Microsoft Y2k site states the following: Several e-mails are claiming to contain upgrades of Microsoft software and some are claiming Windows 95 and Windows 98 will fail on Jan. 1. However, Microsoft does not distribute software by e-mail and Windows 95 and 98 are compliant. If you receive such an e-mail, delete it or report to the sender's Internet Service Provider. However, you can find a patch for Windows 98 at: Y2k patch The, patch, or Windows 98 Customer Service Pack, as Microsoft prefers to call it, is described as follows:

The Windows 98 Customer Service Pack includes several minor fixes plus Year 2000 updates for the original version of Windows 98, but it does not include any of the new features that come with Windows 98 Second Edition. I look forward to the explanation of how this is not lying.

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), October 20, 1999

Answers

Once more with formatting:

Microsoft Y2k site states the following:

Several e-mails are claiming to contain upgrades of Microsoft software and some are claiming Windows 95 and Windows 98 will fail on Jan. 1. However, Microsoft does not distribute software by e-mail and Windows 95 and 98 are compliant. If you receive such an e-mail, delete it or report to the sender's Internet Service Provider.

However, you can find a patch for Windows 98 at: Y 2k patch

The patch, or Windows 98 Customer Service Pack, as Microsoft prefers to call it, is described as follows:

The Windows 98 Customer Service Pack includes several minor fixes plus Year 2000 updates for the original version of Windows 98, but it does not include any of the new features that come with Windows 98 Second Edition.

I look forward to the explanation of how this is not lying.

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

Well, Microsoft claims that Win 95 is compliant, but like Amy says, there's a patch (should maybe read "Catch"?)

Take a look at this snip from the accompanying text document that comes with the 'update':

IV. What Are the Year 2000 Issues in Windows 95? -------------------------------------------------

The issues listed below are resolved by installing this Update.

1. Find "File or Folders" Dialog (shell32.dll) The Date tab in Find "File or Folders" dialog displays the year in YY format. This format results in incorrect displays for years greater than 2000. For example, entering 03/20/2003 will incorrectly display 03/20/C3. However this does not effect the search. When searching for files changed within a certain date range, enter a 2-digit or 4-digit date and the search will be performed based on the dates entered. This file will be updated only if you are running Windows 95 version 950 or 950a. This issue does not exist in later Windows 95 versions.

2. Windows File Manager (winfile.exe) Windows File Manager does not display or sort dates beyond the year 2000 correctly. When using Windows File Manager to view the contents of folders, and you have selected to view "all file details", the dates of files created in the year 2000 and beyond may appear as follows:

January 1st, 2000 would appear as 1/1/;1

February 3rd, 2023 would appear as 2/3/>3

March 5th, 2036 would appear as 3/5/=6

3. Command Interpreter (command.com) The DATE command (internal to COMMAND.COM) does not correctly handle 2-digit dates from 00-79. Entering 2-digit dates within this range returns the error "Invalid Date".

4. Date/Time Picker (comctl32.dll). Previously, when you set your Regional Settings in the Control Panel to handle years as two digits, the Date/Time Picker function did not correctly reflect the date. This patch addresses that issue.

5. Phone Dialer applet (dialer.exe) The Show View Call Log option doesn't display the date properly after successful completion of a telephone call. If the system date is adjusted to the year 2000, the date is displayed as 100, 101,102, and so on.

For example, in the year 2000, you make a call using the Dialer applet. The log file created or appended to after the completion of the phone connection displays the year portion of the call date incorrectly, such as 101, 102, 103, and so on.

6. Time and Date Control Panel applet (timedate.cpl) When you select the date February 29 and change the year using the up and down arrows in the Date/Time Properties dialog box, the calendar displays February 29 every year, whether it's a leap year or not. This is a display issue in the applet.

7. DHCP Virtual Driver (vdhcp.386) Winipcfg /all - IP Leases obtained on or after 3/01/2000 are reported as being obtained the previous day. The system date is displayed properly but the DHCP client reports a date one day prior.

For example, if you log on to a LAN after March 1, 2000, and you run Winipcfg /all from Start\Run or Ipconfig /all from a DOS VM, the lease obtained date is one day behind. After 2/28/2000, the lease obtained date is one day behind the expected date.

8. Microsoft Foundation Class Library file (mfc40.dll) After the year 2000, programs that use the built in operators of the COleDateTime class may incorrectly parse a date . For example, 02/05/2000 may display as 2/05/100. Microsoft has modified the COleDateTime class so that it is less sensitive to program assumptions.

