionality to applications.)
Users do not directly interact with runtime libraries; rather, it
is the user's actions with an application that utilize runtimes. By
loading a Windows application you are using runtime libraries. It is
possible, though, that you can be running an application such as
Excel and then add a third-party product that provides yet another
runtime library. If that is the case, the dependency roles are
reversed. If a runtime library mishandles the date, it doesn't
matter if the application, operating system, or BIOS were designed
properly. The environment is still not ready. Therefore, it is
possible for a non-Microsoft runtime library to be used in
conjunction with a Microsoft application and for it to break the
Microsoft application.
Some applications have internal calendars that could miscalculate
the leap year; others may force a two-digit date, depending on how
that particular application was designed.
Documents and Spreadsheets. Documents are the
products of work done using applications. Some examples of documents
would be Excel spreadsheets, Word documents and Access databases. In
many cases these documents contain critical information and may
assist in business decision-making. If there are unique elements of
these documents such as custom mathematical formulas, macros, Visual
Basic for Applications code, etc. then each instance must be
identified and prioritized for analysis and potential repair.
Prioritizing the documents can be very difficult due to the
distributed nature of usage and storage within organizations.
Custom code. Custom code may have the largest
exposure to Y2K problems. Many organizations have in-house or
contracted programmers developing custom applications to better meet
their business needs. Due to non-standard programming practices
throughout the software development community, date handling in
applications is not consistent and will need to be examined
application-by-application and line-by-line of code.
An example problem in custom code would be if someone placed a
two-digit date in a text string and then based a calculation on that
date. The application would have no way of interpreting those two
digits as a date. As a result, the calculation could be wrong. If
this were done in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to enhance an
Office application, it could lead to date handling problems. Even
though the application (for example Excel) is handling dates
correctly, the VBA custom code could cause it to malfunction.
Data interfaces. In many organizations, the PC is
just one of many parts in the information technology system. The
interfaces between the PC and other platforms must be understood,
inventoried, analyzed, fixed, and tested, just like any other
portion of the year 2000 project.
An end-to-end view of the organization is the best way to deal
with understanding problems with data interfaces. A PC may be ready
for the year 2000. Yet, if there is an interface from that PC to a
system that does not handle dates properly, the information placed
into the PC environment can cause problems.
| How are Microsoft products most vulnerable to Y2K
problems? |
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Answer:
Custom code. In many computing environments, custom
code represents the largest exposure to Y2K issues.
Excel spreadsheets. Excel is the Office
application most-often customized by users. Furthermore, the use of
dates in Excel is very common. Three add-on utilities are now
available from Microsoft to assist with dates when converting
spreadsheets from older versions to Excel 97.
- The
Date Fix Wizard allows users to change the date format of
two-digit-year dates quickly and easily or to modify serial number
dates so that they fall within a specified century.
- The
Date Migration Wizard helps ensure that, when a workbook that was
created in an earlier version of Microsoft Excel is opened, dates
with two-digit years are handled correctly. The wizard searches
workbooks for functions that contain two-digit years falling
between 20 and 29 in text dates.
- The
Date Watch Wizard monitors work for year-ambiguous dates and
formats.
The add-ons for Excel 97 are available from the Microsoft Web
site at: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q176/9/43.asp.
Hardware. Although Microsoft produces very little
hardware, Microsoft software is dependent upon the Y2K readiness of
the computer.
Data interfaces. If a backend system has a Y2K
problem and passes erroneous data (or no data) to the PC, it may
initially appear that the PC itself failed even though that is not
the case.
| How do I determine what version of an application,
file, or operating system I am running? |
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Answer:
For applications the easiest way to determine what version
you are running is activate the program, go to the Help menu, and
look in the About <product name> section. For files, it
is suggested to use Windows Explorer's Find feature to locate the
file of interest. After finding the file, select it and right click
to examine Properties. For operating systems, go to My
Computer, right click, and select Properties.
| What are the test criteria that Microsoft uses to
validate date handling within its products? |
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Answer:
Microsoft understands the critical nature of the Year 2000 issue.
