Small Business Alert......
This is not just a big business problem. It affects essentially every small business personal computer user too.

• Y2K is not a "bug" or a "virus". It is a design flaw affecting hardware and software and there is no such thing as a quick one-time fix
• There is no simple one-size-fits-all solution either, since every PC configuration is different
• Consider replacing your hardware now if it is old and take advantage of Revenue Canada tax incentives before June 30/99 (May be extended to October 31/99)
• Monitoring your software will be an ongoing process as suppliers and programmers uncover new glitches and post remedies on the Internet
• Do not delay testing your complete system. You can expect access to the Internet to slow down and technical resources to be in scarcer supply as time runs out

Warning
It is not realistic to expect a simple one-time fix by buying new hardware or purchasing & installing a Y2k software package prior to January 1, 2000. An in-depth analysis now can reveal the hidden issues that may emerge both before and after January 1.

Cause of the Y2K Date Problem in PCs
The reason for the problem is deceptively straightforward. It is neither a bug nor a virus, but simply the result of programmers' poor judgment in the past in not allowing the extra capacity to handle dates beyond the year 1999. They apparently expected (and reasonably so it seemed at the time) that existing machines and software programs would all be replaced long before the turn of the century ever presented a problem.

Why addressing the Y2K Problem is Vital to your Business
PC time/date difficulties with the Year 2000 are both varied and pervasive. it is impossible to predict whether the effect on a particular business will be a minor annoyance or a major shutdown, or loss of data. It is inescapably a problem of global dimensions and the cost could run to over $1 trillion to fix it. The impact on individual businesses is harder to measure and depends on how time/date critical are the activities being performed on their computers. Accounting, Banking and Inventory applications would appear to be in the high risk category.

Year 2000 System Check-up
Practically every personal computer in use today is susceptible, even new PCs. All aspects of a complete system need to be thoroughly tested, since Y2K date errors can be present in hardware, operating system, application programs or datafiles. Further complicating the issue is the possibility of viruses, CMOS battery failure (causing your system to revert to pre year 2000 settings) and even other programs and shared data.

Step 1

Back up your critical data

Step 2

Follow your hardware manufacturer's instructions (usually published on the Internet) for testing your hardware

Step 3

Check your operating system version and obtain the latest software patch from the Internet

Step 4

Upgrade your Anti-virus software

Step 5

Identify your installed application software and upgrade to Y2K compliant versions as necessary. Install Y2K monitoring software to provide ongoing assistance over the Internet, if possible.

Step 6

review your critical datafiles (including accounting, inventory, spreadsheet, payroll records) for Y2K compliant file content.

 

Note: Record all software fixes or patches for reference in case you ever need to reinstall in the future in case the files become corrupted or updates deleted by mistake.