9. DOS Xcopy (xcopy.exe, xcopy32.exe) When using xcopy in real mode with the optional parameter /D:date, xcopy does not accept years entered as two digits, except for the years 80 through 99. The message "Invalid date" is displayed. When using xcopy in protected mode (from within Windows) two-digit dates are accepted but are recognized as being within the 20th century (02/05/01 is seen as 02/05/1901).

10. Microsoft Run Time Library file (msvcrt40.dll) Some applications that utilize this runtime library may behave as if the current time is one hour earlier than the correct time shown on the Windows clock. The problem will continue for one week from April 1 through April 8, 2001, after which these applications will shift to daylight savings time and again be in sync with the operating system. The problem results from the fact that April 1, 2001, falls on a Sunday, which confused a small algorithm in the run time library file that checks for the start of daylight savings time.This is not a year 2000 issue but rather a daylight savings time issue. It could occur in the years 1973, 1979, 1984, 1990, 2001, 2007, 2012, 2018, 2029, and 2035. What is common about these years is that April 1st falls on a Sunday.

11. OLE AUTOMATION (oleaut32.dll, olepro32.dll, stdole2.tlb, asycfilt.dll) The Microsoft Automation library contains routines for interpreting two digit years and provides a convenient way for applications to create unambiguous (serial) dates. In Windows 95 the current two digit year cutoff is 1999. This means that two digit years beginning with 00 will be interpreted as being in the 20th century, i.e. 1/1/00 is converted to 1/1/1900

'Course, folks, I guess this ol' update ain't really necessary. They said the Win 95 OS is compliant.

I suggest EVERYONE get the Microsoft Y2K Analyzer software, downloadable at:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/pca/pca.htm

I ran it on my system last week, and yeah, all my Microsoft stuff was compliant, all right. Here's a look at what the Analyzer said about my computer:

System Information

Machine

BIOS Name: American Megatrends BIOS Version: BIOS Version 1.00.07.CP0R CPU Description: Pentium OS: Windows 95 OS Version: 4.00.950 Language: English (United States) Computer Name: XXXXXXXX System Type: 09/07/96

Index of Systems/Applications Found

PLEASE NOTE: To help avoid potential Year 2000 issues, your applications and your operating system should both be Year 2000 compliant. (For example: a compliant application running on a non- compliant operating system might receive incorrect date information from the operating system.)

Windows 95 4.0 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required) Internet Explorer 5.0 (English) Compliant Access 97 8.0 SR-1 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required) Excel 97 8.0 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required) Excel 97 8.0a SR-1 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required) Jet Database Engine 3.51.2026.0 (All Languages) Compliant (prerequisite required) Microsoft Virtual Machine 2424 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required) Outlook Express 5.0 (English) Compliant PowerPoint 97 8.0 SR-1 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required) Schedule + 95 7.0 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required) Word 97 8.0 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required) Word 97 8.0 SR-1 (English) Compliant (prerequisite required)

"(prerequisite required)" means that I have to go and get a patch from Microsoft to 'update' the software to fix any 'minor' problems with Y2K.

I'm trying to be nice here, but how the ****!!! can they have the NERVE to crow about being compliant, and then tell a user that there's a heretofore unheard-of prerequisite? (Isn't a prerequisite something you're supposed to have beforehand? Like, accurate information, maybe?)

Know what's funny, Amy? My hubby's office just got in a whole bunch of brand new 550 mhz computers, complete with Windows 98. "Of course they're compliant!" HA!!! They're running the ORIGINAL version of Win 98. LOL!!! ROTFLOL!!!! (did I mention that hubby works for a Federal agency???) ROTFLMAO!!!!

I'm in such a mood today!

-- Arewyn (isitthatlate@lready.com), October 20, 1999.

Sorry, folks. My little "snip" markers disappeared. Should I repost, or can you read it okay?

-- Arewyn (isitthatlate@lready.com), October 20, 1999.

Let me try this again, legibly:

Take a look at this snip from the accompanying text document that comes with the 'update':

[snip]

IV. What Are the Year 2000 Issues in Windows 95? --------------------- ----------------------------

The issues listed below are resolved by installing this Update.

1. Find "File or Folders" Dialog (shell32.dll) The Date tab in Find "File or Folders" dialog displays the year in YY format. This format results in incorrect displays for years greater than 2000. For example, entering 03/20/2003 will incorrectly display 03/20/C3. However this does not effect the search. When searching for files changed within a certain date range, enter a 2-digit or 4-digit date and the search will be performed based on the dates entered. This file will be updated only if you are running Windows 95 version 950 or 950a. This issue does not exist in later Windows 95 versions.