Information Technology professionals responsible for the year 2000
health of Microsoft products used in their environments need to
understand how Microsoft has tested its products. Generally, a
product is defined by the Microsoft code it automatically loads or
offers to load.
The list below represents the framework used by Microsoft to test
the year 2000 date handling capabilities of Microsoft products.
- The product stores and calculates dates consistent with a
four-digit format throughout its operational range.
- If the product allows the user to enter a two-digit short cut
for the year, the product recognizes the year consistent with a
four-digit format.
- The product will correctly execute leap year
calculations.
- The product does not use special values for dates within its
operational range for data.
- The product will function through the end of year 2035.
Compliance is determined by satisfying the requirements of the
Microsoft Year 2000 Compliance Statement and Test Criteria. Third
party products are not tested or represented by Microsoft. The
results of this testing process can be found in the Microsoft
Year 2000 Product Guide. Microsoft continues to test for Year
2000 issues as new versions or service packs are released.
Note all references to "dates" refer to using either four
digits or two digits for the YEAR portion of the date. This testing
criteria does not constitute a warranty or certification expressed
or implied, of any kind.
| Does Microsoft recommend that customers use
two-digit or four-digit data entry? |
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Answer:
Functionality. Within Microsoft applications, the
four-digit date logic is applied to meet that application's
particular needs. For example, when Outlook is used for scheduling,
the date window is different than the date window for birth dates in
the Contact Manager. The reason is these two functions require
different logic to better serve the user's needs.
Efficiency. The other major aspect of two-digit use
comes back to sociological issues. First, users think in two digits,
so it is more natural for them. Second, entry of two digits is
quicker and easier than four digits. Finally, the use of just
two-digits requires less storage space on the backend system.
Recommendation. Microsoft recommends the use of
four-digit dates for date input where possible. This will lead to
the highest level of accuracy in date calculations.
| What are Microsoft's recommendations for working
with the year 2000 on a PC? |
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Answer:
Examine the computing environment from end-to-end.
Microsoft recommends that every organization looking into the
potential impact of the year 2000 take an end-to-end look at their
environments. "End-to-end" means understanding how data enters an
environment (user input, electronic transfer, etc.), how it is
manipulated, stored, calculated, sorted, sequenced, etc. within the
environment, what systems are involved with the handling of that
data, and finally, how the data leaves that environment (user
interface, printed hard copy, electronic data interface, etc.).
"End-to-end" encompasses both hardware and software. Microsoft
technologies are but one piece of most computing environments.
Use a test-bed. We recommend that customers DO NOT
test for Y2K issues on production PCs. There are many date-related
functions on the average desktop of which people may not be aware.
Arbitrarily setting the clock ahead can have some unforeseen
results. For example, auto archiving on scheduling programs,
automated backup systems, special licensing timeouts on vertical
applications, and demonstration applications can all be adversely
affected by the year 2000 problem.
Check the BIOS and system clock. Microsoft
advocates the use of an MS-DOS boot disk to check the system for
clock issues. This will separate the day-to-day functionality of the
system from the date testing. After the user sets the clock ahead
for testing, make sure to reboot the machine to the boot disk and
set the clock back to the right time. For detailed BIOS testing
recommendations, see the white paper Microsoft
Operating System Interactions with BIOS and Real Time Clock
found in the White Papers section of the Microsoft Year 2000 Web
site.
Inspect custom code. In many computing
environments, custom code represents the largest exposure to Y2K
issues. We advocate that experienced programmers evaluate any custom
code in information systems. To locate third-party products that can
assist in the inspection of custom code, please see the Year 2000
Tools Guide at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/tools/tools.htm.
