IBM Year 2000

PC Year 2000 Frequently Asked Questions
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FAQ

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Will my IBM Personal Computer work in the Year 2000?

Any IBM PC since the PC/AT model has the ability to maintain the date well into the Year 2000 and beyond. But, in order for an IBM PC to transition successfully and function properly in the Year 2000 and beyond some PCs need user intervention. It is the user's responsibility to determine which action(s), if any, are needed. IBM offers detailed information on the following topics, which may be of help to you after you determine how best to prepare your system for the next century:

  • To automatically update your PC's hardware clock to the next century using the existing BIOS( Basic Input/Output System) visit The Hardware Clock is Ticking section of this Web site. This section will help you understand how to update your PC's hardware clock to transition successfully into Year 2000.
  • To potentially improve the ability of your system to independently transition to the next century, a BIOS update may be all your machine requires.
  • To manually set the date on your PC yourself, visit the section Manually Reset the Date on your PC at this Web site for specific instructions.
  • To automatically update your PC's hardware clock, another tool you can use is IBM's Year 2000 Device Driver

How do I set the date on my PC?

Strategies to Help You Meet The Year 2000 Challenge will provide detailed steps for this simple solution for ALL IBM Personal Systems since the PC/AT model.

Will IBM provide any fixes free of charge?

If the system requires a BIOS Update, this update package is provided by IBM free of charge. IBM Personal Systems Groups has also provided as freeware a Year 2000 Evaluation Tool, which checks your system for Year 2000 readiness, and an IBM Year 2000 Device Driver, which can be used to test Year 2000 Readiness on any IBM system—including models before the PC/AT model.

I know my IBM Personal System will update the century correctly, is there anything else to be concerned about?

Even though PC hardware can transition successfully and function properly in the Year 2000, it is important to realise that the hardware is not the sole component of a system. A Personal System has many layers, such as hardware, BIOS, operating system software, and application software that resides in a diverse integrated environment.

The risk is if any one of these layers is not using the correct date, it can generate a corrupted date to the rest of the desktop. Some of the adverse effects can be lost or incorrect data, revoked log-on privileges, and inventory or billing errors. In addition, data may not be replicated or backed up properly.

Therefore, it is critical that all components of your system be assessed—your software as well as hardware—to determine if the entire desktop will function properly into the Year 2000.

If I manually reset the date, do I have to do that every time when I turn on my machine after the Year 2000?

No. The date and time are kept in a special area of the Real Time Clock that is backed up by battery. It will maintain the new date and time even when the PC is powered off. The next time you power on the PC, the date should be accurate.

What tests can I do to see if my IBM PC will work in the Year 2000?

A downloadable hardware Evaluation Tool is provided at this Web site. This tool will report whether your system's hardware and BIOS are Year 2000 Ready.

There are three manual tests that also could be done, if needed. All three tests should be performed in order to understand how a system will behave in the Year 2000. It is recommended, however, that manual tests be performed by booting to a stand-alone DOS diskette.

Manual Test 1 - Hardware's Real Time Clock with System left on.

  1. Set the date to12-31-1999.
  2. Set the time for a minute before midnight (23:59:00).
  3. Keep the system running for that minute.
  4. Reboot the system.
  5. Check the date again.

Manual Test 2 - Hardware's Real Time Clock with System Powered Off.

  1. Set the date to 12-31-1999.
  2. Set the time for a minute before midnight (23:59:00).
  3. Turn the system off for that minute.
  4. Reboot the system.
  5. Check the date again.

Manual Test 3 - BIOS Timer Service (INT 1Ah)

  1. Set the date to 1-1-2000
  2. Reboot the system
  3. Check the date again.

When I downloaded and ran the Evaluation Tool, the Real Time Clock Century Test indicated a NOTE 1, what does that mean?

A Note 1 report means that the century indicator will update at the next power on or reset of the system after the Year 2000. The Hardware Clock is Ticking section of this Web site can help you understand the purpose of the Real Time Clock and answer many questions about resetting your system to update the Real Time Clock. .

Will the Evaluation Tool test my software?

No. The Evaluation Tool will only test the hardware and BIOS of a PC. Assessing applications and system software can be done by visiting company Web sites, calling technical support help lines, and obtaining or purchasing software tools designed to assist you in evaluating applications' Year 2000 readiness.

How can I find year 2000 information about the software shipped with my IBM PC?

Visit the Software section of this Web site for Web site addresses and Year 2000 information of many developers that supply software on your IBM PC.

Can the Year 2000 Device Driver be installed on a network?

Yes. After downloading the Year 2000 Device Driver onto a diskette, a file is created called details.txt. This text file contains specific instructions on how to perform a network install.

How can I find out the BIOS level of my IBM PC?

The Basic Input Output System (BIOS) is code written specifically to operate with a PC's hardware. It is part of a system's firmware because after it is updated by the Flash Utility, it remains a permanent part of the machine.

For most IBM Personal Systems, the setup configuration utility will display useful BIOS level information. Entering the setup configuration utility can be done, after a power on by hitting the function key (F1), while the memory is counting at the top left of the display. In some cases, a reference diskette must be in the drive in order to enter the configuration subsystem.

Many of the IBM Personal Systems will identify the BIOS by using some keywords listed below:

  • Flash EEPROM Revision Level
    POST BIOS Build ID
    BIOS Level

The location of this information may differ depending on the IBM Personal System type. Some configuration systems have menus, while others are grouped together as categories with a title. Here are some of the categories or titles:

  • Display Revision Levels
    Product Data
    System Information

Once you locate and record this information, it may be useful when searching for more recent BIOS levels, which can be found at the IBM Personal System's File Library.

Year 2000 is a leap year. Can my IBM PC handle this?

Yes. IBM Personal Systems simply use all four digits of the year in an algorithm to calculate leap year dates properly.