2. Windows File Manager (winfile.exe) Windows File Manager does not display or sort dates beyond the year 2000 correctly. When using Windows File Manager to view the contents of folders, and you have selected to view "all file details", the dates of files created in the year 2000 and beyond may appear as follows:

January 1st, 2000 would appear as 1/1/;1

February 3rd, 2023 would appear as 2/3/>3

March 5th, 2036 would appear as 3/5/=6

3. Command Interpreter (command.com) The DATE command (internal to COMMAND.COM) does not correctly handle 2-digit dates from 00-79. Entering 2-digit dates within this range returns the error "Invalid Date".

4. Date/Time Picker (comctl32.dll). Previously, when you set your Regional Settings in the Control Panel to handle years as two digits, the Date/Time Picker function did not correctly reflect the date. This patch addresses that issue.

5. Phone Dialer applet (dialer.exe) The Show View Call Log option doesn't display the date properly after successful completion of a telephone call. If the system date is adjusted to the year 2000, the date is displayed as 100, 101,102, and so on.

For example, in the year 2000, you make a call using the Dialer applet. The log file created or appended to after the completion of the phone connection displays the year portion of the call date incorrectly, such as 101, 102, 103, and so on.

6. Time and Date Control Panel applet (timedate.cpl) When you select the date February 29 and change the year using the up and down arrows in the Date/Time Properties dialog box, the calendar displays February 29 every year, whether it's a leap year or not. This is a display issue in the applet.

7. DHCP Virtual Driver (vdhcp.386) Winipcfg /all - IP Leases obtained on or after 3/01/2000 are reported as being obtained the previous day. The system date is displayed properly but the DHCP client reports a date one day prior.

For example, if you log on to a LAN after March 1, 2000, and you run Winipcfg /all from Start\Run or Ipconfig /all from a DOS VM, the lease obtained date is one day behind. After 2/28/2000, the lease obtained date is one day behind the expected date.

8. Microsoft Foundation Class Library file (mfc40.dll) After the year 2000, programs that use the built in operators of the COleDateTime class may incorrectly parse a date . For example, 02/05/2000 may display as 2/05/100. Microsoft has modified the COleDateTime class so that it is less sensitive to program assumptions.

9. DOS Xcopy (xcopy.exe, xcopy32.exe) When using xcopy in real mode with the optional parameter /D:date, xcopy does not accept years entered as two digits, except for the years 80 through 99. The message "Invalid date" is displayed. When using xcopy in protected mode (from within Windows) two-digit dates are accepted but are recognized as being within the 20th century (02/05/01 is seen as 02/05/1901).

10. Microsoft Run Time Library file (msvcrt40.dll) Some applications that utilize this runtime library may behave as if the current time is one hour earlier than the correct time shown on the Windows clock. The problem will continue for one week from April 1 through April 8, 2001, after which these applications will shift to daylight savings time and again be in sync with the operating system. The problem results from the fact that April 1, 2001, falls on a Sunday, which confused a small algorithm in the run time library file that checks for the start of daylight savings time.This is not a year 2000 issue but rather a daylight savings time issue. It could occur in the years 1973, 1979, 1984, 1990, 2001, 2007, 2012, 2018, 2029, and 2035. What is common about these years is that April 1st falls on a Sunday.

11. OLE AUTOMATION (oleaut32.dll, olepro32.dll, stdole2.tlb, asycfilt.dll) The Microsoft Automation library contains routines for interpreting two digit years and provides a convenient way for applications to create unambiguous (serial) dates. In Windows 95 the current two digit year cutoff is 1999. This means that two digit years beginning with 00 will be interpreted as being in the 20th century, i.e. 1/1/00 is converted to 1/1/1900

[snip]

'Course, folks, I guess this ol' update ain't really necessary. They said the Win 95 OS is compliant, right?

I suggest EVERYONE get the Microsoft Y2K Analyzer software, downloadable at:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/pca/pca.htm

I ran it on my system last week, and yeah, all my Microsoft stuff was compliant, all right. Here's a look at what the Analyzer said about my computer:

[snip]

System Information

Machine

BIOS Name: American Megatrends BIOS Version: BIOS Version 1.00.07.CP0R CPU Description: Pentium OS: Windows 95 OS Version: 4.00.950 Language: English (United States) Computer Name: XXXXXXXX System Type: 09/07/96

Index of Systems/Applications Found

PLEASE NOTE: To help avoid potential Year 2000 issues, your applications and your operating system should both be Year 2000 compliant. (For example: a compliant application running on a non- compliant operating system might receive incorrect date information from the operating system.)

