CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 09/30/99

Is Your Home Computer Prepared for Y2K?

The countdown to the new century has everyone worried about computers at work, at the bank and even at the local power company. But what about your home computer? Have you prepared it for the year 2000?

"In 99 percent of the cases, the worst thing that's going to happen to your home computer is your new files will have 1900 dates attached to them," said Bill Blum, a computer specialist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

"If your date doesn't roll over to the year 2000," Blum said, "it will most likely roll back to 1900 or 1960, the year IBM first programmed into its computers."

The Oldest Are the Newest

This will be most annoying to those who organize their data files by date. "If your computer rolls back to 1900, your newest files will show up as your oldest," he said.

Either way, if your computer is set up to record dates in a two-digit format (MM/DD/YY), when the new year arrives, the last two digits will most likely become zeros. You can correct that by opening "Start," then "Settings," then "Control Panel," then "Regional Settings" and finally "Date Settings," where you can select a four-digit year setting (MM/DD/YYYY).

If you just can't wait to see if your computer settings will roll over to the year 2000, Blum said there's an easy way to trick your computer into thinking the new year has arrived.

"At the DOS prompt, type 'date' and enter 12/31/1999," he said. "Then type 'time' and enter 23:59:00 (military time). Wait a minute and type 'date' command again. If it reads 01/01/2000, you're Y2K ready."

Mac Users Are Hardware Worry Free

Blum said MacIntosh computer owners have a Y2K advantage. "MacIntosh operating systems have been ready for Y2K for the past eight years," he said.

Owners of computers running DOS or Windows 3.1 may not be so lucky. If your computer is three to five years old, Blum suggests checking with the manufacturer on possible Y2K glitches in your system.

"Most of the manufacturers have created Web sites with this information," he said. Blum and his UGA colleagues have created a Web site, www.uga.edu/caesoit/y2k/ , which links to the major computer manufacturers.

"If your personal computer was a recent purchase, you should automatically be ready for the new year," Blum said.

Don't Forget to Check Your Software

Once you've decided your computer hardware is ready for Y2K, you need to check out your software or programs.

"If you're uncertain about your software, contact the manufacturer," he said. "Most software manufacturers have Y2K information available on their Web sites as well."

Even if you're not worried about Y2K harming your computer system, Blum said it's a good practice to back up your computer's data files often.

"You should have all your original program files on CDs or disks. But what about your data files?" he said. "It's a good idea to copy your data files to a floppy disk. This guarantees you have a copy of your personal data files should your system ever crash."

Backup System Frequently

You should have backup files of two important system files, too. "Under the root or 'C' directory, look for the files 'auto.exec.bat' and 'config.sys,'" Blum said. "These are system-related files that are used when your computer boots up. Make copies of these two files as well as your data files from all your software programs."

Blum recommends backing up your data files once a month if you use your computer for hobby/home education and once a week if you use it for a home-based business.

"When deciding whether to back up certain files," he said, "think about how critical the information is to you and what you'd have to do to replace it. Y2K or not, backing up your computer data files is just good hard-disk management."

(Photo by Sharon Omahen, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)

Sharon Omahen is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Bill Blum
A new UGA study found that children improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches. CAES News
UGA study shows all students benefit from healthy school lunches 04/24/24 Erica P. Techo
School lunches have come a long way from square pizza and fish sticks, and students across the board are benefiting from improved nutritional standards in the cafeteria. A new study from the University of Georgia found that children from all walks of life improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nutritional guidelines instead of home-prepared lunches.
Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
uga commencement CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.