Use management tools where possible for inventory and
distribution of fixes. If your PCs are on a network and you
have a network management tool such as Microsoft Systems Management
Server, you can use the inventory and analysis features of the tool
to understand what is in your environment. Once you have this
information, you can begin the process of organizing the work to be
done. Many management tools also offer the capability of
distributing software. This mechanism can be employed to distribute
software updates and fixes, as needed.
| What does Microsoft recommend for working with the
PC BIOS issue? |
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Answer:
Take inventory of your computing
environment. It is important to assess the Y2K
functionality of the operating system and RTC/BIOS combination you
are dealing with on each machine. Unfortunately, it is possible that
within a single purchase order your computer supplier delivered
machines with differing versions of BIOSes. This means that your
best bet is to verify each machine. For many large organizations
where it is too time-consuming to touch every desktop, Information
Systems departments may need to distribute instructions to the users
for manually setting the system clock to 2000.
Use Microsoft operating system solutions. Download
the Windows« 98 Year 2000 Update at: http://www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.
Download updates for Windows NT at: http://support.microsoft.com/Support/NTServer/Content/ServicePacks/Default.asp.
Prior to conducting year 2000 rollover tests, Microsoft recommends
that you install these and other free updates for operating systems
and applications that Microsoft makes available from time to time.
Use the testing steps in the white paper Microsoft
Operating System Interactions with BIOS and Real Time Clock
found in the White Papers section of the Microsoft Year 2000 Web
site to assess how your
machine's RTC/BIOS handles the rollover to year 2000 with your
Windows operating systems. At the end of testing be sure to reset
the operating system to the current date/time.
If necessary, manually set the date. If you
encounter the most common rollover error, in which the century
remains "1900," and if the machine is running one of the following
operating systems Windows« 3.x, Windows« 95,
or MS-DOS« version 5.x or later, manually reset the date.
(If you are not operating in a test bed environment, it is
recommended that you wait until after Dec. 31, 1999 to reset the
date. This will prevent premature expiration of date-sensitive
software and settings.) The system time should work properly from
that point forward. In fact, this will be the most common practice
for home users with this Y2K problem.
Contact your PC's manufacturer for assistance. If
you encounter rollover errors, contact the PC's manufacturer. Many
PC manufacturers have included the required BIOS logic for handling
the Y2K transition for quite some time. However, some older machines
may not have upgradable BIOSes (or no BIOS upgrade was made
available). Many manufacturers have developed device drivers to
compensate for the RTC limitations of systems that are not year 2000
ready.
Use third-party application solutions. Another
option is to use one of the many products that have been developed
to address BIOS issues. Select Year 2000 Tools located at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/tools/tools.htm
for links to third party suppliers. Microsoft has not tested, and
makes no warranties concerning, any third-party products or
resources such as those described or referred to above.
Make contingency plans. Develop contingency plans
for information technology systems and business processes. Prepare
to address "worst case scenarios" for the possible failure of
systems or a group of systems due to the year 2000. This may include
plans for handling key business processes manually.
| Does Microsoft have any process recommendations for
organizations dealing with the year 2000 problem?
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Answer:
Yes. Microsoft advocates that all organizations take an
end-to-end view of their environment. End-to-end means understanding
how information enters, is used, and leaves an environment. It
requires an assessment of all of the physical, software and business
process components. Microsoft has identified a series of steps that
customers should take as part of their end-to-end review:
- Take
inventory of, and analyze all systems, including immediate testing
of all systems to determine compliance.
- Fix
or replace hardware, firmware, or embedded systems where
necessary, and fix or replace software as necessary. Options
include fixing code, rehosting code on the same platform
(rehosting on a new platform may be required), using packaged,
off-the-shelf applications wherever possible, ignoring purely
cosmetic problems, and outsourcing the business function to
alleviate the pressure on internal resources.
- Retire systems where fixes or replacements cannot be
finished because of lack of time and resources.
- Adapt
business processes to address potential year 2000 issues. Examine
the supply chain to understand how this problem affects business
partners and customers. Plan for the contingencies of failure and
success as they apply to the year 2000.
