Windows 95/98/NT Y2K hoax (8/10/99)

Question

Windows 95/98/NT Y2K hoax (8/10/99)

Answer

This question was answered on August 17, 1999. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

Watch out for a Y2K hoax that is making the rounds warning you that "...every single installation of Windows worldwide is defaulted to fail Y2K rollover". This message was either generated by an uninformed individual or someone that intended this to be a hoax. The message as we received it is as follows:

"Every copy of Windows will fail on January 1st unless you fix it now, to fix it..."

Double click on "My Computer."

>Double click on "Control Panel."

>

>Double click on "Regional Settings" icon.

>

>Click on the "Date" tab at the top of the page.

>

>Where it says, "Short Date Sample," look and see if it shows a "two

digit"

>year.

>Of course it does. That's the default setting for Windows 95, Windows 98 and NT.

>

>This date RIGHT HERE is the date that feeds application software and WILL NOT rollover in the year 2000. It will roll over to 00.

>

>Click on the button across from "Short Date Style" and select the option that shows, mm/dd/yyyy.

>

>(Be sure your selection has four Y's showing, not two) Then click on "Apply" and then click on "OK" at the bottom.

>

>Easy enough to fix. However, every single installation of Windows worldwide is defaulted to fail Y2K rollover.

>

>How many people know about it? How many people know to change that?

>What will be the effect? Who knows. But this is another example of the pervasiveness and systematic nature of the problem.

>

>NOW YOU KNOW SO PASS IT ON TO OTHERS

THIS INFORMATION IS INCORRECT! The section of the regional settings that the author was referring to is not where programs pull the

date. It is simply the method that will be used to display the date in the short method. If you look at the section that is just above this setting you will see the translation method that tells the computer that "00" is the year 2000 because it falls between 1930 and 2029.

Please do not pass this hoax along to others and if you already have, follow it up with this message.

Microsoft has also posted information about this hoax at:

Author

Posted by Ken of Data Doctors on August 17, 1999