Test Your Personal Computer For Year 2000 Compliance

The PC date and time problem results from code carried over from the old IBM PC AT BIOS. Do not conduct these tests on systems containing date sensitive passwords until such passwords have been deactivated; otherwise you may lock the machine with all passwords expired.

PHASE I.

1. Set the systems date to 31 Dec 1999.

2. Set the systems clock to 23:58 (11:58 p.m.).

3. Check that the date and time have been set using DATE and TIME commands.

4. Power down the machine.

5. Wait five minutes.

6. Switch the machine back on.

7. Check the date and time. It should be a few minutes after midnight on the first of January 2000.

PHASE II.

1. Set the date to 01 Jan 2000.

2. Check that the date has been set using the DATE command.

3. Power down the machine.

4. Wait one minute or so.

5. Switch the machine back on.

6. The machine should still exhibit an 01 Jan 2000 date.

PHASE III.

1. Reset the correct systems date.

2. Reset the correct systems time.

If the system in question fails either or both of these tests, it will probably have to be replaced.