To address year 2000 concerns, Microsoft also suggests companies
take non-technical steps such as starting to incorporate four-digit
years in spreadsheets, databases and other applications wherever
possible. Furthermore, companies should train information technology
staff, help desk, and customer support staff to recognize
date-related problems and respond promptly.
| What are the most important business issues for
making Y2K decisions? |
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Answer:
Microsoft recognizes the pressures being placed upon IT
professionals by the year 2000. Business solutions to Y2K problems
will be founded in part upon the factors discussed below.
Resources and time. The year 2000 imposes a
different set of priorities on Information Technology organizations
than do traditional projects. Resources and time are the primary
issues that need to be factored into technical and business
decisions for the year 2000.
Personnel. The IT industry in general is
experiencing a shortage of trained personnel and the year 2000 is
exacerbating this problem. In the mainframe world, COBOL programmers
are getting to be more and more difficult to find and their salaries
are increasing. For other legacy technology environments there are
similar shortages of capable staffing. The PC environment has the
largest community of knowledgeable personnel. Furthermore, they have
been largely unused for Y2K work, as most enterprises have been
focused on central IT issues.
Hardware procurement. Today there is high demand
for replacement and test platform hardware in the legacy markets.
Organizations are finding it difficult to procure what they need in
order to complete the work on time. The PC environment will be able
to assist on this front due to the proliferation of manufacturers
and service vendors.
Supply chain. The best way to explain this issue is
to think about a manufacturing company. Most manufacturers only
carry enough inventory to sustain production for a few weeks at
most. If they lose just one key supplier and have no way to
compensate for this loss, production can be jeopardized. So, if a
large manufacturer identified 300 key suppliers, it would then have
to think about the supply chain for each of those 300 suppliers. If
there were 3-5 key suppliers for each of the manufacturer's key
suppliers, the manufacturer must now worry about the Y2K health of
900 to 1500 companies.
Cost. The financial impact of the Y2K problem can
be significant. Corporations are faced with potentially large
outlays of capital in order to prepare their environments for the
change of the millennium. As IT budgets grow to meet the needs of
the Y2K projects, the rest of the organization will have to
compensate for the strain created by unplanned IT expenditures.
Contingency planning. Everyone should develop
contingency plans for the year 2000. There are two elements to
contingency planning to consider. The first is contingency for
failure. If a system or group of systems fail due to the year 2000,
there should be a logical progression of reactive activities that IT
professionals can pursue to compensate for that problem. The second
is the contingency for success. If a key competitor or group of
competitors fail because of this issue then it is possible that
there will be an excessive amount of business in a very short period
of time. This can be as challenging for an organization as having
too little business.
Manual processes can compensate for the loss of functionality of
a system either through forced retirement or outright failure of the
system. In today's world, a "manual" process can be equated with a
PC-based process. An example of a manual process would be if a
company filled an auditorium with people sitting in front of
stand-alone PCs and a printer to process daily transactions.
Digital Nervous System. The Information Technology
infrastructure of an organization functions as the Digital Nervous
System of the business. A healthy Digital Nervous System will enable
you to respond efficiently to changes in your business environment
due to the year 2000. Microsoft technologies, services and partners
combine to create the basis for a healthy Digital Nervous System
that can address both the technical and business issues at hand.
| What steps should organizations take when dealing
with the Y2K problem? |
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Answer:
Inventory and analyze. Before considering solutions
such as fixing, replacing and/or retiring systems, we recommend that
the first step in any Y2K evaluation be a complete inventory and
analysis of information technology assets.
Fix and/or replace.
- Fix
the code if you have access to and an understanding of the source
code.
- Re-host on same platform. More often than not this implies
custom development work on that platform. This is a viable option
to maintain knowledge base and expertise.
- Re-host on a new platform. This is commonly known as the
"replacement" strategy.
- Use
packaged, off-the-shelf applications with known y2k readiness.