Windows 95 4.0 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required) Internet Explorer 5.0 (English) - Compliant Access 97 8.0 SR-1 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required) Excel 97 8.0 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required) Excel 97 8.0a SR-1 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required) Jet Database Engine 3.51.2026.0 - Compliant (prerequisite required) Microsoft Virtual Machine 2424 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required) Outlook Express 5.0 (English) Compliant PowerPoint 97 8.0 SR-1 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required) Schedule + 95 7.0 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required) Word 97 8.0 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required) Word 97 8.0 SR-1 (English) - Compliant (prerequisite required)

[snip]

"(prerequisite required)" means that I have to go and get a patch from Microsoft to 'update' each program to fix any 'minor' problems with Y2K.

I'm trying to be nice here, but how the ****!!! can they have the NERVE to crow about being compliant, and then tell a user that there's a heretofore unheard-of prerequisite? (Isn't a prerequisite something you're supposed to have beforehand? Like, accurate information, maybe?)

Know what's funny, Amy? My hubby's office just got in a whole bunch of brand new 550 mhz computers, complete with Windows 98. "Of course they're compliant!" HA!!! They're running the ORIGINAL version of Win 98. LOL!!! ROTFLOL!!!! (did I mention that hubby works for a Federal agency???) ROTFLMAO!!!!

I'm in such a mood today!

-- Arewyn (isitthatlate@lready.com), October 20, 1999.

Microsoft Y2k analyzer

Thanks for the link! Prerequisite, huh?

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

Wow, I just ran that analyzer and got a bunch of things with prerequisites required. So then they give you a link to more information, and the double-speak gets so thick I can't even understand it. This is amazing. Do you think they are deliberately trying to confuse me?

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

Amy and all: Microsucks has been so concerned with marketing and adding that extra billion to Billy-boys purse, that product quality has come a dead last in their priority list.

I get on-line newsletters "Woody's Office Watch" (WOW), "Woody's Window Watch (WWW). These are newsletters by an independent group who are big Microsucks boosters and make their money selling books trying to explain how to use Microsucks products.

Their (WOW and WWW) newsletters keep you up-to-date on what Microsucks is doing re their patches. AND THEIR EXPANATIONS ARE NO MORE CLEAR THAN YOU WILL FIND ON THE MICROSUCKS SITE. Even they are extremely frustrated by Microsucks operations regarding patches, whether security problems or Y2K related.

Bottom line -- the more dependent you are on Microsucks products, the bigger pile of crap you will find yourself in. Especially with applications with date data and dependencies.

Microsucks has so screwed up and obfuscated, that in the case of Microsucks stuff, all we, the average user, can do is to do like the Russians: Wait until TSHTF, and see if we can FOF.

I am so pissed, I hope some James Bond type can track Billy-Boy down on his post-Y2K island retreat and blow the whole thing up.

-- A (A@AisA.com), October 20, 1999.

Amy, thanks for the hotlink. I haven't been able to get anywhere with the links from the analyzer report, either. I did get the update for Win 95, which I downloaded today from:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wurecommended/s_ wufeatured/win95y2k/default.asp?site=95

Ironicly (sp?), I only found it by looking at your original link above, about Win 98. BTW, don't you find it amusing that Microsoft has chosen to call the fix for Win 98 "refreshing"? Have they coined a new pop idiom? I love it!

A, I feel your anger and frustration. I'm sure both Bills feel our pain. Too bad neither of them will have to personally face the fury of the masses when the masses finally catch on.

My poor husband came home for lunch today, and caught me in full rant. I think he went back to work just for some peace & quiet!

I'm going to try running the Win 95 'upgrade' now. I'll report on what happens, if I can!

-- Arewyn (isitthatlate@lready.com), October 20, 1999.

Email recieved Tuesday, subject "Slashdot signature of the day".

X-Lib-of-Cong-ISSN: 1098-7649 -=[ Fun_People ]=- X-http://www.langston.com/psl-bin/Fun_People.cgi

"At least you know where you are with Microsoft." "True. I just wish I'd brought a paddle."

-- harl (harlanquin@aol.hell), October 21, 1999.