This will be one of the core components in a successful
replacement strategy.
- Outsource a broken business function. This can alleviate
the pressure on internal human and physical resources.
- Live
with cosmetic bugs. If a problem can be identified as purely
cosmetic then it may be acceptable to leave it alone.
Retire systems or applications. As time and human
resources run short, an organization may be forced to retire systems
that they deem critical while remediating others in order to
survive.
| What will the effects of a shortage of time and
resources do to the decision-making process? |
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Answer:
Triage becomes essential. Year 2000 project
managers should identify the applications and systems throughout
their organizations to determine where their maximum exposure lies.
They will then need to determine which applications and systems must
be saved, which would be nice to save, and which are not necessary
to save. Applications and systems may be grouped into the following
categories:
- Systems that are mission-critical but carry risks different
from traditional Information Technology. (For example:
manufacturing equipment with embedded control systems.)
- Systems that are mission critical. If these systems are lost,
the company will cease to do business. (Example: core accounting
systems or order-entry systems.)
- Systems that, if lost, will cause significant pain and will
disrupt major business processes. (Example: e-mail systems, report
writing systems or line-of-business applications.)
- Systems that, if lost, will cause only minor inconveniences.
Work will continue with or without these facilitators. (Example:
simple data manipulation tools.)
- Systems that are extraneous and should be retired. (Example:
old applications that few individuals use.)
Each system should be analyzed to determine the resources and
time required to address Y2K issues. As time and human resources run
short, many organizations may be forced to retire systems in
category 3. When the need for retirement starts to hit this level,
organizations will be faced with the potential for significant
disruption of business. It is at this point that Microsoft
technologies can provide assistance through the use of a Modified
Rapid Replacement strategy. The application of this strategy is not
a matter of re-inventing the organization; it is simply a method of
applying technology to the business need created by the year 2000.
| What is a Modified Rapid Replacement Strategy?
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Answer:
Identifying and replacing critical systems.
Modified rapid replacement is the idea that it is not necessary to
get a 1:1 feature/function replacement ratio when replacing a
system. In the context of the year 2000, the main thing that matters
is "Did you get ready in time?" If you look at a business
application and recognize that it will either be replaced or retired
due to time and resource restrictions, the first step that needs to
be taken is an understanding how that application fulfills a
business requirement. If the application provides 24 great features,
but only six of them are critical to its functionality, replace
those six and move on to the next part of the overall project. The
most cost-effective objective is to create solutions to save those
critical systems prior to the very real deadline.
Using familiar technology. The advantage of the
Modified Rapid Replacement strategy is that it uses a business's
existing investments in knowledge of Microsoft technologies as well
as the products that are already in use. IT professionals will not
have to learn a new set of technologies when they use the Microsoft
solution set.
For example, a business's need for a uniform e-mail system within
an environment may be crucial. In order to meet the year 2000
deadline, though, perhaps the organization deploys the Exchange 5.5
infrastructure with servers only. They use browsers as the e-mail
client throughout the enterprise. Is this the optimal way to use
Exchange? No, but it will get the organization through the year 2000
and position it strategically for growth in the years that follow.
Another example involves an organization with a report-writing
engine on a legacy platform affected by the year 2000. The
organization is faced with the decision of dedicating resources to
fixing that component or retiring it. (Ideally they would fix, but
if they are already behind on the core, mission-critical
applications, those legacy resources will have to be dedicated to
that core portion of the project.) Instead of retiring the report
writer, the organization creates a server-side ActiveX control using
internal or third party resources to handle the report-writing
component. They deploy it to the desktop for any type of browser. It
may be that this replacement only does 15 of the 75 reports that the
original one could do, but those 15 are the critical ones.
| Is there a workaround to prevent the right margin
of a compliance document from getting chopped off during
printing? |
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Answer:
Select the entire text by clicking and dragging with the mouse
from the top to the bottom of the compliance document, but not the
navigation bar on the left. Go to File, Print, click "Selection,"
then OK.
| How are Microsoft application development tools
affected by BIOS/RTC errors? |
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Answer:
Visual SourceSafe uses a "time stamp" on data files. This time
stamp contains date information obtained from the system clock. The
time stamp is provided by the machine's BIOS (Basic Input-Output
System), and is not provided by Visual SourceSafe. If the machine
uses a year 2000 non-compliant BIOS/RTC that fails to reset the
system clock to January 1, 2000 (and if the operating system does
not automatically correct the date) new files and new versions will
be saved with incorrect time stamps. This could corrupt data in the
history database. For example, if the version control system checks
in a "new" file with an incorrect date (say, a year in the 1900s),
the control system could overwrite the "new" version with an older
version of the data file. Developers should contact their PC vendor
to ensure that the computer's BIOS is year 2000 compliant. For more
information, see the individual product summaries for Microsoft
application development tools in the Year 2000 Product Guide.
 |
ALL COMMUNICATIONS OR CONVEYANCES OF INFORMATION TO YOU
CONCERNING MICROSOFT AND THE YEAR 2000, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY OTHER PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE INFORMATION
REGARDING YEAR 2000 TESTING, ASSESSMENTS, READINESS, TIME TABLES,
OBJECTIVES, OR OTHER (COLLECTIVELY THE "MICROSOFT YEAR 2000
STATEMENT"), ARE PROVIDED AS A "YEAR 2000 READINESS
DISCLOSURE" (AS DEFINED BY THE YEAR 2000 INFORMATION AND
READINESS DISCLOSURE ACT) AND CAN BE FOUND AT MICROSOFTÆS YEAR 2000
WEBSITE LOCATED AT http://www.microsoft.com/year2000/
(the "Y2K WEBSITE"). EACH MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT IS PROVIDED
PURSUANT TO THE TERMS HEREOF, THE TERMS OF THE Y2K WEBSITE, AND THE
YEAR 2000 INFORMATION AND READINESS DISCLOSURE ACT FOR THE SOLE
PURPOSE OF ASSISTING THE PLANNING FOR THE TRANSITION TO THE YEAR
2000. EACH MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND IS UPDATED REGULARLY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
MICROSOFT THEREFORE RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CHECK THE Y2K WEBSITE
REGULARLY FOR ANY CHANGES TO ANY MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT. EACH MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS"
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. CONSEQUENTLY, MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL
WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. MOREOVER,
MICROSOFT DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE
USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF ANY MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT
IN TERMS OF ITS CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. NO
ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY MICROSOFT OR ITS
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY
DECREASE THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY DISCLAIMER. IN NO
EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER REGARDING ANY MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT INCLUDING
DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS
PROFITS, PUNITIVE OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT OR ITS
SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION
MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN EACH MICROSOFT
YEAR 2000 STATEMENT IS FOUND AT THE Y2K WEBSITE AND IS INTENDED TO
BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER INFORMATION LOCATED AT THE Y2K
WEBSITE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MICROSOFTÆS YEAR 2000
COMPLIANCE STATEMENT, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CATEGORIES OF
COMPLIANCE INTO WHICH MICROSOFT HAS CLASSIFIED ITS PRODUCTS IN ITS
YEAR 2000 PRODUCT GUIDE, AND THE MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 TEST CRITERIA.
ANY MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENTS MADE TO YOU IN THE COURSE OF
PROVIDING YEAR 2000 RELATED UPDATES, YEAR 2000 DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS, OR
REMEDIATION SERVICES (IF ANY) ARE SUBJECT TO THE YEAR 2000
INFORMATION AND READINESS DISCLOSURE ACT (112 STAT. 2386). IN CASE
OF A DISPUTE, THIS ACT MAY REDUCE YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS REGARDING THE
USE OF ANY SUCH STATEMENTS, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED BY YOUR
CONTRACT OR TARIFF.
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